The Andre Theatre 1937 - 1939

Part One.

     The Andre Theatre. 

  

Wednesday, September 1, 1937.  Ernest " Ernie" Anderson submits blue prints for a new building on Caithness Street East, with plans for it to be a new movie theater. 

It appears to be definitely settled that we will have a picture show in Caledonia.  Mr. Ernie Anderson has had plans approved by the Government and expects blue prints back by Friday to be presented to the Town Council for final decision. 

Wednesday, December 8, 1937

The theatre was constructed in 2 months.  Though the interior decorations are not fully complete, and the heating system isn't working yet, and they still don't have a name for it.  The theatre is committed to opening in 5 days; announcing in the Sachem:  

..all the necessary equipment has been installed to present to patrons a fine schedule of pictures for which contract has been signed. The seating capacity of the building is 224. The sound machine is of the very latest type, with Mr. Roy Steves, experienced projectionist, in charge of the projection" room. Pictures will be changed twice weekly, with two showings each night. Theatre will open every night at 7 p.m. with pictures starting at 7.30, and for Saturday matinees will open at 2 o'clock and start at 2.30. On opening night patrons will have the opportunity of naming the theatre from names which have been chosen from those submitted in the contest.

Monday, December 13, 1937.   Grand opening.

All 244 seats were filled to see the biggest film of the year, A Star is Born (1937) starring Janet Gaynor (in her only Technicolor film) as an aspiring Hollywood actress, and Fredric March (in his Technicolor debut) as a fading movie star who helps launch her career. The projectionist was Roy Steve, Joe Spizak was his assistant. Ushering you to your seat that night were Miss Florence Anderson (22) daughter of the owners, and Bob Ashbaugh. A ticket cost .25 cents for adults, .15 for children.

Before the show started, the owner, Mr. Ernie Anderson (48) with his wife Mrs. Lula Anderson (32) the manager, had asked the audience for name ideas for the theater. By round of applause, the audience voted for Andre.

 Why Andre?  A possible reason for the name Andre was because in 1937 André Bessette, know as  Brother André (1845-1937), renowned as the "Miracle Man of Montreal" had died that year in January. There were thousands of reported miraculous healings attributed to his prayers. After he died, over a million people walked past his casket.  He was canonized as a Saint in 2010.

  

Monday, December 13, 1937. Grand River Sachem reported:

Miss Clenice McQueen won a 3 month pass for the winning idea.

                                      

The lights went down, and the first film they played was the Popeye cartoon  "I never changes my altitude" (1937) Popeyes 50th cartoon. 

Wednesday, December 15, 1937. The Grand River Sachem reported:

..the acoustic properties are excellent, and the sound reception clear throughout the building. The slanting floor and elevated screen gives everyone in the theatre a splendid view of the picture. The seats are well spaced and comfortable. In fact it has all the requirements to present the most up-to-date pictures which the schedule planned for the coming months includes. The presentation on Monday evening-A Star is Born-was in technicolor and appealed to all in its beauty. This picture will again be presented Tuesday and Wednesday nights this week, with the Popeye cartoon. The management assures us that the heating system will be much improved commencing to-night, as on Monday night it was incomplete, and they hope to make.it comfortable for all attending.

Despite the cold, everyone had a wonderful time at the Andre, and the Andre instantly became a social hub of the community.

That weekend, The Andre hosted a Christmas matinee for local children.

Wednesday, December 22, 1937. Grand River Sachem Local and Personal column observed:

Mr. Ernie Anderson of the Andre Theatre had his hands full on Saturday morning entertaining the children-two and three to a seat. Thanks a lot.

They also reported 

The new circulating hot air furnace was installed in the Andre Theatre on Monday this week and the management guarantees comfort for all their patrons.

In a separate article, same issue. The Grand River Sachem reported 500 children went to see Santa at the big Christmas tree downtown after spending the morning at the Andre Theatre.  

December 25, 1937.  The Andre Theatre advertised a double feature and a Christmas Day matinee.

