Historic Victoria Advertisements
Movies & Theatre – 1910-1919
The opening night of the Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton Street, was 105 years ago, on Friday, 29 December 1913.
As part of our series on Historic Victoria Advertisements, Movies & Theatre, 1910-1919 here are two December 1913 advertisements for the opening night of the then new Royal Victoria Theatre, now the Royal Theatre, which is still in operation at 805 Broughton Street.
The production staged on Friday, 29 December 1913, the opening night of the new Royal Victoria Theatre, was the play Kismet, starring the American actor Otis Skinner (1858-1942).
December 1913 advertisement for the opening night of the Royal Victoria Theatre (now the Royal Theatre), 29 December 1913 (Victoria Online Sightseeing Tours collection)
Otis Skinner had performed the role of of Hajj the beggar in the 1911 Broadway production of Kismet and he recreated that role in movie productions of Kismet in 1920 and 1930.
Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton Street. Built in 1913.
The following advertisement for the opening night of the Royal Victoria Theatre also appeared in local newspapers, asking theatre patrons to consider buying shares, at $5.00 per share, in the Victoria Opera House Company, which had built the Royal Victoria Theatre, to help finance the theatre’s construction.
December 1913 advertisement for the opening night of the Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton Street. Note how the Directors of the company which built the theatre are asking theatre patrons to purchase shares in the theatre at 5.00 per share to help finance construction (Victoria Online Sightseeing Tours collection)
As noted in the advertisement, the President of the Victoria Opera House Company was Simon Leiser, a leading figure in Victoria business. Simon Leiser’s company built 524 Yates Street in 1896 as its office and warehouse and Simon Leiser‘s house, designed by architect Samuel Maclure, is still standing at 1005 St. Charles Street.
The Leiser Building at 524 Yates Street, built as a warehouse for Simon Leiser in 1896
1005 St. Charles Street, built by architect Samuel Maclure in 1910-11 for Simon Leiser.
Movie Versions Of Kismet
The 1930 film of Otis Skinner in Kismet has apparently been lost. But here is a short video of amateur footage shot on the set:
Here is a short slideshow of photos and memorabilia of the 1930 “lost movie” of Kismet with Otis Skinner and Loretta Young:
Here is official Warner Brothers trailer for Kismet, featuring Marlene Dietrich and starring Ronald Colman as Hafiz (Hajj), the role Otis Skinner played in the December 1913 Victoria stage production:
Here is another trailer for the 1955 MGM production of Kismet:
Here is a trailer for a September 2018 Bollywood release of Qismet
Here is an earlier 1943 Bollywood version of Kismet:
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