Perfect opening of King's Theatre sabotaged

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

The King’s Theatre opened in December of 1913 on Queen Street at the corner of Denis Street.

It was designed by Drew and Gourlay Architects and was meant to resemble the English-style theatres, specifically the Imperial Theatre in Montreal and the Stand in Toronto. The theatre was managed by John Backus who was originally from Moose Jaw and was a business partner with Alfred W. Mayberry. 

In preparation for the opening, Backus insisted that no detail be overlooked and in a Sault Star article from Sept. 22, 1913, he outlined his reasons why. 

“In a city the size of [the] Sault it is a necessity to give the people diversified entertainment”, Mr. Backus continued, “Whatever we put on, whether it is vaudeville, grand opera or photoplays we assure the public that it will be the best procurable”. 

The new theatre aimed to impress the residents of the city and boasted between $17,000 - $80,000 worth of furnishings and used two Powers 6A projecting machines which were the best available at the time. Backus also stated that the building was of “fire-proof construction” and would have a seating capacity of approximately 1,000 people. 

However, on opening night on Dec. 1, 1913, the King’s Theatre was unable to give its opening performance as planned. The reason for this, as explained by Mr. Backus, was because some unknown assailant had tampered with the motor generator.

In a Dec. 12, 1913, article, Mr. Backus said that one of the projector lenses and a lens holder was missing with a twisted skeleton key in the lock of the door. The manager of the Gayety Theatre provided Mr. Backus with a replacement lens to repair the issue.

However, the next problem involved the fuses in the projector machine. They had been damaged and the staff could not find the backup fuses.

Electricians R.J. Aikens and William Gorby were called in to correct the issue and thought they had everything fixed. When the projector was started again, it seized and after inspecting it, they ound that there was dirt and grit in the machine causing it to seize.

Mr. Backus specified that three trial runs of the film were conducted with no issues prior to the evening event. 

“That last accident may have been only a coincidence, a final stroke of fate, and it is only because of the other happenings that anything else can be suspected,” he said. 

Staff worked until 9 p.m. on opening night to try to correct the issue but were unable to do so.

In the Sault Star on Dec. 2, 1913, Mr. Backus offered a reward of $100 for information that would lead to the identity and conviction of the individual responsible for the tampering.

However, this statement prompted a reply by Ed Walker, the manager of the Orpheum Theatre in the Sault Star on Dec. 4, 1913.

In response to Mr. Backus’ claims of tampering with the machine, Walker says, “If the attempt on the motion picture was dastardly, it was no more so than the effort of Mr. Backus to ascribe the incident to other showmen of their malice aforethought apparently in an effort to secure business through the channel of sympathy on the one hand, and by discrediting rival houses on the other hand."

He would later state in his piece “If I might offer my own suggestion regarding the matter, the machine had not been run sufficiently to get it into working trim, and anyone who has any knowledge of a moving picture machine will support me when I say that a machine should be run for a clear day at least before a film is put into it.”

It was never revealed if anyone come forward with information about who was responsible for tampering with the machine, or if in fact, anyone had actually done so.

The King Theatre remained in operation until 1925 when its doors closed.

Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provides SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

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