Author seeks memories of old movie theatres
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/07/2011 (5478 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
He has covered the streets of Winnipeg, researched influential Manitoba businesses and now, author Russ Gourluck has turned his focus to the Manitoba movie business.
The Winnipeg-based author has scoured the history books and conducted more than 75 interviews, but research for his fifth book, "Silver Screens on the Prairie: An Illustrated History of Motion Picture Theatres in Manitoba" is not done yet.
The movie theatre business was big business in rural Manitoba in the 1950s and ’60s and in many communities, the theatre was the social hot spot on a Saturday night. As part of his research, Gourluck welcomes Westman residents past and present to contact him with information and memories they may have about movie nights on the Prairies.
"Going to the movies was a primary source of entertainment aside from listening to the radio," Gourluck, a retired school principal, told the Sun.
"Some of the most interesting stories I’m getting are about smaller towns because one movie theatre in Winnipeg was part of a much larger picture, but in a smaller community the movie theatre, especially on a Saturday evening, was a real gathering place. That was the night the farmers came to town. They would all come in and do their shopping and go to the movies."
At one time there were more than 300 theatres, both drive-ins and indoor theatres, operating in Manitoba. Brandon was home to two drive-ins — Green Acres and the Lucky Star. Today, multiplex theatres have taken over and just three drive-ins remain in Manitoba — in Killarney, Morden and one in Flin Flon.
The popularity of movie theatres suffered, especially in rural communities, with the advent of the television and later, the VCR, Gourluck said.
Although research for his "popular history" book will soon come to a close, Gourluck is still a bit stuck when it comes to uncovering stories about the movie theatre business in Brandon. In 1953, Brandon was home to three theatres — the original Capitol Theatre, the Strand Theatre and the Oak Theatre.
"I’m interested in talking with people who have memories of theatres in the last 30 to 40 years, including the drive-ins," he said. "Whether it’s people who worked there or just people who have memories of going to the movies."
If you have fond memories of movie night at the old Capitol, Oak or Strand Theatre in Brandon, or if you spent your Saturday nights in a steamed-up sedan at the drive-in then contact Gourluck on weekdays at 204-339-2493 or by email at russgourluck@shaw.ca.
"Silver Screens on the Prairie: An Illustrated History of Motion Picture Theatres in Manitoba" will hit bookstores in spring 2012.