Theatre of Paramount Consumption

general information

This site was developed as a project for the study of material culture of Canada. It was written and designed by Cavan Huang, a fourth year History and Urban Systems undergraduate at McGill University. The course "The Material Culture of Canada", is taught in the McGill architecture faculty by Professor Rhona Kenneally.

For more information about movie theatres, material culture or McGill University check out some of the sources or visit the relevant websites below.

. . . . . .

relevant websites

AMC Theatres Incorporated

Dolby Laboratories Incorporated

Famous Players Theatres Incorporated
- Paramount Montreal

Loews Cineplex Odeon Entertainment Incorporated

Lucasfilm THX

Material Culture of Canada Course Webpage

McCord Museum of Canadian History

McGill University

Scéno-Plus Incorporated

Students' Society of McGill University

. . . . . .

endnotes

1. Valentine, Maggie. The Show Starts on the Sidewalk.
New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994. 171-177

2. Carr, David. "Luring audiences back to the cinema"
Marketing v. 104, n. 2. (18 January 1999): 12

3. Interview with Andrew Wagner, Famous Players Corporate
Public Relations. 416-969-6942. (November 1999)

4. Lankin, Dane. Montreal Movie Palaces
Waterloo: Penumbra Press, 1993. 56-57.

5. Ibid. 59.

6. Ibid. 56. 57.

7. Naylor, David. Great American Movie Theatres
Washington D.C.: The Preservation Press, 1987. 212.

8. Naylor, David. American Picture Palaces - The
Architecture of Fantasy. Toronto: Van Nostrand
Reinhold Company. 1981. 168.

9. Ibid. 168.

10. Valentine. The Show Starts on the Sidewalk. 181.

11. Lankin. Montreal Movie Palaces. 104.

12. Valentine. The Show Starts on the Sidewalk. 182.

13. Papadakis, Andreas. "Introduction." Architecture of Today
eds. Dubost, Jean-Claude and Jean-François
Gonthier, London: Academy Editions, 1991. 7.

14. News Release. "Scéno Plus designs the big experience:
      Famous Players opens the Paramount Montréal"
      Source: Maurice Rhéaume - Scéno Plus Marketing
    and Communications - 514-529-4364.

15. Ibid.

16. Ibid.

17. Ibid.

18. In their books on Movie Picture Palaces, Dane Lankin, John Lindsay and David Naylor, all imply that aesthetics and technology were primary attractions to movie theatres.

19. Quoted by Hustak, Alan. in "Ornate old picture palace going
strong as a cinema" The Gazette (22 April 1989)

20. Cloutier, Mario. 1993. "L'imperial: le plus vieux cinéma de
Montréal a 80 ans". LaPresse (24 April 1993)

21. Article. "Movies and sounds of the theatres"
Montreal Star (8 March 1930)

22. Lamonde, Yvan and Pierre-François Hébert. Le cinéma
   au Québec - Essai de stastitique historique. Québec:
     Institut Québécois de Recherche sur la Culture, 1981.
     Tableau 3 - Salles Commerciales et Salles-écrans, sieges,
     revenus et montant de la taxe d'amusement.

23. Lankin. Montreal Movie Palaces. 59.

24. News Release. "Famous Players Paramount Montréal"
Fact sheet. Source: Andrew Wagner - Famous
Players Corporate Public Relations - 416-969-6942

25. News Release. "Paramount Montréal Unveilled at Last!"
Source: Jean Rickli - Famous Players VP,
Eastern Operations - 514-851-6018

26. Chidley, Joe. "Attack of the monster cinemas."
Canadian Business. v. 71 n. 20, (11 December 1998): 27

27. Valentine. The Show Starts on the Sidewalk. 182.

28. Ibid. 182.

29. Lamonde. Le Cinéma au Québec. Tableau 3.

30. Chidley. "Attack of the monster cinemas." 28.

31. Carr. "Luring audiences back to the cinema" 12.

32. Deziel, Shanda. "Megaplex mania" Maclean's v. 112,
n. 12. (22 March 1999) 46.

33. Pevere, Geoff et al. "Good, the bad and the gigantic: a
consumer's guide to the city's best and worst movie
theatres." Toronto Life v.33 n.10.(July 1999):73.

34. Myers, David G. Social Psychology. 5e.
Montreal: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1996. 319.

35. Interview with Jean-François Legrand. Famous Players
Paramount Theatre Manager. 514-842-0549.
(September 1999).

photo credits

fig 1.1 - From Andrew Wagner Famous Players Corporate Public Relations: Anonymous (1999). Collection, Famous Players.

fig 2.1 - a) W.W.K. (1913) Notman Photographic Archives of the McCord Museum of Canadian History, Montreal. b) From Dane Lankin's Montreal Movie Palaces p.55: Anonymous (1953). Collection, Famous Players.

fig 2.2 - Anonymous (1935) Notman Photographic Archives of the McCord Museum of Canadian History, Montreal.

