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Old photo albums are a passion of mine. Some of my favourites are those my mother
kept during WWII. Alongside images of family and friends are newspaper
clippings, most about my Dad's deployment with the Canadian Irish Regiment – interesting
stuff, and something I plan to write about one of these days. The old newsprint
is yellowed and brittle. Seventy-four years of handling by four generations of
readers means a few of the articles are beginning to fall apart.
A few weeks
ago, I decided to remove the precious clippings from their albums one last time. I would
scan each article for future readers and store the originals in archival
envelopes, safe for posterity. That's when I discovered a treasure trove of
movie ads, long forgotten on the backs of headline clippings.
All the big stars of the '40s are there: Hedy Lamarr,
Clark Gable, Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, Fred MacMurray, Jack Benny, Paulette
Goddard, Wallace Beery, larger-than-life on the "big screen" (miniscule by
today's standards) and some in colour! Movies were shorter in 1941, too. The price
of a ticket might include newsreels or a documentary short as well as two feature films.
Smoking was
allowed in most theatres, parking was free, and giveaways were popular, like this "absolutely
free dinnerware" at The Pylon with your ticket to see Ginger Rogers in
Kitty Foyle. Oh, the drama!
I recognize
a few of the theatre names in the ads but most of the old buildings were lost
to Toronto's development boom with two notable exceptions: The Kingsway in
Etobicoke (1939-present), and the Fox Theatre in The Beaches (1914-present).
The Fox is Canada's
longest continuously operating theatre and happens to be just around the corner from my
childhood home. Its old walls hold many fond memories of afternoon matinees with
my best friend, Kate – shows like In
Search of the Castaways and The Moonspinners. We'd pay for our tickets and stay for all three afternoon screenings,
slouched in our seats, munching on popcorn and red licorice, and ardently girl-crushing
on Hayley Mills. Good times.
So, dig out
those old photo albums, people. You never know what you'll find. I'm off to
track down a copy of The Moonspinners.
Kate, you bring the popcorn!
Labels: 1940, Cheryl Cooke Harrington, family story, friends, history, memories, movies, nostalgia, Toronto, writing
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