Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 10, 1957)

Page scan 0003 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Apr 10, 1957
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 10, 1957)
Leaf #:
0003
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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CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY April 10, 1957 MYER NACKIMSON Appointed Winnipeg branch manager for Empire-Universal Films Limited. INDUSTRY WEEK (Continued from Page 1) events of the different organizations, except possibly that of the Variety Club. The changing state of the motion picture industry should give these meetings great vitality and make them very interesting. Here is the schedule of events as presently set: Monday the 25th: As mentioned in the first paragraph. Tuesday the 26th: Annual meeting of the National Committee of Motion Picture Exhibitors Associations of Canada. Wednesday the 27th: Annual meeting of the Motion Picture Industry Council of Canada. Thursday the 28: Continuation of the MPICC meeting during the day and the annual Award Dinner of the Canadian Picture Pioneers in the evening. It is likely that the Variety Club of Toronto will arrange to hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday evening in the Prince George Hotel. As in the past, all delegates and observers are welcome. If a Maple Leaf hockey game is scheduled for Wednesday, November 27 tickets will be made available for all visitors. Delegates and observers from out of Ontario who are in the city on Monday will be welcomed to the MPTAO luncheon, at which an important speaker is usually heard, states Arch Jolley, executive secretary. The Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association and other bodies will be the hosts at luncheons on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Cast In ‘Rock Hunter’ Tony Randall has been signed by 20th-Fox to star with Jayne Mansfield and Clifton Webb in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, the CinemaScope adaptation of George Axelrod’s long-run Broadway hit. News Notes CANADIAN SMPTE'S FIRST MEETING . Some 65 members and guests, ten of them from Montreal, attended the first meeting of the Canadian Section of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, held last week in the Toronto office of the National Film Board. Basically an introductory meeting, the session heard Ethan M. Stifle, Sections vice-president, who came from New York to outline future developments in the trade. Don Dixon of Kodak was named to succeed Ron Ringler of Du Pont as membership chairman and Ivor Lomas of Crawley Films was appointed program chairman. Lomas is expected to schedule at least four meetings this year, two of which will be called for Montreal. The Interim Board of officers of the Canadian Section will hold their positions until the first election takes place this Fall. JAMES STEWART VISITS TORONTO Acting as advance man for his latest starring picture, Warners’ The Spirit of St. Louis, James Stewart paid a quick visit to Toronto last week as one of the cities on an 18-day, 18-city tour. He was interviewed at a luncheon for local and out-of-town press and radio people arranged by Irving Herman, director of publicity and public relations in Canada for Warner Bros. Stewart’s easy-going, affable manner at the luncheon soon established an atmosphere of cordiality and informality, resulting in a great deal of space in the newspapers and magazines and many fine breaks for the film, both in the publications and on radio. AA TO ROLL SIX IN THREE MONTHS Allied Artists executive producer Walter Mirisch recently announced starting dates for six films which will be put before the cameras at the rate of two a month during April, May and June. The first to go in April will be The Victor Riesel Story, to be produced by Richard Heermance and directed by Joseph Newmann, and New Day at Sundown, starring George Montgomery in CinemaScope and color and produced by Scott R. Dunlap. With Mirisch producing, Walk Tall will go before the cameras on May 7 in CinemaScope and color and starring Joel McCrea. On May 27 Death in Small Doses will roll with Heermance producing. On June 3 producer Archie Mayo will begin filming Beast of Budapest and on June 17 Mirisch will put his production of Yellow Knife before the cameras in CinemaScope and color. BANFF SCHOOL TEACHES THEATRE Banff School of Fine Arts, which has been operated by The University of Alberta for 25 years and will be open from June 18 to September 8 this season, has many theatrical subjects available. Courses in the Theatre Division are arranged in a three-year pattern and junior, intermediate and senior certificates are obtainable. Acting, direction, stagecraft, costuming, rhythmics, speech art and opera production are covered and there is a course in ballet. There is also a course in Playwriting, Television and Radiowriting and a Short Story and Writers’ Workshop. On the theatre staff are Esther Nelson, Donald Pimm, Bette Anderson, Dr. Evangeline Machlin, John W. Graham and Grant Marshall. Gweneth Lloyd, Betty Farrally and Mary Tuft will conduct the ballet course and Laurette Sabourin is assistant costumier, with the department head still to be named. The instructor in the play-TVradio writing course will be Professor S. N. Karchmer. There is no motion picture course as such. Avon Will Make 12 For MGM Release Twelve important productions will be Independently-produced by Lawrence Weingarten and Pandro S. Berman, whose newly-formed Avon Productions, Inc. will release through MGM. Berman is currently preparing four films for Avon Productions. The first will be Jail House Rock, starring Elvis Presley and scheduled for production in May. Also in preparation are Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Brothers Karamazov and The Reluctant Debutante. Yul Brynner Cast In "Brothers Karamazov' Yul Brynner is the first member of an all-star cast to be signed by MGM for its filmization of Feodor Dostoevski’s The Brothers Karamazov, scheduled for early summer production. Brynner will portray the eldest Karamazov brother, Dimitri, in the dramatic story of crime and passion, which has gone down in literary history as one of the greatest novels of all time. The picture is scheduled to be produced by Pandro S. Berman. NFB INFORMATION (Continued from Page 1) in Hansard, his request for data was in two parts: 1. How many films of Dominion Government departments were handled (a) by or through the National Film Board; (b) by private Canadian firms, each year since 1945? 2. How many films for Provincial Government departments were ‘handled (a) by or through the National Film Board; (b) by” private Canadian firms, each year since 1945? The answers were given by the Hon. J. W. Pickersgill, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, who is also the minister responsible to parliament for the National Film Board. 1. From 1944 to 1951, available records do not give a breakdown between the National Film Board and private firms. In 1944-45, there were 109 films made for government departments; 1945-46, 100; 1946-47, 31; 1947-48, 47; 1948-49, 59; 1949-50, 21; 1950-51, 25; 1951-52, 38 (of which 35 were produced by the NFB and three by private firms); 1952-53, 36 (29 NFB, seven private); 1953-64, 33 (21 NFB, 12 private); 1954-55, 23. (18 NFB, five private); and 1955-56, 52 (42 NFB, 10 private). 2. (a) No films have been produced by the National Film Board for Provincial Government departments; though seven films have been sponsored jointly by the Federal and Provincial authorities. 1946-47, one (joint sponsorship with the Saskatchewan government). 1947-48, three (one of which was joint sponsorship with British Columbia and two joint sponsorship with Nova Scotia). 1948-49, two (one joint sponsorship with Saskatchewan and one joint sponshorship with three Maritime Provinces). 1949-50, one (joint sponsorship with Alberta). Since the 1950 film act came into effect, the National Film Board has not been able to accept sponsorship from anyone other than federal government departments. (b) No information. ee _ Dominion Theatre Equipment Co. Ltd. 847 Davie St., Vancouver, B.C. Great Bargains; Theatre Chairs with Spring to Edge Sects & Upholstered Backs. $16.50 Value at $5.50 Each. HURRY! The finest quality silver sound screen made regular price $1.12 per sq. ft. On first five orders received at 81c per sq. ft. delivered to your theatre. Send sizes with order. Foxhole sprockets for ALL machines. Get our low prices on everything. Write for details today. TS