Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 26, 1947)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Nov 26, 1947
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 26, 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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to]. 12, No. 46 ominion Que. Exhibs Will Pledge Price Peg The members of the Quebec Allied Theatrical Industries, in their recent resolution to the Honorable D. C. Abbott, Minister of Finance, informed him that ‘the members of this Association representing 175 theatres the Province of Quebec have (Continued on Page 6) Aj Famous Folk For 25 Yr. Club. Forty-one Famous Players people from all phases of that company’s activities will become eligible for membership in the 25 Year Club in January, 1948. They will be initiated at dinners to be held in Toronto, January 13th; Winnipeg, January 20th: (Continued on Page 8) VOICE of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY Sea Ruling Expected On USA Remittance The Australian rule that 30% of film earnings must remain in the country is said to represent the informal position of Canada’s cabinet. “If I were in the film industry I would try to think of some method of leaving money here,” is the reported suggestion of a high official. Some such ruling is virtually certain. The Australian method, which calls for the money to be spent or invested domestically, may be used in Britain. Several countries have frozen a percentage of film rentals. Keep More Rental $$ | TORONTO, NO ations Now 193,265 Seats Added To Total During Past Seven Years The total number of theatres operating .n Canada up to October of this year was 1562, according to a statistical summary by the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association. When compared with the number last: year in the Here, Abbott Asks Canadian rentals paid to USA owners of films shown in theatres are creating an annual deficit of $10,000,000 in this country’s American dollar position, the Honorable Douglas Abbott, Minister of Finance, told a press conference in Ot $2.00 Per Annum BP A en ES Fitzgibbons Again Heads Variety John J. Fitzgibbons, CBE, president of Famous Players Canadian Corporation, once again became Chief Barker of Tent 28, Toronto, Variety International, at the annual election of officers last week which saw four new Barkers in the key posts of (Continued on Page 8) Canada In Short “Border Without Bayonets,”’ latest RKO Pathe release in the This Is America series, deals ing a gain of 73,591. The growing With the 5,000 mile unfortified number-is revealed by comparison border between Canada and the (Continued on Page 3) USA. | | We Don't Think It's Funny | In these columns recently we wrote several times of the seeming lack of regard for Canada’s right to a film trade press of its own on the part of USA film companies. We quoted Leslie Robert’s reported statement in Time that such inconsideration generally was “driving us back to economic isolation.” Any thinking American or Canadian in the motion picture industry wouldn't dismiss such comment after knowing what is happening to film revenue in Britain, Australia, Denmark and other countries. Canada, let us repeat, will earn more than $18 million in 1947 for owners of the films shown in Canada. We are, next to Great Britain, the greatest film market in same period it is shown that there was an increase of 201. This year 16 theatres were reported closed, seven fewer. The places of exhibition open held 797,327 seats and those closed 3,305 seats, indicating that the total number of seats in Canadian theatres until October was 800,623 in contrast to 727,041, show tawa last week. The import taxes on the films themselves amounted only to 51,000,000. Total rentals will reach over $18,000,000 this year. “I don’t see why some of these films for which we pay a good Variety Game On Xmas Night Next big event for Variety’s crippled children’s school building fund will be a Christmas night hockey contest at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, the world outside the USA. We feel, as do the leading and lesser figures of the Canadian film and theatre industry, that Canada is entitled to a trade press supported by advertising on a proportionate scale to American publications. It is not (Continued on Page 5) between Marlboro seniors and the Montreal Royals, Allan Cup champions. Tent 28, Canada’s only Variety tent, will get behind Barker Conny Smythe to pack the place and add to the $70,000 now in the fund. The addition of $20,000 will bring the quota of $100,000— and Variety Village—closer. aeeny United States dollars could ‘Wt be made and printed in Can 2 and distributed to other coun(Continued on Page 6) Koyal Wedding Pic | Eagle-Lion Films of Canada 5 release the Technicolor film Of the Royal Wedding on Dec. ‘4st with a full quota of prints. Shows To Open Late Canadian Independent and cir Capac Sues Exhibs Capac, holder of musical copycuit operators will close their rights for moving pictures, has theatres for most of Christmas entered suit against H. R. HairDay to enable employees to ensine, Stardust Theatre, Melita, joy more of the Yuletide spirit. Manitoba, and F. W. Falkner of Famous Players, 20th Century the Falkon Theatre, SaskatcheTheatres and Odeon Theatres are wan. A recent case against Moramong those who will not open ris Becker, Playhouse, Toronto, until three p.m., while Allied Cowas settled mutually and withOp will stay closed until five. drawn. THE English comedy of the year continues to break records “QUIET WEEKEND’ Now 8th WEEK — TORONTO A PATHE (British) Pictu re thru INTERNATIONAL FILM DISTRIBUTORS Limited << eg OE Pe