History
1939 WAS A YEAR OF CINEMA MAGIC!!!
Film historians call 1939: "The greatest year in the history of Hollywood". Film offerings included: Gone With the Wind; The Wizard of Oz; Stagecoach; Of Mice and Men; Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; Goodbye Mr. Chips.
1939 was also the year that Canada established the National Film Commission - the predecessor to The National Film Board of Canada.
Cinema magic was also in the air in the thriving gold mining community of Kirkland Lake. On March 6, 1939 The LaSalle Theatre opened to the public.
The LaSalle was designed by
Harle B. Long, a local Kirkland Lake architect; it was financed and
constructed by KL investors who formed "Cinemas Rousson-Trudeau Ltd."
The contractors and suppliers who contributed to the construction of the
LaSalle were all local Kirkland Lake businesses and trades people.
The LaSalle was a state of the art facility intended to present first run films and live theatrical productions. It was constructed at a cost of $125,000.00 in 1939.
In its first incarnation the LaSalle: presented 3 new programs weekly; booked films and live performances provided through "RKO Vaudeville" and local talent; ran continuous showings from 1:00 p.m. daily; and presented 3 weekly midnight shows.
Alas, this ambitious
schedule was cut short by the onset of World War II. The LaSalle closed
in mid 1940 and was used as a Pentecostal Tabernacle until it re-opened
as a first run film theatre in 1945.
The theatre operated from 1945
(with several short closures) until January of 2012 - when it finally closed.
The LaSalle Theatre is one of the very few intact remaining Art Deco theatres in North America; this is due to the dedication of the original owners, the Kaplan family and their associated companies (who puchased the theatre in 1945), Wendy Sadoquis (who purchased the theatre in the mid 80's and ran it for 17 years), and Robert Kasner and family (who purchased the theatre in the early 2000's) and who undertook several important renovations including an overhaul of the original electrical system.
As of May 22, 2013 the LaSalle Theatre is now under the ownership of "SaveTheLasalle" - a non profit corporation.