1938

Wednesday, January 5, 1938 - The Andre starts the year with Speed to Spare (1937) directed by Lambert Hillyer, who would go on to direct the first Batman serials.  Hold 'Em Navy (1937)  Accompanied with The Mickey Mouse Cartoon short "Hawaiian Holiday" (1937) Directed by Ben Sharpsteen, who would go on to direct Disney classics like Snow White, Pinocchio and Dumbo.  This is one of only two theatrically-released cartoons to feature Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto all in the same film.  Walt Disney himself was the voice of Mickey Mouse from 1928 -1947. 

Lost Horizon ( 1937) Directed by Frank Capra. Starring Ronald Colman and Jayne Wyatt. According to a 1986 Variety interview with Frank Capra Jr., his father had wanted to shoot the film in colour, but because the only suitable stock footage he intended to incorporate into the film, such as scenes from a documentary about the Himalayas, was in black and white, he was forced to change his plans. 
(It was said to be J. D. Salinger's favourite film.)  

Accompanied with the short "Scrappys camera troubles" (1936)

January 12, 1938  The Regent shows the first episode of the Newsreel series The March of Time (1935 -1951) and Life of the Party (1937) featuring a 14 year old Ann Miller.  

Betty Boop makes her debut in Caledonia with New Deal Shop (1937). The title refers to the New Deal which were a series of economic programs enacted by the federal government under President Franklin D. Roosevelt starting in 1933 in response to the unemployment caused by the Great Depression.

January 26, 1938 A fascinating double feature.  

Criminals in the Air (1937): This film marked "Rita Hayworth's first onscreen credit; the actress, born Margarita Carmen Cansino, had previously used the stage name "Rita Cansino" or was uncredited in her prior 17 film appearances.  This Way Please (1937), Betty Grable's first motion picture under contract with Paramount Studios.

 Artists and Models (1937): Starring Jack Benny and Ida Lupino. Directed by Raoul Walsh, who had begun his career as an actor.  He played John Wilkes Booth in D.W. Griffiths Birth of a Nation.  He would later go on to direct James Cagney in 4 movies; including 2 of his most career defining films The Roaring Twenties and White Heat.  The musical number with Martha Raye and Louis Armstrong was Vincente Minnelli's first film assignment.  Vincent Minnelli would go on to direct some of the greatest musicals of all time, including  Meet me in St. Louis (1944 ) with Judy Garland.  Judy Garland said of the film " I never looked better in my life, and I never felt more like a woman". The two would later marry.  Their first child was a girl, they named her Liza Minnelli.  

Rita Hayworth

 Betty Grable

Raoul Walsh

February 1938 The Andre plays the Disney short The Old Mill (1937). This was the last Disney short film to be made before the released of Walt Disney's first feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). It was the first use of Disney's multiplane camera. The film also incorporates realistic depictions of animal behavior, complex lighting and colour effects, depictions of wind, rain, lightning, ripples, splashes and reflections, three-dimensional rotation of detailed objects, and the use of timing to produce specific dramatic and emotional effects. All of the lessons learned from making The Old Mill would subsequently be incorporated into Disney's feature-length animated films, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), which was released a month later, as well as Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Bambi (1942).

February 14, 1938  For Valentines day at the Regent, Cary Grant charms the pants off of Caledonia, makes a career defining performance in The Awful Truth. (1937). It was to be the first of 3 films co-starring Grant and Irene Dunne, followed by My Favorite Wife (1940) and Penny Serenade (1941).

The short that week was The 3-Stooges in Dizzy Doctors (1937).

February 16, 1938  The Regent plays the final film of the popular comedy duo Wheeler and Woolsey  

 "High Flyers" (1937) Co-Starring Lupe Velez. 

February 23, 1938  Rita Hayworth returns to The Regent in the Hockey Film "The Game that Kills" ( 1937)

March 16, 1938.  One of the greatest actors to have ever lived, Barbara Stanwyck has finally arrived.   The first Barbara Stanwyck film shown in Caledonia is Stella Dallas (1937).

March 30  Stage Door (1937) Starring Katherine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers and Ann Miller.  

