Canadian Film Weekly (Feb 16, 1949)

Page scan 0007 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Feb 16, 1949
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Feb 16, 1949)
Leaf #:
0007
Language:
English
Collection:
Canada, Hollywood Studio System, and Global Cinema
Format:
periodicals
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library; Canadian Media Magazines Project; 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:
May 23, 2024
Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

A feature of the new OdeonToronto Theatre is the use of Thyratron lighting control to provide a full range of colored lights as an integral part of the film program. believed to be the first such installation in a theatre in Canada, it was designed and built by Canadian General Electric and provides almost every shade of color from full brilliance to blackout for the whole auditorium. Shown above is the control panel, which can be manually Canadian FILM WEEKLY TO PRODUCE 12,000 VIDEO SETS IN ‘49 Canadian radio manufacturers, “irrespective of CBC policy with respect to television in Canada,” will manufacture 12,000 sets in 1949 for the ten per cent of the population which lives within range of USA stations. In Toronto a spokesman for the Radio Manufacturers Association of Canada revealed the figures and said that “if the CBC would take some positive action or grant licenses to those willing to spend the money to bring television to Canada, the production program for receivers would be greatly accelerated.” AUSTRALIAN CENSORSHIP FEDERAL Censorship in Australia is now under federal direction, although the laws are passed by the States. Three of its six State Parliaments have passed federal-sponsored laws against films considered unsuitable for adults and children and the others have promised similar legislation in the next few months. The placing of censorship under federal control resulted from the August, 1946, conference of Premiers. At that time control of censorship was divided between the Federal Censorship Board and the States. For instance, the federal body had no power over Australian-made films, except for export. J. O. Alexander is the chief censor. In 1948 Australia imported 342 feature films — 293 from the USA, 36 from Great Britain and 13 from other countries. Of these 303 were passed as submitted, 35 were passed with cuts and four were rejected. Federal censors classified 152 suitable for general exhibition and 190 for adults only. All “horror” films will be banned from Australia, although there are 26 in circulation now. it has been suggested that the responsibility for keeping children out of theatres with unsuitable films is that of the manager and not the parent. Those who support that suggestion think also that the government should subsidize the production of Australian films for children. Signed To Contract Universal-International has signed Mikel Conrad to a term contract as a result of his work Star On Loan Lizabeth Scott has been borrowed from RKO by Hal Wallis for the femme lead in the film, February 16, 1949 Theatre Smoking NB Court Issue (Continued from Page 1) eral weeks have elapsed since judgment was reserved by him in the case of the Paramount Theatre’s appeal against the ruling of Provincial Fire Marshal H. M. Armstrong. Theatre men, fire prevention officials and insurance company representatives consider the case to be extremely important and were present at the hearing as observers or participants. Others submitted affidavits. Not all fire prevention officials supported Armstrong’s view. In defense of Armstrong’s ruling A. McF. Limerick, Fredericton, pointed out that its basis was the presence of inflammable material and that the phrase was used to describe the clothing of the patrons. No question was being raised as to the construction of the building. Replying for the Paramount Theatre, C. F. Inches, KC, expressed the opinion of the average theatre man also when he said “it shocks an individual to know that an order can be made for a matter like that.” New Brunswick is: the only province where power to prohibit smoking is vested in the fire marshal, Exhibitors throughout Canada in ‘“‘Arctic Manhunt.’ Win $5.00 for a Title to this Cartoon! operated or preset. “The Big Steal.” are interested in the decision. It's a problem! RED SHOES The funniest gag lines GREATEST DANCE SPECTACLE accepted earn five bucks EVER FILMED S for the senders. Gag the COLOR BY Re situation — not the film TECHNICOLOR : “ title which changes on each appearance of the cartoon. Help put a smile on the face of our sad old world by sending as many entries as you like to: FRANK FISHER EAGLE-LION FILMS of Canada Limited Odeon Toronto Theatre 18 Carlton Street, Toronto SS — — © EAGLE-LION FuLMS of Conede, Limited