Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

2007

Materials

PLASTIC, WIRE

No. Pieces

1

Height

9.2

Length

24.0

Width

13.0 13.0

Description

PALE GREEN INTERCOM PHONE WITH SIX OFF-WHITE BUTTONS ON FRONT. BRAIDED PHONE CORD, SPEAKER AND RECEIVER OF PHONE OFF-WHITE COLOURED. LABELS NEXT TO BUTTONS READ, "MGR., LOBY, CONC., BOX. O., PROJ. 2." TEXT ON BACK READS, "MADE IN WESTERN GERMANY...". BROWN FOAM MATERIAL ON BACK OF PHONE DETERIORATING, SURFACE GRIME OVERALL, ESPECIALLY CONCENTRATED ON PHONE RECIEVER AND PHONE RESTING AREAS.

Subjects

SOUND COMMUNICATION T&E

Historical Association

BUSINESS

History

INTERCOM WAS INSTALLED IN THE PROJECTIONSIT ROOM OF CINEMA 1 AT THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE. IT ALLOWED THE USER TO STRATEGICALLY CONNECT WITH VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN THE THEATRE. INTERCOM WAS REMOVED FROM PARAMOUNT THEATRE AFTER ITS CLOSURE IN 2007. NICOLE HEMBROFF, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT, CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH JOEY SHACKLEFORD (GRANDSON OF A. W. SHACKLEFORD) ON AUGUST 15, 2010, HE SAID THE INTERCOM SYSTEM WAS PRETTY BAREBONES. IT WAS USED FOR SEVERAL PURPOSES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE PROJECTIONIST'S ROOM WOULD RECEIVE A CALL TO START THE FILM. THIS WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE MOVIES DIDN'T ALWAYS START ON TIME IN ORDER TO ALLOW BIG CROWDS TO COME IN. THE INTERCOM WAS ALSO USED BETWEEN THE MANAGER'S OFFICE AND THE CANDY BAR. THE PEOPLE WORKING AT THE CONCESSION COULD CALL THE MANAGER'S OFFICE TO OBTAIN MORE CANDY OR SUPPLIES. FINALLY, IT WAS COMMON FOR THE BOX OFFICE TO CALL THE MANAGER'S OFFICE IN ORDER TO GET MORE CHANGE OR TO GET MONEY TAKEN OUT. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE BOX OFFICE WAS EXPOSED TO THE PEOPLE. BY TAKING MONEY TO THE MANAGER'S OFFICE ON A REGULAR BASIS, ONE COULD ENSURE THAT IF THE BOX OFFICE WAS ROBBED, NOT TOO MUCH MONEY WOULD BE LOST. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE P20070023001 AND PERMANENT RECORD. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING A PORTRAIT OF ALFRED WILLIAM SHACKLEFORD (P20060025001-GA), OWNER OF THE SHACKLEFORD THEATRES. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHY OF MAYOR SHACKLEFORD WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM ARCHIVES CANADA ONLINE AND A LETHBRIDGE HERALD TRIBUTE ARTICLE FROM MAY 31, 1992. A.W. SHACKLEFORD WAS BORN IN ESSEX, ENGLAND IN 1899 AND CAME TO CALGARY WITH HIS PARENTS IN 1909. AFTER HIGH SCHOOL HE TRAINED AS A DRAFTSMAN BUT WAS EMPLOYED BY THE FILM EXCHANGE AND FOX FILMS. IN 1921 HE WAS HIRED TO MANAGED THE KING'S THEATRE IN LETHBRIDGE AND BECAME ASSOCIATED WITH MARK ROGERS, A LETHBRIDGE BUSINESSMAN WHO OWNED THREE LOCAL MOVIE THEATRES. SHACKLEFORD ALSO BECAME PARTNER IN THE AMUSEMENT COMPANY THAT OPENED THE HENDERSON LAKE PAVILLION IN 1924. BY 1925 HE WAS PART-OWNER OF THE FORMER EMPRESS THEATRE ON 5TH AVENUE SOUTH, RENAMING IT THE ROXY. HE THEN TEAMED UP WITH THE FAMOUS PLAYERS COMPANY TO REMODEL THE FORMER PALACE THEATRE AND RENAME IT THE CAPITOL. SHACKLEFORD ALSO OPENED THE THEATRE IN THE FORMER COLLEGE MALL, BUILT THE 960-SEAT PARAMOUNT THEATRE ON 4TH AVENUE SOUTH, AND TOOK OVER OPERATION OF THE DIRVE-IN THEATRE AT THE SOUTH CITY LIMITS. SHACKLEFORD WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN CIVIC LIFE, ACTIVE IN GROUPS INCLUDING THE CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY, THE GYRO CLUB, UNITED WAY, LETHBRIDGE & DISTRICT EXHIBITION BOARD, BOARD OF TRADE, ST. AUGUSTINE'S CHURCH, AND THE ALBERTA THEATRE OPERATORS ASSOCIATION. HE AND HIS WIFE ADA HAD TWO SONS, ROBERT AND DOUGLAS. AFTER SEVERAL TERMS AS ALDERMAN STARTING IN 1939, SHACKLEFORD FIRST SERVED AS MAYOR FROM 1944 - 1947, AND FOR TWO MORE TERMS FROM 1952 - 1955 AND 1957 - 1961. HE WORKED FOR 68 YEARS IN THE MOVIE BUSINESS, RETIRING AT AGE 90. W.A. SHACKLEFORD DIED IN LETHBRIDGE ON MAY 30, 1992. SEE PERMANENT FILE P20060025001 FOR HARDCOPIES OF SOURCE MATERIAL.

Catalogue Number

P20070023005

Acquisition Date

2008-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail