Canadian Film Weekly (Aug 17, 1949)

Page scan 0002 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Aug 17, 1949
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Aug 17, 1949)
Leaf #:
0002
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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August 17, 1949 STANDARDS BODY (Continued from Page 1) proached carefully so as not to render obsolete manufacturing processes and existing equipment. It has been found that uniformity based on a standard arrived at because of its practicability and superiority is also economical. Standards are arrived at after studying those of the USA and Great Britain and manufacturers in those countries whe export equipment to Canada are advised of them. They deal with nomenclature for film used in studios and processing labs, emulsion and sound record positions in cameras and projectors, cutting and perforating dimensions, raw stock cores, sound records and scanning areas, reel spindles, aperatures, lenses, projection rooms and auditorium design for better visibility. Chairman of the committee is Jerry Graham, director of technical operations for the National Film Board. The secretary is A. H. Simmons, NFB supervisor of engineering services. Committee members are S. Tate, Benograph-ASN, Montreal; L. Booth, RCA-Victor, Toronto; Squadron Leader Drolet, Armed Services; Hy Goldin, GaumontKalee, Toronto; P. D. Carman, National Research Council, Ottawa; D. Spring, Canadian Kodak, Toronto; H. Walker, Dominion Sound, Montreal; Captain McDonald, Canadian Army; George Giles, Ansco, Toronto; and Art Sweet, CIL. Hans Tiesler of Audio Pictures, Toronto, will soon be added. A number of Canadian and American guests have participated in the meetings, the most recent one of which was held in the board room of Odeon Theatres, Toronto. RKO Sets Stars For "Shanghai Incident’ Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell will costar in RKO’s Shanghai Incident, based on an original story by Warren Duff. Howard Hughes has consummated a deal that brought Duff to RKO on a long-term contract. His new duties will include writing the screen play and producing his own story. Pine-Thomas Sign Stars For Film Producers William H. Pine and William C. Thomas have signed John Payne, Rhonda Fleming and Dennis O’Keefe to star in their next production for Paramount release, The Eagle and The Hawk, to be filmed in Technicolor. Lewis R. Foster will direct and James Wong Howe, Hollywood ace cameraman, will be director of photography. Canadian FILM WEEKLY 15 New Theatres (Continued from Page 1) ada of this type of theatre open and in various stages of construction close to 40, with most of them having been built in the last two years. Additionally, alterations and renovations are indicated for a few long-established’ houses, one being a complete rebuilding job and another the installation of an air-conditioning unit. Theatres open include: Winnipeg. Western Theatres, 575-car, $160,000 drive-in, first of three to be built by this FPCC affiliate. Regina. Skylark Drive-in Theatre Company’s 450-car Skylark Drive-in, the first of this kind here, Kelowna, BC. Crozart and Boyd’s 375-car Boyd’s drive-in. Sudbury, Ont. Sudbury Drivein Operating Company’s 400-car Sudbury Drive-in. Qualicum, BC. Warren Theatre’s 300-seat Village. Keremeos, BC. G. A. Gough’s 450-seat Keremeos. Devon, Alta. M. Pyrcz’ seat Devon. Taber, Alta. Bishop D. Miller’s Tower. Mundare, Alta. A. Kaminski’s 250-seat, two-day Mundare. Strongfield Sask. W. A. Marshall’s 200-seat, one-day Community Hall. Mattawa, Ont. Louis and Max Consky’s 472-seat, six-day Champlain. Bracebridge, Ont. J. Giaschi’s 641-seat Norwood. Brownsburg, Que. A. L. Marchand’s 188-seat seven-day Vic. Sutton, Que. Normand Joncas’ 300-seat six-day Maple. St. Andrews, NB. Paul Roy’s 300-seat Andraeleo. Houses nearing completion are: Mont Joli, Que. Leon Richard’s 325-seat Royal. Due to premiere Sept. 15th. Malartic, Que. J. L. E. Berthiaume’s 350-seat Royal. Expected to open Oct, ist. Stratford, Ont. Odeon Theatres’ 704-seat Odeon. To open on Sept. 5th. Theatres in work include: Port Arthur, Ont. Jasper Stanyon’s 500-car, $200,000 Intercity Drive-in. Ponoka, Alta, Eastern Theatres (Ponoka) Limited’s 500 seat, 250 ’ $75,000 structure. Projected are: Montreal. H. Caplan and Law Ber-Ted Corporation will build a theatre and shopping centre on Queen Mary Road. Midland, Ont. Famous Players has purchased a site here. Calgary, Alta, Sumset Drive-in Theatres Limited has applied to council for a permit to build a drive-in. Alterations and renovations include: Chatham, NB. B & L’s Capitol will be refurbished inside and out and seats added. London, Ont. FPCC’s Capitol is undergoing extensive work, including redecorating completely and new plumbing. St. Thomas, Ont. Odeon Theatres is installing an air-conditioning system in the Odeon. Ottawa. FPCC is planning a big renovation job to one of its theatres here. Columbia Sets Two "Stranglehold’ Leads Willard Parker and Lola Albright have been named by Columbia for the leads in Stranglehold, drama which Rudolph Flothow will produce and Seymour Freidman direct from an original screenplay by George Bricker. Parker, formerly under contract to Columbia, portrays a young plumber who becomes the white hope of a wrestling stable and is subsequently maneuvered into the championship. Miss Albright will be seen as the sister of a wrestler who is deliberately crippled when his usefulness to the syndicate ends. Para Names Wyler William Wyler, whose most recent Paramount production is The Heiress, has been named to produce and direct Detective Story, Sidney Kingsley hit play now running on Broadway. "Without Honor’ New Title For UA Film Without Honor is the new title of the Robert and Raymond Hakim production for United Artists, starring Laraine Day, Dane Clark and Franchot Tone, which was known tentatively as Twilight. Without Honor, scheduled for early fall release, includes in its cast Agnes Moorehead and Bruce Bennett. Irving Pichel directed from an original screenplay by James Poe. Max Steiner did the music. Wiseklen Vol. 14, No. 81. Aug. 17, 1949 HYE BOSSIN, Managing Editor Address all communications —The Managing Editor, Canadian 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. Page 3 44 UK FEATURES (Continued from Page 1) ated National Film Finance Corporation, loans having been made to 15 companies by the latter; and the money spent by the United States film companies out of their “frozen” earnings in Britain. The president of the Board of Trade has cautioned the industry that quality pictures must be made if they are to play their part in the export program. He stated that 500 more people are now employed in the industry than at the end of March. On June 18, there were 13 studios active, using 45 stages with 445,118 square feet of available shooting space. On the same date there were 14 studios inactive consisting of 38 stages and 218,965 square feet of space. Even though only 28 first-features were made in the first half of 1949, it is felt that 1948’s total of 63 will be reached by the end of the year. If all studios could be used, it is estimated that about 120 features could be made each year. A number of films have been made for the Colonial office in connection with Colonial Month (June) depicting conditions in the British colonies. The Central Office of Information is gaining headway in its drive to use documentary films not only for the education of the public but to assist the film industry to produce their 25 per cent supporting films under the Quota Act. There is a limited choice cf first-class British suporting films because the rental paid by theatres makes short-film production a poor financial proposition. Thee New CANADA CARRIES ON RELEASE FOR August 55,000 FOR BREAKFAST Fad NATIONAL FILM BOARD PRODUCTION Distributed by COLUMBIA PICTURES