Forgive me if this gets personal. When I first discovered the theatre I was deep in a bad relationship and denial. I quickly developed a close affection for the place – it was a magical and aesthetically delicious retreat from a complicated world. If things got bad at home, I could take my son up the mountain for a treat and a film until the situation had cooled down. The Movie Palace was therapy. Classic cartoons preceded every feature. The entire place – from its décor to its customer service to its presentation of films – was a wonderful example of attention to detail. The vestibule contained a diverting display window replete with movie memorabilia. The ceiling of the foyer was made to look like a starlit sky, the theatre proper a Roman amphitheatre. Even the women’s bathroom evoked the glamour of a time long past. It was all obviously a labour of love on the part of a fellow fan of movie magic.
Over the next few years, I went to The Movie Palace every chance I got, often seeing films several times just so I could go back to my favourite theatre. I found myself enchanted not only by the films, but by the Palace itself, a sentiment shared by my eight-year-old son (who was completely in awe of the Darth Vader costume in a large display case.) Even after we moved away, I often thought about the place where we had spent so many blissful hours. Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that when we recently found out “our” theatre was going to be closing, it brought us both to tears. I decided immediately to return for the last screenings and goodbye party announced on Facebook.
The last kid-friendly feature to be publicly screened at The Movie Palace was Tangled, a film we had previously seen in our new hometown, but nothing would have deterred us from attending. We brought family and friends, all fans of the Palace, with us. It was strangely like holding a funeral for someone who hadn’t yet died. We knew the owner was going to be giving a speech after the later screening. Having sent my son off with family before The Movie Palace’s final show (True Grit – a great film, but less than child-friendly) my friend and I settled in, curiosity somewhat tempering mourning.
The Movie Palace went out as it had always gone on: with style. An organist played a medley of movie themes in the space at the front of the theatre where children used to get up and dance during the closing credits. The staff at the concession stand gave away free drinks and sandwiches were served. Blinking back tears, I half-seriously joked with my friend about stealing one of the mirrors from the women’s bathroom: I wanted a piece of the place, like a holy relic to remind me of the good times. In the end, having forgotten my camera at home, I walked away with only memories.
But wait: that’s not the whole story - not yet. Dale Barker, owner, told us his side of the tale of why and how The Movie Palace “failed”, and his speech brought to light a couple of interesting points. In 2005, Competition Bureau Canada allowed Cineplex Galaxy to acquire Famous Players, its main competitor. The Bureau concluded that “the transaction is unlikely to result in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition.” But this, given Dale Barker’s experiences, makes one ask how they define “competition.” Within weeks of its opening, The Movie Palace’s status as a “free zone” theatre was being challenged by this new power, leading to the Palace being forbidden from showing first-run films, on the grounds that it was too close to Jackson Square Cinemas. As well, he mentionned that the Movie Palace’s bank, Scotiabank, was in partnership with Cineplex. Should a financial institution that can provide business loans to independent theatres be allowed to partner with their competitors? Does this not present a clear conflict of interest?
To those readers who prefer to support small businesses, who take issue with injustice, or who just love beauty for beauty’s sake, I would like to issue a challenge. Whenever you see an independent business being subtly destroyed by giants, ask questions. Insist on getting answers. Spread the word and support the businesses you love, or one day, suddenly, they could be gone. Now, obviously, it’s easy to criticize my perspective as being emotional – but have a look at The Movie Palace’s Facebook group and you’ll see this is an emotional issue. There are many stories like mine. As I said, we just lost a friend.
The full text of Dale Barker’s farewell speech can be found on The Movie Palace Facebook page and at themoviepalace.com.
Photos courtesy of Bev Burrough, Tiger Eye Studio.
