FILM: Have you ever heard of Allen Theatres in Canada? How about Danforth Music Hall or The Palace Theatre in Calgary? The creators were born in Bradford.

Brothers Jay and Jule Allen, born in 1890 and 1888 respectively, were pioneering film exhibitors in Canada, a career that began in September 1906 when their father, Bernard, gave them the money needed to open a theater in Hamilton, Ontario.

Not satisfied with a 30-day wait to rent in Hamilton, the brothers instead opened “Theatorium” in Brantford on Nov. 10, 1906, with 2,000 people in attendance. The brothers expanded into other cities, and sold their business in 1909. Staying in the business, the two organized the Canadian Film Exchange. They held the distribution rights for Biograph Company, Pathé, Independent Moving Pictures, and Universal Pictures. Their father Bernard served as the president, Jay as the vice-president, and Jules as the secretary-treasurer.

The Palace Theatre, in Calgary, Alberta, one of their creations, still stands, and is a national historic site in Canada.

“The Palace Theatre is one of four surviving movie theatres in Canada built by the Allen brothers, Jay and Jule, and their father, Bernard. During the early 20th century, the Allen family ran the biggest cinema chain in Canada, one of the largest in the world. One of the last theatres to be built by the Allen family in Canada, the Palace Theatre represents the impact of the Allen cinema chain on Canadian life and its contribution to the Canadian film industry. By promoting movies and movie going, and by erecting large, opulent movie palaces across the country, the Allen family helped to elevate movies to a form of reputable, accessible and affordable entertainment.”