Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 19, 1957)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Jun 19, 1957
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 19, 1957)
Leaf #:
0000
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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a [LAASY Vol. 22, No. 25 ‘ONE OF M Paras Big Play For TV Income Production of motion pictures for theatrical distribution will continue to be the principal source of revenue for Paramount, although its future business is expected to consist of servicing three types of customers: (1) theatre operators, (2) sponsored television and (3) (Continued on Page 3) WOMPI Banquet Bright Occasion The 1957-58 board of the Toronto Club of the Women of the Motion Picture Industry (WOMPI), led by Lois Skinner of Paramount Film Service, was installed last week with an impressive ceremony, Cconducted by the outgoing president, Gladys Rawnsley of United Artists. (Continued on Page 7) VOICE of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY Incorporating the CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST (Founded 1915) THAT'S WHAT JOHNSTON SAID ABOUT CANADA TO MPAA “The Canadian market has for the past several years been one of the most important markets in the world for American films outside the U.S.,” Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, stated in his annual report. Sovereign To Handle Disney TV Shows Sovereign Film Distributors, Emp-U subsidiary, is now Canadian representative for the Walt Disney TV programs, it was announced last week by Roy Disney, president of Walt Disney Productions, and Alex Metcalfe, Sovereign’s general manager. Growth of the TY industry in Canada has caused the need of direct contact with sponsors. The agreement is for the Mickey Mouse Club show in English and French versions and the new 30-minute series about colonial California, Zorro, which reaches home screens in October. Also included are the English and French versions of the hour-long Disneyland program, which has been televised over the Canadian network since its inception in October, 1954. Details of the agreement were completed during the visit to Toronto of Don Tatum, TV executive from the Disney studios, and James VY. O’Gara, Disney’s Eastern and Canadian sales manager. Torchy Coatsworth, aide to Metcalfe, sat in on the discussions. Canadian Film Awards To Tash, Lew Parry People, not films, occupied the spotlight at the presentations of the ninth annual Canadian Film Awards, made at the luncheon. of the Association of Motion Picture Producers and -Laboratories of Canada which divided its meeting in the King Edward Hotel, Toronto, last week. Film competition was suspended for 1956 and awards limited to “distinguished contributions to Canadian film-making.’’ Certificates were given to individuals and organizations for significant contributions and whese current projects raise standards of production. Leonard W. Brockington, QC, CMG, presented the awards following the reading of the citations by (Continued on Page 3) Theatre Under Construction Napoleon Molley has started work on his Rex Theatre in Beaudry, Quebec. It will be the first in the community. ATA DIRECTORS RE DISTRIBS REQUEST FOR SIX-YR. AUDIT Alberta Theatres Association: September Start For First Mayer Picture Paint Your Wagon will be the first film to be produced by L. B. Mayer Enterprises, Inc., in which Louis B. Mayer and Jack Cummings are partners. The $2,000,000 production, which is scheduled to go. before the cameras September 15, will have a script by John Lee Mahin and William Ludwig, associates in the company. New songs for the film have been written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. No director has been set as yet. The company will concentrate on one film at a time. Request for audit of exhibitors’ books covering the past six yeors, made by Canadien distributors, drew this from the "No mention is made of flat buys and it is our opinion that if an exhibitor is subjected to on audit it should include: all boxoffice receipts whether flat “Though there has been some decline in the gross boxoffice in the last three years due to the inroads of TV, Canadian film patrons are still spending nearly $90,000,000 a year at the boxoffice.” His acknowledgment of Canada’s importance to Hollywood was contained in the section about the nine-year-old Canadian Co-operation Project, described as designed “to bring to the attention of film patrons in the U.S. and throughout the world, through short subjects, newsreels and feature pictures, information on Canada, our staunch friend and northern neighbor.” (Continued on Page 4) Vs Toronto, June 19, 1957 OST IMPORTANT MARKETS’ Phil Maurice PQ Pioneers Prexy One of Quebec’s most popular showmen, Phil Maurice, was doubly honored at the recent annual meeting of the Quebec Division of the Canadian Picture Pioneers. The veteran executive of Consolidated Theatres was not only elected president but was also (Continued on Page 4) ATA's Meeting Date Annual meeting of the Alberta Theatres Association will take place in the Palliser Hotel, Calgary on August 18-19. Three-man committee made up of Frank Kershaw, Mark Jenkins and Roy Chown will look after business and entertainment arrangements. P® Pioneers’ President and Guests at Annual Dinner The newly-elected president of the Quebec branch of the Canadian Picture Pioneers and its Pioneer of the Year, Phil Mauricw, is shown here with the guest of honor at the annual dinner, Jean Beliveau of the Canadiens, and the guest speaker, Walter O’Hearn of The Montreal Star. Sener ier weenewennmacn niente : > or percentage because many times an exhibitor loses money on high flat rentals and receives no rebates.” The ATA directors, after a recent meeting in Calgary, said: “We believe the time has come for a test case.” The audit is being carried on in the United Stotes and Canada, which is the domestic market. Rl Doge ee