About North Georgia tribune. (Canton, Ga.) 1934-1973 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1940)
FRIDAY, OCT. 4, 1940 NORTH GEORGIA TRIBUNE PAGE NINE History of Canton Movies Passes in Review Forgotten Facts About Early Movies Revealed A. G. Franklin Was Construction Engineer on Job Construction Boss By BLANCHE JONES "End of Part 1. Part 2 will follow immediately.” Spectators remember that from the good old days of silent pic- tures and one hand machines. That should be the caption of this story. Part 1 has ended for Canton movie goers and part 2 is following im- mediately. Part 1 was finished as far as Canton audiences were con- cerned when the new Canton Thea- tre opened its doors to the public on Monday. Its a long cry from the small theatre which seated less than one hundred and fifty people to the modern picture palace which seats 900. And it’s a long step in the mechanical world from the one ma- chine, run by hand, to the equip ment installed by Martin and Thompson in the fire-proof projec- tion room. Canton has a motion picture his- tory of thirty years. In that time the theatre has had six owners and each has brought his idea of improvement and progress to the theatre. But ideas were not so highly advertised then as now and when some of them reach- ed Canton they were not as mod- ern as they had been. When films were first flashed up- on a "screen" to the admiring "ohs and ahs" of Canton movie audien- ces, they were not even the late pictures of that day. Slide films were the type used in the first theatre—the type that the opera- tor could slide into a machine, leave it there until the spectator tired of it, then slide in another. And as for the "screen"—there was no such thing as the type of screen we know now. Then a sheet was hung against a blank wall and that served as screen. About 1911, N. H. Garrison de- cided that fellow Cantonians need- ed a little diversion and he rented a space in the building recently va cated by the Thomas 5 &10 Cent Smiling Through Aline Payne, pretty young cash- ier of the new Canton Theatre, who will always be seen smiling through the window at spectators who purchase tickets to the thea- tre. Miss Payne was the beauty of last year’s graduating class of the Canton High School, and her lovely features will add beauty to the box office. Store. And, as has been stated. those first audiences saw slide films. long. But they didn’t see them Upon information receciv- ed from Bratton Shows, a travel- ing unit, the owner learned where and how to purchase feature length pictures. And with Bratton Shows, the first vaudeville was introduced to Canton. Vaudeville, however seemed a little wicked to the pop- ulace and enjoyed only a short stay. There was even talk of "mo- lesting" the players with rotten eggs. That was squelched and so was the vaudeville. But by that time pictures were definitely here to stay. In keeping with the popular idea of that time, Mr. Garrison instal- led a player piano for the enjoy- ment of his patrons. While the pictures were flashed upon the screen, appropriate music was played. At least, it was appro- priate as far as the operator was concerned. Picture schedules ran about the same then as now. Feature pic- tures were shown during the week and serials on Saturday. Those early audiences evidently craved those pictures which depicted the romance of the West for they were shown at least four times a week. Audiences haven’t changed much in their taste for serials. Then Western serials were the vogue and the same is true today. Ruth Roland and Pearl White were serial favorites of that day and when the hero would come riding down the cliff to save either of them from an untimely death, the piano would react accordingly. With the playing of the piano and the clapping of the hands of the spectators, the building would all but fall in. Many of the present day stars were also stars of that era. In addition to the above mentioned, audiences beamed approval upon Mary Pickford, Harold Lloyd and the never-to-be forgotten Fatty Arbuckle. On through the day of silent pictures, Rudolph Valentino came into his own and Theda Bara, Henry Walthal, Tom Mix, Ben Blue, Marilyn Miller, Betty Bron- son, Lloyd Hughes, Betty Comp- ton, Colleen Moore, Charlie Chap- lin and a host of others. Keystone comedies were also popular fea- tures of that era and Mack Sen- nett’s Bathing Beauties aroused much comment, especially among the male section of the audience. After about a year in the first theatre building. Garrison moved his machine to a room over the McClure Book Store. There au- diences continued to view screen favorites until the first airdome was opened by I. M. Minton. That airdome was erected in a vacant lot on which the Canton Bowling Center now stands. Improve- ment was already beginning to be shown in Canton theatres as the airdome seating capacity was es- timated at 500 and the first screen was brought to Canton. But even those a screens were not the kind used today. They were chalk white and presented about the same appearance as the former days. George Wallenhaupt first local operator. In theatre the operator had sheet of was the the first been one Congratulations To the New Ed Giles, who came here from Atlanta, expressly for the