The Walker Theatre in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Luxurious Building Proclaimed First Fireproof Theatre in Canada
Mar 29, 2009
The simple exterior was deceiving. The outer walls were plain, the colour unassuming. Inside the Walker Theatre, an expanse of luxurious opulence met the visitor. Constructed with proper acoustics in mind, the auditorium was shaped like a mega-phone with a 60-foot-high ceiling. Built by owner Corliss Powers Walker and designed by Montreal architect Howard C. Stone, the stage was an expansive 80 feet wide and 40 feet deep. It had “a huge fly tower and broad wings to accommodate the comings and goings of large companies and elaborate stage sets,” according to the Canadian Encyclopedia.
While the main auditorium was filled with rows of cushy seats, the highest balcony was appointed with wooden benches to permit lower-priced seating so that all could afford to attend the theatre. Silk tapestry, crystal chandeliers, gilt trim and striking murals added to the luxury of the auditorium and lounges. The grand building opened its doors in 1907, said the Manitoba Historical Society, at an expense of over a quarter of a million dollars.
Walker Theatre Constructed with Fire Safety
Safety was a priority for Walker, after a disastrous fire in a Chicago theatre in 1903 left over 600 people dead. Concrete and terra cotta was used to cover structural pieces. Walls of the 1,798 seat-auditorium were built of brick, floors were made of concrete and covered with fire-resistant wool carpeting, and metal and slate were used for staircases. Metal doors were installed between rooms to hinder smoke and flames. Walker declared his playhouse the first fireproof theatre in the Dominion of Canada.
Corliss Walker a Theatre Promoter
Corliss Walker and his wife Harriet crossed the border to Canada from Fargo, North Dakota in 1897. Walker, born in Vermont on September 19, 1853, was a businessman and theatre promoter, developing the “Red River Valley Theatre Circuit” in the United States; Harriet was a New York actress and partner in her husband's work. (She was born in 1865 in New York City.) Winnipeg was known as “American's gateway to the Northwest” - the Northern Pacific Railway's most northern terminal was located in the city. Famous theatrical and musical stars boarded the train to perform at the Walker Theatre. Al Jolson, Will Rogers, Jack Benny, the George Burns and Gracie Allen team, even Harry Houdini played the Walker. Magnificent performances entertained the Winnipeg crowd, including Carmen, Peter Pan, Pygmalion and Ben Hur, complete with live horses and chariots on treadmills.
Harriet Walker a New York Actress
As publicist for the Walker Theatre group, Harriet Walker was a driving force behind her husband. She gave advice on creative questions, “managed temperamental artists,” and participated in business decisions, said Politics – Tell Me More on Parks Canada. She also wrote theatre columns for Winnipeg publications. A talented artist herself, Harriet directed the Winniped Operatic Society in 1908, and “mentored, directed and taught” at the University of Manitoba's Dramatic Society from 1914 to 1921. (The Walkers had two children, George and Ruth.) Known as a prominent suffragist for women's and working-class rights, Harriet encouraged political events at the famous Walker Theatre. The great Women's Parliament play, satirizing a mock Parliament, by famous suffragist Nellie McClung, caused a stir in January 1914, as did the use of the building for the Walker Theatre Meeting, an event that led to the Winniped General Strike in 1918. Such participation resulted in the temporary black-listing of the theatre by local authorities.
Walker Theatre Closed in 1933
The Walker Theatre chain boomed until the new moving pictures took over the entertainment world. The number of available professional theatrical productions dropped due to the success of movies, eventually causing a switch to British plays, amateur shows and eventually film. Corliss Walker closed the Walker Theatre in 1933 and it was taken over by the City of Winnipeg in 1936 in lieu of unpaid taxes. Corliss Walker died in Winnipeg in 1942, Harriet Walker died in 1943.
Converted to a movie house with a single screen, the Walker Theatre became the Odeon movie theatre, showing movies for decades until 1990. It was reborn as live-performance theatre again in 1991, after undergoing a long-overdue restoration. The Walker Theatre was given recognition as a historical and architectural site by the Government of Canada in the same year. It is now named the Burton Cummings Theatre for Performing Arts.
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