Glacier County chief., 1939-07-14
Dave yegen, Owner Of Building il
Highly compIimsated on Style
And Architecture

Next Thursday evening, July 20,
the 18th year jubilee anniversary of
the movie business here, Mrs. En-
ma DesRosier will open the Park
Theater in nice new modern
building in Browning. The showing
will be "Gunga Din" for the open
ing night and Friday and Satur-
day.
The first picture show was open
ed quarter century ago by Peter
DesRosier. A frame building equip
ped to seat $50 people housed a
hand-operated movie machine. The
place was lighted with small pri-
vate lighting plant powered direct
to the generator from small Fair
banks-Morse engine which at times
was lazy and refused to complete
the evenings run and often caused
the audience to sit for some time in
darkness while the operator rush.
ed to the engine room to coax the
engine to work again. Ed Filler
was the first operator. He is now
living in Havre.
On one side of the picture show
building was a sheet-iron covered
garage and on the other side the
harness and leather shop of the
Browning Saddlery Company. In
January. 1920, fire completely de-
stroyed the entire group of build
ings.
The following July Mr. DesRosier
had a new and better showhouse
built on the site of the old one,
ready to bring better pictures to
the village of Browning. The first
one had benches along the sides of
the walls and across from side to
side. The new one had upholster-
ed and folding chairs, much more
comfortable and more conveniently
placed. This show house was
equipped with stage, and often
presented other than movie shows.
When this -place=was- opened a
used Mr.. DesRosier employed
Morning Gun, Bear Head and Many
Tail Feathers to do his advertising.
These three old Indians covered the
town and community, telling per-
son to person of the coming shows
and always filled the house on show
nights. Their compensation for this
service was for a each a reserved
seat at any and all shows for life,
and as long as each lived he was
always seen in his place at the show.
When the show house was first
opened for business it was during
the time when the law was solely
in the hands of the Indian agent
and Arthur E. McF atridge was SUI
perintendent in charge of the res
ervation. For the first few years
shows were given two nights each
week. No permanent arrangement
could be made with the agency so
that each night before the show
opened it was necessary &c get a
special permit to present the pic
ture and open the show to the pub
lie. Though this seemed a nuis-
ance it was necessary and con-
tinued for time.
At first an ordinary piano with
someone playing presented the mu-
sic, then hand operated player pi-
ano took its place. There followed
an electric player on which some
one had to change rolls throughout
the show. Then came the ortho-
phonic recordings, and bit later
the Royal Tone Sound on Disc
a beautiful name for wonderful
Improvement. But be it remember
ed that from time to time this ma
chine, by some unexpected maneuv-
yer, jumped its track, got out OF
EXPERIMENTATION" and would insist
on talking or singing after the pic
ture had finished.
James Sherry, the contractor,
will turn the new show house over
to Mrs. DesRosier completed in
time for the show next Thursday
evening, 1t will be known as the
Park Theater and is located on the
main street adjoining the Yegen
Hotel. 1t will seat 308 people in
comfortable mohair upholstered
spring edged chairs, where they
may enjoy an evening in perfect