Modern movie theatres might have reclining seats, arcades in the lobby, and reserved seating, but none boast the nostalgia of the Garneau Theatre.
Over the decades, the 109th Street institution, which celebrates its 85th anniversary on Oct. 24, has endured multiple ownership changes, redevelopment attempts that would have erased its original architecture and plans in the ‘90s to make it a sports-themed restaurant. But the historical movie theatre – with its restored Art Deco façade — survived them all to become the city’s last operating independent theatre.
“I’ve spoken with a lot of people who have been coming here for decades,” says Dan Smith, executive director of Metro Cinema, the not-for-profit society that has run the theatre since 2011. “They remember walking across the street from the Garneau School and watching movies in the ’60s. They came here for their first date with the person they’re now (here) celebrating a big anniversary with. People just have really strong, powerful memories of this place and it transcends generations.”
The theatre is celebrating those collective memories with a 12-hour movie marathon dubbed “One Helluva Night.” The Oct. 24 event starts at 7 p.m. with America Graffiti and ends with a 5:10 a.m. screening of Gremlins 2: The New Batch.
The throughline connecting all six titles? “They take place over one night or in a 24-hour period,” Smith explains. “We wanted to make sure that we had some classic films that people would have seen before and can enjoy again and then some others that maybe they’ve never seen.”
Smith anticipates moviegoers will pop in and out throughout the night, but they hope some will come prepared to hunker down for the entire run. And while he’s had a taste of a multi-movie event with the Garneau’s Middle Earth Monday screening of all three Lord of the Rings back in May, a marathon of this magnitude is new to him.
“I’m going to be there the whole time,” he says, “helping out with a variety of stuff. We’ve got snacks, a door prize, various activities. This will be a first for me too.”
The celebration certainly won’t be its last — not even close. Even though the trend across Canada has seen independent theatres shuttering — including the Princess Theatre on Whyte Avenue — the society’s members, the neighbourhood, and Edmonton cinephiles behind the Garneau theatre will help usher it through another decade.
One Helluva Night shows at the Garneau Theatre on Oct. 24 starting at 7 p.m, but you can drop in anytime until 7 a.m Saturday.
