Canadian Film Weekly (Aug 25, 1954)

Page scan 0005 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Aug 25, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Aug 25, 1954)
Leaf #:
0005
Language:
English
Collection:
Canada, Hollywood Studio System, and Global Cinema
Format:
periodicals
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library, Greig Dymond in memory of David Dymond, 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
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4 Page 6 HUGH SEDGWICK Re-elected Canadian vice-president of the IATSE at the recent convention in Cincinnati. He moved from eighth vice-president of the IA to fifth. Columbia, Facet To Make Film Jointly In a continuing association with Columbia Pictures, Facet Productions, new British film company which scored a notable success in England with its initial venture, The Detective, is now finalizing plans for another Alec Guinness subject, Madam Will You Walk? Peter Glenville, who recently directed the stage drama, The Prisoner, which starred Guinness, makes his debut as a film director on Madam Will You Walk? Vivian A. Cox will produce and Sydney Box is executive producer. Republic Pact For Sterling Hayden Sterling Hayden was _ signed recently to a long-term, multiplepicture contract by Herbert J. Yates, president of Republic, who announced simultaneously that Hayden will be starred with Vera Ralston in Timberjack, top-budgeted drama of the British Columbia timberlands which will be filmed in Trucolor by Consolidated on Vancouver Island is scheduled to begin some time in September. Three Companies To Make "Big Combo’ Allied Artists’ executive producer Walter Mirisch has announced that negotiations have been completed with Theodora Productions and Security Pictures to jointly produce The Big Combo, starring Cornel Wilde, Jack Palance and Jean Wallace. The announcement is the latest development in Allied Artists’ large-scale production plans, highlighted by the signing of John Huston, William Wyler and Billy Wilder. CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY BE GAMES VIA FOX CINEMASCOPE A five-man 20th-Fox crew, joined by Charles Quick of Canadian Movietone News, moved into Vancouver during the British Empire Games to photograph the competition in CinemaScope. The crew, headed by Jack Painter, caught The Mile of the Century and the Peters marathon finish, along with other events. The background of the Rocky Mountains should add great beauty to the subject. The footage was shipped to London and it is thought that it will be edited and recorded there to make it particularly interesting to British audiences. Twentieth Century-Fox is said to have put up $5,000 for the right to film the Games. PRODUCTION DOWN, GROSSES UP Hollywood production is down 21 per cent, notes Thomas M. Pryor in the New York Times, but attendance has increased and revenue is up. Top films are bringing returns considerably above expectations in many instances. The unions report that employment is up, although there is still much unemployment because of the drop in production. Hollywood Variety states that 103 features went before the cameras since January. PQ PIONEERS GOLF TOURNEY All Canadian motion picture industry members are invited to join the members of the Quebec District of the Canadian Picture Pioneers at the first golf tournament, which will be held at the Lakeshore Golf & Country Club, Lachine, on Thursday, September 23. The invitation was extended by Fred E. Peters of Montreal, president, and was made known to the Ontario District at the dinner which followed its tournament last week, by N. A. Taylor, national and Ontario head. It is expected that the IATSE foursome which won the Ontario tournament will play in the Quebec one. On the team were Andy Pura, Frank Cox, Ralph Byford and Fred Cross. Bill Mannard of United Amusements, 5887 Monkland Avenue, Montreal, is handling the tournament and dinner, for which the charge is $5. Comfort, Design, Durability ADD UP TO CANADA'S FINEST THEATRE CHAIRS Made by CANADIAN THEATRE CHAIR CO. LTD. 40 ST. PATRICK ST., TORONTO, CAN. August 25, 1954 SET STANDARDS (Continued from Page 1) which also draw on other branches of private industry, as well as government departments, for personnel. Once established, exchanges of opinion take place by mail until a meeting is warranted. The technical advances of the past few years make constant exchanges of views necessary if the soundest work is to result. This is as true of the Canadian Electrical Code as it is of motion picture photography. Too many ways of doing the same thing brings chaos and added costs and the members seek to prevent this. There are two sub-committees of the many under the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I, being reconstituted right now which bear on industry interests. One is the Sub-committee on Section 48, which deals with motion picture studios, projection rooms, film exchanges, film ‘vaults and storehouses for nitro cellulose x-ray and photographic film. Chairman of this committee is James S. Bauer, supervisor of electrical equipment and installations for the Canadian Pacific Railway, Toronto. Bauer has just asked T. S&S. Daley, University Theatre, Toronto to join C. Maybee of General Theatre Supply, Winnipeg, and John Ferguson, Famous Players’ Winnipeg District supervisor, on the committee. Also members are chief inspectors Wm. J. Brake of Saskatchewan and M. Del Bagio of Winnipeg and R. Watson of the latter’s staff. From the Canadian Standards Association are W. Mark, G. R. Cates and D. S. Martin. Another Electrical Code group being peopled by its new chairman, J E. Ritchie, Deputy Fire Marshall of Ontario, is the Subcommittee on Section 44, which is concerned with electrical installations in theatres. First appointee is William Devitt of Odeon Theatres (Canada) Limited. Some years old now is also Committee Z7.1 on Motion Picture Photography, which has been headed by Gerald Graham of the National Film Board, with A. H. Simmons of Gevaert (Canada) Limited, Ottawa, as secretary. Three Actresses Set es e For ‘Magic Fire’ Yvonne De Carlo, Rhonda Fleming and Rita Gam have been signed by Herbert J. Yates, president of Republic Pictures, and producer-director William Dieterle to star as the three women in Richard Wagner’s life in Magic Fire, which will be filmed in Trucolor in Germany starting in September.