Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 25, 1956)

Page scan 0008 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Jan 25, 1956
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 25, 1956)
Leaf #:
0008
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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January 25, 1956 CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY Page 9 LT.-COL. COOPER (Continued from Page 1) 16 Mm. Distributors Association, which he organized and which later disbanded. In 1953 he was one of those honored by the Canadian Picture Pioneers for making a “distinguished and unique” contribution to the advancement of the Canadian motion picture industry as one of its leading spokesmen for many LT.-COL. JOHN A. COOPER years. One of the best workers for the Canadian Red Cross, he headed its campaigns in the theatre and film trade. He also served as president of the Dominion Fire Prevention Association and The Musical Protective Society of Canada. Lt. Col. Cooper was one of the founders and first presidents of the Canadian Club of Toronto and was a director of the Canadian National Exhibition for seven years. He was vice-president of the Tandy Advertising Agency, Ltd. Originally a journalist of distinction in Canada, he was a past president of the Canadian Press Association. In 1919, after his return from overseas service during the First World War, he was appointed director of the Canadian Bureau of Information in New York by the then Prime Minister, Sir Robert Borden, resigning to return to ARTICLE by Hugh Maclennan in the first 1956 edition of Saturday Night—The Canadian, 1955 Model—had this in it: “If it should occur to him to establish, or to encourage the establishment, of a native motion picture industry, free of Hollywood control, which would make mature, good pictures out of the Canadian scene, he would seem much more interesting and valuable to mankind than by adding another four miles to the subway. He would also be happier, and for a simple reason. Nobody can fail to be happy if he is interested in himself, and the surest way. for a man to become interested in himself is to do things. to ‘make himself interesting to. others.” -INTERESTING comment by Walter O’Hearn:in The Montreal Star:. “If I were giving out awards—which heaven forbid— they would go to the people who never figure in the polls and the hoo-hurrah but who turn in dependable jobs, year in and year Cast In 'The Black Sleep’ Basil Rathbone, Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney, Jr., John Carradine and Bela Lugosi will star in UA’s The Black Sleep. ‘First Traveling Saleslady' Carol Channing has been sign ed by RKO to make her screen debut in a starring role with Gin ger Rogers in The First Travel ing Saleslady. Fourth Canadian Infantry Brigade and saw service in France, Belgium and Germany. Services were at St. Simon’s Church and interment took place in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. out, filling those background roles which make the movies bearable. They are well paid, they lead good, quiet lives, with no public strain and press agentry, yet being actors they must want recognition and they get very little.” INFORMATION films from the U.S. Information Agency, which in some ways corresponds to Canada’s National Film Board, were welcomed in 838 countries last year. The Agency now has 1,000 of the films it produced and distributed in circulation, yet the demand last year exceeded the supply by 70 per cent. Films were produced in the USA and 22 other countries, where native actors were used. The American motion picture industry aids dis ' tribution of 24,000 prints in 19 languages. Most popular is an international news review, Our Times. SILENT screen star Norman Kerry, 60, who co-starred with Lillian Gish, Mary Pickford, Alice Brady, Constance. Talmadge and many other leading actresses of other days, passed away in Cedars of Lebanon hospital last week after major surgery. His wife, the former Kay English, survives him. SOCIETY of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, which has many Canadian members, will provide copies regularly and at a moderate cost of all American standards to engineers and others. The annual fee for the four-times-yearly service is $7.50. HOLLYWOOD Television Service, Republic’s TV sales subsidiary, will make 76 features available immediately, with 24 in the first block offering John Wayne, Susan Hayward and other top stars. Walter Manley is manager of the Canadian branch of HTS, which has its headquarters in Toronto. OUR BUSINESS (Continued from Page 3) doomed to extinction and the sooner their owners realize it the better it will be for them financially. One former theatre operator who had leased his two theatres ten years ago had them returned to him recently on the termination of the leases. He was told that these theatres were now economically unfeasible and was advised to put the properties to other uses. He refused to believe this and began to operate them himself. This experiment cost him several thousand dollars in a short time. Owners of such borderline theatres should seek competent advice in determining whether to continue the battle or seek other fields of endeavor. ‘Is This Our Son?" RKO has acquired Robert Dozier’s modern drama, Is This Our Son ?, and will produce the film in June with an all-star cast. Under the title of Deal a Blow, it won the Christopher Award as the dramatic play of the year on television. One Theatre Opened; Two More In Work Tom Yacyshyn has opened his 200-seat, six-day Fort Theatre, the first in Pelly, Saskatchewan. In work are Rex Films’ Salle Paroissial in St. Jean d’Evangelist, Quebec and G. Bourdnadaire’s Cinema d’Erable in St. Emile l’Energie, Quebec. T. C. Pinsonneault has taken over the Warwick in Warwick, Quebec and has reopened the house, for which Cine Enterprises will do the booking. Chao Chow Lee Theatres Limited has purchased the State in Vancouver and changed is name back again to Avon. It will run regular programs six days a week but will show only Chinese films on Sundays. —_———— Eee ‘Six-Year Price Range of Industry Stocks (From The Financial Post, which explains that the quotations are taken from official stock exchange records but that it cannot accept responsibility for prices given.) Canada in 1921. : 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 : \ oe nce Beer ee High Low Close High Low High Low High Low High Low High Low | BA and LL.B., he joined the MacEastern Theatres .......... — — pn A ee 25 22 20 — — 22Y2 22 27 27 }° _ lean Publishing Company in 1892, rec ee 150. 108 MBC g2 es ep eo ea | became editor of the Canadian Theatte: Poa oe * * 13%. (7 Vie 5 ee oe 4 Magazine in 1895 and later held United Amuse., A ........ 10y% 9 9 12 11 1] 10 1] 10 10 WW. — — A the same post from 1906 to 1915 Poste ha mae Hie Po ee ge ee ee i wit the Canadian Courier, Bo A tbl ce eee eS a rt OUT ee When the first World War Dei. B (Old) cc actos: ret nen ee ee emg = eee oily a, Seager Po ‘ * 30 22 broke out Lt.-Col. Cooper, who Do. V.T. (old) ............ SR aS Oe eae eee 22 ee amen 5 UD Re cae 35 had been an officer of the Queen’s Own Regiment up till then, raised the 198th Battalion in To Special Three-Year Report on Unlisted Stocks Comparative Closing Bid and Ask Prices at the Year End. As Supplied by Intercity Securities Corporation Limited. 1955 a i 98S ronto, known popularly as the 5 EER a Bid Asked Bid Asked Bid Asked f ffs. fter A : aramount Oshawa UTES. tenis sical epee tee aaa TQgOO te sere Cie OW anaes ca A2DO5.. Se cea Canadian Buffs. After taking his Skyway -Dritesin “Theatte 20 3 ee ra 1.55 1:85 1.25 2.00 1.00 1.40 battalion to France, he served on the headquarters staff of the * Delisted.