Canadian Film Weekly (Mar 22, 1944)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Mar 22, 1944
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Mar 22, 1944)
Leaf #:
0000
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Global Cinema, Canada, and Hollywood Studio System
Format:
periodicals
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library, Canadian Picture Pioneers, Paul Moore and Jessica Whitehead
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:

Canadian Film Weekly

  • Editor: Hye Bossin (1942-64)
  • Renamed Canadian Film & TV Bi-Weekly (1965-69, editor: Stan Helleur)
  • Renamed Candian Film Weekly(1970, editor: Ed Hocura)

Canadian Film Weekly (1942-70) was edited by Hye Bossin and published by Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., wholly owned by leading exhibitor, Nat Taylor. In the late 1930s, Taylor was head of the Independent Theatre Association and his Toronto-based chain, Twinex-Century (Twentieth Century), was the largest independent circuit in the country. In 1941, however, he negotiated for chain affiliation with upstart Canadian Odeon before leveraging a better deal and greater booking control with nationally-dominant Famous Players Canada, Ltd. No longer independent, he took ownership of the Independent Theatre Association’s semi-monthly magazine, The Canadian Motion Picture Exhibitor (1940-41), installed Hye Bossin as editor, and laid plans to relaunch in January 1942 under a new name, Canadian Film Weekly. This enduring key publication was no longer solely focused on independent exhibitors but instead covered the entire industry on a national scale–exhibition, distribution and production–with some attention given to studio news from New York and Hollywood.

Bossin was a vibrant writer with a canny way with words, admired in the industry in the United States as well as Canada. He was one of a large family who lived above their father’s secondhand shop in the Jewish “ward” downtown in Toronto. His older brother was a bookie with ties to the underground; his younger brother was a famous journalist, protégé of Walter Winchell, and Hollywood screenwriter. In contrast, Hye spent nearly two decades learning the publishing trade in a printers’ shop before trying a stint as a Hollywood publicist, then writing a column for the Toronto Star Weekly before taking Taylor’s offer to edit the Film Weekly. Bossin was central to the creation of the Canadian Film Archive, the Canadian Film Awards, and he wrote some of the first histories of early cinema in Canada, published in the first volumes of the annual Canadian Film Weekly Year Book (1951-70).

In 1957, the Film Weekly had incorporated the rival Canadian Moving Picture Digest (1917-57), and began dating its start to that paper’s earlier start as the Canadian Universal Bulletin (1915-18). Subsequent variants of the Canadian Film Weekly and its yearbooks always claimed their roots all the way back to 1915 and the origins of the film industry trade press in Canada. After Bossin died in 1964, the Weekly’s new editor, Stan Helleur, renamed the magazine Canadian Film & TV Bi-Weekly, scaling back the pace of publishing but adding a purview for television and broadcasting. The annual was renamed similarly, its subtitle amended to “Year Book of the Canadian Entertainment Industry.” An attempted renewal to weekly format in 1970, edited by Ed Hocura, was short-lived and Nat Taylor decided instead to relaunch under an entirely new title, Canadian Film Digest (1971-77) and Canadian Film Digest Yearbook (1971-86).

– Paul Moore, March 2024

Further Reading

  • Bossin, Hye. “Canada and the Film: The Story of the Canadian Motion Picture Industry.” In Canadian Film Weekly Year Book of the Canadian Motion Picture Industry, 21-41. Toronto: Film Publications of Canada, 1951.
  • Moore, Paul. “Chronicling a National History: Hye Bossin’s Canadian Film Weekly and Year Book.” In Eric Hoyt and Kelley Conway, eds., Global Movie Magazines. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2024.

Date Added:
August 01, 2024
Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

@ ; f,. nye P | ~~ A \ | 4 y > ~~ ~ # 7 « Vol 9, No. 12 7 [KAY VOICE of the We A. CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE TORONTO, MARCH 22, 1944 rs INDUSTRY $2.00 Per Annum Trade Watches Montreal Case Protection Battle May Have Effect on Distribution The legal battle in Montreal courts as to whether the Kent Theatre, a Superior operation, has priority over the Snowden, a United Amusements unit, has taken a turn that will draw additional interest from all Canadian distributors fe FELLOWS, FOR A GRAND LAUNCHING INTO THE SEA OF MATRIMONY” Archie Laurie of EmpireUniversal films was given a “Farewell to Bachelorhood” party at the Royal York Roof Garden on March 16. More than 100 film and theatre men were present. He thanks you. Harvey E. Kissock Passes in Denver Word has been received of the death in Denver, Colo., of Harvey Elliott Kissock, 55, son of Mrs. E. A. Kissock, 9 Ferrier Ave. He was 2 native of Toronto, and was once identified with the motionpicture industry here, with the old Super Features Co., and later in Western Canada. In recent years he was field representative for Nutrition Research Laboratories, Chicago, and resided in Glendale, Cal. Surviving are his widow; a son, John; a daughter, Mary of Chicago; his mother, and a brother, David of Toronto, epublic Theatre Burns at Gatineau, P.Q. Fire last week destroyed the Regent Theatre, Gatineau Point, Quebec, 350-seat house which was part of the town council building. Though the building, owned by the municipality, was insured for $5,000, none was carried on the theatre equipment, (Continued on Page 2) $360,000 Award To Chi Exhibs In a decision considered to b2 of far-reaching importance in the ‘motion picture industry of the United States, the defendants in an anti-trust suit by the Jackson Park Theatre, Chicago, were found guilty by a jury. The jury awarded triple damages amounting to $360,000 to the plaintiffs (Continued on Page 2) Vandals at Work In Hamilton Every night for one week vandals smashed the rear exit lights of the York Theatre, Hamilton, Ontario, C. J. Ken nedy, manager, informed the police. Last week prowlers forced one of the doors but left the building without stealing anything. PRC to Color Producers Releasing Corporation will bow into the color field with “Enchanted Forest.” Color process has not been selected. and exhibitors. Judge Louis Cousineau has decided that the dispute will be settled in Superior Court and not before the administrator Wartime Prices and Trade Board. The product involved is that of Vitagraph, Warners’ Canadian outlet. There is talk that the present action will be followed by one (Continued on Page 2) Roy Rogers to Make Toronto Appearance Roy Rogers, Republic’s cowboy star, will appear in a rodeo at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, from May 2 to 6. of the Lawson, Beeston Odeon Directors The Honorable Earl Lawson, P.C., K.C., and George H. Beeston, both veteran figures of the Canadian motion picture industry, have been added to the boards of directors of Odeon Theatres of Canada Limited and Empire-Universal Films Limited. (Continued on Page 6) Prefabrication For Show Shops Prefabricated theatres for post-war use in North America as well as Europe and China are interesting motion picture producers and exhibitors. It is reported in London that J. Arthur Rank will use them for a quick drive on overseas markets in an (Continued on Page 13) THE HON. J. EARL LAWSON, P.C., K.C. GEORGE H. BEESTON They have been elected to the boards of directors of Odeon Theatres of Canada Limited and Empire-Universal Films Limited. leads the way with timely musical comedies starring screen, stage and radio personalities, as well as presenting “name” bands. Republic pictures will fit any program. Now booking f —‘Rosie the Riveter,” “Casanova in Burlesque,” “Trocadero,” “Jamboree” and other fine attractions, Get them through EMPIRE-UNIVERSAL FILMS,