A Brief History of the Imperial Theatre in Botwood NF

Film Theatre in Botwood, NF

The first theatre in Botwood was owned by sawmill owner, Harry Crowe; it was set up in what was then called the Brigade Hall in 1911; admission was five cents.

[A research paper written by students at Botwood Integrated High School in 1972 states: “Cecil Penney, Jack’s father, supplied Botwood with its first source of entertainment. It was in the form of a theatre showing western movies in the old Brigade Hall, situated near Botwood Academy. The price for admission was 20 cents.

The next theatre, called the Monarch Theatre, but usually referred to as “the Nickel Hall”, according to minutes from an Athletic Association meeting in 1933 in the possession of Netta Baker, was built by three Sheppard brothers who were sawmill owners in Peter’s Arm. They won a raffle on something to do with the seal fishery; with that money they built a theatre on Strong’s Hill(Baird’s?) near what was then Porter’s Store . It was later rented in 1936 for $60/mo. To Roy Petrie, Peter Boone and Jack Arklie. The first movie they showed was “Laughing Irish Eyes”.In Dec. 1937 when the “talkies” came here, the Sheppards could not afford the new projectors needed so they sold the theatre to Arklie, Petrie and Boone for $1800. It was renamed the Empire Theatre. (John Attwood was the projectionist and basically ran the theatre for the owners. While in the army in WWII he also showed movies on Bell Island.) [Grand Falls Advertiser, April 3 1937 - The management of the Empire Theatre have reduced the admission fee of shows - adults from .35 cents to .25 cents and Saturday afternoon, adults .20 cents and children .10 cents. With this in view and with the line of pictures that are coming to the theatre, the public will no doubt give the patronage, that these gentlemen deserve for the many evenings of good entertainment they have given during the past winter; entertainment that Botwood people were many years without.]

[Grand Falls Advertiser, March 18 1944 - A serious fire broke out about 8:45 p.m. Saturday night (March 11, sic) at the Empire Theatre at Botwood, with the result that it was burned right to the ground. The only articles to be saved was the chairs; several reels of film were destroyed. The fire started in the operating room and in a very short time the whole hall was a mass of flames. All the people who were in the hall, about 75, got out safely. This will be a great loss as it is the only entertainment in town. We are informed that the Empire Theatre at Botwood, will be rebuilt.]

After the fire, Petrie and Arklie set up a theatre in what was formerly Inder’s Store just below the Orange Hall on what is today Mill Road. They used this store from June 1944 to Dec. 1944, using two portable De Vry projectors.

In the meantime John S. Arklie and Roy D. Petrie built the Imperial Theatre at the intersection of Water Street and Commonwealth Drive. It cost them $22 000 for the building and $12 000 for the equipment and furniture and they had it paid off in just three years! The old Empire theatre had been insured.

[Grand Falls Advertiser, December 23 1944

New Theatre at Botwood

The writer had the opportunity of visiting the new Imperial Theatre which has been built to replace the old Empire Theatre which was burned down last winter. It is a very imposing building and a credit to Botwood and to the Builder and Contractor, Mr. Chesley Moores.

The Theatre is 85 feet long and 35 feet wide and has a seating capacity of 325 people. The seats are all spring padded, upholstered in green. In the main auditorium there are over 260 seats, while the remainder are upstairs. The Hall itself is finished with Ten Test, while the wainscotting is of Masonite. There are two emergency exits. Later on a portable stage is to be installed, which will just “top-off” the usefulness of the Hall.

Two new Standard De Vry Moving Picture Projectors have been ordered and will arrive about the end of January. These are equipped with the very latest class of speakers, etc. The proper lighting fixtures have been ordered also but have not yet arrived. At the entrance of the Theatre here are toilets equipped with wash basin and drinking fountain.