purpose of operating the machine. Mr. Wallenhaupt recalls many interes- ting and amusing facts about the machines of that day. While the operator was showing the pictures with one of the hand machines, a re-wind boy was working at ano- other machine winding the film as it came off the first roll. Films came in rolls of so many feet and at the end of the first part, the operator would either have to put the other part of the film in the machine or move over to another machine in which the film had been inserted. In either case, the wait between the end of the first part and the beginning of the second part was usually about thirty min- utes. So to faithful audiences, to those who have been seeing the movies all these years—that’s an explanation of the delay when this caption would appear on the screen, “End of Part 1. Part 2 will follow immediately.” That “immediately" left enough time for Canton Theatre From Roy L. Butterworth Suits Tailored To Measure To A. G. Franklin, as construc- tion foreman for R. N. McEachren, contractor, fell the job of supervi- sing the construction work on the new Canton Theatre building. His tasks included keeping jobs planned for the workmen, laying out the jobs from the architect’s plans, seeing that the work pro- gressed efficiently, serving as “contact man" for the numerous sub-contractors and being in charge of purchasing for construc- tion. Franklin, whose home is in Pa- nama City, Fla., has been in Can- ton for the past five months on this building. He has had many years’ experience in the construct- ion business and has been connec- ted with Mr. McEachern for the past five years. the spectator to go home and see about the children, come back by the drugstore and get a drink, vis- it the neighbors, and still get back in plenty of time to see the first picture of the second part. When winter came, the theatre was moved into the building since occupied by the Haven Theatre. The same spot on which the new theatre has been erected. But that theatre put the spectator at a slight disadvantage. The seating arrangement was not very condu- cive to watching the picture. Au- diences sat facing what is now the rear of the theatre. The entrances were there too, and no matter how interested in the picture the spec- tator might be, his curiosity would get the better of him and he would have to glance away everytime a late comer arrived. Then, as now, one of the objects in going to the movie was to see who else went. So one might say that there were advantages as well as disadvanta ges to that seating arrangement. Not until the theatre was renovat- ed and given the name of the Ha- ven Theatre was that arrange- ment changed. Not long after the theatre was moved from the airdome to the theatre building. A Mr. Stone op- erated it about a year. Then the late Dr. T. W. Hogan purchased the equipment and the theatre con- tinued under his management for some time. It was about 1929 when Preston J. Henn bought the theatre. It ran for a short time as it was and then plans were completed for the re- novation of the building. While the remodeling was in process, Mr. Henn conducted a contest to select a name for the new theatre. Out of hundreds of names, the name. Ha- ven, was selected and a prize giv- A. G. FRANKLIN ‘A man should be upright, not kept upright." OCTOBER 9—Lou Gehrig played in his last world’s series, 1938. 10—League of Nations ‘out- lawed" Italy, 1935. 11—D. A. R. organized in Washington, D. C., 1890. 12—Brady gang wiped out 13—Green re-elected A. F. of L president, 1938. 14—League banned foreign loans to Italy, 1935. 8—Great fire broke out in Chicago, 1871. Seven Exits In Canton Theatre For safety and convenience of the patrons of the Canton The atre, contractors have worked in seven exits-two in the balcony, two in the front of the theatre and three in the rear. Congratulations And Welcome to Tlie Owners and Operators of Tlie New Canton Theatre GEORGIA POWER COMPANY D. S. Pressly District Manager (Continued on page 12) Heads Bankers The New CANTON THEATRE INVITES YOU TO SEE THE MORTAL STORM’ Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 7-8 P. D. Houston Chairman of the board of the American National bank at Nash- ville, Tenn., P. D. Houston, above, is the new president of the Ameri- can Bankers association. He was elected at the A. B. A. conven- tion in Atlantic City, N. J. W. R. PAYNE Dry Goods - Groceries Men’s Extra-Quality Fall Suits At $12.50 $16.95 Ladies’ Dresses — Ladies’ Hats Shoes For Ladies — Shoes For Men Fresh Meats And Vegetables WE EXTEND BEST WISHES TO THE NEW CANTON THEATRE Come to Canton and Trade With Us—Prices Are Right We Invite You to Visit Our New Theatre Through the Weeks to Come Where You Will See Always A Good Program, Often A GREAT ONE. NEXT WEEK MONDAY-TUESDAY- The Mortal Storm’ WEDNESDAY-'Sailor's Lady’ Jon Hall And Patsy Kelly THURSDAY-'Gold Rush Maisie’ starring I- MARGARET Ann Sothern Robert SULLAVAN JAMES STEWART Crank FRIDAY, Oct. 11-‘We Who Are Young’ Lana Turner SATURDAY, Oct. 12-‘Blazing Six Shooters’ John Starrett Saturday Late Show-'Manhattan Heartbeat’ YOUNG * MORGAN a FRANK BORZAGE Production with Robert Bonita Irene STACK * GRANVILLE • RICH William T. Maria ORR • OUSPENSKAYA Gene REYNOLDS Directed by FRANK BORZAGE
