Robert Fairfield
Fallen Empires is a stage history of theatre in Edmonton from the early days to 1914. Following a brief chapter on early Meeting Halls, the author proceeds to a lively history of Robertson Hall and The Thistle Arena, which he concludes by citing The Edmonton Bulletin's account of a fire that destroyed the former in 1906, going on to note, 'The Opera House burned with a fury that made its departure the most vivid moment of its career'. Next is a discussion of the first Empire Theatre, The Edmonton Opera House, the Kevin, the Orpheum, the Grand, the second Empire Theatre and other less notable establishments, all of which are reviewed by Orrell against a shifting background of sponsors and managers who came and went, along with a procession of largely forgettable playbills.
The book then deals with vaudeville and movie houses, culminating in The Pantages Theatre, constructed in 1913, for a then substantial sum of about $250,000. The author observes that the new Pantages was unremarkable by world standards, yet it was 'the most exciting theatre Edmonton had ever seen, or indeed was ever likely to see'. In what strikes one as something of a contradiction, Orrell goes on to condemn the Pantages as inferior to the Empire for the presentation of serious drama.
A good description of the Pantages interiors is given by Orrell, as though from an examination of the original drawings or copies of them. It is not clear from the book if that is so, however, or if the author's description of the place came from looking at later interior photographs. In any case it is perhaps worth observing here that primary reference data on long since demolished theatre buildings is notoriously scarce, but when it is found, great pains should be taken to record from whence it came.
In his Preface, the author observes that 'only when the history of the theatre in such cities as Calgary and Regina comes to be written shall we begin to see how these circuits worked to constitute the entertainment and indeed the urban cultural life of western Canada. ...' As little else appeared by way of cultural stimulus save from such weekly journals as The Family Herald & Weekly Star, Orrell's presumption is likely well founded, however damaging or stultifying the wholesale importation of cultural fare might have been. John Orrell gives us a taste of this fascinating mix of cultural and social background in a book that reads through all its complexities like a lively and entertaining narrative history.