Leader settlers enjoyed the theatre

By Joan Janzen

Back in 1917, residents of Leader, Saskatchewan, were able to enjoy an evening out at the theatre. The featured movie showing at the time the photo was taken was called “Mixed Blood,” a 1916 silent western film accompanied by piano music.

German immigrants began arriving in the Leader area around 1907. Most of them came from southern Russia. The village of Prussia was incorporated after the Canadian Pacific Railway came through in 1913. However, in 1917 the German name was changed to Leader, a more English-sounding alternative.

Leader’s history book,’ Pages from the Past,’ makes note of a new arrival named Fred Reumper, who built a theatre because he believed Leader needed a few luxuries. The theatre was quite modern for that era, sporting a sloping floor and fastened-down cushioned seats. Candy, popcorn and refreshments were available at a concession, and admission was a whopping 35 cents for adults and 20 cents for children. However, any energetic young person could gain free admission if they agreed to sweep the floor after the movie was over.

Movies were shown three nights a week. A young lady named Mable Shori played the piano for silent films, and Eva Bonn was recorded as the first ticket seller. Unfortunately, the theatre building was destroyed by fire in 1920.

That year, Massey Harris Implements opened, and in 1927 it was converted into Leader Lux Theatre. A man named Mr. Weir, along with Hank Well, ran the silent movies; later, Phil Sherman and Henry Sherman were operators for the movies. Eventually, the building became the town’s community hall, where movies were still shown.

According to the online Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, the names of settlers who may have enjoyed watching films at the Leader theatre are family names which are still familiar to the area. Those names include: Bischoff, Blehm, Deering, Deines, Doran, Dorsey, Elsasser, Frank, Fuchs, Heddinger, Holstein, Keil, May, Meier, Morasch, Riehl, Rossman, Scheck, Schimpf, Schmunk, Stricker and Wunsch.

The building which previously housed Leader’s theatre is located at 152 - 1st Street West, where Leader Agri-Motive conducts business.