Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 24, 1945)

Page scan 00010 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Jan 24, 1945
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 24, 1945)
Leaf #:
00010
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 15, 2024
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January 24, 1845 The Man They Call Fitz (Continued from Previous Page) John J. Fitzgibbons is chairman of the Board of Governors of St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto; governor of Notre Dame College, Wilcox, Saskatchewan; and a member of the Knights of Columbus. Besides being managing director of Famous Players, he is a director of United Amusements, Montreal, and Confederation Amusements, Montreal; and many other companies. He even has time to be an Indian chief. During the Western conference of the company last summer, held at Banff, he was made Chief Moving Shadows of the Sarcee Tribe, with Chief Joe Big Plume officiating. That sort of thing with most is strictly for the photographers. Not “Fitz.” His kindliness, when mixed with his sense of humor, is a potent force. Come Christmas and Chief Moving Shadows sent his brothers of the tribe presents, drawing a letter of thanks from Chief Joe Big Plume. Chief Big Plume, in his letter, warned his wandering Indian brother about the effects of too much firewater and that he must not buy any without a permit from the Indian agent. Chief Moving Shadows correspondence with his fellow-chief is strictly along ‘“Just-Between-Us-Indians” lines, referring to the Mounties as a mutual and common problem and so on. ARRIED to Katherine Kier nan in 1912, he has five sons and two daughters. The Fitzgibbons children are an interesting group. The oldest son is John Joseph Fitzgibbons, Jr., a captain in the American Army who was twice decorated and once wounded. He holds the Bronze Star Cross and an Oak Leaf Cluster for heroism in the pacific. J. J., Jr., is wellknown in the industry, having worked in various trade capacities in Toronto, London and Winnipeg. In London he ushered at night after attending Western University during the day and in Winnipeg he was assistant manager of the Metropolitan. Having attended an American military academy, he was a reserve Officer and just before Pearl Harbour was called to the colors. Jack, Jr. married a girl he met in Hawaii and they have a child but grandfather Fitzgibbons hasn't met the child or mother yet. Sergeant Gunner Eugene Fitzgibbons is with the US Army Air Corps in India and Robert is with the US Navy in the Pacific. (Continued on Last Column) Canadian FILM WEEKLY CONGRATULATIONS FAMOUS PLAYERS CANADIAN CORPORATION LTD. AND BEST WISHES FOR FUTURE ANNIVERSARIES IN WHICH TO ADD STATURE TO THIS GREAT MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY ODEON THEATRES OF CANADA LIMITED | as Page 11 MORRIS STEIN Eastern division general manager for Famous Players. FPPC Announces Staff Changes Famous Players last week announced a number of important changes in the managing staffs of houses in the district under the supervision of Dan Krendel. Jack Purves from the Tivoli, Hamilton to Capitol, Welland. Ken Craig from Capitol, St. Catherines to Tivoli, Hamilton. Vern Hudson from Palace, Guelph to Capitol, St. Catharines. Tom Forhan from Capitol, Welland to Strand, Hamilton. Miss Eunice Sneath, acting manager of the Strand, Hamilton to College, Toronto as assistant manager. Jim McDonough, manager of the Royal, Guelph to Palace, Guelph. All the situations in Ontario. The twin boys, Kevin and Arthur, attend De La Salle, Oaklands, Toronto. Daughter Yvonne is married to Dr. Milton Robinson, now overseas, whom she met while training as a nurse at St. Joseph’s, Toronto. Her sister Helen was a member of the Woman’s Division of the RCAF when she met Flying Officer McCausland, RCAF, whom she married. She is not now in the service, having been discharged when her husband, an American, transferred to the US Army Air Corps. ROM back of scratch to recognition as one of the most capable and best-loved figures in the show world—that’s the story to date of John Joseph Fitzgibbons. But then, the ‘“J.J."s_ of North American history — Corbett, Jeffries, Braddock, etc. — have always been fighters and champions,