Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 24, 1948)

Page scan 00013 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Nov 24, 1948
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 24, 1948)
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 21, 2025
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Page 14 NS 47 Biz Dips, Que., PEI Gain (Continued from Page 1) situations but none from itinerant 16 mm. operators or driveins, was an all-time high — in spite of the drop in admissions from 227,538,798 in 1946 to 220,857,594 last year, a drop of three per cent. Higher prices accounted for the increase of receipts in spite of the decline in attendance. The 163 16 mm. situations handled $381,834 without counting amusement taxes, which means that the national 35 mm. receipts were $62,483,445 without the drive-ins. The drive-in receipts, when added, bring the national 35 mm. gross to 67,744,823. Receipts for six drive-in theatres, five of which are in Ontario and one in British Columbia, amounted to $261,378. These had accomodation for 4,450 cars and were attended by 637,091. Amusement taxes collected for the federal and provincial governments amounted to $15,819,402 for regular theatres and $55,083 for drive-ins. In Nova Scotia receipts were down ten per cent and admissions 14 per cent. Manitoba was down eight per cent in attendance but Quebec and Prince Edward Island were up considerably in receipts and attendance. Receipts were up by nine per cent in Quebec and by 14 per cent in Prince Edward Island. The number of theatres in Canada during 1947 was 1,693 and that figure includes the 163 16 mm. situations. Deducting them leaves 1,530 as the number of 35 mm. situations, exclusive of drive-ins. The Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, which deals with 35 mm. theatres, lists as the number of large-gauge houses 1,606. It is hard to explain the difference in the figures, although the distributors’ figure includes the six drive-ins and about 25 Newfoundland houses, which are serviced from St. John, NB. The number of theatres in Prince Edward Island, according to Ottawa’s report, jumped from ten to 14, New Brunswick from 44 to 58, Quebec from 250 to 318, Ontario from 420 to 473, Manitoba from 137 to 146, Saskatchewan from 240 to 254, Alberta from 156 to 178 and British Columbia, which includes the Yukon and the NWT, from 149 to 1738. The government statistics state that 834,360 was the number of theatre seats in 1947 compared with 758,642. The average capacity utilized was 34.2 per cent, a decline to below the figures for the last five years. In 1946 the figure was 37.2 per cent. Canadian FILM WEEKLY HIRSCH, GANETAKOS RE-ELECTED J. Arthur Hirsch was returned as president and George Ganetakos as vice-president of Quebec Allied Theatrical Industries at the recent annual meeting of the exhibitors’ association. Edouard Gauthier was named second vice-president, W. E. Lester treasurer and Charles Bourassa secretary. Other members of the executive board for the new term are B. C. Salamis, J. G. Ganetakos, Leo Choquette, J. M. de Roussy, C. A. Magnan and Gordon Dann. The directors are A. Adilman, Charles Bourassa, C. H. Brock, Leo Choquette, Ovila Cote, Gordon Dann, Edouard Gauthier, J. G. Ganetakos, George Tremblay, B. C. Salamis, Bill Trow, J. M. de Roussy, George Ganetakos, J. Arthur Hirsch, W. E. Lester, C. A. Magnan and Pierre Madore. FRED NIBLO, FAMED DIRECTOR, DEAD Fred Niblo, one of the outstanding directors in motion picture history, died in New Orleans recently at the age of 74. He entered show business as an actor and a vaudeville player and between 1900 and 1907 he gave two Command performances. With Louis B. Mayer and Conrad Nagel, he was a founder of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His greatest triumphs were during the silent era. Niblo directed “Ben Hur,” in 1925; Rudolph Valentino in “Blood and Sand,” in 1923; Douglas Fairbanks in “Three Musketeers,” in 1922, and many of the screen’s greatest stars. In 1921 he directed “Mark of Zorro.” He had also directed several films starring John Gilbert. He has been retired for years. He took ill while on @ vacation trip with his wife, the former Enid Bennett of Australia. They were planning to set out from New Orleans for a cruise to celebrate their 30th anniversary. HUDDLE ON USA DIVESTITURE Federal trial court of New York, after reopening hearings on the separating of distributors from