Canadian Film Weekly (Jul 19, 1944)

Page scan 0009 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Jul 19, 1944
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Jul 19, 1944)
Leaf #:
0009
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 08, 2024
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Page 10 Show Seat Quota Raised 10 P.C. (Continued from Page 1) met, for there is still a shortage of parts, but the easing up of metal restrictions has placed them in a position to provide considerable assistance to exhibitors. Each exhibitor seeking additional seats or replacements must make his own application and receive a permit. It is estimated that, if restrictions were lifted entirely, there would be orders for from 150,000 to 175,000 new seats. Canadian theatres have almost 750,000 seats. Manufacturers are required to have a certain amount of seats in stock at all times, so as to be in a position to replace those destroyed by fire, vandalism and other causes. No war chair has been successful, manufacturers dropping the plan to provide emergency chairs of inferior quality when exhibitors showed that they preferred to keep the old ones. All chairs being provided now are of standard quality. The Canadian order allowing the increase of seating and reseating was followed by one in the USA where manufacturers will be permitted to make 75,000 seats. Canadian FILM WEEKLY National Award to. Soucie, Quebec (Continued from Page 1) and P. A. Tucker, Capitol, Kamloops, B.C., was given honorable mention by the judges. Both Skinner and Trudell got provincial first prizes of a $50 bond. Soucie, a lieutenant in the Reserve Army, camouflaged the front of the theatre, erected slit trenches and sentry boxes and a large plaftorm for the use of speakers. The local council permitted him to block off the street. A sales boédth was put up and prominent business men were notified to buy bonds at it. If they did not appear they were arrested by “Nazi” squads. This did much to stimulate sales among small buyers. Rouyn exceeded its quota and this was helped by the sale of over $30,000 worth of bonds outside the theatre, some $10,000 worth being sold to outgoing patrons. The campaign, in French and English, did a great job with radio, newspapers, local merchants, etc. The demonstrations outside the theatre attracted the largest crowds in local history. Freeman Skinner, winner of the second prize, did an outstanding job of ad boosting. He laid out nine ads for different merchants and sold them the idea of placing them in Halifax news DOMINION SOUND EQUIPMENTS “IMITED Head Office: 1620 Notre Dame Street West, Montreal Qesmceteet MALIFAXK TORONTO WINNIPEG REGINA CALGARY VANCOL vER papers, the ads boosting “The Shining Future.” Pictures and stories for “The Shining Future,” “The Fifth Christmas” and a special reel of the Halifax Explosion of 1917 won 7,000 lines of publicity. The theatre staff won the first pennant in the city. Skinner also did an expert job of theatre dis T. C. SOUCIE Manager of the Alexander Theatre, Rouyn, Quebec, who won first prize of $100 in the nation-wide VI Victory Loan Scrap Book contest of the Canadian Motion Picture War Services Committee. play, radio publicity, parades and sO on. William K. Trudell, third prizewinner, did a fine job on the theatre itself, inside and out, worked closely with the local War Finance Committee, spurred the staff to win a pennant, ran a Victory Loan Slogan Contest which drew thousands of contestants, and did a great job with the press. Honorable mention went to P. A. Tucker of Kamloops, B.C., who showed what a small town showman can do. He was chairman of publicity for the local Loan committee and spoke before various bodies in the district. He had window tie-ups, newspaper space, scout co-operation, and sold bonds through the local committee in the theatre itself. The committee also congratulated four showmen for outstanding jobs of public relations, as well as intensive work on the theatre part of the Loan, each of whom received a special prize from his circuit head office. They , are Ken Craig, Capitol (F PCC), St. Catharines, Ontario; Harold July 19, 1944 Standoff OKd in Ont. Labor Act (Continued from Page 1) The Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario, through Syd B. Taube, executive secretary, explained that managers and janitors were close to the theatre for more than 48 hours weekly, though not active for the extra time. The problem of adjustment had not been solved and a six-month stay was allowed while industry representatives prepared a brief for study by government officials. Section 14 of the Act, under which a stay may be granted, also provides that no second postponement shall be permitted. The conditions of the act, which is called the Hours of Work and Vacations with Pay Act, 1944, will therefore apply to Ontario theatres after December 31 of this year. A. questionnaire has been circulated by the Association to all Ontario theatres. Exhibitors are asked to provide information on conditions in their theatres. This will be handed to the Industry and Labor Board. The Act has caused considerable disagreement between organized labor and the Board. Labor has objected vehemently to any exemptions and the Toronto and District Trades and Labor Council sent a delegation to Queen’s Park. Jeffrey to N.Y. A. J. Jeffrey, United Artists’ Canadian general manager, was in New York for the first of two sales meetings of the company. Sovereign Film Men Convene in Montreal Sovereign Films representatives are convening at the Mount Royal during the Empire Universal convention. The company, handling 16 mm., distributes Universal and Columbia small-sizers. Led by Walter Kennedy, general manager; Ray Hague, Toronto; Frank Leduc, Montreal; Fred Stone, Vancouver; and Joe Devries, Winnipeg, huddled to size up plans for the coming season. Bishop, Capitol (FPCC), Winnipeg, Manitoba; Walter Helm, Avon (Premier), Stratford, Ontario; and Les Vicary, Geneva (20th Century Theatres), Orillia, Ontario. Along with the other books, theirs will be autographed by Prime Minister W. L. Mackenzie King and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Iisley, and returned. Vast majority of the books submitted for the contest showed ingenuity in showmanship and were evidence of great energy.