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mie " Reminiscences Of Old Trouper Now In Retirement 'By E. BROCKMAN BRACE The legitimate theatre in ingly called The Fabulous Invalid, But there was a day when || these days is sometimes pity- the invalid was a lusty young giant who wore seven-league boots. Around the turn of the century show business was big business, and one of the towering figures in Canadian show |} business was Oshawa's prominent citizen, Ernie Marks, Sr. He retired a few years ago, after more than fifty years in|§ the game. One of seven theatrical brothers, who took their road shows and theatrical troupes all across Canada from the |} Maritimes to the Rockies, and even down into the States, Ernie Marks has had the theatre in his blood from an early ; age. The seven Marks brothers came from Christie Lake, near Perth in Eastern Ontario. All of them were in the show || business at one time or another, but to five of them. it was their life work. Robert Marks, the eldest, and Joe, Tom, Ernie and Alex were the five who toured the country for "years -- often each with his own company. In the home neighborhood the whole family was known for its laughter and song, long before the boys went trouping. Ireland was the "auld sod" to the Marks family. Father was™ Thomas, who with his wife Margar- et Farrell (a cousin of Lord Mount Stephen, first president of the CPR) settled near Christie Lake. Tom Senior was a giant, standing 6 feet 1 inch in his stocking feet. He was the strongest man in that district; his son, Ernie of Oshawa is in the same fine upstanding mold. The winds of the years have bowed him no whit. Today the name Marks is per- petuated as a symbol of public entertainment in Oshawa's Marks Theatre, of which ex-Mayor Marks was the former proprietor. He de- cided to settle down in Oshawa in February, 1922, after having visited It many times with his theatrical companies. They usually played at the Martin Theatre, which was re- named the New Martin when it came under the management of Mr. Marks in 1922, BOUGHT OSHAWA THEATRE The Martin Theatre had been through a couple of bad years, the war business recession then Posi at its height. But ip his travels, Mr. Marks had received a private tip that a large new industry was moving into Oshawa. He took this as an omen of better days for the city, and realizing that "the road" was nearly a goner, decided to buy his own theatre where he could produce plays and vaudeville, and play the increasingly popular "photoplays." And he chose Oshawa. for the ven- ture. VERSATILE COMPANY A glance at the Ontario Reform- er, predecessor of the Oshawa Times and The Times-Gazette, in its issue of February 23, 1922, tells of the Arlie Marks Company, pre- senting (at the New Martin Thea~ tre, Ernie Marks, Manager) 'The Girl from Killarney," 'Peggy O'- Neil," and "Lure." The accom- write-up said the plays showed the coterie of drtists to be zeal actors and actresses. Their talents were not limited to the stage, but they could sing, dance, and in fact, perform in a manner which pronounced them up-to-date vaudeville artists. "Those forming the company were Mr, Lindsay E. Perrin, man- ager, Miss Arlie Marks, Miss Phoe- be Marks, Mr. G. W. Marks, Messrs. . Charles K. Moise, Cecil Drummond, John Andrews, Mrs. Secord, Miss Alma Vivian, Clar- ence Kane and Miss Daisy Leroy." John Andrews doubled in brass as a magician, and Daisy Leroy as a mind reader. Browsing through the. same is- sue, we came upon a Sports Page heading that read, "Chev Testers Defeat Body Room (4-3)," pre- sumably in a hockey game. In a neighboring column, a grocer's ad trumpeted Stew Beef selling at 14 cents the pound, pot roast at 15 cents, and creamery butter at 38 cents. An ad by the Children's Aid Society gave notice of 'foster homes wanted for 5 Fine Lads," while an editorial noted that Gen- eral Motors monthly pay sheet now totalled $440,000, and the company would soon be rolling out between 175 and 200 cars a day. ISSUES OF THE DAY The St. Lawrence Waterway was an issue in those days, too, and what's more, its proponents had the American president Warren G. Harding on their side. At an early date," said the edjtorial, "the Unit- ed States is expected to take up the matter of treaties with Canada and Great Britain which are neces- sary before the scheme, itself can be tackled." Then, too, an American congres- man proposed a species of