Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 17, 1948)

January 17th, 1948 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Page 3 RAY PRESENTS | | Ae we approach the Seventh Annual Meeting of the Canadian Picture Pioneers, at the King Edward Hotel, Thursday, January 22nd, with Business Sessions, election of Officers and Board, in the afternoon. sessions, and the gala banquet in the Crystal Ballroom at 6 30 p.m., our thoughts turn to George Stroud, one of our pioneers. ; George has said farewell to the theatre with which he was actively associated for a period of forty-six years. In November, the Hon. J. Earl Lawson, President of the Odeon Theatres of Canada Limited, announced the retirement of George Stroud, now on the superannuation list. George was the manager of the Palace, Hamilton, for twenty-six years. Mildred Dixon, assistant to George at the Palace, for the past six years, also retires. George Stroud voiced one keen regret, at his retirement; his disassociation actively with Earl Lawson, for whom he expressed great admiration and respect. Son of the late William Stroud, who, in 1901, purchased the Star Theatre, Hamilton, now the Savoy, George as a youngster, stepped into Show Business. During his Show Business activities, he presented Vaudeville, Burlesque, Stock, Road Shows and Motion Pictures, and always showed the Showman’s interest in these various departments of Show Business. During his theatre management, at the Savoy, at Bennett's Theatre, later called the Temple, at the Pantages, now called the Palace, George alway's tried to give his public the Entertainment which was popular. MONG the list of stars, who appeared at the Savoy, was John L. Sullivan. It is interesting to note, in our day of Iluman Relations and Socialization of Industries, a speech attributed to John L., on the stage of the Savoy, “Tf I had another million dollars to spend, would I spend it on wine, women and song? No, I would use it to place benches in every park of the country’. Today, we say houses and classify benches in the park with bumsleepers, if you know what I mean. It is reported that the applause which followed this speech of John L’s was so deafening that it cracked a mirror in the Bar of the Royal, near the Savoy. I would like to have a picture of John L. de livering that speech, and a record of the applause, not overlooking the cracked mirror in the Bar. I know John L. made, what fighters would call “real jack”, when he was the boxing champion. but I cannot recall any stories of his million being spent on “wine, women and song’. Even I, cannot include John L,. in my memoirs, but I would be willing to take a bet, that if he spent a million on “wine, women and song’, the “song expenditures” were @ minimum investment. However, it was a good speech and we all wish that John L. had used part of the million he spent, ona “higher wage program’, which would have left our generation free from so many “strikes” which appear to get ws further and further away from first base and a home run. Bob Fitzsimmons played at the Savoy, in a playlet. I remember Fitgstmmons’ vaudeville days; I played the Pantages circuit with Fitssimmons, and recall, that he travelled with a lion-cub, with which he boxed. I cannot remember the particular theatre where the stagehands played what they considered a joke. They told me to go down stairs, just prior to the time I was going on the stage, that there was a surprise for me. Believing in the goodness of all Mankind, from which faith I have not yet been cured, I walked down to the nethermost regions, to the dressing rooms, and nearly died of fright, when ihe playful lon, on the loose, came bounding towards me. It was not so much of a joke on me, as on the management of the theatre, because, I think they carried up the body, mine, and I did not go on that night. Since those years I have played with a few British and American Lions, not cubs, and they have not spoiled my Show. (CeeRee STROUD remained at the Star Theatre from 1901 to 1906, on which latter date, the Star Theatre was demolished and construction started on the Savoy, which was completed the same year and considered one of the finest Vaudeville theatres in Canada. Later, the same year, Bennett Theatre, in which the Hamilton Cataract Power, Light and ‘Traction Company was interested, was constructed at the rear of the Terminal Bldg. Vaudeville acts from the Keith-Albee circuit were booked at this theatre, and in 1908, this theatre became known as the Temple, with George Stroud as manager. Stroud presented Vaudeville, and then introduced a Stock company which presented plays there until 1914, when Stroud returned to the Savoy, introducing a Burlesque Show, among which stars were George Jessel and _ Kiddie Cantor. Burlesque ran at the Savoy during World War One, and the theatre became a centre for Boxing Bouts, on special nights, mainly for the entertainment of the boys in uniform. Bobby Eber was then climbing to boxing fame and appeared in many of the boxing bouts. The Burlesque policy finished in 1918, and Stroud introduced a stock company which stayed at the theatre until 1919, when the late N.L. Nathanson came into the picture with his all-Canadian theatre project. The Savoy was made into a first class theatre and remodelled, It was during this year that the present Palace Theatre was promoted as the Pantages, and, under this promotion of Messrs. Stroud and Nathanson, was locally financed. This theatre, and the Capitol, formerly Loew’s, are the property of Theatre Properties (Hamilton) Limited. HE, Pantages opened on Oct. 3rd, 1921, under the management of George Stroud, with Vaudeville and Silent Pictures; the Screen had not as yet found its voice, When pictures were becoming “the most popular entertainment in the world” and Vaudeville Acts becoming scarce and difficult, Pantages followed the picture policy almost exclusively, and changed its name to the Palace. Vaudeville Acts were previously booked from Shea’s, Toronto. In 1941, the Palace, Capitol and Savoy Theatres were leased to the Odeon Theatres of Canada. The policy of the Savoy has been a varied one. In the intervening years, stage shows, concert artists, have followed weeks of Action Pictures, and the Unusual in pictures, the management having a keen sense of the exploitation of pictures. The Capitol played a straight firstrun picture policy and the Palace played firstrun pictures, with the occasional stage-show presentation, George Stroud gave Hamilton much of its theatre entertainment, and the Strouds introduced into this city the first professional baseball team which played in the International League In addition to his theatre interests, Stroud has been interested in baseball, and in the Hamton Gun Club of which he is a life-member. (Continued on Page 14)