Huron Expositor, 2014-11-12, Page 1010 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, November 12, 2014
The Regent: Seaforth's movie house
David Yates, for the Expositor
In September 1907, a
small entry in the Huron
Expositor announced the
opening of 'a moving pic-
ture show' in Seaforth.
The Star Theatre, located
in the Carmichael Block on
Main Street, promised
patrons 'much instruction
and amusement' for the
price of a nickel.
In May 1908, the Star was
purchased by two bright
and clever young men, John
McKenzie and Oscar Sproat,
who promised to maintain
the good reputation the the-
atre has had in the past.
The theatre's name was
changed to the more regal
sounding Princess Theatre
and, for the next 13 years, it
gave audiences the big
thrills of silent silver screen.
According to Isabelle
Campbell's The Story of
Seaforth (1966), in 1910 a
second silent movie house
briefly operated just south
of the Princess Theatre. The
owner, Ben Duffy, had his
son in his pyjamas bid the
audience goodnight after
each nightly performance.
The advent of 'talkies' in
the late 1920s doomed the
Princess Theatre. In 1931,
McKenzie told the Expositor
he, "found it necessary to
close because of his inabil-
ity to procure suitable silent
pictures."
Herb Sutherland, the
owner of a chain of small
town movie houses,
bought the Strong Block
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TO ALL RESIDENTS OF THE
MUNICIPALITY OF HURON EAST
PLEASE HELP KEEP THIS WINTER A SAFE ONE
The Council of the Municipality of Huron East requests the cooperation of the
ratepayers regarding the parking of cars and other vehicles, and the depositing of snow
on municipal roads during the period in which snow clearing operations are necessary.
It is an offence under the Highway Traffic Act, Section 170(12) to: "Park or stand a
vehicle on a highway in such a manner as to interfere with the movement of traffic or the
clearing of snow from the highway".
Also, Section 181 states: "No person shall deposit snow or ice on a roadway without
permission in writing to do so from the Ministry or the Road Authority responsible for the
Maintenance of the Road."
Parking is not permitted on any street or road within the Municipality of Huron
East between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., from November 1 to April 15.
Violators will be ticketed and may have their vehicles towed and impounded.
Neither the Municipality of Huron East nor the "Snow Plow Operators" will be held
responsible for damage done to vehicles or mailboxes on the Municipal Road
Allowance.
Your help and cooperation in these matters is greatly appreciated and will aid in a
safer winter for all.
Barry Mills, C.Tech., Huron East Public Works Manager
LET'S ALL DO OUR PART! PLEASE RECYCLE
and in just nine weeks
converted the building,
which formerly housed
two stores and an old
meeting hall on the second
floor, into one of south-
western Ontario's most
modern talking movie
theatres.
The town eagerly awaited
the new Regent Theatre's
opening. Local businesses
and tradesmen proudly
advertised their part in the
theatre's construction.
Movies during the Great
Depression were the great
escape. For 35 cents adult
admission, one could forget
about their cares and enjoy
a good movie during Holly-
wood's Golden Age.
At the Regent's gala pre-
miere night on Sept. 8, 1932,
the mayor, town council,
Lions Club representatives
and local Businessmen's
Association officially
opened the theatre in a spe-
cial civic ceremony. The
capacity crowd watched
Eddie Cantor's musical
comedy Palmy Days. It was
the first talking film
screened in Seaforth. For
many, it must have been the
first time they had heard a
real talking movie.
The Expositor described
the Regent's spacious lobby,
ladies rest room, yellow
paneling and green mould-
ings. The theatre held 306
people in its blue air cush-
ioned leather seats. In imi-
tation of California movie
houses, the building's
facade was stuccoed with a
lighted marquee above the
main entrance.
An evening at the Regent
included news reels and
cartoons, followed by at
least one main feature
film. Saturday afternoon
matinees entertained chil-
dren with such thrilling
serials as Buck Rogers, Roy
Rogers and the Sons of the
Pioneers.'
Box office receipts at the
Regent Theatre in its Prime (c 1944)
Regent peaked during, and
just after, the war years
when audiences flocked to
the local movie house to see
the latest news. However,
the 1950's saw a steep drop
in theatre going audiences.
Like many other small
town movie houses, the
Regent experienced finan-
cial difficulties. Despite
attempts to lure younger
crowds with 'scream' pic-
tures and other promotional
gimmicks, the Regent could
no longer attract the audi-
ences needed to keep the
theatre viable.
In May 1958, the Regent
announced that it would
only be open Thursday
through Saturday evenings.
In September 1958, Suther-
land Theatre chain man-
ager George Thompson
announced the Regent
would close just weeks
after its 26th anniversary.
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Thompson went on to
explain, "The difficulty in
Seaforth is similar to many
theatres in small towns—
falling revenues. Whatever
the contributing cause - TV,
city competition or a desire
for other entertainment,
theatre business in Seaforth
has dropped more than 80
per cent from the peak
enjoyed during and imme-
diately following the war."
On Saturday, Sept. 26,
1958, with only 40 people in
the audience, half of them
children, the final movie
was screened. By coinci-
dence it was, as on opening
night, a musical, Zsa Zsa
Gabor's Country Music
Holiday.
When the Regent's pro-
jector was turned off and
the screen went black for
the final time, a half century
of movie house memories
ended in Seaforth.