It’s Wayback Wednesday! This is the King George Theatre, which was built in 1926 by Frank Giaschi and his sons Andrew and Frank.
The theatre showed its first talking picture in 1930, and closed in 1945. The building was later home to a bowling alley (which opened in 1952) and Blair McCann Sports. It now houses Reflections of Muskoka, next to the Algonquin Theatre.
The Giaschi family also built the Capitol Theatre, further west on Main St. It opened on November 2, 1948.
On the day this photo was taken, the movies playing were Are You a Mason? and The Last Gentleman. Both films were released in 1934.
See more Wayback Wednesday photos here.
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Allen Markle says
Heard about the theatre, but knew this place as the bowling alley. Fleeing frigid winter streets, we’d tumble in and sign for the next available lane. Hang our coats, rent shoes, grab something from the concession stand and talk and wait.
No mechanization here! Pin-boys (girls?) cleared the lanes, reset pins, put the balls in the returns and fled to their little sanctuary right next to where the pins flew and balls thudded into the padded backstop.
And I remember Carl Gortmaker! How tall was that man?
Arm cocked, body fully extended and ready to set the ball on the hardwood he was impressive. It was all power and velocity and there was little rumble-time from when the ball was released ’til it exploded into that pin array. Lord protect those pin-boys!
In the Katskill Mountains they say that the rumble of thunder is Rip Van Winkle bowling in the heavens. If they have inter-league tournaments, I bet that even ole Rip is impressed!
Do us proud Carl.
Michael Lowe says
I think the closing date is not quite right. I went to my first movie in this theatre. It was Johnny Appleseed and I was about 6 or 7. This would be about 1950. I know I did not go when I was 1.
Allen, I went to a one room school with Carl. He was in grade 8 and I was in grade 1. I have a class photo with him in the back row. I believe he was about 6’ 8”. He towered over the teacher. His whole family was very tall. You should have seen him play badminton. No shot out of reach.
Nice to read about these old memories.