Canadian Film Weekly (Mar 14, 1945)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Mar 14, 1945
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Mar 14, 1945)
Leaf #:
0000
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Hollywood Studio System, Global Cinema, and Canada
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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VOICE of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY & TORONTO , MARCH 14, 1945 Alberta Exhibs Want Changes Three-Man Board Suggested For Provincial Industry The Alberta Theatres Association, after an exhaustive analysis of the motion picture industry situation in that RCNavy Circuit Big Business Latest report of the Royal Canadian Naval Film Society reveals that the activities of that organization, headed by Captain Eric S. Brand, are a great success. The Society has made remarkable progress since it was founded in 1942 with a loan of (Continued on Page 7) 20th-Fox Busy On Loan Short “All Star Bond Rally”, the third picture to be produced in Hollywood in support of Canadian Victory Loan campaigns, will feature Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Betty Grable, Fibber McGee and Molly, Harpo Marx, Harry James and his or (Continued on Page 7) province, has petitioned the provincial government for marked changes and a greater degree of organization in its UnOKd Red Cross Collections Out Some organizations which are preparing to assist the Red Cross during the forthcoming campaign have been asking for permission to take collections in theatres. This must not be granted by the manager or exhibitor. Officials of such organizations are apparently unaware that the Red Cross Society, throught its local chapters, will stage such collections itself and all outside requests are unauthorized. March 30th and 31st are the dates on which official theatres collections will be carried on. Independents Active On Show Scene The ample measure of publicity given by newspapers to the activities of Canada’s large theatre chains has taken attention away from the fact that there is a great deal of movement among Independents in matters of buying, sell ing, renting and building movie houses. The chains are still acquiring properties, of course. Odeon recently purchased the Oak, Burnaby, B.C., from Andy Digney, who built it in 1937, giving that circuit 28 houses in the province. F. G. Spencer Co., Maritimes operator, which recently entered into partnership with Famous Players, has picked up the Orpheum, Wolfville, N.S., from N. Evans. This theatre, a six-day operation seating 432, will be altered when restrictions (Continued on Page 7) Where desert raiders rule... slavers roam...and reckless rogues ride for love . . laughter! Starring Maria Montez, John Hall and Turhan Bey. Book it now at EMPIRE-UNIVERSAL. IN EOBN ICOLOR sfrast mt rpennens crete Bowyer Joins Odeon Ad and Pub Dept. Tom (Van) Bowyer, no stranger to the show field, has joined the head office staff of Odeon Theatres under Clare Appel as field man in the advertising and publicity branch of the circuit. Ho’ll hit the. road soon for discussions with members of the managerial staff, the purpose being to give greater organization to public relations, promotion exploitation, etc. dealings with theatre matters. In its brief it was pointed out that a structure along the lines it suggested was not unusual, since other industries have already received the same concessions. A major point in the brief is that a three-man board be appointed in Alberta to rule over theatre problems. In its bulletin (Continued on Page 2) Late Frank Leduc Is Laid to Rest Services were held on March Sth in Notre Dame du Rosaire Church, Montreal, for Francais d’Acisse Leduc, pioneer of Canadian motion picture distribution in Quebec and the Maritimes, who died suddenly in Montreal on March ist following a heart (Continued on Page 2) Grierson on Board John Grierson, head of the National Film Board, was recently appointed a director of Encyclopedia Britannica Films. Harry Lester, Toronto Independent exhibitor, makes a presentation to Jack Sherwin, head booker at Warners, who is leaving the industry to enter business for himself. In front: Harry Heller, Famous Players booker. Seated: Harvey Hunt, Famous Players and Joe Plottel, Ontario branch manager of Warners. Standing left to right: Bill Fosty, Alf Piggins, Bill McGuire, Harry Lester and Sam Shapero. Jack Sherwin,, Max Applebaum, Rumford Acclaimed Floyd Rumford, Forest, Ontario, exhibitor was recently reelected mayor there by acclamation, Thieves Make It A recent breaking at the Gary, Calgary, netted thieves $42.60 out of the office cash drawer. . loot . .. and