Calgary Herald from Calgary, Alberta, Canada • 69

3 PALE 3 PALE SON 0 0100 Kim Stallknecht, Calgary Herald The Palace Theatre is now the largest single-screen house in Canada, seating 1,526 FLICK FACTS Just the ticket for Calgary's film aficionados he movies are an essential luxury for most of us. An hour or two of entertainment escape, thrills, laughs, tears or enlightenment is well worth the modest cost. Movies have become a part of most every Calgarian's life, but how many of us are aware of the history of our cinemas? Most of our extravagant movie palaces have crumbled under the crazed cranes of developers, and rock radio promotions and free T-shirts have replaced the china and chesterfield giveaways of the past. But despite the advent of home video, Calgary still loves By Linda the movies. For those of us who adore the soothing smell of popcorn and the hush of a darkened theatre, here are some nifty tidbits about the movie houses of Calgary, much of it provided by motion-picture pioneers, former theatre managers and longtime movie-goers.

AT THE BOX OFFICE The city record for one continuous run in one theatre is held by The Sound of Music, which ran for 72 weeks at the Odeon (formerly the Marda). The most successful North American engagement for Paint Your Wagon (1969) was in Calgary, where it Kupecek played for 35 weeks. who ended up out of pocket on Which film bombed in the deal.) Calgary initially, then was re- Theatre staff are fussy released a year later and about patrons switching theplayed for more than a year? atres in a multi-screen cinema The Gods Must Be Crazy. because the ticket stub indi(Calgary-based distributor cates which company (i.e. Sydney Sniderman originally Warner Paramount) held the Canadian distribution should be paid.

Even though rights, but negative reports the prices are equal, the from the majors and poor box- screens are rented by different office sales here over a two- companies, who understandweek test resulted in the U.S. ably want the profits divided distributor sending the prints fairly. Also, the computerized back to the producer. He then system allows the cashier to made a deal with 20th Century gauge how many seats are left Fox, who in turn tested the for a particular show. picture in Los Angeles and During the '60s, after New York to great houses.

one of the first pictures with a "That picture went down the black star (Jim Brown) played drain, then came back as a to wildly successful test houssuccess," recalls Sniderman, Continued on page 10 Herald Sunday Magazine, Nov. 1, 1987.