History in motion at Oliver’s iconic theatre

By Tracy David Sim, Times-Chronicle

 

The world has always been a bit upside down, whether it’s wars or rumours of war in far off places or turbulence at work or on the home front.  The local theatre has always been a place to escape with family and friends for a couple hours to galaxies far, far away or on horseback in a western.  

 

While our current times have prompted many to choose a different type of viewing experience at home through streaming services, it isn’t the same as attending a movie in person with fellow story travellers seeking the shared experience.  

Old movie houses have long inspired documentarians, filmmakers, and artists from multiple generations in art and films, such as 1988’s, Cinema Paradiso, about a projectionist’s love of cinema he shares with a young boy escaping his war-torn village in Italy.

The Oliver Theatre has attracted its own share of celebrities over the years.  David and Christine Lesmeister remembered the time when David Suzuki was in town and he bought a pizza across the street and came in late so nobody would recognize him.  He sat in the back of the theatre and ate pizza while he watched the movie.  Nicolas Cage also dropped by while he was in town shooting a film called, The Humanity Bureau. 

And they remembered the time Atom Egoyan was in the area shooting, The Sweet Hereafter, and toured the projection booth while making his own home movie about the experience.  And actor Jack Black’s father was another memorable visit, the Lesmeister’s recalled, from his home just south of Osoyoos, in Washington State.   

 

 

The Oliver Theatre is located at 6387 Main Street in Oliver.  It was opened in 1946 by its original owners, Alex and Dolly Gough, who sought to bring the movie going experience to the South Okanagan during the post war period.

 

 

In 1964, the theatre was sold to the theatre’s longest owners, Luke and Angie Lesmeister, who owned and operated the theatre until son David and daughter-in-law Christine took over in 1976, keeping the theatre in the family until 2018 when it was sold to current owners, Lyle Miller and Kandise Ife.

 

 

We caught up with Miller at a recent showing of West Side Story which seemed like a nostalgic fit with its late fifties atmosphere throughout.  

 

 

While movie theatres sell dreams and imagination, today’s current realities are pressing for theatres world-wide.  As distribution models have rapidly advanced, giving us at-home access to streaming of new releases, similar changes are happening in theatres as well.  Now, even shipped hard drives are behind us, says Miller.  Theatres now pay for timed downloads of new releases, making it even more convenient for operators.

 

 

Miller regularly shows the venue to school groups and other fans of old movie theatres.  The old film storage bin caught our eye as real film that used to be projected has been gone for a long time.  Graffiti was encouraged by the previous owners and Lyle showed me an inscription from an employee c.1946. 

 

 

The Vancouver Sun clock is also a retro and valued relic for many who have sought to purchase the old clock.  

 

 

The curved exterior of the building has remained the same since it opened, as seen in the archival photo from its heyday.  If you haven’t seen a movie in person in a long time, the Oliver Theatre is a great choice.