\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRobert McInnes postcard collection<\/p>\n
The Orpheum Theatre on Fort Street is depicted in this undated photo.<\/p><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n
Each week, a new travelling show featuring several acts arrived. The fare was typical of vaudeville with a mix of dancers, singers, musicians, acrobats, comedians, and the odd animal show.<\/p>\n
Winnipeggers got to see many entertainers who would go on to much greater fame.<\/p>\n
The “4 Marx Brothers” appeared three times in 1917, 1920, and 1922. The next time they were seen in town was on the silver screen in 1929.<\/p>\n
Teenage dance duo Fred and Adele Astaire came in 1912 and 1917. Another dancer, Bill (Bojangles) Robinson, appeared four times in the 1920s.<\/p>\n
Other entertainers included comedian W. C. Fields, singer and comedian Fanny Brice, and George Burns with Gracie Allen. One of the Orpheum’s most anticipated shows was that of Sarah Bernhardt and her troupe in 1912. Another strong draw was escape artist Harry Houdini, who shared the bill with comedian Jack Benny in 1923.<\/p>\n\n
Helen Keller, with teacher Anne Sullivan, came in 1921 to address the crowd and answer questions. Newspaper reviews called her captivating and witty.<\/p>\n
Vaudeville’s popularity declined through the 1920s as movies became the public’s entertainment of choice. To survive, Orpheum’s parent company went through a series of corporate mergers that resulted in the creation of the Radio-Keith-Orpheum Corporation (RKO), which went on to be one of Hollywood’s big five movie studios.<\/p>\n
RKO struck a deal with Famous Players Canada in 1929 to run its Canadian operations. It decided to centralize movies and vaudeville at the Capitol Theatre on Donald Street. By 1933, the Orpheum, rechristened the RKO-Winnipeg, had become a theatre for rent, hosting everything from religious sermons to boxing matches and eventually was closed.<\/p>\n
The Orpheum reopened in 1936 to show movies, host the odd travelling live show, and serve as a stage for rent. In the 1940s, it was leased out as an army recruitment office and a venue for shows to entertain troops.<\/p>\n
In January 1946, Famous Players sold the Orpheum to a group of local businessmen on the understanding that the building would be torn down.<\/p>\n\n
Its final show was held on February 10, 1946. It was the 235th and final performance of the City Hydro concert troupe, a musical revue featuring local singers, dancers, and musicians that had travelled the province to entertain troops and their families during the war.<\/p>\n
The Orpheum was demolished later that year, and the land became a surface parking lot. In the 1970s, it was incorporated into the Winnipeg Square development.<\/p>