Canadian Film Weekly (Aug 9, 1944)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Aug 9, 1944
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Aug 9, 1944)
Leaf #:
0000
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Canada, Hollywood Studio System, and Global Cinema
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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Vol. 9, No. 32 VOICE of the A CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE TORONTO, AU‘ iUST 9, , i INDUSTRY 1944 $2.00 Per Annum Jack L. Warner, Stars Honored IODE Declares Film Policy “It has been the declared policy,” wrote Mrs. Grant Gordon, national film convenor of the IODE, in a letter to eight provincial film convenors and presidents, “to bring what influence we can to bear upon local theatre managers to show pictures suitable for children especially at Saturday matinees, and upon parents to select only such (Continued on Page 2) Film Studios for British Columbia International Artists Films Corp. Ltd. is completing plans for the erection of modern film studios on property situated in Burnaby, B.C., on the Grandview Highway, between Willingdon and Forest Lawn Memorial Park. In addition to 40 acres leased for 20 years from the municipality, the company has secured 75 acres for future development. (Continued on Page 2) Ottawa Presents Plaques for Work on ‘Shining Future’ The Charles Ruggles, JACK L. WARNER Honored by Canada Paramount Program Is Plenty Varied The greatest variety _of pictures in recent years are lined up by Paramount’s films, cluding “And the Angels Sing,” starring Dorothy Lamour, Fred MacMurray and Betty Hutton with Diana Lynn and Mimi Chandler; Pine and Thomas’ “Take It Big,” with Jack Haley; “Rainbow Island,’ starring Dorothy Lamour, Eddie (Continued on Page 15) Atlantic City 27 completed and six in-production according to the current master present an investment of $32, The films break down into nine musical comedies, schedule. They re 000,000. in Ruggles to Rank Wesley Ruggles last week signed a contract which places him in charge of all J. Arthur Rank productions aimed at world markets. He is now in Hollywood to arrange for writers, directors and players. Canadian Government last week presented Jack L. Warner, executive producer of Warner Bros. Pictures, and Bing Crosby, Cary Grant, Deanna Durbin, Herbert Marshall, Irene Manning and others with plaques Joe Marks Passes, Was Show Vet Joseph Ethelbert Cyril Marks, 82 years of age, one of the seven made from captured relics widely known Marks Bros. who for the ir services in the makfor over 50 years were members ing of “The Shining Future,” of Canadian theatre business, passed away recently at the a two-reel film distributed to Great War Memorial Hospital, aid the Sixth Victory Loan. at a special luncheon of War Activities Perth, Ont. Only one brother of the noted group survives, namely Ernie Marks, former Mayor of the city of Oshawa, and owner of (Continued on Page 5) The presentations were made Committee (Hollywood (Continued on Page 8) | No Not Yet, Jol John... | In “A Film Policy For Canada,” which occupies the June 15 issue of National Affairs, John Grierson, Dominion film commissioner, does some groping on the subject of feature films for Canada. He writes: “One way is for Canada to make its feature films in New York or Hollywood. We might build up in either centre a company for the making of Canadian films with an associate producership in one of the big international companies. Given a Canadian producer of the standing of say Hal Wallis or David Selznick, there would be nothing to prevent a program of four to Canadian films a year, nor the building up around him team of actors and writers drawn largely from Canada.” Hollywood, Grierson points out, takes out $9,000,000 per year from the Canadian market. Last year the figure was $15,000,000. For that “it provides profitable entertainment. yes, but what besides?” His contention is that there aren't enough Canadian themes. six of a We asked some Canadian film men. whom Grierson described as “a loyal group of men,” what they thought of the suggestion. The answer was: “Where will we get the money?” “Nothing to Prevent.. .”? Canadian film men would certainly like to see Canadian production under way. But Grierson’s drum-beating won't cause any of them to join the parade because they don’t think it’s going anywhere. It took 450 features of all kinds. including reissues, to draw $15,000,000 out of the Canadian market last year. Very few top-grade productions cost less than $1,000,000 to make. Anything requiring the talents of a Selznick or a (Continued on Page 2) Rakivicn" 's halees playground is a -polortal beskgreeka for thee vata ac a stars in REPUBLIC's gay musical extravaganza. It’s the kind of feature that is breaking boxoffice records regularly. Distributed by Beabiewrnben