fig 2.3 - Both from David Naylor's Great American Movie Theatres p. 213: Cathe Centorbe, (1931) San Francisco.

fig 2.4 - Cavan Huang (1999), Montreal.

fig 2.5 - From Dane Lankin's Montreal Movie Palaces p. 167: Julie Greto (1987) Montreal.

fig 2.6 - Cavan Huang (1999), Montreal.

fig 2.7 - Top: Famous Player's Paramount Montreal Website. Bottom: Cavan Huang (1999), Montreal.

fig 2.8 - From Andrew Wagner Famous Players Corporate Public Relations: Anonymous (1999). Collection, Famous Players.

fig 3.1 - Same as 2.1 a)

fig 3.2 - From Dane Lankin's Montreal Movie Palaces p.21: From Montreal Herald, (Saturday September 1 1928). Montreal.

fig 3.3 - From Roland Cote. "De magnifiques scenes dans "The Robe" en cinémascope" La Presse (30 October 1953). Montreal.

fig 3.4 - From Andrew Wagner Famous Players Corporate Public Relations: Anonymous (1999). Collection, Famous Players.

fig 3.5 - Cavan Huang (1999), Montreal.

fig 3.6 - Famous Players Paramount Flyer: "Open your eyes - Paramount is in town" (1999), Montreal.

fig 5.1 - Cavan Huang (1999), Montreal.

fig 5.2 - From Andrew Wagner Famous Players Corporate Public Relations: Anonymous (1999). Collection, Famous Players.

fig 5.3 - From David Naylor's American Picture Palaces p. 168: Anonymous (1932) Theatre Historical Society. b) From Andrew Wagner Famous Players Corporate Public Relations: Anonymous (1999). Collection, Famous Players.

fig 5.4 a) From Dane Lankin's Montreal Movie Palaces p.100: Millar Studio, Montreal (c. 1940) Collection, Famous Players.. b) From Andrew Wagner Famous Players Corporate Public Relations: Anonymous (1999). Collection, Famous Players.

bibliography

Article. "Movies and sounds of the theatres"
Montreal Star (8 March 1930)

Carr, David. "Luring audiences back to the cinema"
Marketing v. 104, n. 2. (18 January 1999): 12

Cloutier, Mario. 1993. "L'imperial: le plus vieux cinéma de
Montréal a 80 ans". LaPresse (24 April 1993)

Chidley, Joe. "Attack of the monster cinemas."
Canadian Business. v. 71 n. 20, (11 December 1998):
26-8, 30+

Cote, Roland. "De magnifiques scenes dans "The Robe"
en cinémascope" La Presse (30 October 1953)

Deziel, Shanda. "Megaplex mania" Maclean's v. 112,
n. 12. (22 March 1999) 46.

Hustak, Alan. "Ornate old picture palace going strong as
a cinema" The Gazette (22 April 1989)

Lamonde, Yvan and Pierre-François Hébert. Le cinéma
au Québec - Essai de stastitique historique. Québec:
Institut Québécois de Recherche sur la Culture, 1981.

Lankin, Dane. Montreal Movie Palaces
Waterloo: Penumbra Press, 1993.

Lindsay, John C. Turn out the stars before leaving
Erin, ON: Boston Mills Press, 1983.

Myers, David G. Social Psychology. 5e.
Montreal: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1996.

Naylor, David. American Picture Palaces - The
Architecture of Fantasy. Toronto: Van Nostrand
Reinhold Company. 1981.

Naylor, David. Great American Movie Theatres
Washington D.C.: The Preservation Press, 1987.

News Release. "Scéno Plus designs the big experience:
    Famous Players opens the Paramount Montréal"
    Source: Maurice Rhéaume - Scéno Plus Marketing
    and Communications - 514-529-4364.

News Release. "Famous Players Paramount Montréal"
Fact sheet. Source: Andrew Wagner - Famous
Players Corporate Public Relations - 416-969-6942

News Release. "Famous Players Paramount Montréal Experiences Big Success on Opening Weekend"
(22 June 1999) Famous Players Website

News Release. "Paramount Montréal Unveilled at Last!"
Source: Jean Rickli - Famous
Players VP, Eastern Operations - 514-851-6018

Papadakis, Andreas. "Introduction." Architecture of Today
eds. Dubost, Jean-Claude and Jean-François
Gonthier, London: Academy Editions, 1991.

Pevere, Geoff et al. "Good, the bad and the gigantic: a
consumer's guide to the city's best and worst movie
theatres." Toronto Life v.33 n.10.(July 1999):72-80,82+

Valentine, Maggie. The Show Starts on the Sidewalk.
New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994.

Wasko, Janet. Hollywood in the Information Age. 5e.
Oxford: Polity Press, Blackwell Publishers, 1994.

. . . . . .

interviews

Legrand, Jean-François. Famous Players Paramount
Theatre Manager. 514-842-0549. (September 1999)

Wagner, Andrew. Famous Players Corporate Public
Relations. 416-969-6942. (November 1999)