"West Shadow" and "West Shadow Novel" are two magazines published by the same magazine. Founded in Shanghai in 1948 at 622-624 Fuzhou Road, the magazine was founded in Shanghai and soon moved to Room 117, Riverside Building, 400 North Suzhou Road.
Founded on November 7, 1948, Western Film magazine mainly introduces Western films, especially American films, including movie guides, actors' news, silver sea anecdotes and film reviews. The second issue was published on December 8, when the publishing house had moved to the Riverside Building.
▲The inaugural issue of "West Shadow" magazine (provided by Fan Dongwei)
▲The second issue of "West Shadow" magazine (provided by Fan Dongwei)
"Western Film" magazine adheres to the artistic tenet of both elegance and vulgarity, and has published articles with unique perspectives and popular people, such as "Western Film Stars in the Eyes of Chinese Movie Stars", "Hollywood Thirty Years of Nostalgia", "How Western Film Stars Spend Christmas", "Hollywood Movie Stars' Strike Tide", etc., and has also invited popular stars to help the magazine, such as publishing an interview with movie star Bai Guang "Western Film Stars in the Eyes of White Light", inviting Huang Zongying to write "Talking about Hollywood Movies", and inviting Sally to write "A Little Thing I Got from Western Films". As stated in the afterword to the third issue: "The expression of art is 'beauty', what we seek from art is 'appreciation', and the film itself is a work of art for appreciation, so we believe that Western Film Magazine, as a by-product of film, should also be a kind of art based on the premise of appreciation." But born at the wrong time, in the late 1948 and early 1949 era of the torrent, this small magazine that caters to the needs of film fans and readers, is really difficult to continue, after the publication of the seventh issue on April 20, 1949, "Western Film" magazine has no choice but to stop publication.
▲The fourth issue of "Western Film" contains "On Hollywood Movies" written by Huang Zongying
Since the fourth issue, "Western Film" magazine has set up a column called "Western Film Novels", translating the plots of famous films, and has successively published two film novels, "The City That Never Sleeps" by Universal International and "Love Horror" by Warner Pictures, which have been well received by readers. Many readers wrote to reflect that they were still unsatisfied with reading one article a month, and suggested whether they could publish a single book, which would be more enjoyable to read. In order to meet the ardent expectations of readers, Western Film Publishing House has decided to publish the semi-monthly magazine "Western Film Novel", which is planned to be published on the 1st and 16th of each month. The first issue was published on April 1, 1949. The editor said in the "Whispers in front of the volume": "The Western Shadow Novel is finally published! We are relieved, excited and happy. The magazine compiles the Western films that will be released in Shanghai into the form of drama novels, with the aim of giving readers a general idea of the plot and a sneak peek before entering the cinema. The inaugural issue of "Western Film Novels" published six film novels, including "Hamlet" (also known as "The Prince's Revenge"), which won the Best Picture at the 21st Academy Awards that year, as well as "Robin Hood", "The Beginning of Love", "Escape from Prison", "Morning Clouds and Twilight Rain", "Soul Bells", and the text is also accompanied by a credits and many stills, which can be regarded as spoilers. Limited by the times, this "Western Film Novel" magazine is only this issue, which is really short-lived and has become a swan song.
▲The first issue of "Western Shadow Novel".
The two magazines "West Shadow" and "West Shadow Novel" have been brewing, editing, and publishing in the Riverside Building for the purpose of disseminating film culture, which can be said to be a film culture relationship on the eve of the liberation of Shanghai. The small magazine has left a deep imprint of witnessing social revolution and cultural changes.
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Article source: Falling in Love with the North Bund series "Riverside Building", edited by Xiong Yuezhi, with deletions.
Author: Peng Xiaoliang
Narrator: Xiao Xi
Source: Shanghai Hongkou