The Canadian Motion Picture Exhibitor (1940-41) emerged from the legal and editorial battles involving The Canadian Independent (1936-40) and the Canadian Moving Picture Digest (1917-57), and represented a significant new phase in Canadian film industry journalism. The first issue was published on December 1, 1940, in the wake of a high-profile libel lawsuit between editor Stella Falk and her Digest rival editor Ray Lewis. Like The Canadian Independent, it continued to act as an official publication of the Independent Theatres Association. After Stella Falk's departure in March 1941, it was briefly edited by R. Coper before Hye Bossin took over in June 1941, under the new ownership of Nat Taylor. No longer focused on fighting for the rights of independent exhibitors, the new editorial direction marked a shift towards a broader coverage of the film industry, including exhibition, distribution, and production, under a renamed Canadian Film Weekly (1942-70).

– Jessica Whitehead, March 2024