annexa- tion. He advocated purchase by the United States of all Canadian ter- ritory south and east of the St. Lawrence River and the centre of the Gulf. '"'Representative Ten Eyck (N.Y. would reduce the Canadian seaboard to 'the north shore of the river and the gulf. Purchase, however, is. hardly the In the 19: the Provincial Election, Ernie Marks contested Ontario Riding ss ative candidate, but was unsuccessful. The above picture shows him in a typical pose at the time of the election campaign, J Marks Recalls Old Days Of Theatrical Road Shows ~= THE D Combining The Oshawa Times and Whithy Gazette and Chrenich AILY TIMES-GAZETTE WHITBY VOL. 11--No. 40 OSHAWA-WHITBY, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1952 PAGE THIRTEEN When He Was Mayor In 1931, Ernie Marks held the of- fice of Mayor of Oshawa, and ac- quitted himself with distinction during one of the most difficult years of the depression period. word to be 'used, for Ten Eyck calmly proposes that the British debt to the U.S. be credited as part of the purchase price." But to get back to more agree- able subjects: an advertisment in the superscription '"Martin's Thea- tre, Ernie Marks, Manager," set between the opening bars of Dvorak's "Humoresque,'" present- ing Marie Prevost in "Parisan Scandals," (a photoplay). The ad continues: "The Vaudeville Bill is high-class, refined, up-to-the-minute and varied . . . for the first half of the week," and plugs comics by | the name of Rube Reno, Fitz- gerald and Johnston, and a '"'whist- ling comedian." All this for the magnificent price of 25 cents and 10 cents. Not content with that, the theatre ran Special Candy Matinees on Saturday--"A bag of candy given to every child on entering the theatre." THEATRE COMPETITION There was competition from two other theatres in those days. The Grand, ah upstairs auditorium, over the present Grand Cafe, ran both vaudeville and pictures. The Regent, then as now a Famous Players house, concentrated on movies but boasted its own theatre orchestra, That was in the era when pictures were blessedly silent. 'There was a "Quo Vadis' play- ing at the Regent then, too, and the ads were the same as today's: '"Thousands of people--Roman gla- diators--wild animals--The Burn- ing of Rome." PREFERRED SHOW BUSINESS The movies are.all well and good in their place, says Mr. Marks, (and he would be the last one to deny that they have been good to him financially), but he likes to hearken back to the great days of show business. When, in 1901, he married Miss Kitty, his leading lady, with whom he last year cele- brated their golden anniversary,d they had already spent several sea- sons on the road, travelling by train and stage, and playing be- fore flaring gas foot-lights. Now, as their family came along, they car- ried their boys Ernie and Ted along with them, until it was time for them to go to school, when they were sent to the care of their grandmother, Mrs. Charles Rey- nolds at Brockville, LARGE REPERTOIRE Some seasons it was a difficult play each night, with the play bill reading: "Within the Law," "The Country Kid," 'Happy Hooligan," "The Black Flag," and 'Uncle Tom's Cabin" or as Mr. Marks jestingly put it, "Uncle Thomas' Log Residence." He recalls his company playing in St. Catharines a production of "Wildfire", at one time a vehicle for the fabulous Lil- lian Russell. Diamond Jim Brady, a "friend" of Miss Russell's, threatened to sue, but that didn't faze the Marks troupe. They went on with the show. SCATTERED MEMORIES Among the scattered memories of those barn-storming days are these . . . out West playing in a hall with no curtains, they asked the manager to put up wires for a "walk-the-lady"' curtain, one pull- ed fo centre manually from either side . . . first show to hit Win- nipeg with 10, 20 and 30 cent prices. Big business for six or se- ven weeks . .. . "East Lynne," "The Italian's Revenge" . . . with each show, vaudeville between the acts, never a dull moment--singers, dancers, acrobats and sleight-of- hand artists . . . Catching the other Marx Brothers (four of them) in their act at Flint, Mich. Asked for a critism, the Canadian Marks, in- ternationally recognized impres- sario, advised: "Act is too rough. Smooth it down a little." Results well known to the theatre-going world . . . Kitty and Ernie Marks in that particular vaudeville act for "The Country Kid," coming on stage dressed in farm clothes, carrying