A wonderful Motion Picture World Premiere for Port Arthur and Fort William was none other than the Walt Disney classic "The Incredible Journey". This film was premiered in Port Arthur and Fort William on November 4, 1963 because the author Sheila Burnford was a Port Arthur resident for more than 15 years. Canadian publishers rejected the film because it lacked a love interest, however the book was accepted with open arms by the British film industry and the United States film industry.
The film premiered in Port Arthur simultaneously at the Paramount Theatre and the Odeon Theatre and following that, it was also shown at the Odeon Theatre in Fort William
Here is a photograph of the author Sheila Burnford taken near the time of the world premiere.
The Following is a short biography of Ms Burnford. More on Ms Burnford on wikipedia and the Internet. Click on all items for enlargements.
The Lakehead cities of Fort William had its share of world premiere's through the years and HR&J will endeavor to add a few more blog posts over time regarding these films.
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2 comments:
My grandparents at the time were the custodians of the post office right across the street from the theatre. I was 7 at the time and I remember watching this event from one of the higher floor windows. It was pretty exciting!!
Yes...it sure was an exciting event for small town Port Arthur and Fort William...thanks for your comment Brenda.
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