Canadian Film Weekly (Mar 7, 1956)

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Mar 7, 1956
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Mar 7, 1956)
Leaf #:
0007
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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| LIONEL SHAPIRO of Montreal, whose stories have been made into films, was given the Governor-General’s Award for the best fiction by a Canadian in 1955. Twentieth Century-Fox is shooting his novel, The Sixth of June. He'll be the guest speaker at the National Newspaper Awards dinner, to be given by the Toronto Men’s Press Club on April 21. FORTY per cent of those asked whether they approved of our immigration policy by the Canadian Institute of Public Opinion, which conducts the Gallup Poll, said yes and 41 per cent no. About 16 per cent objected because of the unemployment situation. TRANS-ATLANTIC television is not far away, the Lions Club of Montreal was told by J. B. Knox, chief of the engineering products department at RCA Victor. Nearing the practical stage, it is expected to be very costly at first. UNITED Theatre Managers’ Association of Montreal (UNICON) recently presented a stage show at the Chateau Theatre in that city. The show started at 11.30 p.m. after the regular Saturday performance and all seats were reserved. POSTERS and other advertising material of Alliance Films Limited wili now be distributed by Theatre Poster Service Limited, following an agreement between Jay Smith, head of Alliance, and Murray Sweigman, president of the theatre poster company. FIFTY per cent of the financing for the remaining 23 programs of The Force, an RCMP series directed by Victor Stoloff, will be provided by ABC Film Syndication of NY, through the Bankers’ Trust Company, for shooting at General Service. The first 50 per cent came from S&S Films, Limited, Kitchener, Ontario, organized by local business men, with Stoloff, who is from Hollywood, as_ executive vice-president. Three pilot films were made last year, with Lloyd Bridges starring. ELSIE JANIS, 66, a famed comedienne of other years, died in Beverly Hills last week. Mary Pickford was at her bedside. A film, The Elsie Janis Story, was scheduled for production. She was the singing sweetheart of the USA soldiers in the First World War. —— CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY NFB NY Sales Rep | Is Lyall Stewart | New York sales representative | of the National Film Board, as successor to Ralph Ellis, is Lyall Stewart, until his appointment assistant to W. S. Jobbins, chief of the Commercial Division. No one has been named yet to replace him as Jobbins’ aide. Ken Williams, district representative at London, Ontario, goes to Vancouver to replace Jim Patterson, resigned as BC regional supervisor. Leo-Paul Turcotte, now urban representative for Metropolitan Montreal, will switch to special duties connected with expanding distribution among labor groups and trade unions. L, Larivie leaves his post as district representative in RouynNoranda to succeed H. L. Marier, now in the St. Jean, Quebec area. Paramount Signs Yul Brynner Paramount has signed Yul Brynner to direct and star in an as yet unselected film. Rabbi Levy Passes; Father Of Jules, Nat Rabbi Meyer H. Levy, 84, father of Nat Levy, RKO head office sales executive in NY, and of Jules Levey, Independent Hollywood producer, passed away in Toronto last week. He was formerly chief Orthodox rabbi of Toronto and president of the Rabbinical Council of Toronto, For 50 years until his retirement five years ago Rabbi Levy served Jewry and for 40 of those years he was in the pulpit of the Hebrew Men of England Synagogue. Born in Lithuania, his first congregation on this continent was in Syracuse, where he assisted Rabbi Hertz, later Chief Rabbi of the British Empire. He was well known as a scholar and author on Talmudic subjects. Surviving are five daughters, a sister, 14 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Mrs. Levy predeceased Rabbi Levy by five years. AA's 'Hold Back The Night’ John Payne will star in AA’s Hold Back the Night. IN THE CANADA CARRIES ON SERIES PLENTY OF ACTION! EXCELLENT PHOTOGRAPHY! March 7, 1956 OTHER AWARDS (Continued from Page 1) Picnic, are just being circulated now in Canada, while another Marty, was not seen in Montreal until a couple of weeks ago. Below are the nominees in seven more categories: BEST DIRECTION—John Sturges, Bad Day at Black Rock; Elia Kazan, East of Eden; Delbert Mann, Marty; Joshua Logan, Picnic; David Lean, Summertime. BEST SONGS—I'll Never Stop Loving You from Love Me or Leave Me; Love Is @ Many-Splendored Thing from the picture of the same name; Something’s Gotta Give from Daddy Long Legs; Love Is the Tender Trap from The Tender Trap; Unchained Melody from Unchained. BEST SCREEN PLAY—wMillard Kaufman, Bad Day at Black Rock; Richard Brooks, Blackboard Jungle; Paul Osborn, East of Eden; Daniel Fuchs, Love Me or Leave Me; Paddy Chayefsky, Marty. BEST STORY AND SCREEN PLAY— Milton Sperling and Emmett Lavery, The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell; William Ludwig and Sonya Levien, Interrupted Melody; Betty Comden and Adolph Green, It’s Always Fair Weather; Jacques Tati and Henri Marquet, Mr. Hulot’s Holiday (French); Melville Shavelson and Jack Rose, The Seven Little Foys. BEST STORY—Daniel Fuchs, Love Me or Leave Me; Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, The Private War of Major Benson; Nicholas Ray, Rebel Without A Cause; the five writers of The Sheep Has Five Legs (French); Beirne Lay, Jr., Strategic Air Command, BEST FILM EDITING—Ferris Webster, Blackboard Jungle; Alma Macrorie, The Bridges at Toko-Ri, Gene Ruggiero, OkIahoma!; Charles Nelson, Picnic; Warren Low, The Rose Tattoo. BEST CARTOON—Good Will to Men; The Legend of Rockaby Point; No Hunting; Speedy Gonzales. Many other motion pictures were mentioned in the other groups dealing with photography, costuming, special effects and special subjects. "Gunfight At The OK Corra!' Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas will star in Hal Wallis’ Paramount production, Gunfight at the OK Corral, which will be shot in VistaVision. Cast In UA's ‘Spring Reunion’ Betty Hutton and Dana Andrews will star in UA’s Spring Reunion. Bingo Helping Exhibs In Western Canada Addition of Bingo to their regular film programs on_ slow nights is proving profitable to exhibitors in Western Canada, who have found that the game attracts new patronage and_ increases business. In a number of cases it has kept the theatre from going dark. Latest reports are that over 30 houses in the Prairie Provinces are now using Bingo, some in cooperation with local service clubs, and many more are toying with the idea. A package deal, including posters, a screen trailer and the actual equipment, is being supplied by Theatre Poster Service Limited, id]