Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 29, 1947)

Page scan 0002 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Oct 29, 1947
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 29, 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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October 29, 1947 Canadian FILM WEEKLY Page 3 RKO Lines Up 12 International Films Succeeds PRC (Continued from Page 1) For Fall Release (Continued from Page 1) films will be presented. Heading the list are Samuel Goldwyn’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”; Walt Disney’s “Fun and Fancy Free” and Robert Riskin’s “Magic Town,” all now enjoying highly successful pre-release engagements. Other forthcoming productions are “So Well Remembered,”’ presented by RKO Radio Pictures and J. Arthur Rank, with an Anglo-American cast headed by John Mills, Martha Scott, Trevor Howard, Patricia Roc and Richard Carlson; “The Fugitive,” directed by John Ford from a Dudley Nichols’ screenplay with KBenry Fonda, Dolores Del Rio and Pedro Armendariz starred; “If You Knew Susie,” starring Eddie Cantor and Joan Davis; “Fighting Father Dunne,’ with Pat O’Brien in the title role; “Design for Death,” a stirring docimentary film with Kent Smith and Hans Conried as narrators; “Night Song,” a John Cromwell production — starring Dana Andrews, Merle Oberon and Ethel Barrymore with Hoagy Carmichael; Samuel Goldwyn’s “The Bishop’s Wife,” starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven; ‘Tycoon,’ starring John Wayne and Laraine Day, with color by Technicolor; and Dore Schary’s production of the great stage success ‘‘I Remember Mama,” starring Irene Dunne, Barbara Bel Geddes, Oscar Homolka and Philip Dorn and directed by George Stevens. RKO Radio’s current releases include such boxoffice smash hits as “The Bachelor and the BobbySoxer,” and ‘Crossfire,’’ both Dore Schary productions; Hakim Bros. “The Long Night,” and Samuel Goldwyn’s Academy Award winning “The Best Years of Our Lives.” WANTED For theatre in the Maritimes-a young, aggressive, harddriving manager. One with reasonable experience who is looking for advancement and knows exploitation, publicity and routine. De luxe house seating 750. Reliability and loyalty with perseverance expected and every help extended. Single, temperate man with references given preference. All correspondence treated in strictest confidence. Reply earliest convenience to BOX 14 CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY 25 Dundas Square, Toronto franchise holder, H. J. Allen, who was president until his recent Withdrawal. Allen has since established his own distribution organization and will shortly make his plans public. Prior to returning to the distribution field as Canadian general sales manager of PRC, Griesdorf was Odeon Theatres’ Western District manager. He was connected earlier with the United Artists distribution organization in Western Canada and Los Angeles, and was for a time the general sales manager for James Roosevelt’s company Globe Films, Inc., which released through UA. International Film Distributors will offer Canadian exhibitors the products of Eagle-Lion (Hollywood) Films, PRC Pictures, Anglo-American (British) Films and Pathe (British) Pictures. J. Arthur Rank’s American producing company will be in the front rank of the majers with its 1947-48 program and is attracting leading Independent producers. Eagle-Lion (Hollywood) will distribute Walter Wanger’s productions under an arrangement made several months ago and news from the cinema city indicates that Hunt Stromberg will release through the company. It is also likely that John Ford's planned production unit will come under the same banner. In addition to the program of new films exhibitors will be offered the Edward Small reissues known as Screen Masterpieces. Of special interest to Canadians is the news that “The Moneyman,” latest novel by the author of “The Black Rose,” Canada’s Thomas B. Costain, has been purchased for $300,000 and Paramount Hits New. All-Time Record Paramount Pictures in Canada established a new high in revenue during the drive month of September, it was recently announced by Gordon Lightstone, Canadian general manager. Top honors go to the Montreal branch, with Toronto and Calgary close behind. Total number of film shipments for the Dominion were 9,996 for the month, with the number of bookings reaching the 7,794 mark. will be made into a $2,500,000 Technicolor film. Also on the company’s releasing schedule for this season is “Northwest Stampede,” a $2,500,000 color spectacle filmed partly in Banff, at the Prince of Wales’ ranch in Alberta and at the Calgary Stampede. It stars Joan Leslie, James Craig and Jack Oakie. Eagle-Lion (Hollywood) will spend $2,000,000 for trade and co-operative advertising in support of its 17 A productions, according to Max Youngstein, who heads that department in the domestic field. The program was carried. in detail in our issue of October 15th. The head office in Toronto and all branches in Canada formerly occupied by PRC have been taken over by International, including space in the addition now being completed to the film centre building in Calgary. Managers of the company’s branches are Irving Cohen, Toronto; Gerry Chernoff, Montreal; Phil Geller, Winnipeg; Willard Adamson, Vancouver; Vernon Dixon, Calgary; and Jack Bellamy, Saint John. Irving Herman is director of advertising and publicity. "War Party’ Ready The John Ford-Meriam C. Cooper production, ‘War Party,” has been completed and will be released through RKO. Edmonton Managers To Meet Monthly The newly-organized Edmonton Theatre Managers Club will hold a luncheon meeting the first Wesdnesday in each month at the Club Roosevelt, it was decided at the first meeting recently. The meeting also found the following officers elected: Walter P. Wilson, president; Ed Pomerleau, secretary-treasurer; Jay Lieberman, vice-president; and William H. Wilson, press agent. In addition Maurice Rice, Clarence Entwisle, Arnold Entwisle, Roly Keil, George Cranston, Sam Binder, Fred Varlow, Scotty Beggs and Everett’ Etheridge, were in attendance. WUE MY Vol. 12, No, 42 Oct. 29, 1947 HYE BOSSIN, Managing Editor Address all communications—The Managing Editor, Canadian Film Weekly, 25 Dundas Square, Toronto, Canada, Entered as Second Class Matter, Published by Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., 25 Dundas Square, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Phone ADelalde 4317. Price 5 cents each or $2.00 per year, DAVID GRIESDORF President and general man ager of International Film Distributors, Limited, which company has succeeded PRC in Canada. Potter To Direct H. C. Potter, remembered for his direction of ‘The Farmer's Daughter,” has been signed hy RKO Radio to direct Cary Grant and Myrna Loy in “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House” Foto-Nite WELCOMES NEW accounts Laurier, Hull, Que. Francais, Ottawa, Ont. Palace, Arvida, Que. Capitol, Listowel, Ont. Rex, Sherbrooke, Que. Beam, Beamsville, Ont. Cine, West Matane, Que. Norgan, Palmerston, Ont. Louise, St. Rose, Que. Opera House, Coaticooke, Que. Passe Temps, Joliette, Que. Imperial, Humberstone, Ont. USE FOTO-NITE TO INCREASE YOUR BOX OFFICE RECEIPTS THREE OFFICES: Head Office Sterling Films Ltd, Toronto, Ont, QUEBEC Sterling Films Ltd. 754 Sherbrooke St. W. Montreal, Que. Foto-Nite Distributors WESTERN 2868 West 39th St. Vancouver, B.C. CANADA