their theatre holdings, granted a three-week adjournment. The USA Supreme Court, in its May ruling, asked for further finding of fact. During the adjournment Paramount, Loew’s, Warner Brothers and Twentieth Century-Fox will see if they can reach an agreement with the Department of Justice on the future of theatres not wholly owned by them. RKO, under voluntary agreement with the Department of Justice, will let its theatres go. DENEAU SUCCEEDS KUSSELL AT SRO Sidney G. Deneau, formerly assistant general sales manager of the Selznick Releasing Organization, has succeeded Milton Kussell as the company’s top sales executive. Kussell was vice-president in charge of sales and will work with Deneau pending negotiations. Deneau, at 37 one of the youngest key execs in the industry, was designated general manager of domestic distribution and all USA and Canadian sales and distribution personnel will work under him. The change was decided on at a special meeting in New York, _ at: which a three-man board was charged with the top management of the domestic affairs of SRO. It is comprised of Paul MacNamara, vice-president in charge of public relations of all Selznick companies; Leonard Case, treasurer; and Deneau. Deneau entered the industry in 1926 with Fox in New York and in 1934 joined the Fabian circuit, rising to chief film buyer by 1942. In 1942 he enlisted in the US Army as a private and when he was mustered out in 1946 was a major on the general staff. He joined the Schine circuit that year but left Gloversville, where its head office is located, because of his wife’s illness and signed with SRO. His appointment brought praise from David O. Selznick, who described him as “one of the most alert, imaginative and best informed young executives to make his presence and ability felt in the industry in many years.” WB Title Change Warner Brothers’ Technicolor production filmed as “Two Guys and a Gal,” starring Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson and Doris Day, will be released under the title, “Tt’s a Great Feeling.” Set For RKO Film Irving Cummings, Jr., producer of RKO’s “It’s Only Money,’ has named Irving Cummings, Sr., as director and Frank Sinatra, Jane Russell and Groucho Marx as the stars. November 24, 1948 16 Mm. Houses Up From 98 To 163 (Continued from Page 1) people and $276,802 without taxes and in 1947 the number of admissions was 1,307,489 and gross $381,834. Establishment of 16 mm. theatres reduced the number of itinerant exhibitors, who receive that classification because they use portable equipment and ‘exhibit in more than one town or village. In 1946 there were 275 of them and these, playing to 2,221,442 admissions, grossed 564,380 without amusement taxes. In 1947 the number fell to 233, admissions to 1,508,867 and the grandgross ot $412,828. In 1946 the total gross of both types of 16 mm. exhibition, itinerant and permanent, came to $841,182 when added together and this fell to $794,662. The probable reason is the conversion of 16 mm. situations to the 35 mm. class. Prince Edward Island had three itinerant operators, Nova Scotia 31, New Brunswick 13, Quebec 18, Ontario 44, Manitoba 21, Saskatchewan 52, Alberta 32 and British Columbia, which includes the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, 19. Performances of 16 mm. films were given in 1,101 towns, with 14 of them in Prince Edward Island, 152 in Nova Scotia, 74 in New Brunswick, 75 in Quebec, 170 in Ontario, 97 in Manitoba, 244 in Saskatchewan, 200 in Alberta and 75 in British Columbia. Rentals for tha small-gauge films brought $1,173,170 in 1946 and $1,180,632 in 1947, a gain. This seems odd in face of the fact that receipts and exhibition declined but rentals exceed grosses every year in the report of the bureau. The total probably includes rentals from homes, hospitals, institutions and other sources not classified. Of the 114 exchange offices, 31operated by 11 firms handled only 16 mm. films and those had rentals of $1,005,276 in 1947. Lefave In Politics Manager of the Tivoli, Windsor, Joseph J. Lefave will run for a seat on the Riverside district town council. Einfeld Takes Over At Fox Ad-Pub Dept. Charles BHinfeld, one-time director of advertising and publicity for Warner Brothers and recently a partner in Enterprise with David Loew, has moved into Twentieth Century-Fox at his old trade. Bob Taplinger, it is said, will join Hinfeld at Fox. He used to be with him at Warner Brothers.