Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 8, 1947)

Page scan 0002 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Jan 8, 1947
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 8, 1947)
Leaf #:
0002
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 14, 2025
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January 8, 1947 SMPE Improves Proj n Standards (Continued from Page 1) Motion Picture Engineers, it was disclosed by Don BE. Hyndman, who concluded his term as president of the Society on December 31 and will be succeeded "by Loren L. Ryder. Longer life for release prints and quieter operation in theatre booths are among improvements achieved by the new technical developments. Included in the list, which has been forwarded to the American Standards Association with recommendation that they be submitted to the International OrSanization for Standardization for acceptance as world stan-: dards, are the following: _ 16 mm. silent motion picture film; camera aperture. 16 mm. silent motion film; projector. 16 mm. sound motion picture film; camera aperture. 16 mm. sound motion film; projector aperture. 8 mm. silent motion film; camera aperture. 8 mm. silent motion picture film; projector aperture. American recommended practice for motion picture film sensitometry. a _ American recommended practice for motion picture film photographic density. Cutting and perforating negative raw stock for 35 mm. motion picture film. 35 mm. motion picture film; projection reels. 16 mm. motion picture films; projection reels. 8 mm. silent motion picture films; projection reels. American recommended practice for 166 mm. sound motion picture film; film splices—negative and positive. American recommended practice for 16 mm. sound motion picture film; film splices—negative and positive. 16 mm. motion picture film; projector sprockets. 8 mm. motion picture film; 8-tooth projector sprockets. American. recommended practice for motion picture engineering nomenclature. 35 mm. motion picture film; 16-tooth projector sprockets. The new standards are in addition to 26 already forwarded by the SMPE this year to the ASA. The new cutting and perforating standard is a joint project of the SMPE and the Research Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. An interesting study also is under way on printing of color motion pictures. picture picture picture Canadian FILM WEEKLY B. C. Salamis Report Criticises Rentals (Continued from Page 1) percent figure, should ~have -received $17,076,487 in 1945 instead of the higher figure of $17,976,467, a difference of approximateIy $900,000 since the beginning of price controls. The 32.41 cents on every dollar taken in at the boxoffice that the Canadian exhibitor is paying for his films is far higher than the combined total ratio in the whole of the United States, which is around 30 percent, the report contends. Since most expenses are constant and cannot be reduced, profit in theatre operation will fall dangerously if film costs increase and attendance declines. Referring to specials, the report suggests that such films should be sold according to the standard practices of the industry; according to producers, stars, monies expended, etc. The distributor should wait until new producers prove that they can make specials, instead of offering films to the exhibitor as such before they are even produced. Since it takes very little money to put the French sound on the negative of the original Hollywood picture, says Salamis, such pictures should be rented at very little increase in cost over the regular print. He also opposes percentage playing of made-in-France features, which played flat before the war. “The principle of percentage is wrong for the small theatre owner,” he writes, “since he is therefore no longer the owner, but a partner. The distributor, according to the present clause in. the standard exhibition contract, has the right to question your figures, examine your books, even take you to court, and assume dictatorial powers not inflicted on any other -business—no retailer, no matter -what his business, is .obliged to share his receipts with the wholesaler, nor does he have to produce his books for examination. Why should a distributor ask only participation in the profits of the very small percentage of his yearly product and not be obliged similarly to pay back to the exhibitors refunds for the many poor boxoffice pic ture for which a top price was paidize ao” In a section headed “Price Controls and Conciliation Board” Salamis opines that, since amusement taxes are included in the cost of living index, the government should do all it can to keep prices at the level of the basic period without inflicting any hardships on the public or any business. The WPTB was willing to allow theatres which needed help to raise admissions and exhibitors should take advantage of this if their theatres have been affected by shifting populations, closing of war plants and so on. Failure to establish conciliation boards leaves no alternative but to go to the government with industry troubles. Lack of conciliation boards left no alternative and so controls should be continued as long as necessary. “IT. am very much afraid that unless we form a central committee, representing all the groups in the industry, which will settle our home troubles without having to go to the government, we will be forced into the same trouble that presently exists in the United States,” Salamis states. The report was read and adopt ed by the Quebec Allied Theatric al Industries at its last meeting. Theatre Transferred Transfer has taken place of the Lyric Theatre in Kitchener, Ontario, from Rex Theatre Limited, Toronto, to Lyric Theatres Limited, for a reported $97,117. Oshawa Firm Seeks Theatre Charter A new firm, Oshawa Investors Limited, has applied for a charter to operate in the theatre field in Oshawa, Ontario. Capi talized at $40,000, the 400 shares . allocated are in units of $100 each. Officers of the company are K. V. Stratton and D. J. Ongley, barristers, Vera Vale, secretary, and Margaret Cheesman, all of Toronto, where the head office will be located. Vol. 12, No. 2 January 8, 1947 —— HYE BOSSIN, Managing Editor ———— ee ee Address all communications—The Managing Editor, Canadian Film Weekly, 25 Dundas Square, Toronto, Canada. Published by Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., 25 Dundas Square, Toronto, Ontario. Canada, Phone ADelaide 4317. Price § cents each or $2.00 per year, Entered ag Second Claes Matter. ~ Page 3 CHARLIE KRUPP Popular Winnipeg film figure, who resigned from the sales staff of Twentieth Century-Fox after many years of service. Odeon Managers Win Contest Awards Two Odeon theatre managers, R. E. “Bob” Maynard of the Savoy Theatre in Hamilton and Claude Hunter of the Odeon Theatre in Kingston, were recently awarded second and seventh places respectively in an International Showmanship Contest for exploitation work in connection with the showing of “Mom and Dad,’ a Hygienic Productions of America release. The only two Canadians to place amongst some 863 entries representing over 15,000theatres, they will each receive a substantial cash sum as their share of the prize money. AFRICA SPEAKS A world of wonders now brought to the screen... an awe-inspiring spectacle of strange people and their stranger customs! AFRICA SPEAKS Held over .. . both in Halifax and Edmonton! AFRICA SPEAKS The strangest romance ever filmed . . A box office sensation AFRICA SPEAKS NOW BOOKING ,-ASTRAL FILMS— I. H. ALLEN 6 DUNDAS SQ. TORONTO