Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 3, 1946)

Page scan 00013 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Apr 3, 1946
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 3, 1946)
Leaf #:
00013
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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Ce Page 14 British Writer Joins O Byrne Cecil Maiden,’ a well-known script writer who has had experience in both Hollywood and British film studios, has joined the film producing unit of the Queensway Studios, under Frank O'Byrne, to write scripts for the Rank-Nathanson studios recently opened near Toronto. Short story writer, “bit” actor and employee of the research organization set up to service Hollywood studios some years ago, Maiden sold a number of scenarios to Hollywood, later working for Gaumont-British and 20th Century-Fox, to whom he was under contract. Maiden left Hollywood a few years before the war to go to England and wrote one of the first pictures to feature Britain’s Number One Film Star—James Mason. The picture was “Blind Man’s Buff.” He did researching and writing in Ireland for the Fox color movie, “Wings of the Morning,” starring Tyrone Power and Annabella, and a historical version of the Dumas novel ‘‘The Black Tulip,” which entailed detailed study of medieval Holland. When the war broke out, Maiden-joined the RAF, served on the east coast during the Battle of 3ritain; in Africa he was moved .o the Royal Air Force film unit as a director. He was later in charge of a detachment of the unit for the invasion of Europe. In Holland he made a film for the Netherlands government to cover the story of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, its escape from the Germans during occupation, its work with Allied air forces during the war, and its triumphant return to Dutch soil with the armies of liberation. This film, ‘The Return of the Flying Dutchmen,” was well received at its premiere in The Hague a few months ago. Maiden also made a short film of General Crerar on the eve of the great Canadian push across the Rhine. ‘His work as director of ‘The Return of the Flying Dutchmen” brought Maiden to the attention of the National Film Board and he was attached from the RAF to the RCAF to do a film on repatriation for the NFB. This movie, “The Comeback,” is now almost ready for release throughout Canada and tells the story of an Edmonton boy disfigured by fire in the war. It deals fully and frankly with the problems of the war’s mutilated men. “The problem was a very delicate one,” Maiden says, “but I could see there was strong need Canadian FILM WEEKLY This Tells Its Own Story They’re Even Breaking In to Smash $30 Glass | Get Gertie’s Steal 60c Pictures Garter”! Unknown persons opened the display panels at the Elgin Theatre on Elgin street last night or early today and removed the pictures advertising the present feature, ‘Getting Gertie’s Garter”... Yes Sir! And You’ll want to too... after seeing the Laugh-Riot ADDED EXCITING Will Build 31 New Film Exchanges Universal will start on a construction program of 31 new exchange buildings in key American cities as soon as government restrictions permit. The structures will house the company’s branches and there will be separate facilities for United World Pictures. to tackle the subject very realistically if it was to be of any help at all to those returning veterans who are facing the future with this tragic handicap. The plastic surgery shown in the film is little short of miraculous, but the mental attitude of those in Canada who will receive and assist those men to their ‘civilian feet’ again, is even more important.” The story is founded on fact and uses actual patients. Just before leaving England, Maiden completed for the Rank organization one of the first scripts for the new “Progress Parade” series, designed to show constructive influences in the life and action of the British Commonwealth today. 7 Kh ~» BARRY SULLIVAN + BINNIE BA ® ___ J. CARROL NAISH + SHEILA RYAN WIZ yueg “ EELGIN SEE IT TODAY! eee s~ DENNIS O'KEEFE MARIE sor McDONALD w Enterprise To Make Six Pix A Year With a budget of $13,000,000 for six pictures in their first year of operation, Charles Hinfeld and David L. Loew launched a fullfledged motion picture production organization, Enterprise Productions, Inc., last week. The Enterprise sign was hung over the old California studios, taken over from Harry Sherman. Loew is chairman of the board of Enterprise and Hinfeld is president. Corporation papers list the firm as a $5,000,000 concern. A Pam Blumenthal, a partner in the stock exchange firm of A. W. Morris and Co., has been named vice-president of the firm. One Bomb Pic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Hal Wallis Productions have announced that they have agreed on the production of a single motion picture on the atomic bomb. Wallis will transfer all his story material and research to the MGM lot. Both will have a financial interest in the picture, to be called “The Beginning Or The End,” April 3, 1946 3rd Dimension Ready For Biz An American syndicate, in which Arthur Rank is reported to have an interest, is ready to proceed with the making of three dimensional films, stills, slides and television by a method perfected by combining the basic rights of hundreds of stereoscopic patents and utilizing the electronics of radar. The company, Vitavision Corporation, will likely have as its president Major-General Royal B. Lord, former deputy chief of staff to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower. Some of the most important personages in the financial and motion picture world are backing the venture. Matty Fox, president of United World Pictures, rumored to be using Rank money, is said to have an interest in International Vitavision Corporation as well as a license to use the concern’s patents in countries other than the United States. Gene Towne, former Hollywood writer-producer, has been a guiding spirit in Vitavision’s promotion, while Carroll Dunning, head of Dunningcolor, has forwarded the process. He is in charge of its development now, because of his third-dimensional work for the United States Navy during the war. The new company is reported to have received millions of dollars worth of orders already for still pictures and slides from well known national advertisers. The company has plants operating in New York, Chicago and Hollywood. It expects to be ready for motion picture work in three dimensions in two or three years. Interest in the development has been keen, with David Selznick and Lewis Milestone anxious to pioneer the use of the process. Rank may have tied up British rights. Exhibitors are also interested, figuring to use the method for lobby displays and theatre front trailers. Three cameras will be put to work in Hollywood during April, and several more are ready to he shipped abroad for still work in advertising and motion picture firms. Sears’ UA Pact Is Renewed United Artists extended the personal service contract of Gradwell Sears, vice president and general manager, for a five year period. Sears is going to England this week, and will visit the Continent in the interests of UA. He is accompanied by Mary Pickford and Walter Gould, foreign manager.