| Architect: C. Howard Crane of Detroit (a noted theatre
architect)
Interior decorator: Theodore Jagmin of Detroit
Contractor:
Alexander MacDonald of
Vancouver. Sub-contractors and suppliers were local
Construction materials:
Re-enforced concrete,
steel and brick, with marble, tile and a decorative stone
for embellishment. Imported "tapestry bricks"
were used to face the building.
Renovations:
Interior redecorated in
1931. Light bulb and neon marquee added in 1939.
Extensive interior renovations in April 1940 all new
seats installed.
Original
owner:
Barney Allen and his
sons Jules and Jay of Allen Theatre Enterprises who at
one time controlled the largest chain of movie houses in
Canada.
Current
owners:
Capital Life Insurance
of Golden, Colorado
Historical highlights:
- Officially opened
October 25, 1921 with a seating capacity of
1,951. Featured a "men's smoking room"
and a "ladies retiring room" decorated
with a French grey Wilton rug, upholstered
furniture and blue silk curtains trimmed with
blue and gold damask.
- Ceilings and walls
throughout the building are elaborately decorated
with plaster design. Marble stairs at either end
of the foyer lead to the balcony lounge. Mahogany
and plate glass doors at the entrance to the
foyer. Exit signs made of stain glass.
- Original color
scheme was "old rose and gold with touches
of blue".
- In this era before
the "talkies" became fashionable the
theatre accommodated movies and vaudeville and in
later years public meetings and during World War
II, benefit performances. Nelson Eddy, Ethel
Barrymore, Victor Borge and Lena Horne and the
Calgary Philharmonic played The Palace.
- In 1922, Calgary's
first public exhibition of radio took place when
the Calgary Herald inaugurated its radio station,
later known as CFAC, at the Palace.
- October 11, 1925
William Aberhart launched his first radio
broadcast of "Back to the Bible Hour"
from the Palace stage.
- On December 10,
1928, the world premier of the western "His
Destiny", written, produced and filmed
locally. Calgary socialite, Mary Cross appeared
in the movie as did Barbara Kent, a Hollywood
starlet born in Castor, Alberta.
- 1929 taken over by
Famous Players.
- February 28, 1974
The Exorcist opens and breaks opening day house
record grossing $10,000
- February 8, 1990
the theatre closed. Last movie was "Tango
and Cash" starring Kurt Russell and
Sylvestre Stallone.
- 1993 used as a
movie set for Legends of the Fall starring
Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt.
- Various plans for
renovation discussed between 1976 and 1996. At
present there are no plans for appropriate re-use
of the building.
- Designated a
Provincial Historic Resource in May 1996.
- Much of the
original architectural detail of Calgary's oldest
surviving movie theatre remains intact. The
Palace is one of only a few remaining examples of
this grand old style of theatre architecture in
Canada.
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