Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 23, 1955)

Page scan 0008 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Nov 23, 1955
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 23, 1955)
Leaf #:
0008
Language:
English
Collection:
Hollywood Studio System, Global Cinema, and Canada
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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: a cine. Stik dihinnectnvctiherld 2 peean ss " ae fo Ee es | FI = o x 4 s ~~ November 23, 1955 AUDIO'S TV-FILM (Continued from Page 1) company. CFI, which has two inactive production subsidiaries, Audio Pictures Limited and Dominion Productions Limited, has been renting studio space to TV producers. Now it will enter TV production in a big way. Born in Bucharest, Rumania, the 42-year-old Harvard was educated in Paris (Ecole de EMILE A. HARVARD Cinematographie de Paris, and the Sorbonne) and has spent most of his adult life as a cameraman and producer. He was five years with British Movietone News and Fox, and 12 years with MGM as a news and documentary cameraman. His credits also include special asignments for NBC and CBS Television, Universal International, and Pathe. He came to Canada in 1953 and one of his early projects was the directing of the first 30minute TV feature film ever made in this country, which was produced in Montreal. In commercial television he has produced filmed spots for more than 40 national advertisers. “By being able to wed Mr. Harvard's extraordinary talents to our very extensive motion picture facilities in our Lakeshore Road studios, we feel we can give Canadian advertisers the most complete and imaginative TV film service this country has yet had,’’ Coplan said: “Our facilities have been undergoing major expansion for several months, including the installation of $120,000 worth of the most-advanced sound recording equipment available and the doubling of studio space. Laboratory facilities have been expanded and a large new carpentry, machine and plasterers’ shop has been completed. Work is now under way on a new 15,000-foot sound stage. “All television filming will be CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY VOICE of the CANA « tAN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY 1955-56 YEAR BOOK of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY Edited by HYE BOSSIN A COMPLETE DIRECTORY OF INFORMATION Film Publications of Canada, Ltd. 175 BLOOR ST. E., TORONTO 5, CANADA — is herewith enclosed for: New Subscriber $3.00................ to the Canadian Film Weekly) me Please send me the 1955-56 edition of the CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY YEAR BOOK, Remittance, including postage, (includes one year’s subscription Year Book Only ($2.25)............ Mail the YEAR BOOK to done on 35 mm, equipment, and then reduced to 16 mm. prints for use on Canadian television stations (which have not yet got around to using 35 mm. film as in the USA). We feel this is a far superior process than using 16 mm. for the original, and provides better definition and great er flexibility. “Another unique advantage in our plant is that it is equipped to take care of all optical effects and there is no need to ship any raw material out of the country for further processing. In other words, everything is under one roof.” MANAGER with his brother, Colin J. Danson, of the Strand Theatre, Sussex, NB, William Thomas Danson, 37, died at his home after an illness of several months. A member of the Maritime Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, William Danson became co-manager of the theatre with his brother on the death of their father, Colin Danson. He had been associated with the theatre, which had been owned by the family for many years, for 23 years. PRELIMINARY approval has been given the CBC by Montreal for its plans to erect a new TV studio and office building, five to 12 storeys high, close to its present Dorchester Street headquarters. Greater space requirements for the production of Englishlanguage programs is given as the reason for the move. APPOINTMENT of Barney Briskin, industry veteran and recently general manager for the production of Oklahoma!, as general manager for production of the Selznick Company, Inc., has been announced in Hollywood by David O. Selznick. He will also be in charge of the executive management of the company with Frank I. Davis, Jr., president, and Earl R. Beaman, vicepresident and treasurer. Selznick recently made a deal with RKO. TESTIMONY given by Lucien Maynard to the Royal Commission investigating Alberta Government business was to the effect that he and his two partners had privately built the 2,200-foot road to their Belmont Drive-in from the Belmont Rehabilitation Centre near Edmonton. Maynard, former Alberta attorney-general who was defeated at the last election, stated that no government money was spent on the road. HOLDINGS in Magna Theatre Corporation, which controls the Todd-AO process, have been sold by Michael Todd, who helped develop the system and is reported to be the largest single shareholder. Buyers in the private sale were Magna and officials of United Artists. Todd has resigned as director of Magna and Todd-AO common stock and will devote himself to production. First in #he Todd-AO process was Oklahoma!,_ the second, which is now under way, is Around the World in 80 Days and Todd has exclusive rights to film nine more. :