Randal Malone, great friend of Ann Miller, described how Ginger Rogers gave Ann her career break with Stage Door:

"it all started with Ginger Rogers. When she went in for that audition, director Greg La Cava thought she was great but too tall to dance with Ginger Rogers. And right when that comment was made, Ginger was walking in Greg's office. After hearing this, Ginger said, "Well, I like how she looks. Can you stand a minute, string bean?" Ann Miller stood up and said, "Ms. Rogers, if I wore flat shoes with a shorter hat and you wore heels, don't you think it would balance out?" Ginger said, "I think you're right! You got the job string bean."

                                                       

April 5, 1938.  The Regent plays its first John Wayne film  Born to the West (1938).

Wednesday, May 4, 1938.  The new Boy Scout headquarters is now in the building beside The Andre. 

The Boy Scouts now regularly meet at the railway station, then march from the railways station down to their new club house beside The Andre.  The top Scouts with the most Scout points would also get tickets to the Andre each week.   

June 15, 1938.  The Andre returned with a new Bulletin, which now advertised air conditioning and a new double-feature every Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

July 13, 1938.  The Andre does not advertise with their usual bulletin for all of July & August.  Instead, they advertise in the Local and Personal Section of  The Sachem.  They begin advertising 2 weeks ahead that they will be showing Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) on July 21, 22 and 23. 

Snow White was a landmark release in the early animation industry, and it is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, credited with ushering in the golden age of animation.

Wednesday, July 27, 1938.  The Sachem mentions a lucky young girl took all her friends to the Andre Theatre for her 9th birthday party to see Snow White. 

"Miss Marjorie Histed entertained a number of her friends on Friday last in the celebration of her 9th birthday.  During the afternoon a happy time was spent in playing all sorts of games, and after refreshments were served, all enjoyed a theatre party in the evening at the Andre Theatre - the picture being "Snow white and the Seven Dwarfs" 

August 1938.  The Andre advertise in the Local and Personal that they will be showing 
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) The first colour version.

November 2, 1938.  The Sachem reports on the new improvements to the Andre Theatre. The addition of thirty more seats, raising the theatres capacity to 274.  The exterior was stuccoed and lights added to the entrance.   

Mr. E. Anderson, manager of the Andre Theatre at Caledonia, has further enlarged the original seating capacity of the fine theatre building by thirty more seats. This was accomplished by building on a section for an office and using the original office space for seats. In the rear of the office a refreshment stand has been included in the alterations. The exterior of the building has been stuccoed and Mr. Anderson plans further improvements. The brightly lighted entrance is an added attraction to that section of Caithness Street. A fine selection of pictures is being shown-many of our citizens were attracted by the picture "Blockade" shown the latter part of last week.

November The Andre returns with their bulletin adverts, with the Carefree (1938) starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Featuring their first, and longest on screen kiss.

  

December 19, 1939.  The Andre plays Hedy LaMarr's first American film, Algiers (1939), directed by
John Cromwell. Starring Charles Boyer, Hedy LaMarr & Sigrid Gurie.  This film not only gave us Hedy LaMarr, it also was the inspiration to 2 other great works.  This film was the direct inspiration for Casablanca (1942).  Charles Boyers character Pepe le Moko was the inspiration for the cartoon character "Pepe Le Pew" introduced in 1945. 

Wednesday, December 14, 1938.   The Andre hosts a Christmas party for the children of Caledonia on December 17th.  The Boy Scouts, as always made themselves available to help look after the children.  The contest was to guess how many children are in the theatre that day.  Every child who entered the theatre was given a blank piece of paper and asked to put your name and your guess on a piece of paper.  The papers needed to be in the box under the Christmas tree downtown by 4 pm.  The prize was  a basket of oranges, candy, nuts & canned goods that had been on display all week in the window of Carrols, a local grocery store.  The winners name would then be announced at 5 pm and be on display at Bruce French's hardware store on the corner of Argyle & Caithness for all to see. 

The following week, the Sachem promised to publish all of their names in the next issue as a favour to Santa.  