a little pig in a basket-- patter and songs--finish with pig walking off the stage with a nurs- ing bottle in mouth! , . . playing in the Russell Theatre at, Ottawa, one hot summer, the sound of car tires exploding out on the street. QUIT ROAD IN 1922 After quitting the road in 1922, Ernie Marks, with his' older bro- ther Joe E. C. Marks, the only survivors of the famous five, the two brothers more or less settled down. Joe to' live at the family stamping ground, Christie Lake, Ernie to the management of the New Martin. Theatre in Oshawa, which was later re-named the Mark Theatre. And gradually silent pictures came to supercede plays and the issue of February 11, 1922, has Ernie Marks Now Enjoying Quiet Home Life Now retired from active business, Ernie Marks takes things quietly in his home on Simcoe Street North, and lets his mind wander back over the days when, as one of the Marks Brothers of theatrical fame, he went on barnstorming tours of Canada, entertaining the people of this country, The above picture was taken in his home this week, =Photo by Dutton, Times Studio. Theatre Which Bears His Name Oshawa's Passing Scene | AS SEEN BY "THE OBSERVER" Oshawa in 1852 was apparently a more gullible city than it is now. On February 10, 1852, the Oshawa Freeman reported that "mysterious spiritual rappings" were being heard in the neighborhood. Apparently something to do with some form of seances then being held, the rappings were the subject of plenty . of speculation. Some people thought they were caused by the hands of the young boys then used as mediums, Energetic A. M. Farewell (possibly some relation to Moodey Farewell who helped~to name Oshawa) de- cided to investigate Oshawa's rap- ngs. / In The Freeman, Mr. Farewell said he tried such experiments with the mediums as "Putting the boy's hands in a muff; on a closely folded table; on a pillow lying on the table; and over a feather bed. In all these cases and many more, it rapped as well as ever but not so loud", Obviously rather mystified by all this," Mr. 'Farewell then though tup something really unique in the an- nals of psychic investigation. To quote him once more: "I made the boy go to a pail of hog's lard and completely wash and bathe his hands all over in the lard, After- ward he placed his hand on the table in this condition and it rapped very plain." Perhaps Oshawa Little Theatre could work that into its forthcom- ing production of Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit" which has a seance scene complete with gramophone, but with a little girl medium. . LJ Ll A practical joker, with a per- verted sense of humor, tried to pull a fast one this week -on the OCVI at the expense of The Times-Ga- A voice came through on the phone to the paper's classified ad- vertising department and gave in the following notice: "Wanted. All types of monkeys. Apply 'Phone No. "dl Now that is enough to make any- one suspicious and the Times clerk promptly put through a call to the phone number given. It was a line to the Oshawa Col- legiate and Vocational Institute. The address given by the caller was The Marks Theatre was known as the Martin Theatre when it was bought by Ernie Marks in 1922. After re- modelling and renovating it, it was known as the New Martin Theatre and was finally changed to the Marks Theatre. In the above picture, Ernie Marks. is second from the left in the group. vaudeville in the public favor. That was the heyday of Charlie Chap- lin, Gloria Swanson, Ben Turpin, Mabel Normand, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, to name but a few. The cowboy stars were Tom Mix, Jack Holt and Hoot Gibson. When a hoot Gibson pic- ture was booked, the jovial mana- ger remembers, citizens used to line up for blocks. Merchants and factory owners, he avers, used to plead: "Don't show Hoot Gibson any more!" Evidently the industr- ial wheels of the city nearly ground to a stop, when that cowboy hero came to town. IN CIVIC AFFAIRS But Mr. Marks also found time to interest himself in civic welfare. He spent three years as alderman, and was elected mayor in 1931, in what he termed "the worst wear of the depression." Mayor Marks spent many an afternoon meeting and talking with' the unemployed in the Memorial Park, and doing what little he could to alleviate their distress. Several years later he ran unsuccessfully for the pro- vincial parliament, opposing the late W. E. N. Sinclair. FINDS