Canadian Film Weekly (Jul 16, 1947)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Jul 16, 1947
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Jul 16, 1947)
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 14, 2025
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SS ——— SPS A \ae 12, No. cae Theatre Building Going Forward Construction in Canada of new theatres and alteration to old houses is proceeding at a brisk pace. In Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Reginald Pope recently opened his Regent Theatre. Seating 550 and cost ing $60,000, it is the second there, (Continued on Page 9) Profs Ponder Pix For UofT Curic A committee of five professors from the University of Toronto recently completed a survey of the production and use of films for instructional purposes, classed as audio-visual teaching aids, in Canada, Great Britain and the USA. President Sidney Smith, (Continued on Page 9) 7% VOICE of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE TORONTO, JULY 16, 1947 — Kusell Now V-P In Charge Of Canadian, Domestic Sales Canadian division sales manager for the fast-growing Selznick Releasing Organization is Charles M. Weiner, who was Minneapolis branch manager when promoted to that post, it has been made public by Neil Agnew, president. Dumond Added To Foto-Nite Staff Dudley Dumond has joined the ,.organizational staff of Sterling Films, which company instals the crowd-catching Foto-Nite game, its latest clients being the Capitol, Listowel, and the Francais, Ottawa. Dumond has quite a publicity and advertising background. It is expected that FotoNite, at present being supervised by George Oullahan, will name its new sales manager soon. Drop in biz has stimulated interest in Foto-Nite, what with a number of theatres haying brought back premiums. Korda Films To FPCC Through 20th-Fox Exhibition of British pictures will increase greatly in Canada’s leading theatres during the next few years, it was revealed by John J. Fitzgibbons, CBE, president of Famous Players, that agreements concluded between his company and 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation give it the rights to the showings in this country for a period of years of all the productions of Sir Alexander Korda. Fitzgibbons’ statement followed the announcement in New York by Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox, that his organization had acquired the (Continued on Page 3) Kern To Direct James V. Kern will direct the Jack Carson starrer at Warners, “Barbary Host.” a ' Radis To UA who has made public the news Deal Concluded For Pathe Franchise ABC-Pathe British films will be distributed in Canada through PRC, which company now handles British National product in this country. British National is a wing of ABC-Pathe. Terms were agreed on when Max Gumpel, head of foreign distribution, conferred recently in Toronto with David Griesdorf, general sales manager, and Harry J. Allen, president of the Canadian setup. The deal was okayed on Gumpel’s return to the UK. Weiner’s appointment followed the elevation of Milton S. Kusell from general sales manager to vice-president in charge of domestic and Canadian sales. Other appointments were those of Al Hertzenberg as South Af rican district manager and Fred S. Gulbransen as Far Eastern representative. Weiner, who will establish an (Continued on Page 3) INDUSTRY $2.00 Yor mL Weiner SRO Canada Div Chief RKO Men Meet For Sales Gab Some 450 delegates from Canada, the United States and many foreign countries attended RKO’s recent 16th annual sales meeting at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. Toronto’s contingent included Jack Bernstein, branch manager; (Continued on Page 8) WB Title Change “Need for Each Other’ has been selected as the new title for the Warner Brothers’ production formerly titled “Love at First Sight.” On International Committee Three Chief Barkers of Variety are tional handclasp at the recent convention. shown in an internaOn the left is John J. Fitzgibbons, head of the Canadian club, Tent 28, Toronto; in the centre is Charlie Skouras, Tent 25, Los Angeles; and on the right Louis Montes, chief of the Mexico tent. Fitzgibbons and Montes are members of the newly-created International Committee. Tent 28, Toronto, meets next on July 16th, 12:30 p.m. in Vanity Fair, King Edward Hotel. Robert Radis succeeds Jack Reid as manager of the Calgary branch of United Artists on July 18th. Radis, who came from RKO to the Torento sales staff a year ago, resigned. News of Reid’s new affiliation is expected, . = 7. ar