Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 29, 1944)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Nov 29, 1944
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 29, 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 08, 2024
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A VOICE of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY Vol 9, No. 48 TORONTO, NOVEMBER 29, 1944 Rank-Nathanson Partnership To Build Theatres Jointly in Leading Canadian Cities The long-heralded deal between Paul L. Nathanson and J. Arthur Rank was officially announced in Toronto on November 24. As expected, it calls for the erection of theatres in Canada’s leading cities and wider distribution of $2.00 Per Annum ved PAUL L. NATHANSON From a standpoint of personzl power, he is the outstanding figure in the Canadian film industry. As head of Odeon Theatres, he has established a link with J. Arthur Rank, who is aiming at an Empire chain. British films. The official announcement follows: “Mr. Paul L. Nathanson of Toronto, Canada, and Mr. J. Arthur Rank of London, England, acting through his associate Mr. John Davis, have pleasure in announcing that they have entered into a partnership for the mutual operation in Canada of General Theatrs Corporation Limited. This Canadian company controls among other motion picture assets, Odeon Theatres of Canada Limited, which operates at the present time approximately 100 motion picture theatres in Canada. Both companies will continue to be Canadian entzrprises under Canadian management. The ar WPTB Jurisdiction Argued in Mont’l Jurisdiction of the Superior Court of Quebec to deal with contract rights involving the exhibition of moving pictures was challenged before the Court of Appeal, Montreal, last week by counsel representing the United Am usement Corporation, Limited. The issue emerged from the dispute between the corporation and Kent Theatres, Limited, regarding priority rights for exhibiting in Montreal Warner Brothers first national photoplays. The contention submitted to the Bench was that, for the pericd of the war, the Administrator of Services, acting for the Wartime Prices and Trade Board, under the powers of the War Measures Act, has full control over basic (Continued on Page 2) H. M. MASTERS General Manager Odeon Theatres of Canada SC ee inns reeyiovt rangement made between Mr. Nathanson and Mr. Rank will extend and facilitate the distribution and exhibition of British picturcs in Canada whether produced by Mr. Rank’s group or oth rwise. It is propos-d to enlarge the existing circuit by building modern theatres in the principal cities of Canada. This will give the public the highest form of motion picture entertainm-nt under the best possible conditions.” The “other motion picture assets”. controlled by General Theatre Corporation Limited may give Rank an even greater share of the Canadian motion picture field than was anticipated publicly. J. ARTHUR RANK ; The lecding figure in the British and international film world, he has ac quired a stake in Canadian exhibition through a deal with Odeon Theatres, Canada’s second largest circuit. He was represented here by John Davis. Famous Players On| Conciliation Draft The draft of the conciliation agreement, accepted by the d.stributors association and Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba exhibitor groups, has been found unacceptable by Famous Players. J. J. Fitzgibbons, president of that com JOHN DAVIS Man. Director Odeon Theatres, Ltd., Britain SDA EASE ee ee se Everybody will 1 musical because it’s about the kind of people pany, proposed certain amendments to the Ontario plan, as well as going on record as doubting the practicability of a single pattern for national application. : “We believe,” read Mr. Fitzgibbons statement, “the best results in conciliation will be obtained by having autonomous boards set up in each exchange centre which would conciliate matters for the theatres served in that exchange area.” He suggested that the Na (Continued on Page 2) xT Me ES ie UNIVERSAL ss ve this lovable everybody loves! Featuring Maria Montez, d Louise Allbritton. Through EMPIRE-UNIVERSAL, ten SES Bowery toBroadw Jack Oakie, Susanna Foster, Turhan Bey, Donald O’Connor, Peggy Ryan an ee Bi ie isi PE CR es ee