LIFE RICHER Those were the days of political turmoil. Ernie Marks is slowing down a bit now, he says, and find- ing life much richer. His health is pretty good, his hobbies few. He likes an occasional flutter on the -stock market, He drew the plans and supervised the building of the big house at 398 Simcoe Street North, where he and his wife live, which daily rings with the pattering feet and laughter of visi- | ting grandchildren. | His oldest son, Jack, who for a time ran the Marks Theatre, now manages a tourist camp at Christie Lake. Ted, the next son, in the RCAF, was killed overseas in World War II. His third son, Ernie, Jr., a lawyer, lives with his wife and five children Jill, Marsha, Teddie, Joe and Melinda at 98 Wood Street. His only daughter, Mrs. Betty McGarry( at 11 Col- borne Street, has four children, Virginia, "Happy," Georgia and Rickie, and one or two of them, along with the children of Ernie, Jr., are bound to be up for a visit with the grandparents just about every day in the week. "What is your philosophy of life" The Times-Gazette asked this grand old trouper and city father. 'Take it as it comes--and laugh! Live by the day," advised Ernie Marks. FUTURE OF OSHAWA "What future do you see for Osh- awa?" was the final question. "When I first came here in 1922, the population was 7,500. Oshawa was declared a city shortly after, in Mayor W. J, Trick's administra- tion. Look at it now, past 40,000 and still going strong. Oshawa is on the move! Next thing we know, we'll be annexing Toronto," and that was the final quip which show- Get that extra cash you need for financing or refinancing, repairs, tires or bills --at + Just drive your auto to the office and bring proof of ownership. You ee | DBR | sveTam Loans $50 to $1200 on Signature, Fumiture or Auto 2) me comeanrl] THAT LIKES TO SAY YES" keep the auto and get the cash! Monthly payments conveniently arranged--up to 12 months to re- pay. You get the: full amount of the loan and pay only for the days you use the money. YES ¢ . auto loans at: Personal ! Come in, phone or write TODAY. FINANCE CO. 2nd Fl, 117; SIMCOE ST., N. (Over Bank of Nova Scotia) Phone: 3-4687 © John Palisa, YES MANager OPEN SATURDAYS UNTIL NOON * Loc 1s made to residents of all surrounding towns © Personal Finance Company of Canada 1,100 Orders Set Backlog In Shipyards London (CP)--With an unprece- dented inflow of orders during 1951, British shipbuilding yards are stocked up with work on 1100 mer- chant ships, either in the process of construction or still to be laid down. The full program comes to more than 6,500,000 gross tons and represents an estimated outlay of about one billion pounds ($3 bil- lion) at current prices. Nearly one- third of the tonnage is earmarked for export. Returns compiled by Lloyd's reg- ister show that at the beginning of this year merchant shipping under ed the .grand old trouper still re- tained his crisp and quick wit, which made him a stage favorite many years ago. ' a t lot! Needless to say, the advertise- ment did not appear. LJ - LJ Residents of Toronto are moan- ing about the condition of streets in that city. They should come east wards to Oshawa. Seldom, if ever, have the thoroughfares been in such an appalling condition. Already there has been one serious accident in which the driver asserted that a pothole threw his vehicle. off the road. There are liable to be a few more. Worst street of the lot is King Street -- main east-west artery of Oshawa. Gaping holes there cause even the heavy buses to lurch and heaven help the tiny English cars! Train tracks cause many of the holes and one hears, through the old grape-vine, that there was some official talk about the King Street tracks early this week. What trans- pired was not revealed, but delegats representing Oshawa should have given the visiting railwaymen a trip to see the gaping holes in the roads. * Lobby gossip at Whitby court house this week put the cost of counsel in a case being heard in the court at around the $15,000 mark. The cost must certainly have been astronomical with six counsel tak- ing part -- five of them for the defence. A few weeks ago The Times-Ga- zette, in common with papers all over the continent, ran an excit- ing story that a Chicago woman was about to make medical history by giving birth to five or six babies. That. was really something, thought this eolumnist, who eagerly (AY DOR dol awaited further developments. Also!! waiting was the editor of the Chi» cago newspaper which got thed% "scoop" on the story. 