In the age of the modern multiplex, a trip to an old-style, single-screen theatre is now a rare and somewhat nostalgic experience.
In the heyday of classic cinema, there was a movie theatre in almost every district in Ottawa.
People could walk around the corner to see the same film their neighbours were going to see. They would be welcomed into a small, ornate lobby with time-worn carpets, and then line up to buy their popcorn (with real butter). After the show, they might even go for drinks with friends in the area. There was something special, something magical, about a trip to the movies.
Gradually, however, theatres like the Avalon, the Capitol, the Regent, and even the famous Elgin shut their doors and were transformed into coffee shops, fast food joints, and banks. Now, only the ByTowne Theatre on Rideau Street and the Mayfair Theatre on Bank Street remain.
Today, the movie-going experience is based around colossal multiplexes erected in the middle of parking lots. Inside, chain retailers peddle everything from gumballs to frozen yogurt and the latest arcade games. The assault on the senses begins long before you take your seat and, not surprisingly, no one pauses to chat in the midst of this chaos.
Many opt not to leave their homes at all, downloading the latest blockbuster off the internet and watching it on their laptops.
But as the city of Ottawa pushes for a revitalization of much of the downtown area, it may be time to resurrect the local theatre. New single-screen theatres could act as hubs of community activity, and could even be rented out as cultural venues when they aren’t showing movies.
It’s not just a question of preserving tradition or encouraging people to get to know their neighbours. New theatres could also contribute to local economies, and there is a market for this type of movie experience in Ottawa.
Case in point: last fall, the Mayfair was slated to become the latest addition to a long line of defunct theatres. Just weeks before it was scheduled to close, three local film buffs took out a 10-year lease on the property and decided to re-open it. On opening night in early January, the place was packed for a screening of Fritz Lang’s classic, Metropolis. Every seat was filled, and people spilled out along the aisles and even down the back stairs into the lobby. It was an enormous show of community support for a place that, just weeks earlier, had been about to watch its final curtain fall.
One of the new managers at the Mayfair, Lee Demarbre, says business has been steady since that night. While he might dread having to compete with yet another single-screen theatre in the city, Demarbre says he recognizes the cultural benefits of opening more venues like the Mayfair.
According to Alain Miguelez, a local film historian and the author of a book chronicling the life of the movie theatre in Ottawa, the crowds at both the Mayfair and the ByTowne are a clear sign that the city could sustain one, or even two, more venues showing independent or foreign films. Recent hits like Juno, J.C.V.D., and Rachel Getting Married have demonstrated that it’s still possible to draw crowds to low-budget or low-glitz movies, and Miguelez says it’s time local entrepreneurs took a serious look at this kind of business venture.
“The guys who took over the Mayfair were originally hoping to set up a theatre in Wellington Village,” he says. “That’s a great neighbourhood (for a theatre). It’s just a matter of someone taking the time and energy to set it up.”
So while it may be true that many of us will still pile into our cars and drive out to the monstrosities in South Keys or Barrhaven, it’s important that we at least have the option to stay closer to home and sacrifice that large frozen yogurt for a more intimate experience.
Perhaps it’s not just about maintaining a link to the past, but laying the foundation for a more sustainable cultural future in the heart of Ottawa.
Pass the popcorn.