Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 12, 1957)

Page scan 0004 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Jun 12, 1957
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 12, 1957)
Leaf #:
0004
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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June 12, 1957 CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY Page 7 LABOW DINNER (Continued from Page 1) ger of International Film Distributors, guiding things as_ toastmaster, it turned out to be an occasion full of humor and sentiment. At the head table, along with Mark Plottel, N. A. Taylor, R. W. Bolstad, C. R. B. Salmon and Herbert Allen, were two guests who had come from New York to be present — Herbert Greenblatt, general sales manager of RKO, and Sydney Kramer, head of its foreign division. Labow, soon to be on his way to Australia as a special RKO foreign representative, was presented with two sets of matched luggage — one for himself and the other for Mrs. Labow — by Jack Bernstein, general sales manager of Allied Artists, for those present and some who couldn’t be there but made their good wishes known by wire. The guest of honor did much to make it an interesting evening by his thank-you address, during which he reminisced about the people with whom he had dealt during his experience as a film salesman, all of which was with RKO. “It’s not only difficult but almost impossible to say how deeply I’m honored,”’ he said. His concluding remark: “I thank you for being my friends.” Everyone at the head table spoke, as did Hye Bossin, editor of this publication; Haskell Masters, general manager of Warner Brothers; Louis Rosenfeld, general manager of Columbia Pictures; A. W. Perry, general manager of Empire-Universal Films; and Charles S. Chaplin, United Artists general manager, who also expressed the good wishes of the Motion Picture Industry Council of Canada, of which he is vice-president. Plottel spoke as president of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, Taylor as Chief Barker of the Variety Club, Bolstad as vicepresident of Famous Players, Salmon as vice-president of Odeon Theatres, Allen as vice-president of Premier Operating Corporation, Greenblatt for the RKO home office in New York and Kramer as the immediate superior of the guest of honor. ‘Canada is loaded with the finest kind of manpower and it can give a great account of itself regardless of the business — motion pictures, steel or any other,’’ Greenblatt said. He addressed Labow: “This promotion is very, very important to us.’ Kramer said: “I don’t think we could have made a better choice. I don’t have to wish Jack luck. He has too much ability to need luck. I wish him Godspeed.”’ MGM's ‘Seven Hills Of Rome’ Marisa Allasio, 19-year-old Italian actress, has been signed by MGM to star opposite Mario Lanza in Seven Hills of Rome, to be filmed in Italy. Plenty of Laughter at the Dinner for Andy Rouse Several hundred guests enjoyed themselves thoroughly at the dinner in the Club One Two, Toronto, in honor of Andy Rouse, who left his post as assistant general manager of Theatre Confections Limited to become president and general manager of General Theatre Supply Company Limited. The top photo, by Alex Gray, shows Andy contributing to the fun. The gift of those present was a cashmere jacket from the Johnny Shapiro store and Johnny is shown giving Andy his tryon in front of everyone. Close by is J. J. Fitzgibbons, Jr., general manager of TCL, who was the toastmaster. ON THE SQUARE (Continued from Page 4) Festival made sure it had that incomparably comic Frosh, Sammy Sales, for its Die Fledermaus by grabbing him now. Date: November 4-9 at the Royal Alexandra . . . Everybody just loved that touring HO film official at a press luncheon for one of his company’s stars visiting Toronto. Referring to a small but good picture the star had made, he commented, with an air of superior knowledge and great revelation: “It’s what we call a sleeper down in the States.” THE YORK, a smaller house than the University, is doing capacity since the moveover of The Ten Commandments and summer-price adjustments etc. will keep it running right on. Meanwhile the University is doing great business with For Whom the Bell Tolls, the reception of which has Paramount combing through its reissues. Don’t bet that Oklahoma! will be out of the Tivoli until the Exhibition is over in mid-September — if then. The proximity of the Club One Two and the Town Tavern, both excellent dining places, has caused persons from Ontario towns to make a holiday of it by planning to eat in a nice place and see Oklahoma! afterwards, then motor back on our fine highways. DISREGARD the rumors that Tugboat Annie is being dropped . . . There’s some big motion picture news coming up soon that has to do with production around here .. . I hear Ed Nassour, the Hollywood Indie, is checking Canadian facilities . . . Apparently some Hollywood people picked up the film rights to Thomas Raddall’s The Nymph and the Lamp and intend going ahead. Julian Biggs and Ron Weyman, Canadian film makers, had:the option for a long time . . . Reprinting of Stars of David, by yours truly, has been ordered. That flatterer, Gordon Sinclair of CFRB, likening the situation to Marty in the film industry, called it ‘““A sleeper in the writing field” ... Bert Wilkes is Toronto rep for the Niagara Melody Fair at Wurlitzer Park, North Tonawanda. OUR BUSINESS (Continued from Page 2) into our country. We need an allocation here too and_ it should be at least in proportion to film rentals which are being taken out. Perhaps we are being anticipatory or perhaps, based on past experience, we are apprehensive. Nevertheless, we shall look forward with hope to forthcoming events. HONOR ROUSE (Continued from Page 1) thanking those present at the dinner Rouse said: “It was the cooperation shown by each of you that made my job easier.’’ He congratulated Norman Reay of Montreal, named to fill his place at TCL. Fitzgibbons announced that any money over would go to Variety Village. Among those who spoke were N. A. Taylor, Twentieth Century Theatres; Tom Moran, Odeon Theatres; Ross Patterson, Patterson Chocolates; Fred Thompson, Thompson Sales; and Ken Wells, Theatre Confections Limited. WB's ‘The Left Handed Gun' Lita Milan will star opposite Paul Newman in WB’s The Left Handed Gun. AA's 'New Day At Sundown’ George Montgomery will star in Allied Artists’ Scott R. Dunlap production, New Day at Sundown, to be filmed in CinemaScope. CANADA CARRIES ON RELEASE presents MONTREAL Twenty-minute colour portrait of Canada’s largest city ... . charming . . . exciting . dignified. Things to do . to see ... to remember. . the whole year round. BOOK THIS ALL-CANADIAN NATIONAL FILM BOARD SERIES EVERY MONTH THROUGH COLUMBIA PICTURES