Entertainment / Early Westville Bandsmen / History of Theaters in Westville / I remember when.. / Dunvegan Girls Pipe Band
Long History of Theaters in Westville
Westville – The town wasn’t to be deprived of entertainment and when moving pictures first came out, James F. Johnstone and H.A. McQuarrie opened the Comet Theatre in the George E. Munro building. These two enterprising gentlemen also operated a bowling alley.
The Orange Lodge ran the Empire Theatre and the Crescent was built where the Roxy now stands.
In the early days of silent movies, vaudeville was also an added attraction and the admission was 5 cents and 10 cents.
After the Comet and the Empire closed, the Crescent continued in operation until it was destroyed by fire in the ‘20’s. Many will remember Mrs. Fraser (Bella) Oliver at the piano as she played appropriate music for the movies. “William Tell” was one of the favorites during the Western movies.
In those days five cents worth of “honeymoons” or a bag full of “ladies choice” and the children were set for an afternoon’s excitement at the Crescent.
Many will also recall the late “Kit” Gray who sold tickets, and the late Jim MacNeil was a familiar figure at the theatre.
Following the fire that destroyed the Crescent in the ‘20’s, the town was without a theatre until the Roxy was built by local capital supplied by a number of the town’s businessmen. The foresight of these men filled the much-needed gap in the entertainment life of the town.
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The Evening News,
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March 1, 1968
Theatres
Motion pictures were one of the first forms of entertainment in the early days of Westville. The Comet Theatre was very popular and it was run by H.A. McQuarrie and F. Johnstone out of the old George E. Munro building.
Another prosperous establishment was the Orange Lodge run by the Empire Theatre. The vaudeville shows became a great attraction in the town, with the admission price ranging from five to ten cents.
Many different forms of theatre flourished over the years. The town became excited when it heard that a “talking theatre” was about to open in Westville. The Town Council questioned whether or not to have the presence of a theatre at that time.
Mrs. Fraser (Bella) Oliver played piano for the movie attractions. “William Tell” was one of the favorites in the cowboy and Indian fight scenes of the popular westerns.
Later, the Comet and Empire theatres closed, while the Crescent Theatre remained open until it burned on November 26, 1929. The last silent film shown in the Crescent was “Sheppard of the Hills”.
The Roxy, a very popular
theater in the town, opened on October 2, 1931.
Earlier theaters included
the Comet ( a commercial connection to Halley's Comet?), Empire, and
Crescent.
After the fire which destroyed the Crescent, the town had no theatre until, with funds from local businessmen, the Roxy opened. The generosity of these men improved the entertainment scene of the town.
Roxy feature, January 31, 1947
Opening day for the Roxy Theatre was October 2, 1931. N.W. Mason, who was the former manager of the New Glasgow Theatres, became the new manager of the 41 x 88-foot building.