Down the street a block is what was New Westminster’s other prime movie experience, the Paramount. Although I have no info on its history, I do recall that the inside was equal to the Columbia (Burr Theatre), as was the movie-going experience.
It’s still standing, but the insides were massively redesigned (tho apparently not gutted) to suit its current format, that of a strip club.
In my mind, the Paramount was a nicer theatre than the Columbia.
In its vaudeville life the Orpheum saw such greats as the Jack Benny, bob Hope and Jimmy Durante grace its stage. In recent years they’ve had the occasional showing of silent pictures, like Phantom of the Opera, with original music played on a big old organ. Kind of cool. Well maintained and worth checking out.
In its later period as the Savoy, it was a repetory house showing classics like ‘All About Eve’, ‘North By Northwest’ and was the first place I ever received an overdose of stoogemania with what seemed to be a theater-saving ‘Three Stooges Film Festival.’ The operators in ‘84 started up a membership drive, but within a few months the theatre suddenly went porn. They did offer to honour the memberships, but I’m certain many, like me, declined. A couple years back ('02 maybe?) a group of young film fans tried to set up a weekend-only membership driven film society, with showings of 'Airport’ and Peter Jackson’s ‘Meet the Feebles’. I attended one showing — can’t remember what it was — and could see they were going to have trouble shaking the porn-house feel. It only lasted a couple of months. A real shame, although it’s never been known as an architectural gem.
Am I remise, but does it not have a balcony too?
Down the street a block is what was New Westminster’s other prime movie experience, the Paramount. Although I have no info on its history, I do recall that the inside was equal to the Columbia (Burr Theatre), as was the movie-going experience.
It’s still standing, but the insides were massively redesigned (tho apparently not gutted) to suit its current format, that of a strip club.
In my mind, the Paramount was a nicer theatre than the Columbia.
Wow! Sounds like a good reason to visit Powell River. Thanks for keeping the Patricia going.
In its vaudeville life the Orpheum saw such greats as the Jack Benny, bob Hope and Jimmy Durante grace its stage. In recent years they’ve had the occasional showing of silent pictures, like Phantom of the Opera, with original music played on a big old organ. Kind of cool. Well maintained and worth checking out.
So did they sell or what? Hope it’s still operating in Hope.
In its later period as the Savoy, it was a repetory house showing classics like ‘All About Eve’, ‘North By Northwest’ and was the first place I ever received an overdose of stoogemania with what seemed to be a theater-saving ‘Three Stooges Film Festival.’ The operators in ‘84 started up a membership drive, but within a few months the theatre suddenly went porn. They did offer to honour the memberships, but I’m certain many, like me, declined. A couple years back ('02 maybe?) a group of young film fans tried to set up a weekend-only membership driven film society, with showings of 'Airport’ and Peter Jackson’s ‘Meet the Feebles’. I attended one showing — can’t remember what it was — and could see they were going to have trouble shaking the porn-house feel. It only lasted a couple of months. A real shame, although it’s never been known as an architectural gem.
Am I remise, but does it not have a balcony too?