Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 1, 1949)

Page scan 0009 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Jun 1, 1949
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 1, 1949)
Leaf #:
0009
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 10 Canadian FILM WEEKLY June 1, 1949 ODEON-OTTAWA (Continued from Page 1) to 150 houses. The theatre, equipped by Gaumont-Kalee for television as well as cinema projection, opened “Under the Distinguished Patronage and in the Immediate Presence of Their Excellencies the Governor-General and the Vicountess Alexander of Tunis.” Red Shoes was the film for the premiere, which was sponsored by the Canada Foundation Fund, the proceeds going to its work, which is to stimulate public interest in cultural matters, maintain a full-time cultural information centre, present junior scholarships in the fine arts, etc. Ottawa came out wholeheartedly for the affair, which was also highlighted by an exhibit of paintings of the dance by Canadian artists, arranged by Paul Duval, and a visit by Sarah Churchill, film star and daughter of Winston Churchill. Both the Ottawa Journal and the Evening Citizen featured full supplements of many pages devoted to the ‘theatre. It also won space on the first page and in editorial form. Some 1,400 guests were on band. “Hundreds of people lined the sidewalks trying to identify the men and women in dinner clothes as they stepped from their cars, or to peer into the dimly lit inner lobby where baskets of roses gave the final proof that something new had been added to Bank street,” Stated the Citizen. The audience was made up of members of the Diplomatic Corps, government officials, the press and their ladies. A. Davidson Dunton, head of the CBC, welcomed the guests as Foundation treasurer. Leonard W. Brockington, KC, vice-president of Odeon Theatres, made a witty, eloquent plea for the arts after noting that Ottawa’s three leading political FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES HONOR BILL COVERT Friends of William P. Covert, many of them longtime associates in Local 173, Moving Picture Projectionists, Toronto, gathered recently to honor him on being appointed adviser of the Canadian delegation to the International Labor Organization, Geneva, Ottawa named Covert, who is an International vice-president of the IATSE. Covert, shown behind the chair on the left, was presented with a travelling bag by James Sturgess, president of Local 173, in behalf of his friends. Sturgess is next to him, VICTORIA, TORONTO, MAY CLOSE Reopened by Famous Players several years ago the Victoria, Toronto, may close on June 4th. At the time the old ~ Shea two-a-day vaudeville house helped meet the unprecedented volume of patronage and also relieved the booking: jam. A dozen-or-so new theatres have been built since, while old houses have been reseated and refurbished, making the Victoria, a stopgap job, unnecessary. Also there is no longer a booking jam and so there is no product problem. The house, built in 1910, had been closed for years before its reopening — except for the performance of an occasional legit show or home-grown musical. It was first brightened up for the Army Show and ‘other theatricals sponsored by the Military. Famous Players has long figured the house as its television headquarters when the CBC flashes the green light but that fact has little relationship to its closing at this time. But the television situation may have same bearing on whether or not the house will be reopened in the fall. figures were not there. With them doing their political trumpeting elsewhere, Bytown might easily be called ‘“Hushabytown,” he said. Reported the Citizen: “In an eloquent plea for the arts in Canada Mr. Brockington recalled a speech by Thomas D’Arcy McGee, murdered just a few yards away from the site of the new theatre some 80 years ago. He praised the efforts of the Canada Foundation to encourage the arts in Canada and said Canadians were tired of hearing that they were so busy performing epics that they could not write lyrics, so engaged in cutting down timber for woodpulp they could not write books and so deafened by the thunder of cataracts they could not compose music.” Manager of the new theatre is Gordon Beavis, with Barry Carnon his assistant. Fox "49 Net Up On Same Period In "48 Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation and all subsidiaries, including National Theatres Corporation and Roxy Theatre, Inc., report consolidated net earnings after all charges for the first quarter ended March 26th, 1949, of $3,017,736. The consolidated net earnings after all charges reported by the Corporation for the first quarter of 1948 were $2,926,842. VoL, 14, No. 22 June 1, 1949 Address all communications —The Managing Editor, Canadion Film Weekly, 175 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Canada. Entered as Second Class Matter. Published by Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., 175 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Phone PRincess 1757 or PRincess 3707, Price $2,00 per year. CENSORS REPORT (Continued from Page 8) veals that the rigid building requirements in this Province not only provide a maximum degree of safety for the attending public, but are assurance against heavy fire loss to the exhibitors. Carnivals Travelling carnivals were very popular during the year with an increase shown in the number of playing dates. Close inspection by law enforcement officers has helped considerably to reduce gambling and thus make the carnival more attractive for family enjoyment, Exchanges Frequent inspections were made of all theatres, film exchanges and film printing establishments and a gradual decrease is noted in criticism offered by the inspectors. This indicates more strict adherance to regulations and a common desire by all concerned for clean, comfortable and safe surroundings in which the public may enjoy its favourite entertainment. Added To Adult List Five films were recently added to the Adult Entertainment list by the Ontario Board of Censors. They are Knock on Any Door, Once Upon a Dream, Bride of Vengeance, Too Late for Tears and Good Time Girl. Sovereign Opening Office In Calgary Sovereign Film Distributors, distributors of 16 mm. product from Universal International, RKO, Columbia and Republic, is opening an office in Calgary and will release its films through the facilities of Empire-Universal, 8th Avenue and 6th Street. At the same time Walter Kennedy, Sovereign general manager, revealed that the office will be under the supervision of Joe de Vries,