Early Film Exhibition in the Maritime Provinces, 1896–1919
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“A Good Show in a Good House to a Good Audience”: Early Film Exhibition in the Maritime Provinces, 1896–1919 by Gregory Canning Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia November 2015 © Copyright by Gregory Canning, 2015 In Memory of Karen Canning ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ............................................................................................................................. vii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................ ix Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1 Background ............................................................................................................................... 4 Modernization in the Maritimes ........................................................................................... 4 The Modernity Thesis ......................................................................................................... 10 The Modernity Thesis Revised ........................................................................................... 20 Lamenting Modernization/Industrialization in the Maritimes............................................ 23 The Research: Motion Pictures in Modern-Era Maritimes .................................................... 27 Social factors affecting film exhibition in the Maritimes ................................................... 31 Maritime Rights and the effect of regional struggles on film exhibition in the Maritimes 35 A Brief Introduction of Early Film Exhibition in the Maritimes ........................................... 38 The Novelty Era of Film Exhibition: Reception and Impressions in the Maritimes .......... 43 Beyond the Novelty Era: Into the Nickelodeon Era of Film Exhibition in the Maritimes . 50 Summary of the Thesis Chapters ............................................................................................ 55 Chapter 2 “We Cater Especially to Ladies and Children”: Giveaways and Matinees During the Nickelodeon era, 1907-1917....................................................................................................... 58 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 58 iii Comingling in Transitional Eras of Film and Society ............................................................ 61 Advice for Theatre Advertising in the Modern Transitional Eras .......................................... 65 Attracting Women and Children to Small Maritime Theatres ............................................... 71 Attracting the Target Audience Through Promotions ............................................................ 74 Giveaways .......................................................................................................................... 75 Special Events .................................................................................................................... 80 Baby Giveaways ................................................................................................................. 82 Using Pricing Schemes to Attract Desired Audiences to Maritime Theatres......................... 89 Challenges to Attracting the Desired Audiences to Maritime Theatres ................................. 91 Attracting Desired Audiences Through Changing Community Perceptions.......................... 97 Promoting Moral Values While Simultaneously Promoting Theatre Goals ........................ 103 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 109 Chapter 3 Dangerous Places: Fire, panic, and the potential for disaster in Maritime motion picture theatres, 1897 – 1912. ................................................................................................... 112 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 112 Modernization in the Maritimes ........................................................................................... 113 Fire and the Maritimes .......................................................................................................... 118 Motion Pictures and the Potential for Fire............................................................................ 121 Attempting to Control Modern Crowds in Maritimes Motion Picture Theatres .................. 127 Dramatizing the Theatre Fires in the Maritimes ................................................................... 131 Controlling modern motion picture audiences ..................................................................... 134 iv Shattering the Illusion of theatre safety in the Maritimes .................................................... 136 Educating hometown audiences: The Maritimes approach to improving the safety of motion picture theatres ...................................................................................................................... 140 Using Education to Reverse Motion Picture–Related Anxieties in the Maritimes .............. 149 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 153 Chapter 4 Disease Transmission and Theatres: creating repectable spaces ............................. 154 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 154 Public Health in the Modern Age ......................................................................................... 155 Keeping Motion Picture Theatres “Clean” ........................................................................... 158 Expert Advice on Maintaining a “Clean” Theatre: The Importance of Ventilation ............. 163 Advertising the Cleanliness of Theatres: “Making a Brag of It” ......................................... 166 Art Imitating Life: Film Takes on a Public Health Issue ..................................................... 171 Advertising Damaged Goods to Maritimes Audiences ........................................................ 175 A Film to Benefit the Health of Preferred Theatre Audiences ............................................. 182 Maritimes Theatres and the 1918 Flu Pandemic .................................................................. 185 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 195 Chapter 5 “Good” Films: Reflecting the Morality, the Reality, and the Political Will in Maritimes Theatres ................................................................................................................... 198 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 198 Evangeline and the Reflection of Local Maritimes Realities and Values ............................ 201 Moral Films in the Maritimes ............................................................................................... 214 v Censorship in the Maritimes Provinces ................................................................................ 221 Political Priorities and Censorship in the Maritimes ............................................................ 232 World War One and the Motion Picture Houses of the Maritimes ...................................... 241 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 251 Chapter 6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 256 Appendix 1 Archives Visited ................................................................................................... 271 Bibiliography ............................................................................................................................ 272 vi LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1-1: VINTAGE CHARLOTTETOWN FACEBOOK PAGE, NOVEMBER, 2012. ......................................................................... 6 FIGURE 1-2: UNCLE JOSH AT THE MOVING PICTURE SHOW (EDISON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 1902). .................................. 18 FIGURE 1-3: UNCLE JOSH AT THE MOVING PICTURE SHOW (EDISON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 1902). .................................. 17 FIGURE 1-4 ADVERTISEMENT, HALIFAX HERALD, SEPTEMBER 9, 1896, P.8. ............................................................................ 40 FIGURE 1-5: ADVERTISEMENT, SAINT JOHN DAILY SUN, JULY 21, 1897, P. 2.. ........................................................................ 42 FIGURE 1-6 SAINT JOHN DAILY SUN, DECEMBER 10, 1896, P.2. .......................................................................................... 48 FIGURE 1-7 THE SAINT JOHN SUN, APRIL 11, 1907, P.2. ...................................................................................................