Oak Bay Theatre
"Temple of Refined Entertainment and Education"
— self advertising

Duncan Macphail / Image I-01574 courtesy of Royal BC Museum, BC Archives
OAK BAY THEATRE — 1947
2184 Oak Bay Avenue


The Oak Bay Theatre opened in 1936 to become the second motion picture theatre built in the municipality. The first, the Avenue Theatre, opened in 1913 but closed its doors at the onset of the Depression in the late 1920s or early 1930s.
For decades the Oak Bay Theatre was an integral part of community life. It was even used by the schools to show curricula-related films.
In 1986, after fifty years of entertaining and educating, the Oak Bay Theatre was gutted and converted to office/retail space.
The "Oak Bay Theatre" sign remains standing as a poignant reminder of a more leisurely age with different priorities.


PHOTOGRAPHS

Click on image to see enlargement
Kids' Show
Wheelbarrow Races
On Stage

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ARTIFACTS

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PROGRAM, NEWSPAPER AD, PROMOTION, ETC
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RECOLLECTIONS

Recollections may be abridged for length and/or clarity

In the 1950s, the Oak Bay Theatre was run by Mr. Tyler (lived on Hampshire) who installed state of the art equipment for the time. He was a very friendly man and enjoyed a good business for many years. When the Bank of Montreal moved from its location on the corner of Hampshire and Oak Bay Avenue, Mr. Tyler and his son opened Tyler's Men's Wear.
We used to attend the Oak Bay Theatre every Friday night in the days before TV, no matter what was on. It was the only theatre where filmgoers waited outside in their bedroom slippers.
It was the only theatre
where filmgoers waited outside
in their bedroom slippers.
The first movie I took in at the Oak Bay was A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court with William Bendix and Bing Crosby in 1949.
There were all kinds of problems including film breaks so they showed a cartoon while splicing the celluloid back together.
My mother remembered as a child attending silent movies in the little brick theatre [Avenue Theatre] at the corner of Foul Bay Road and Oak Bay Avenue.
— Richard Goodall, OBHS class of 1960

* * *
Mom and Dad would take me to the Oak Bay Theatre twice a week for yet another J Arthur Rank Organization picture show.
I became very familiar with the English actors of the Pinewood Studios i.e. Trevor Howard, Nigel Patrick, Phyllis Calvert, Guy Middleton, Margaret Rutherford and her Belles from St Trinian's and my favorite was an early picture with Stewart Granger playing Paganini — I think the film was called The Magic Bow. Wonderful soundtrack if still available.
I became very familiar
with the English actors of the
Pinewood Studios.
My sister, Pat Abbott, is eleven years my senior and she was also taken twice weekly to the OB Theatre. We would make a terrific movie trivia team I'm told!
— Mike Gibbs, OBHS class of 1960

* * *
I saw the first movie I can remember attending in the Oak Bay Theatre. It was Gallant Bess, a soppy movie about a horse.
My mother loved the Frances The Talking Mule movies and I attended a couple of them with her. The one I remember most vividly was Frances Goes to War.
We went to
the Oak Bay Theatre during english class
to see the original black and white
Romeo and Juliet.
We went to the Oak Bay Theatre during english class to see the original black and white Romeo and Juliet.
— Tom Miles, OBHS class of 1960

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SUBMISSIONS

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