Mayfair Theatre
Encyclopedia
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
's oldest active movie theatre, operating since 1932. It operates as an independent repertory cinema. The theatre's programming includes independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
, second-run and classic films.
It is noted for its double feature
Double feature
The double feature, also known as a double bill, was a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatre managers would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown.The double feature, also known as...
s and for annual screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
on Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
.
1932 to 1970s
Fred Robertson, a retailer from AlmonteAlmonte, Ontario
Almonte is a Canadian exurb and former mill town located in Lanark County, in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. Formerly a separate municipality, Almonte is now a ward of the town of Mississippi Mills, which was created on January 1, 1998 by the merging of Almonte with Ramsay and...
, was the Mayfair's original owner. The Mayfair opened on 5 December 1932 with its showings of The Blue Danube
The Blue Danube (film)
The Blue Danube is a 1932 British romance film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Brigitte Helm, Joseph Schildkraut and Desmond Jeans. Its plot, based on a short story by Doris Zinkeisen, concerns a Hungarian gypsy who leaves his girlfriend for a countess, but soon begins to suffer heartache....
. Adult admission prices were 15 cents for matinees, 25 cents for evening performances, with each child admitted for ten and 15 cents respectively. After The Blue Danube completed a three-day run, the Mayfair presented its first double bill with Bring 'Em Back Alive and X Marks the Spot. At the outset, the theatre's sound system was supplied by Northern Electric while Montreal-based Canadian Theatre Supply provided the projection and stage equipment.
For the first half century of its existence, the cinema remained under Robertson family ownership. The theatre later operated as a second-run cinema for numerous years. In the late 1970s the Mayfair concentrated on pornographic films, a phase which lasted less than two years.
1980s
In October 1981, the Mayfair adopted a repertory format and in the following month Keith Davidson became theatre manager. The Mayfair became known for its economical double features which were introduced in June 1982 for five days each week, excluding Sundays and Mondays when Chinese-language films would be presented. The Mayfair's ownership then consisted of several investors, most of whom were Ottawa-based.The Mayfair cancelled a planned showing of Videodrome
Videodrome
Videodrome is a 1983 Canadian science fiction body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg, starring James Woods, Sonja Smits, and singer Deborah Harry. Set in Toronto during the early 1980s, it follows the CEO of a small cable station who stumbles upon a broadcast signal featuring...
in April 1983 when police threatened the theatre with obscenity charges. A handful of citizens, including Maude Barlow
Maude Barlow
Maude Victoria Barlow is a Canadian author and activist. She is the National Chairperson of The Council of Canadians, a citizens’ advocacy organization with members and chapters across Canada. She is also the co-founder of the , which works internationally for the human right to water...
, objected to the violent content of the film which was approved by the Ontario Board of Censors
Ontario Film Review Board
The Ontario Film Review Board is an agency of the government of the Canadian province of Ontario that is responsible for that province's motion picture rating system...
and was previously shown without incident in Nepean, Ontario
Nepean, Ontario
- Recent quantity of snow :- History :Nepean Township, originally known as Township D, was established in 1792 and originally included what is now the central area of Ottawa west of the Rideau River. Jehiel Collins, from Vermont, is believed to have been the first person to settle in Nepean...
.
Director Michael Rubbo
Michael Rubbo
Michael Dattilo Rubbo is an Australian filmmaker who has written and directed over 50 films in documentary and fiction....
rented the theatre for three days in early 1986 to conduct a "four-waller" promotion for his film The Peanut Butter Solution
The Peanut Butter Solution
The Peanut Butter Solution is a 1985 family film. The movie was directed by Michael Rubbo and is the 2nd in the Tales for All series of children's movies created by Les Productions la Fête.-Plot:Michael Baskin is an average 11-year old boy...
which had fared poorly in the English Canadian market.
In 1986, major renovations resulted in new concession stand and box office spaces, while 492 wider seats replaced the original set of approximately 600 seats. In 1988, the Mayfair's regular admission price was $5, or $3.50 for those with theatre memberships which were available for $5 per year, or $3 per year for students. During that time, membership numbered more than 5000.
