The very first Academy Awards are presented at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and the swashbuckling hero, Douglas Fairbanks Sr. But, from the west coast, a ray of hope lights up the night sky. The year is 1929 and affluent investors in New York are reeling from the tragic news from Wall Street the stock market has crashed and The Great Depression has officially begun. It is truly a jewel of the downtown district! Sadly the Palace Theatre suffered a devastating fire and burned to the ground along with most of its history but as you walk along that stretch of Front Street just stop for a moment, take a breath, look up and admire the Canadian Bank Of Commerce building that was built on that site in 1916 in the classical Victorian Italianate style. The “talkies” are FINALLY here in Belleville and are definitely the talk of the town! Take a stroll with me now a few blocks downtown to the Palace Theatre at the corner of Front and Campbell Streets, come inside and feel the excitement in the air! The beautiful screen star Beatrice Lillie waits in anticipation for the swashbuckling hero Douglas Fairbanks Sr., to take her in his arms for one last kiss. The doors closed in 1933, the building was demolished in the 1940s and is currently home to O’Flynn Weese Law Firm at 65 Bridge Street East in Belleville. When the first world war ended it signaled the beginning of the end for the Griffin Opera House as the owners struggled with the post-war economy and stock market crash. Silent films were becoming very popular at the turn of the century and our enthralled crowds are welcoming their big-screen heroes such as Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin, and Clara Bow to the silent screen and although fans had to rely on title cards, pantomime, and music to ‘hear’ them they can now actually hear them! Picture the dramatic, lavish, and often gaudy costumes showcased in the Friday and Saturday evening five-act plays that sold out to packed audiences of 1,300 patrons in the garishly lit brick building overlooking the Belleville Armouries.
#Outdoor movie magic full
The glitzy and glamorous Griffin Opera House leads the way in 1883 when it introduced a new style of nightly entertainment to Belleville by offering musical drama performances on an elaborate balcony and stage with full orchestra to a new genre of theatre-goers from all walks of life.
Local citizens have always been more than ready to step outside their everyday lives and transport themselves to faraway worlds of mystery, mayhem, and magic. Movies have captured our hearts and fueled our fantasies in downtown Belleville for well over 130 years.
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