Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 22, 1948)

Page scan 00035 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Dec 22, 1948
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 22, 1948)
Leaf #:
00035
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 36 CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY Christmas Number THE NEWS ROUNDUP SPYROS SKOURAS President of 20th-CenturyFox who presided over the international sales convention of the company in Toronto, the first one held outside the USA. 1948 January George A. Drew, premier of Ontario, presents the Toronto tent of Variety with the land for the site of Variety Village, the club’s crippled children’s vocational guidance school project, at a hockey game at Maple Leaf Gardens at which over $19,000 was raised’ by Conny Smythe in behalf of the Variety fund. Glenn Ireton, who resigned as head of publicity in Canada for Warner Brothers, accepts post at Renaissance Films Distribution as head of English-language operations. Towards the end of the year he leaves latter position to return to the USA. Curtis Mitchell, director of advertising and publicity for Paramount, resigns. Newfoundland, which later votes to become Canada’s tenth province, gets machinery in motion to set up censorship board. Mark Hellinger, producer, writer and newspaperman, passes away in Hollywood at the age of 44. Arthur Silverstone appointed general manager of Dominion division of 20th Century-Fox, succeeding Sydney Samson who retired because of his health. 1948 Harry Kaufman named eastern manager of the recentlyorganized Harry J. Allen company, Cardinal Films. Later he is appointed general manager. Representatives of the recently-formed National Committee of Motion Picture Exhibitors Associations prepare to call on the Hon. Douglas C. Abbott, federal finance minister, in an effort to have him remove the 20 per cent federal amusement tax. Their efforts are successful, the Dominion government stepping out of the field at the.end of the current fiscal year on March 31st, only to have the individual province in most instances reimpose the tax. National Film Board annual report shows expanding audiences for its releases, the number of which has been greatly increased. New York film critics name 20th Century-Fox’ “Gentleman’s Agreement,” William Powell and Deborah Kerr as tops in annual poll. John J. Fitzgibbons, head of Famous Players and representative of a special committee of JAMES MASON Selected by Canadian voters as ths top British actor in the London Daily Mail’s first poll in the Dominion for Silver Star Awards, the Canadian motion picture industry, is arranging for a talk with the Hon. C. D. Howe, minister of reconstruction and supply, on an effort to work out ways in which the film industry can help conserve USA dollars. Audio Pictures Limited opens its ultra-modern new studios in Toronto, which later is the scene of an explosion and fire caused by a burst electric light bulb igniting some film. No one is hurt and damage is soon fixed. Shooting starts on Canadian Motion Picture Productions’ first film, a VD picture titled “Sins of the Fathers.’’ Producer is Larry Cromien and director is Phil Rosen. Picture is ready by the end of the summer and world distribution rights are acquired by Maynard Film Distributing Company, Toronto. February Honorable J. Earl Lawson, KC, president of Odeon Theatres of Canada, is elected president of the Canadian Picture Pioneers, succeeding O. R. Hanson. Also voted in are Ben Cronk as vice _ BING CROSBY Exhibitors’ choice as Canada’s leading boxoffice draw for the fourth successive time in the Canadian Film Weekly’s annual poll. WILLIAM J. SINGLETON First president of the newlyformed Quebec branch of the Canadian Picture Pioneers. president, Charles Mavety secretary and George Beeston treasurer. Ban on importation of 35 mm. projectors is reimposed on a controlled-quota basis. Lifting of ban enabled equipment companies to import the machines to help new theatres being completed. Sixteen mm. projectors unaffected and are still banned. Harry H. Thomas, formerly president of PRC, forms new company, Equity Pictures Incorporated, Toronto Variety Club’s motion picture shows for shut-ins start activity under guidance of Al Troyer. Tent prepares to honor Conny Smythe for contribution of his hockey game to Heart Fund and to send delegates to annual convention in Miami. Foreign Exchange Control Board relaxes rule forbidding prepayment of funds for Canadian exhibition rights to foreign films. Move was made originally to conserve USA dollars. Victor Beattie and Bill Deagan join Eagle-Lion Films of Canada and Graydon Matthews, who left the managership of the Toronto branch of Monogram for reasons of health, returns to company as salesman in Montreal. Famous Players holds the last of its three 25 Year Club meetings in Vancouver. First two were in Toronto and Winnipeg and a total of 39 new members are indicated, bringing the membership to the 150 mark. Competition for the French