Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 20, 1954)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Oct 20, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 20, 1954)
Leaf #:
0000
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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VOICE of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY Rae 2S TORONTO, OCTOBER 20, 1954 eee SHES $3.00 Per Annum PRESS-TV: ONE HAND WASHES OTHER MARITIME EXHIBS BODY BEEFS AT ALL-IN-THE-FAMILY BOOSTING Nova Scotia theatre operators, gathered in Saint John, NB at the annual meeting of the Maritime Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, criticized some newspapers with TV Great Manitoba Anti-Tax Rally Theatre operators from all parts of Manitoba will converge on Winnipeg for a series of functions on November 1, these to be highlighted by a_ great amusement tax rally. Led by Ben Sommers, owner of the > State, Winnipeg, and vice-presi(Continued on Page 3) Four Indie Films Shooting At RKO RKO will have four independent productions, each with budgets of over $1,000,000 before the cameras on the RKO lot within the next three weeks, J. R. Grainger, president of RKO Radio Pictures, disclosed last week. All four films are for RKO (Continued on Page 4) McLaughlin, Coplan Managing Director For Gottlieb Companies David Coplan has joined Canadian Film Industries Company Limited, Toronto, as managing director, says an announcement from that company. He also becomes managing director of Film Laboratories of Canada Limited and Audio Pictures Limited, associated companies under the presidency of Arthur Gottlieb. Coplan, one-time United Artists general manager in Canada, was promoted to the post of UA managing director in Britain, serving on the Odeon board of directors at the same time. Latterly he was managing director of his own British exchange, International Film Distributors Ltd. The Gottlieb companies are inter~ ested in screen advertising placement, motion picture and television production in one of Canada’s best studios, and printing for theatre and other exhibition. Audio holds the Canadian franchise of Alexander Film Company, USA film ad firm. Stephenson Will Also Be Honored Will McLaughlin, motion picture critic of The Ottawa Journal, and Charles Stephenson, veteran Canadian stage and motion picture figure, will be honored by the Canadian Picture Pioneers at its Pioneer of the Year award dinner to Jack Arthur, famed shcewman, at the King Edward Hotel, Toronto on November 25, it was announced by N. A. Taylor, president of the organization. McLaughlin and Stephenson were selected by the Pioneers’ board of directors, meeting in Toronto. Arthur was chosen earlier by a special panel of judges, which examined written nomina (Continued on Page 4) Start "The Court Jester’ Production of The Court Jester, Dena Productions’ Danny Kaye starrer for Paramount, will begin on October 15. _TOM DALEY HEADS COMMITTEE FOR PIONEERS’ DINNER Clyde Gilmour Quits As Vanc'r Sun Critic Canada’s busiest motion picture reviewer and critic, Clyde Gilmour, has dropped one of his outlets, The Vancouver Sun, for which he wrote a daily column. He remains critic for the CBC network and Maclean’s, a national twice-monthly magazine, as well as emcee of the NFB’s weekly TV program, Window On Canada, over CBC TV. No successor has been named by The Sun. There is some talk that Gil‘ mour will do a CBC TV review. The committee that will set up the coming Pioneer of the Year award banquet, at which Jack Arthur will be honored, is headed by Tom S. Daley, a director of the Canadian Picture Pioneers, who served in the same capacity in connection with both previous ones, states N. A. Taylor, president. Dan Krendel has accepted chairmanship of the ticket committee, while Hye Bossin will be in charge publicity. station connections for giving front page space to television publicity while denying the same location to film news. Other matters which drew objection were roadshow pictures and designated playing time and advanced prices, and the unequal provincial amusement tax, which, the MMPEA suggests, should be rearranged as a straight ten per cent. Tribute was paid to the memory of the late S. Bartling, Liverpool, NS and D. H. MacDonald, Sydney, NS, veteran exhibitors who had passed away dur(Continued on Page 5) Year Book Lists 2,167 35 Mm. Probably the closest-to-correct information on the number of motion picture theatres in Canada at a particular time is to be arrived at through the fourth edition of the Canadian Film Weekly Year Book of the Canadian Motion Picture Industry, (Continued on Page. 8) Joseph Vogel Here Recently elected president of the new exhibition company, Loew’s Theatres, Inc., Joseph Vogel visited Toronto for a day last week. The company controls two theatres in Toronto and one in London, Ontario. HARVEY WINS DIGEST CONTEST. Winner of the annual Showmanship Contest of the Canadian Moving Picture Digest — and a $75 cash prize —is Bob Harvey, Capitol Theatre, North Bay, Ontario. The second-prize winner, Nicky Langston of the Odeon Capitol, Hamilton, got $50, while third prize of $25 went to John McKim of the Odeon, Ladysmith, BC. Jacques Martin, Odeon Mercier, Montreal, won a $25 prize for the best individual example of showmanship not related directly to a motion picture. Publicity chiefs of Canadian circuits and distribution organizations did the judging in the Digest offices, followng dinner at the Coq d’Or. 1,000-SEATER OPENS IN TORONTO Canada’s newest and most modern theatre, the 1,000-seat Golden Mile, which was built by Principal Investments as part of its Golden Mile Plaza, opened last week. At Eglinton Ave. E. and Victoria Park Avenue, outside Toronto, the theatre will be operated in conjunction with the huge shopping centre and special attention is being given to children’s programs. Its free floodlit parking on the paved centre lot is an advantage. The theatre brings to 22 the number of newly-constructed situations opened in Canada since the first of the year. Construction is under way on the Valley Drive-in, Creston, BC, for B. & T. Tedford and L. Johnstone. There are now nine drive-ins under construction, with 42 having opened since the first of the year. A permit for the construction of a $43,000 theatre building on Algongnin. Ave. “Aduono, bringing to 25 the total number of standard theatres planned at present. NerthBay;-Omario~has~been—issued~to Patsy 7