1990s
Double features became available on all days as of 1 April 1990 as the Chinese-language films were discontinued. Sunday afternoon double features were also introduced at that time. Regular prices for the double features were $5.50, or $4 for those who obtained a $6 annual membership. Featured films were predominantly hit American productions with a minority of classic and international films.Tom Bergin became manager in the early 1990s when Davidson left to pursue other interests.
2000s
In August 2008, local media indicated that the theatre would close effective 30 November 2008, the date at which the theatre would terminate its membership programme. The City of OttawaCity of Ottawa
The City of Ottawa is the corporate entity of municipal government in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The corporation is responsible for provision of services to the public as well as enforcement of municipal by-laws...
declared the theatre building as a heritage site under the Ontario Heritage Act
Ontario Heritage Act
The Ontario Heritage Act, first enacted on March 5, 1975, allows municipalities and the provincial government to designate individual properties and districts in the Province of Ontario, Canada, as being of cultural heritage value or interest....
on 8 October 2008, a designation which prohibits outright demolition of the building.
Public and community concern over the closure of the Mayfair and interest in its heritage value resulted in the formation of the Friends of the Mayfair Theatre, a loosely organized community group that claimed several hundred members.
In November 2008, a new partnership consisting of filmmakers Lee Demarbre and Ian Driscoll, projectionist and film conservator Paul Gordon and film scholar John Yemen announced that they had signed a ten-year lease with owner Stephen Ng. The new owners renovated the facility with new seating, some couches in the balcony, a digital video projection system, a new 16mm projector, a Dolby Digital sound system for the 35mm projectors, and a long play tower system. Seating capacity was reduced from 492 to 343. The Mayfair reopened on 2 January 2009 with the film Metropolis
Metropolis (film)
Metropolis is a 1927 German expressionist film in the science-fiction genre directed by Fritz Lang. Produced in Germany during a stable period of the Weimar Republic, Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and makes use of this context to explore the social crisis between workers and...
accompanied by short subjects from local filmmakers. The theatre's reopening was accompanied with a renewed emphasis on its repertory role. During this relaunch month, thirteen Ottawa premieres were presented while double bills were now limited to Tuesday nights and occasionally other nights. Midnight screenings on Friday and Saturday nights were also introduced.
In July 2009 two of the founding members of the new partnership, John Yemen and Paul Gordon left the group to pursue other projects. John Yemen was the individual who sent the city a proposal for heritage designation in the summer of 2008. The makeup of the partnership is now Lee Demarbre
Lee Demarbre
Lee Gordon Demarbre is a Canadian cult film maker. As the president and key person in the Ottawa, Ontario based Odessa Filmworks production company, he has led the creation of several internationally-shown films such as Harry Knuckles and the Pearl Necklace and Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter.Demarbre...
(programmer), Ian Driscoll (marketing), Petr Maur (graphic design), and Josh Stafford.
2010s
Currently, the Mayfair's programming includes cult filmCult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
s, family matinees and late night presentations. It also became the main venue for the Ottawa International Writers Festival in spring of 2010, hosting readings and lectures. The theatre also reports continued success with its annual Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
.
Mayfair Orleans
The Mayfair a three-screen cinema in OrleansOrléans, Ontario
Orleans , also written Orléans, is a suburban area within the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the eastern part of the city along the Ottawa River, about from downtown Ottawa. The Canada 2006 Census gave Orleans a population of 95,491. It became a ward of the City of Ottawa in 2001...
on 2 December 2010. It is situated at the former Empire Six theatre facility. This location will present similar programming as the original Mayfair location, with some emphasis on family-oriented films.
Architecture
The Mayfair is a surviving atmospheric cinema of the Spanish Revival form, the second theatre house of this kind to be constructed in Ottawa. Interior features include four faux-balconies, two of which feature clay-tile canopies. Other significant features include stained-glass windows, a prosceniumProscenium
A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
arch, a painted ceiling, decorative plastering and wrought ironwork. The Mayfair has retained the theatre clock used since its inception, a unit which features blue illuminated numbering.
Projection capability
The following projection formats are supported at the Mayfair:- 35 mm35 mm film35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
projector includes Dolby DigitalDolby DigitalDolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
and DTS sound capability - 16 mm16 mm film16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
projector (Phillips/Kinoton) - video projector (various formats)
See also
- List of Ottawa-Gatineau cinemas
- List of designated heritage properties in Ottawa