Garneau Theatre facts for kids
The east face and main entrance of the theatre in 2009.
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| Location | 8712 109 Street NW Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 1E9 |
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| Coordinates | 53°31′23″N 113°30′45″W / 53.52306°N 113.51250°W |
| Designation | Municipal Historic Resource |
| Capacity | 527 |
| Construction | |
| Years active | 1940–1990; 1991–present |
| Architect | William Blakey |
The Garneau Theatre is a cool, old movie theatre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It's located on 109 Street and has a long history. The theatre first opened its doors in 1940.
It started as an independent theatre, meaning it wasn't part of a big chain. But in 1941, it joined with a larger company called Famous Players. The Garneau Theatre closed for a short time in 1990. It then reopened in December 1991 under new owners, Magic Lantern Theatres. They even restored it in 1996.
Magic Lantern Theatres ran the Garneau until June 2011. After that, Metro Cinema took over in July 2011. They officially reopened the theatre in September 2011. The Garneau Theatre is a special building because it was named a Municipal Historic Resource on October 28, 2009. This means it's an important part of Edmonton's history.
The theatre was designed by a well-known Edmonton architect, William Blakey, and built in 1940. It's the only theatre left in Alberta from that time that shows the "early modernist" style.
Contents
The Garneau Theatre: A Look Back
How the Garneau Theatre Started
The story of the Garneau Theatre begins with a man named Bill Wilson. His father, Walter Wilson, was a movie theatre manager in Winnipeg. Bill worked as an usher for his dad when he was younger. Later, Bill became an engineer for the government.
In 1938, Bill lost his engineering job. Even though he had promised his wife he wouldn't work in movies again, he started raising money for new theatres. His company, Suburban Theatres, opened its first theatre, the Roxy, in 1938. The Garneau Theatre was his second project. It opened on Thursday, October 24, 1940.
When it first opened, people described the Garneau as "spacious, attractively designed and modern." The ticket booth was made of shiny black glass. The lobby had red tiles. The foyer had special furniture that was made for King George VI's visit in 1939. Ushers wore cool red jackets and blue pants. They even offered a free coat check!
The theatre had special projectors that made the picture very bright. It had 780 seats, including some "two's company" seats. These were red leather seats without armrests, perfect for couples or friends. The theatre was also designed for live shows. It had a big stage and dressing rooms. Instead of an expensive balcony, the architect, William Blakey, added a "climbing mezzanine." This was like a raised terrace for more seating.
Famous Players Takes Over
In 1941, the Garneau Theatre was leased to Famous Players. This meant the theatre would always get the newest and most popular movies. Bill Wilson continued to manage the theatre for many years.
In 1960, Famous Players updated the theatre. They put in larger seats, which meant the theatre could hold fewer people, about 630. Bill Wilson retired as manager in 1971. But he still owned the theatre through his company, Suburban Theatre Group. He even kept an office in the Garneau's basement. Bill Wilson passed away in 1985.
Famous Players kept running the theatre until late 1990. They decided not to renew their lease. By then, the Garneau had a reputation for showing older, less exciting films. Bigger, newer theatres with many screens, called multiplexes, were becoming more popular.
Magic Lantern Theatres and New Challenges
In December 1991, Magic Lantern Theatres leased the Garneau. They reopened it as a discount theatre, especially for university students. But the theatre faced challenges. In 1992, a developer wanted to change the theatre into a bar and playhouse. This plan included dancing, indoor basketball, and billiards.
To save the theatre, the president of Magic Lantern, Tom Hutchinson, found investors. They bought the theatre to keep it as a place for movies. The Garneau stayed open as a discount theatre until 1996. Then, it was renovated again and started showing new, popular films. More large seats were installed, reducing the capacity to 527.
In 2001, the theatre was threatened again. The University of Alberta thought about buying the land where the theatre stood. But this plan failed because the community didn't want it to happen, and it would have been too expensive.
A local developer, John Day, bought the Garneau in 2007. He promised that "The theatre is not going anywhere." In 2009, there were plans to add a second floor of businesses to the theatre. But these plans were stopped because of strong community opposition. The City of Edmonton then agreed to pay money to help restore the building to how it looked in 1940. The city officially named the theatre a Municipal Historic Resource in 2009.
Magic Lantern Theatres stopped running the Garneau in June 2011. They said it was because the rent went up.
Metro Cinema Society Takes Over
Edmonton's non-profit Metro Cinema Society took over the Garneau Theatre on July 1, 2011. The theatre was closed for over two months for important maintenance. People even joked that the carpets were cleaned "for the first time in speculation."
Metro officially reopened the Garneau on September 16, 2011. They promised to show new films every day and host special movie festivals. Some events held at the Garneau every year include the Northwestfest documentary film festival and the Rainbow Visions Film Festival for LGBTQ films.
Garneau Theatre's Architecture
William George Blakey was the architect who designed the Garneau Theatre in the late 1930s. He also designed other important buildings in Edmonton, like Christ Church and the Roxy Theatre. The Garneau is the last modernist theatre in Alberta that is still used for showing movies.
Blakey's design saved money by using a raised terrace instead of a full balcony. The lobby looked very modern with curved walls and simple light fixtures. The theatre itself had bold colors. It had hidden neon lights, dark blue walls, blue chairs, red "love seats," and gold accents around the stage.
Over the years, the Garneau Theatre has collected light fixtures from other old theatres. Today, it has lights from Edmonton's original Varscona Theatre, Innisfail's Royal Theatre, Melfort Saskatchewan's Grand Theatre, and Coeur d'Alene Idaho's Wilma Theatre.
Images for kids
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The Garneau in 2011
