What's New? (Sep 1966)

JOSEPH LAWRENCE PILON Lawrence (Larry) Pilon, B.A., LL.B., has been appointed to the Head Office staff of Famous Players. Mr. Pilon is a lawyer and during the past few years has been associated with the Company’ssolicitors,Robertson,Lane, Perrett, Frankish and Estey. Mr. Pilon will work under R. W. Bolstad and Angus MacCunn. PIONEER REGINA EXHIBITOR JOHN ‘JACK’ WATSON DIES One of the last of the pioneer theatre managers in western Canada, John “Jack” Duncan Watson, died here. He had been in business longer in Regina than any other exhibitor and probably also held the continuous-exhibition record for the entire province. He was owner-manager of the Queen City Drive-In, an affiliate of Famous Players Canadian Corp. Born in Edinburgh, Watson became an orphan at an early age. He was brought to Canada by his aunt, who settled in Regina in 1906. Watson entered exhibition in 1909, taking over the Lux Theatre with Hugh Gordon and Bill Dalgleish (father of Earle and Gordy), as partners. A projectionist, he left the Lux in 1912 to work for Allen Theatres, then building the Rex. While he was with that circuit, it built the Allen (later the Metropolitan) and the Rose. In 1926, he and W. W. Armstrong bought the Rex Theatre Building; nine years later Watson became the sole owner by purchasing Armstrong’s interest. When fire destroyed the Rex Sept. 15, 1938, Watson rebuilt the theatre, reopening it in 1939 as the most modern house in Saskatchewan. In 1942 he became an associate of Famous Players, with that circuit Participating as manager in the acquisition of the Grand in 1948 and the Queen City Drive-In in 1950, . Active in the community life of Regina, he was a member of the Kiwanis, Executive and Assiniboia clubs and the chamber of commerce. Show business affiliations included a directorship of the Saskatchewan Motion Picture Exhibitors Ass'n, for which he also filled the posts of secretary and vice-president. He also was a life member of the Canadian Motion Picture Pioneers. PASSING OF JULES S. WOLFE MOURNED BY THE INDUSTRY Since the last quarterly issue of ‘‘What’s New” we regretfully report the untimely death of Jules Wolfe, our long-time and efficient manager of Famous Players’ Maintenance, Purchasing and Construction Department. Jules Wolfe began his theatrical career in 1915 when he was manager and head usher of the King theatre in Toronto at $1.50 weekly. He graduated from Harbord Collegiate and attended the University of Toronto where he took a Heating Engineer’s course intending to join his father’s engineering firm. His first taste of show business lured him back to the theatre, however, and in 1925 went with B. & F. Theatres at the Mavety theatre before they joined Famous Players. After managing the Christie theatre he became, in 1930, supervisor for B. & F. Theatres and also handled purchasing, construction and maintenance. In 1940 he joined Famous Players as head of the purchasing, construction and maintenance department and reorganized it along the lines of the construction department of Interstate theatres in Texas. He was a member of the Variety Club of Ontario and was the one entrusted with expediting and promoting its charity project, Variety Village for handicapped boys. It was his efforts that kept the costs down in the original construction and contributed greatly to its maintenance and upkeep through his sales of program advertisements and tickets. He was involved in the design and decor of the original Variety clubrooms in the Prince George Hotel. Mr. Wolfe was also a member of the Canadian Picture Pioneers and Famous Players’ 25 Year Club. Surviving are his wife, Zelda, and a son, Harold, a lawyer. Jules was 63.