Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 26, 1944)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Apr 26, 1944
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 26, 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
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7 [LKAYLY Vol. 9, No. 17 of the A. CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE TORONTO, APRIL 26, 1944 INDUSTRY $2.00 Per Annum VI Loan Showmen Away Fast Hard Drive Expected to Boost Objective Over the Top The VI Victory Loan drive of the Canadian motion picture industry got away to a lively start, reports indicate, with exhibitors and managers fully aware of the difficult time ahead and prepared to meet it. The Scrap Book Contest of Reagan Succeeds Agnew at Para The 3oard of Directors of Paramount Pictures Ine. have approved a five-year contract for Charles H. Reagan as General Manager for the distribution of Paramount Pictures in the United States and Canada and also elected Reagan a vice-president of the company, succeeding (Continued on Page &) Conciliation and Quebec Allied Members of the Quebec Allied Theatrical Industries and other exhibitors met in Montreal recently to study the proposed draft of the Conciliation Board constitution drawn up in February at a Toronto meeting of exhibitor and distributor representatives. (Continued on Page 5) Trow Proud Papa Bill Trow, Montreal Posters, is the proud father of a new born baby. RENE DAIGNAULT Veteran theatre manager, who passed away in Montreal. Hanson to Handle Esquire Films Esquire Films is joining the companies of Oscar Hanson, effective May 1, and the product handled by that company will be distributed through his outlets. Esquire is the distributor in Canada of choice films from England and Soviet Russia selected from the production lists of those countries. The company acquired Canadian distribution of Soviet Films in May, 1942. Esquire Films, organized in 1940 with Archie Laurie as general manager, maintained its own sales organization for some time, with offices in ‘Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg. Man(Continued on Page 5) The Fighting Manager Describes Industry Progress H. M. Thomas, manager of the Centre Theatre, Owen Sound, Ontario, was guest speaker at a recent meeting of the local Kinsmen’s Club. He described the progress of the motion picture industry from its inception 50 years ago. Sea the Motion Picture War Services Committee has caught on and managers were busy during the last week making contacts and drawing up ideas to induce cooperation from merchants and others, In Brantford, Ontario, the theatres have all donated their marquees and H. M. Solman, manager of the Esquire, who is head of theatre branch of publicity, prevailed on the Loan (Continued on Page 2) Injunction On Hamilton Deal Famous Players Canadian Corporation, a minority stockholder in Hamilton United Theatres, Limited, was granted an interim injunction April 11, 1944, by Justice Barlow at Osgoode Hall, Toronto, restraining the latter company from carrying into effect any sale of its assets to (Continued on Page 5) Real Estate Buy Theatres Ltd., Edhas purchased Suburban monton, Alberta, a lot directly behind the Garneau Theatre for $590. ARE YOU AFRAID TO ‘Just Miss’? Any man seasoned with the salt of ife—and worth his salt—will tell you that the people who “just miss’ accomplishing their aims are not failures and no intelligent person will consider himself one for that. There is the joy of effort and the easy conscience that comes with having tried. The real failures are those who knew deep in their hearts that they could put up a great battle but didn’t try because they might ‘just miss.” If a man is a fool who tries for something while feeling that he may not win—then thank God for such fools. The efforts of such men made a civilized Dominion out of the wilderness. The men who fight are not always convinced that they will win their immediate objective —but fight they do and you are their beneficiary. No man with an ounce of pride will want to share the fruits of their work on a raincheck. In the matter of that Scrap Book Contest for prizes in which you will record your efforts in behalf of the Sixth Victory Loan—hold yourself at arm’‘s length mentally and size yourself up. Have you been dismissing it unconsciously because you think the city slickers have an advantage? Forget it. The standard of judging takes that into account. You can’t win—if you don’t try. The contest 1s no romp. It’s part of a vital duty. TNT PUBLIC'S great action and adventure DPS film is ready for release in Canada through EMPIRE-UNIVERSAL. “The Fighting Seabees” opens at the Uptown, Toronto, today, In the cast are John Wayne, Susan Hayward, Dennis O'Keefe and William Frawley.