The Projection Room, from which the machines are worked, is fireproof and constructed of concrete, with the small projection windows, or holes, being glassed in. This room has plenty of space and a little leading off is equipped with shelves, etc. for storage of spare parts. The door is made of steel and is selfclosing. The painting of the Theatre has only been done temporarily meantime, and the real decorating will be done next Spring, when the weather is warmer.

The furnace is in process of being installed by several men from St. John’s, and is to be finished by the end of the week. All the piping from the furnace is concealed. It is a semi-airconditioning hot air furnace - the hot air being forced through the building by an electric motor fan. The temperature in the theatre is thermostatically controlled, and all the hot air returning from the Hall passes through filters and thus dust, germs, etc. are taken from the air before it re-enters the Theatre again.

The Ticket Office is also good and roomy, and fitted with electric shaded bulbs out- and in -side the wicket.

The Theatre is being opened on Saturday, Dec. 23rd in the afternoon to give the children of Botwood a Free Show, besides being presented with candy (from the A.N.D. Co. Ltd.) and an apple each (from the proprietors of the Theatre). There will be two shows on Saturday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.. Price for admission downstairs: .35 cents ; upstairs: 10 cents. The outside of the Theatre is imitation brick and presents a pleasing appearance. At either side of the entrance, there is a large glass window, in which the advertising of the shows will be made.

As this building and equipment has been procured at a very great expense, the proprietors would appreciate if the Public will do their best not to mark any of the walls or destroy the furnishings. They also wish to intimate that there will be “STRICTLY NO SMOKING.”]

The Theatre featured pictures from Warner Brothers, M.G.M., and Paramount and gave nine shows weekly including matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

[Grand Falls Advertiser, Nov. 24 1955 - CinemaScope Comes to Imperial Theatre, Botwood The management of the Imperial Theatre, Botwood, have announced the installation of a wide screen and CinemaScope projection equipment in their theatre.

The equipment, consisting of a 12 x 28 foot wide screen and projectors for screening CinemaScope pictures was installed by Mr. H. Beaulieu, sound engineer from the firm of Perkins Electric Co., Ltd., Montreal. Patrons of the Theatre are now assured of a good class picture on the wide screen and are looking forward to the first CinemaScope picture which the management hopes to screen sometime between now and the end of December.]

The two projectionists at the Imperial Theatre were Edgar Peyton and Hedley Ledrew; the ticket seller was Olive Tilley; and the ticket taker was Johnny One Eyed Buckley. Edgar Peyton clearly remembers getting a momentous phone call in 1945 while at work and relayed the message to the audience that “The war was over!” Peyton worked there for about seventeen years, until around 1967, moving on just a few years before it closed. “I saw the writing on the wall,” he said; “I knew that television would eventually close the doors , so when I got an opportunity to work for the town, I took it and went to work at the Botwood Park and later the stadium.” He was replaced as projectionist by Doug Dalley. Bruce and Arthur Regular filled in for Peyton when he had to take time off. Other ticket sellers were Owen Gatehouse, Phyllis Budgell and Margaret LeMoine. Other ticket takers included: John Henry Elliott, Jasper Norman, Hayward March and Harold Boone. Lena Peyton, Edgar’s wife, sometimes worked in the canteen. Owen Boone used to sell hot dogs in the canteen, once forgetting to remove the plastic from the wieners- to Carl Jewer’s dismay!! The theatre had a gallery partially separated by the projection booth. By 1970 the popularity of movies was waning and on July 17 of that year they sold the building to Mervin Langdon who turned it into a hardware store - Handy Andy’s. In subsequent years it has been used by other businesses and is presently (August 4 2002) a warehouse for Diamond’s Ltd.

The last theatre built here was owned and operated by William Humber, Jr. It was on Commonwealth Drive. Unfortunately for Bill, cable television and other attractions kept the crowds he needed away and he sold the building to Venture Partners who transformed it into a Mary Brown’s Chicken outlet.

Compiled by :

Everett Elliott
Volunteer Archivist
Botwood Heritage Society
Summer of 2002


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