0 Now the whole thing has turned;sl out to be the brain-child (or fivedsd or six brain-children) or a "quietjio} studious, highly-regarded newsman'™2*' who admitted making up the entire: J oa Ppa t reason. After. apo. readers, the paper: ; fired its = not-so-highly-thoughteof ».. reporter. aol That is certainly one for the an-i»:: nals of newspaperdom. 1G a LJ . . 'A woman delegate arose at Tues. § day's meeting of Oshawa and Dis- CE TT er the : workers" union. Bid ve nothing much to report. We are still all unemployed," ive sald--and promptly sat down again, , That qualifies as the most path, etio story of the week A Ld This columnist was thrilled this... week to receive a letter from they, 7072 famed house at 231b Baker Street, London -- the home of the world's /, best known detective, Sherlock Holmes, ' Thoughts of giving assistance to Holmes and a second Dr. Watson flashed through the Ob- server's mind. Had Moriaty, the arch-criminal, returned to plague. the metropolis? Was the Hound of the Baskervilles roaming without a license? Or maybe some further investigation was needed on the Speckled Band? All thoughts crashed when the letter 'turned out te be from former journalist 'Michael Hall who puts out, from 221b Baker Street, a snap- py publication known as London _ ' Mystery Magazine which, this month, includes an ou Canadian mystery yarn. LJ * . Congratulations to Oshawa's Mes- ical Officer of Health Dr. A. F. start year and i looks like being a mighty good thing. ! Brantford was the first: Canadian city to reap benefit from sodium fluoride. Years ahead of any other city, Brantford put in fluoridine in 1944 and it has since cost a pal- try 13.2 cents per person yearly. luncheon, he flipped coins wi friends to find out who should He lost and forked out for luncheons. Min rg a il luncheon oun: for a parking offence after the meter time had run out. And the same evening, driving home from Toron- to, he was stopped by a provincial constable and got a summons for 8 peeding, That is a lot of grief for one day. > * anybody else noticed the phenome- non, LJ LJ . A sample of English, as she is spoke, drew laughs at an Oshawa meeting this week. An irate speak got up to demand fair treatment for what he kept calling "indignant hospital patients" who could 10% pay for treatment. -- In addition to garbling up the word "indiger!" the speaker was also reprimanded by his colleagues for suggesting that any sick person had been refused hospital treat- ment in Oshawa. construction in the major countries of the western world amounted to nearly 5,500,000 tons. Of this total, more than 2,200,000 tons, or 40.2 per cent was being built in British Jands 164,000 tons more than in The return discloses that during the. last quarter of 1951 work was started on 69 new ships in the United Kingdom, bringing the total tonnage begun during the year to 1,480,000 or 36.3 per cent of the world's total. But with new orders piling in a backlog of more than four million gross tons was placed on the order books, equivalent to about 3% years normal production at the present rate of output. Spokesmen for the industry have made it clear, however, that orders now placed for new ships will not of necessity pile up at the end of a long queue. If ample supplies of the right type of steel are available, they say annual production could be stepped up to about 1,750,000 gross tons, compared with the present average of 1,340,000 for the last three years. ' A particularly heavy demand continues for oil tankers. In British yards alone, 105 ships or 56 per cent of the aggregate tonnage under construction, is resented by this class of vessel. tankers also represent 33.4 per cent of the total merchant shipping under con- struction in other western alliance countries. NT a PRINCESS' FRIEND INJURED London (Reuters)--Lady Caro- e Blackwood, 20, one of Princ- ess Margaret's closest friends, was injured in an auto crash on her way back to London from the Rms funeral at Windsor yester- ay. BRUCE McLEOD HAROLD PFAFF PROPRIETORS business"'i J» MARKS THEATRE -- Is happy to -- PAY TRIBUTE MAUL & RA "ERNIE MARKS "Oshawa's Grand Old Man of Show Business" We hope that his retirement will be a long and happy one and that he mdy enjoy to the fullest the fruits of his long career in "show WM. PAYNE, mgr.