Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 3, 1946)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Apr 3, 1946
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 3, 1946)
Leaf #:
0000
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 07, 2025
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ASCE SUC AK = VOICE of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY Vol. 11, No. 14 TORONTO, APRIL 3, 1946 $2.00 Per Annum Indies Ask For Gov't Control Delegation To Ottawa Wants Price Freezing Continued Representatives of the National Council of Independent Exhibitors of Canada, led by A. J. Mason, exhibitor and mayor of Springhill, Nova Scotia, have requested that the Dominion Government place before the present session of CAPAC Scheme Aid To Exhibs Canadian exhibitors will not be required to make up monthly reports for the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada if the plan suggested by that organization wins the unanimous cooperation of the distributors. At present each exhibitor (Continued on Page 3) Johnston Report Sees Progress The motion picture’s expanding role in the post-war world was emphasized by Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association, in his first report presented at the association’s annual meeting in New York last week. (Continued on Page 6) NFB For McLean As Film Commissioner The National Film Board, of which the Hon. Brooke Claxton is chairman, has recommended the promotion of Ross McLean to the post of government film commissioner. McLean has been senior administrative officer of the government’s production and distribution activities ever since the resignation of John Grierson several months ago. He is the deputy film commissioner at present. Grierson, commissioner since 1939, resigned to found International Film Associates. Housing Need Slows Theatre Building Priority in building materials for veterans’ housing, as announced by Construction Minister Howe in the House of Commons recently, will retard the theatre building program of the Canadian motion picture theatre industry but the news was neither unexpected nor unwelcome. So far theatre building has not been placed on the low priority list and it is likely that some ‘projects, located in communities where housing is not a sharp problem and employment is, may proceed. So much publicity has been given to theatre projects throughout the land that many letters from readers of Canadian newspapers to editors have expressed objection to unregulated construction in the face of a housing shortage. Editorial ob (Continued on Page 4) Korda Activ Reinhorn Grows GWVA Theatre, Wadena, Sask., 200-seat three-day house, has been purchased by I. Reinhorn, operator of the Roxy, Regina, from C. P. Cummings. It will be renamed “Roxy.” Cummings has bought a BC theatre. Ontario Preem The Eagle-Lion film, “I Know Where I’m Going,” may have its Canadian premiere in Wiarton, Ontario, nearest town to Tobermory with a theatre. Locale of the picture is Tobermory, Scotland. Sounds like a good idea. the House of Commons legislation that will provide for the setting up of a commission or board to govern the motion picture industry in Canada. This body, they suggest, should be endowed with regulatory powers to “prevent the major circuits from further liquidation of Independent Exhibitors and to prevent injustices that have been meted out to the Independent Exhibitor by Distributors and Major Circuits.” They (Continued on Page 3) Distribs Honor Leo Devaney Leo Devaney, popular Canadian industry veteran and _ general manager in Canada of RKO, was presented with a matched travelling bag and briefcase by his colleagues upon his reelection to the presidency of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors’ Asso (Continued on Page 6) Coplan Back Soon? Trip of United Artists’ executives to London, headed by Grad Sears, is said due to Dave Coplan’s desire to guit as managing director for Great Britain and return to this side. This photograph of the Columbia staft was taken in the lobby of the company’s new and sumptuous head office building at 72 Carlton Street, Toronto. Johnston Reelected Eric Johnston was reelected as president and chairman of the board of the Motion Picture Association last week. 1 Second 'Palooka' Cyril Endfield has checked in at Monogram to write an untitled story to be second in the “Joe Palooka” series. Sir Alexander Korda’s recent purchase of British Lion, 50% ef which came from the N. L. Nathanson estate, has been followed by indications of major activity. The Ostrer brothers, Mark and Maurice, leaders and pioneers in the production of films, are reported to be leaving Rank and joining Korda. British Lion distribs in Canada haven’t been named yet.