When young Al Whittle (’60) stepped off the train in 1953 into his “first adventure in Wolfville, I was amazed,” he says. A lifelong career began that day that lasted until his retirement in 2000.

In celebration of Al’s contribution to the cultural life of the Annapolis Valley, he is being honoured with a gala event of live performance and film on Friday, April 26 at the Acadia Cinema’s Al Whittle Theatre in Wolfville.

“So many local performers have stepped up to honour Al and show appreciation for the Al Whittle Theatre,” says theatre manager Mary Harwell. The program will feature musicians like the Hupman Brothers and Andy and Ariana; musical theatre notables Edalene Theatre and Donna Holmes; sketch comedy artists Dead Sheep Scrolls; and chanteuse Suzanne Balcom with Lisa St. Clair on piano.

“It will be a real variety showcase of the kinds of local groups who present at the theatre. We’ll also feature a showing of the 1953 hit musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with Marilyn Monroe, one of Al’s favourites,” Harwell said. In addition, two locally-produced film shorts will premiere prior to the feature length movie.

Al Whittle was hired in 1953 by the Spencer family of Saint John, making him at the time the youngest theatre manager in Canada. The Spencers had rebuilt Wolfville’s wooden Orpheum Theatre (1923) into the modern, well-equipped Acadia Theatre (1947).

When Whittle arrived, “Wolfville was a booming town with four gas stations, four grocery stores – anything you wanted, it was in Wolfville. There were no bars or lounges, so the place for entertainment was the theatre.”

Built with steel and bricks, the theatre Al began managing in 1953 was not only fireproof, but also had the first radiant heating system in a Canadian theatre, using “two miles of piping under the concrete floor.” It was capable of holding approximately 700 people.

A “Sweets Showcase” tempted customers as they passed and the interior boasted “velour curtains in wine, edged with gold”, matching “beautifully upholstered spring-seated chairs.” Whittle supervised later renovations that saw the main theatre divided into two, and later three separate cinemas to counter the advent of competing multiplexes.

Marquee installed in 1947

The “Acadia” neon marquee installed in 1947 has become an icon for Wolfville and is a local landmark. The Spencer family waited until Al retired in 2000 and then, owing to competition from multiplexes and in-home entertainment, put the theatre up for sale.

Through the 47 years he served as manager, Whittle befriended and often hired generations of Acadia students. “I never had any problems with any students at all. They were super people to work with. There were different organizations that used to put on late shows on Friday night to raise money for their groups.” He continues this contact today, working regularly at the university’s dining hall greeting students.

Renovated and reopened in 2004, the building is owned by two local cooperatives: the theatre is run by the non-profit Acadia Cinema Co-op, while building co-owner Just Us! Coffee Roasters runs a café in the former theatre lobby. The restored 160-seat state-of-the-art theatre was officially renamed the “Al Whittle Theatre” in honour of its long-time manager.

Whittle, now an honorary board member of the Acadia Cinema Co-op, is still a fixture at events. As a founding and honorary board member of the Fundy Film Society, Al can be found taking tickets for their Sunday matinee screenings. “It was an interesting career,” he says, looking back. “I wish it was still going because I still miss it.”

Tickets for the gala celebration are $15, $12 for students, and on sale now at the Box of Delights 902-542-9511.