In total, 307 children showed up that day.  The films shown were "Mickeys Medicine Man" (1934) which was a two-reel short starring a 13 year old Mickey Rooney.  "Three Dumb Clucks"(1937) starring The 3 Stooges, Halfway to Hollywood (1938) starring Tom Kennedy.  Glee Worms (1937),      which were coloured cartoons, Scrappys band concert (1937), Highway Snobbery (1936), a Krazy Kat cartoon.  News highlight reels Thrilling Moments (1938) and Ice Cut-ups (1936) ( Hockey Fights).

The winners of the contest were Nora Norsworthy of Glanford, and Russell "Rusty" Young of Caledonia.  They split the basket.  After the Andre, the children all made their way downtown, guided by the Boy Scouts and the Chief of police, to the Christmas tree.  While everyone waited for Santa to arrive, the crowd was entertained by local schoolchildren singing Christmas carols.  Santa arrived at 3 pm on an actual sleigh pulled by a grey horse.  

The Andre was closed Christmas day.

The new years Features were Little tough guy (1938)  and Stranger from Arizona (1938) 

1939

 

The Andre starts the year with The Count of Monte Cristo (1934).  This is the 1938 rerelease version. 

February 1, 1939.  The Andre plays its first age restricted film Damaged Goods (1937) based on a 1901 French play about a man who contracts Syphilis the night before his wedding.   The advert came with a statement of approval to The people of Caledonia, from K.C. W. Dean, MD. Medical Officer of health.   

March 1, 1939.   The Andre plays another interesting double feature, Blondie (1939). The first of 28 Blondie films. Starring Penny Singleton, who would go on to be the voice of Jane Jetson.  Ride a Crooked Mile. (1939), starring Francis Farmer, opposite her husband, Leif Erikson.  This was Francis Farmers first return to films after leaving Hollywood to do summer stock theater on the East Coast, performing for a year in the play Golden Boy, in Westchester, New York, and Westport, Connecticut.  

  

Wednesday, March 8, 1939.  The Andre plays the first Roy Rogers film, Under the Western Stars (1938).

Wednesday, April 5, 1939.  The Andre shows Vincent Price first film Service de Luxe (1938).

April 1938.  The Andre shows as an added attraction, Santa fe Stampede (1938) starring John Wayne. Said to be the first film where the villain kills a child on screen. 

May 10, 1939.  Ann Miller in Tarnished Angel. 

May 17, 1939.  The Andre shows Gunga Din (1939) directed by George Stevens.  Starring Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Victor McLaglen. & Annabel Takes a Tour (1938), starring Lucile Ball.  Interestingly, this film has a scene where a theatre is advertising FREE DISHES as a promotion.  A common promotion at the time to encourage woman to attend matinee, a theatre would advertise a dish or cutlery set and give out a different piece of the set each week.   Something this theatre would do in the very near future.  

June 7, 1939.   The Andre gets a new manager, Mr. Sam Collis.   The Sachem reports

 New manager Mr. S, Collis announces a complete renovation of the theatre... There will be no change in the admission prices.  

The Andre Theatre also has a new type of Bulletin advert.

June 14, 1939.  The Andre announces a new contest to pick a new name for the theatre.

Prizes for Opening Night

It has been rumoured (sic) that the new management will change the name of the Andre Theatre-one suggestion was that as they took over the theatre on the day of Their Majesties' visit to this district to call it "Regent;" another after our River "Grand"; still another "Riviera"- the management would be glad to have suggestions submitted.              Let's vote on the three names suggested! Alterations are still in progress-watch for announcement re-Opening Night, when two special door prizes, a life size bust of King George VI, and one of Queen Elizabeth, will be awarded to lucky number door prize winners. Watch for display of these prizes in Gas office window.

Wednesday, June 14, 1939.  The Andre plays the  Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) directed by Michael Curtiz. Starring James Cagney Humphry Bogart and Ann Sheridan.  The first of 3 movies Cagney and Bogart would do together.  

Wednesday, June 21, 1939.   Caledonia has its first Classic Horror double feature with Frankenstein (1931) & Dracula (1931) and the brand new 15 part serial The Spider's Web (1938).  To promote it, The Andre creates The Spider Club. 

The Spider's Web (1938) Directed by James W. Horne and Ray Taylor.  Starring Warren Hull as The Spider and Iris Meredith as Nita Van Sloan.  It was the first serial based off of pulp magazine series character.  Stan Lee has mentioned many times that Spiderman's costume was inspired by the film depiction of The Spider who wears a spider web mask and cape.    

 

As a promotion for the 15 part serial, The Andre creates the Spider Club.  It was open to all the kids in town, the rules were simple:

All you have to do is to join the Spider's Saturday matinee club, have your card stamped each matinee you attend a chapter of  "The Spiders Web" and when your card has 15 stamps on it you are eligible to have your card on the lucky draw that will win some boy or girl a new C.C.M. bicycle that sells for thirty five dollars. So boys join the club at once by attending the Saturday Matinee show at 2:30 p.m. this week. And if the winner is a girl she will get a girls bicycle, so girls better hurry and join immediately. 

The Sachems Wolf Cub News section reported that all the cub scouts had been invited by the manager to come see the first episode.  That Friday night, the Cub Scouts met at 7:15 pm at the Train Station and marched in formation down to the theatre to see Storm Over Bengal (1938) and the first episode of The Spiders Web: The Night of Terror.  

 

 

The Spiders Web The Spiders Web 1938 serial - YouTube

June 21, 1939.  The Andre Theatre now has a phone number.  Its number is 100. 

June 1939.  Sam Collis arranges for the royal visit news reels from Paramount Pictures to be shown at the Andre in their entirety.  King George VI and Queen Elizabeth toured Canada from May 17 to June 15, 1939 to rally allies and support for England at the beginning of the war with Germany.  During their stop in Ontario, the newly completed highway known as The Middle Way, was renamed to The Queen Elizabeth Way (The QEW ) to commemorate the first Royal Visit to Canada. The dedication ceremony was in St. Catharine's on June 7, 1939. 

   

A huge crowd gathered, and a band played as the Royal convertible crossed the Henley Bridge near St. Catharines. As the car passed between two towers, it triggered a switch that parted two Union Jacks and the inscription The Queen Elizabeth Way. The car did not stop but continued on to Niagara Falls.

June 28  

Cubs parade to the Andre, the QEW is officially open.

June 28, 1939.  Last chance to join the Spider Club.

   

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers return in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939). A film based on the life story of the internationally famous dance couple and silent film stars from 1920's. 

 It was love at first sight for Vernon and Irene.  New York, 1910 they fall in love, moved to Paris, danced on stage as husband and wife at the Café de Paris; and became a sensation all over Paris.  Invited to dance at private parties and clubs they were quickly dancing professionally all over Europe.  Returned to America at the beginning of the Jazz age and danced their way to the front of it.  With her wild new risqué dances, loose dresses, pearl head band and bob hair cut, many consider Irene Castle to be one of the first flappers.  She was a trendsetter and  fashion icon to many woman at the time.  Irene starred in approximately 12 to 19 silent films between 1915 and 1922.  The first of which, The Whirl of Life (1915) was a film about her and Vernon's life.  All her films are considered lost.  

       

                            

Due to the strict Hayes code in the 30s, the production team couldn't even accurately depict the costumes Irene Castle was famous for wearing.  Originally Mrs. Castle was a technical consultant on the film, but because of all the changes being made, like Ginger Rogers refusal to get the bob cut that Irene Castle had made famous, the white washing of her band, the outright censoring of her life story. She disowned the film and refused to endorse it.  The studio paid her $5000 ($112,542.36 today) to stop bad mouthing the film to the press.  

June 1939.   The final films to play at The Andre were the double feature The Lady and the Mob (1939) and a good old fashion Mounty movie, North of the Yukon (1939).  The feature was Three Blind Mice (1938).  

July 1939.   New manager Sam Collis promises the theatre will being showing films from all the major studios and  is now on the first run records.  Meaning that after a film has played in the Toronto Deluxe theatres, it will play here next.  

Big things are about to happen.  

The War is coming.  The whole world is about to change. New manager Sam Collis and our little theatre with a new name are going to play a central part in rallying support in the community.     

Coming next:

Part 2

The Regent Theatre

Sources:

The Grand River Sachem

Newspapers.com
IMDB.com

Ancestry.com