At one time every town in the Crowsnest Pass had its movie theatre, but with the cessation of its lifeblood industry, coal mining, the population dwindled and, one by one, the theatres closed. The Orpheum was closed when we visited and we're nor sure if it may still open during certain times of the year. In any event, it is or was the last theatre to screen a movie in the Crowsnest.
Orpheum Theatre
Peter Umbertino arrived in the Crowsnest Pass in 1910, working as a carpenter before striking out as an entrepreneur. He had the first motion picture theatre in the Pass built here in 1921 by contractor Enrico Pozzi. The interior was designed so that an orchestra could play in front of the stage to accompany silent films, and small retail spaces on either side of the recessed entry were rented out.
In addition to films, the Orpheum was the scene of political rallies, union meetings, singers, musicians, magicians and even a few sporting events such as boxing. The equipment required to show 'talkies' was only acquired in the 1930s, partially because of the Great Depression. Although the building's interior has changed over the years, its exterior retains much of its original character.
Learn more about Crowsnest Heritage
Orpheum Theatre
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The Orpheum Theatre is a two-storey building with a flat roof, located on 20th Avenue (formerly Victoria Street) in the community of Blairmore along what was also formerly Highway 3 through the Crowsnest Pass. The front of the building is faced in brick with four windows, currently covered with paintings, on the second floor, each with plain lintels and plain lug sills of sandstone. Above the windows, the plain parapet has a single line of corbelling with entablature of brick below the corbel and above the window lintels. The façade boasts a marquis, decorative arch, and a projecting perpendicular sign with “ORPHEUM THEATRE” in stacked bands of neon. Both buildings that flank the Orpheum exhibit design similar characteristics providing the street scape with a row massing of non-related (but similar) styles.
HERITAGE VALUE
The Heritage value of the Orpheum Theatre lies in its association with at least three Significance Criteria: 1) Theme/Activity/Cultural Practice/Event, 2) Institution/Person and 3) Information Potential.
Built in 1921, and still in use as a cinema, the Orpheum is the sole operating theatre with the Municipality the Orpheum meets the first and second Significance Criteria. It has been and is valued by the community as an important social hub, civic gathering place, and entertainment venue. Over a span of more than ninety years, it has seen many activities including but not limited to various gala affairs, political meetings, visits from Santa, Remembrance Day parades and meetings, recitals, sporting events and innumerable films. In 1933, the theatre played host to miner meetings when they were not allowed to openly congregate out of doors during the strikes that occurred during this period. The theatre opened during the era of silent movies with orchestration, transitioned to films with sound tracks and has moved into the 21st century with the advent of more modern technologies. As such it has been an integral part of the cultural fabric of Blairmore since its formation and more recently with the amalgamation of the surrounding communities to form the Municipality.
Of particular interest to the history of the Orpheum is its association with Enrico Pozzi. Mr. Pozzi was an early contractor who built the theatre. In addition, many of remaining mine management buildings in the area were also built by him. Of interest to the theatre was his use of materials from the failed Frank Zinc Smelter in its construction, an early example of reuse.
Finally, the history of the Orpheum allows us to more fully understand the historic and cultural events that characterize the previous 90 years of the Crowsnest Pass. While they do not stand alone, they form a part of the fabric of the area that allows us to understand the history of the area including the immigrants who came to the area, often as miners, and who successfully transitioned themselves to different occupations and lifestyles.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
• Location, relationship to the street, size, form, and mass of the building;
• Massing of the theatre with adjacent buildings as portion of the street scape;
• Materials such as brick (which may include some reused bricks and other materials from the Frank Zinc Smelter);
• Sandstone that defines the façade and its relationship to the street;
• Fenestration pattern and window openings;
• four windows openings on the second floor, each with plain lintels and plain lug sills of sandstone;
• Upper portion of the front façade that is original as part of the street scape;
• the plain parapet with a single line of corbelling with entablature of brick below the corbel and above the window lintels;
• marquis, decorative arch, and a projecting perpendicular sign with “ORPHEUM THEATRE” in stacked bands of neon.
From HeRMIS Alberta