Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 27, 1944)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Dec 27, 1944
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 27, 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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Vol. 9, No. 52 en the VOICE of CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE TORONTO, DECEMBER 27, 1944 INDUSTRY $2.00 Per Annum Asleep at Television Switch? S1x-Mo. Holdback On Hostel Films After January 1, 1945, all 16 mm. film showings in canteens and hostels in any place where there is one or more theatres will have to be six months old or older. This was decided at a recent meeting at which distributors, exhibitors, representatives (Continued on Page $9) 1,286 Houses in Six Territories Theatres served by Canada’s six distribution centres numbered 1,286 in 1944, while 43 houses were dark during the year. These figures include Newfoundland theatres, seven of which are listed in the theatre directory as being served from Saint John, (Continued on Page 9) Canadian MPI Not Represented On Ether-Spectrum Board There is a dangerous lack of interest in television postwar problems on the part of the Canadian motion picture industry, which has not seen fit to become a contributing sponsor of the recently-organized Canadian Radio Technical ‘Mayerling' in Feb. United Artists’ remake of the French hit, ‘‘Mayerling,” goes into production in February, Mary Pickford has announced. P. C. Taylor Acquires Theatre Interest Percy Taylor last week acquired the interest of T. C. Harrington Estate in the Border Theatre, Rock Island, Quebec. Taylor was Canadian general manager of RKO in Toronto for many years. He is the father of Hatton F. Taylor, present manager of RKO, Montreal. The senior Taylor retired for a few years but is now returning to the industry. Ontario and Quebec Winners Named — Ontario and Quebec winners in the Seventh Victory Loan Scrap Book Contest of the Canadian Motion Picture War Services Committee were announced last week. Books of the winners of first prize become eligible for the national contest. Provincial prizes are $50, $25 and $10, the first a Victory Bond and the latter two in War Savings Certificates. National prizes are $100, $50 and $25, the first two being Victory Bonds and the last one a War Savings Certificate. A. Kent Craig, Capitol, St. Catharines, won first prize in Ontario, his book being selected by a committee of judges appointed by Herb Allen and Nat Taylor, provincial co-chairman. Second prize in Ontario went to Walter Helm, hard-working man (Continued on Page 9) George O'Brien Dead Was Vet Project'ist George O’Brien, projectionist of the Ace, Toronto, died on his way home from work on December 16. the veteran theatre man has three sons in the service, two in Italy and one in training at Debert, Nova Scotia. He was a member of Local 173, Toronto, for 25 years and a brotherrin-law of J. H. Leslie, secretary of Vancouver projectionists union, Local 348. Planning Board. The organization is mainly concerned with future frequency allocation and spectrum utilization. The CRTPB was formed on November 20, 1944, following the request of the department of transportation to the controller of radio that interested parties be invited to provide advice on post-war frequency allocations. Department of transportation is part of the department of munitions and supply, over which the (Continued on Page 2) Coval Joins WB Foreign Dept. Irvin (Babe) Coval, popular manager of Warners Montreal branch, has been appointed district manager for Trinidad, British West Indies, by Wolfe Cohen, formerly Canadian general manager, who recently shifted to the foreign department of the com (Continued on Page 2) Sunday Vaudeville Illegal in Quebec On the grounds that the Gayety Theatre, Montreal, “has been giving vaudeville shows on Sundays which is illegal,” Premier Maurice Duplessis has suspended the theatre’s operating permit. Reunion in Trinidad Irvin (Babe) Coval, Montreal branch manager for Warner Brothers, now district manager of Trinidad under Wolfe Cohen of the Foreign department, is shown with the latter in photograph made in Hollywood in September, Cohen was formerly WB Canadian general manager. we a Ye rere eee = te eg, eee ee weet cen nen maae ee awe e TT fre Si uspect Wie aie. Thrilled millions as a book and Cosmopolitan hit — now it’s at its greatest — on the screen. With lovable Charles Laughton and brilliant Ella Raines. Available | now. Book this sure-fire attraction now throught EMPIRE-UNIVERSAL,