Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 20, 1944)

JAMES WHITHAM fall, James Whitham, then @ man in his 50’s, decided to abandon his trade as a cotton mill loom fixer and start in an entirely strange field—and the result has been the growth of a great motion picture enterprise which now plays an important part in the amusement life of Cornwall. The decision which made Mr. Whitman throw over 43 years’ experience in the cotton business in favor of an enterprise which was in its infancy, has been characteristic of his actions ever since. His faith in the great future of motion pictures has never deserted him, and as one change after another swept through the industry he persistently kept in step with the advances. The great strides the Palace Amusement Company has made in the past is proof enough of the wisdom of his policy. First Theatre Seated 95 It is a far cry from the old Starland Theatre, in which Mr. Whitham started business in 1909, to the present Capitol and Palace theatres. The little movie house which he purchased from the firm of Douglas and Tilton had a seating capacity of 95. Now the Cornwall theatres seat more than 2,000 persons. The little Starland, situated next to the New Windsor Hotel, proved inadequate almost at once. Within two weeks of his purchase of the Starland, Mr. Whitham was planing to move into a larger site in a Pitt street building on the present site of Loblaw’s Groceterla. There the Crystal Palace opened, with a seating capacity of 110 seats and a brand new front. The Crystal Palace ran in competition with the Wonderland Theatre, which had been in operation about two years. It [st semes 3 years ago this Hlashbacks Each city, town and hamlet has its own movie history and its own pioneers. In Cornwall, Ontario, James Witham is mainly responsible for the popularity of the movies. This story of James Witham and his times is reprinted from the Standard-Freeholder, Cornwall, Ontario. was run by Alex. McDonald. The little theatres vied with each other in attracting the theatregoing public, and between them brought Cornwall the best that was going then in the movie line. Griffith’s One-Reelers Griffith’s one-real melodramas were the highlights of the film industry in the early 1900’s. The theatre ran three of them at a time, and to keep the public satisfied changed one or two of them each day. As an added attraction there was community Singing, with illustrated slides and singing leader. In the early days of the Crystal Palace Bobbie Douglas was the singing leader, with Hugh Kippen as pianist. The admission charge in those days was five and 10 cents, depending on the length of the entertainment. The Crystal Palace continued in the same location for 15 months, until the Yates block was rebuilt after the Rossmore Hotel fire. Mr. Whitham took space in the building and a new theatre was built there. It was opened in December, 1910, with a seating capacity of 340. It featured “opera chairs,’ a real seliing point after the kitchen chairs that had been used in the first Crystal Palace. “Big Four’ Orchestra The new Crystal Palace blossomed forth with a full-fledged orchestra to replace the pianist of earlier times. The orchestra was called the “Big Four,” and was composed of Hugh Kippen, at the piano; Fred Airey, trombone; Earl Boscoe, drummer, and A. J. Boulay, violinist and director. The “Big Four” was featured at Crystal Palace twice a week. They played at dances as well, and one night in the week played free of charge at the theatre as a rehearsal. They got $1 a man for the second weekly appearance. There were usually two shows in the afternoon and four at night, and all-day shows on Saturday. The Wonderland and The Crystal Palace were still vying with one another for the amusement trade, and to attract the customers occasionally ran vaudeville. But that proved much too expensive for the struggling theatres and they gave it up after several trials. Three-reelers were becoming fairly common by the time Mr. Whitham sold the Crystal Palace in 1919. It was in the latter years of his stay there that he ran the picture “Cinderella,” hailed as one of the wonders of the day. It was advertised as the picture which took eight weeks to make, and cost the “‘terrific’” sum of $20,000. Fred Stanford Sang For several years the singer at the Crystal Palace was Fred Stanford, who got the job because of his fine baritone voice. At that time the singer usually doubled in other jobs, among which was the lettering of the literature to advertise the show. The infant motion picture companies had not yet thought of elaborate publicity bureaus, and it was left to each theatre owner to arrange his own advertising. By 1919 the Crystal Palace had installed electrically-operated projection machines and the days of hand cranking were over. Another forward step taken about this time was the installation of two projection machines, so the reels could be switched on in quick succession without a delay while the reel was changed, Palace Theatre Built Mr. Whitham sold the Crystal Palace in 1919 to Nelson Charlebois and Arthur St. Amand, but already had started the construction of the Palace Theatre on its present location. It had a seating capacity of 820, and had the latest in theatre equipment. For some time there were three theatres operating in Cornwall; the Palace, the Crystal and the Wonderland. There was not enough trade for the three and the Crystal Palace went out of business first. The Wonderland continued in opposition until 1923, when Mr. Whitham took it over from the McDonald estate. It had a seating capacity of 440, and ran three days a week for about four years. Vaudeville acts were back in favor in the mid-Twenties, and the Palace had them regularly. Tabloid shows were great favorites, and one of them, headed by Masha Pipick, ran for 26 solid weeks here. Capitol Erected The Wonderland was sold about 1927 to Walker Stores, and left — the city with only one theatre. The opening of Courtaulds Rayon Mill proved the need of another, and in 1927 the property of Dr. A. A. Smith on Second street was purchased as the site. ~~ At the time of the opening of the Palace theatre, the Palace Amusement Company was formed. It was headed by Mr. Whitham, with Clarene G. Markell, as secretary-treasurer. The board of directors was composed by Mr. Whitham and Mr. Markell; Ben Whitham, of Toronto; F. D. MeLennan and G, D. Atkinson. An old stone house on the Smith property, nearly 100 years old, was razed and the construction of the new theatre begun. The building was planned along the most modern lines of motion picture houses and incorporated several features rare in Canada at that time. The total cost of the building and equipment was about $250,000. It was one of the first theatres in Canada to have a dimmer arrangement for the auditorium lights, controlled from a single switch. Talking Pictures The Cornwall theatres were to the forefront when talking pictures hit the amusement world. The Capitol was the ninth or tenth theatre in Canada to have sound equipment, and was ,equipped with the best equipment that could be bought. At its opening the Capitol Theatre seated 1,321 persons, but later changes reduced the capacity to 1,224. The opening of the Capitol and and installation marked two great stages in the growth of the Whitham enterprise, but there is another to be written. Plans have been completed for a new “Uptown” theatre, planned as a de luxe movie house which will show the finest of pictures. Construction will be started as soon as it is felt conditions warrant. James Whitham was born in Haywood, East Lancashire, England, in 1858. ‘He started to work in a cotton mill near his home at the age of eight, and came to this country in 1833 to continue his trade in Canada. He lived in Valleyfield four years, then came to Cornwall in 1887. It is Mr. Whitham’s boast that in 43 years’ service in cotton mills he was never out of a job. Mr. Whitham was married at Burnley, Lancashire, to Miss Naomi Forties, in 1882, a year before he came to Canada. Mrs. Whitham died in 1925. His family consists of Mrs. C, G, Markell, Cornwall; A. Victor Whitham, assistant manager of the Palace Theatre; Mrs, Stanley Williams, of Cornwall; and George Whitham, Sarnia, al