Ottawa's Movie Milestones

Cinema has been an extremely popular pastime in cities throughout the world for over a century and Ottawa has been no different. Many theatres in the city have brought entertainment to its citizens throughout the years, even including some of the first moving pictures ever shown. So sit back with some popcorn because Forgotten Ottawa is going to the movies.
#Ottawa #OttawaHistory #OttawaPast
Created and narrated by:
Kevin Ballantyne
/ @kevinballantyne9371
www.kballantyne.ca/
Music:
"Five Card Shuffle" by Kevin MacLeod
• Kevin MacLeod: Five Ca...
Sources:
1. Russell, Hilary. "Parks Canada - Canadian Historic Sites: Occasional Papers in Archaeology and History No. 13". parkscanadahistory.com/series/... (accessed 22 March 2023).
2. "Kinetoscope Is Here". The Ottawa Journal. 3 November 1894. www.newspapers.com/image/4336... (accessed 23 March 2023).
3. "Edison's Vitascope at West End Park". The Ottawa Journal. 20 July 1896. www.newspapers.com/image/4343... (accessed 23 March 2023).
4. "Edison's Vitascope - The Wonderful Instrument Shown at West End Park". The Evening Journal. 22 July 1896. www.newspapers.com/image/4343... (accessed 23 March 2023).
5. "Britannia-on-the-Bay (Ad)". The Ottawa Citizen. 11 June 1904. www.newspapers.com/image/4562... (accessed 23 March 2023).
6. Russell, Hilary. "Parks Canada - Canadian Historic Sites: Occasional Papers in Archaeology and History No. 13". parkscanadahistory.com/series/... (accessed 23 March 2023).
7. Grand, John M. "Phenomenal Growth of Theatrical Business in Ottawa -- Theatres Will Now Seat Fifteen Thousand People". The Ottawa Journal. 9 October 1915. www.newspapers.com/image/4163... (accessed 23 March 2023).
8. "Great Opening - Capitaloscope". The Ottawa Journal. 27 October 1906. www.newspapers.com/image/4149... (accessed 23 March 2023).
9. "Opening of New Theatre". The Ottawa Evening Journal. 11 December 1906. www.newspapers.com/image/4173... (accessed 23 March 2023).
10. "Much Talking At City Council". The Ottawa Citizen. 25 August 1910. www.newspapers.com/image/4557... (accessed 23 March 2023).
11. "Churches Protest "Movies" On Glebe". The Ottawa Citizen. 20 December 1912. www.newspapers.com/image/4562... (accessed 23 March 2023).
12. "Flower Theatre One of Prettiest In The Capital". The Ottawa Journal. 2 July 1914. www.newspapers.com/image/4620... (accessed 23 March 2023).
13. "Imperial Theatre Crowded When It Opened Its Doors". The Ottawa Journal. 25 August 1914. www.newspapers.com/image/4391... (accessed 23 March 2023).
14. "The Three Twins (Ad)". The Ottawa Citizen. 22 August 1914. www.newspapers.com/image/4556... (accessed 23 March 2023).
15. "Talking Movies Make Debut for Ottawa People". 27 December 1928. www.newspapers.com/image/4556... (accessed 23 March 2023).
16. Ouimet, Raymond. "L’arrivée du cinéma à Gatineau". Le Droit. 16 May 2021. www.ledroit.com/2021/05/17/la... (accessed 23 March 2023).
17. David Johnston and Tom Jenkins. Ingenious: How Canadian Innovators Made the World Smarter, Smaller, Kinder, Safer, Healthier, Wealthier and Happier. Canada: Signal, 2017. books.google.ca/books?id=j6M8... (accessed 23 March 2023).
18. Drolet, Daniel. "Museum offers plenty of room with a view". The Ottawa Citizen. 17 August 1987. www.newspapers.com/image/4636... (accessed 23 March 2023).
19. Taylor, Noel. "First Emperor: an Omnimax eyeful well worth the wait". The Ottawa Citizen. 29 June 1989. www.newspapers.com/image/4639... (accessed 23 March 2023).
00:00 Intro
00:30 The Holland Brothers
01:56 Nickelodeons & The Silent Era
04:32 Talkies
05:41 Drive-In Theatres
06:44 The Modern Day

[@gord3388]

This channel is amazing. Congratulations!

[@forgottenottawa5771]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it

[@vobbs]

Thanks for doing these

[@jaygatz4335]

The Mayfair was my go-to theatre back in the day. It had an illuminated clock on top of the proscenium.

[@SheldonT.]

I worked in the Zellers on Bank st (somewhere around Laurier) Not sure if it was a Cinema or a Theater. I remember it has lots of nooks and crannies. One room in the basement was once filled with water and the cool air from it was circulated as a rudimentary Air Conditioner.

[@000001willy]

That was well done. A trip down memory from the Sixties onward. Merci.

[@mlongpre100]

8:53 the Linden on Saturday afternoons had 3 'B' horror movies for 25 cents . a kids dream !

[@rajo741]

Good work as always. Perhaps you could add an addendum and talk about the Rialto on Bank which then became the Phoenix. Or the Towne Cinema (which I think you called the Linden). Towne was famous the world over for its long run of The Rocky Horror Picture Show screened at midnight.

[@forgottenottawa5771]

Thanks! Yeah this video barely scratches the surface on the history of Ottawa cinemas. You're right about the Towne Cinema although it opened as the Linden in 1947 and was renamed Towne in 1968. cinematreasures.org/theaters/23947

[@shmule1655]

nice

[@Zebra_3]

Place de Ville Cinemas is/was two story.

[@forgottenottawa5771]

I'd like to share something I just discovered about the most recent status of the Imperial Theatre (Barrymore's). It is now becoming an example of "demolition by neglect". However, the City of Ottawa has ordered that repairs be made to the building. heritageottawa.org/news/city-orders-repairs-barrymores-music-hall