Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

The Ward Theatre, North Parade, KIngston.

In the late-'80s, the Ward was transformed to become the star of a movie - 'Popcorn' - which went on to become a cult classic in the horror genre.

It is hoped that the mediathon this evening to raise funds for the restoration of the Ward Theatre in downtown Kingston will be successful.

A historic landmark in the heart of the Capital City such as the Ward Theatre needs to be restored in time for its 100th anniversary in 2012.

Passing the "Grand Old Lady" of North Parade recently, the theatre was badly in need of a facelift. I thought it was only the exterior of the building with its peeling walls and missing windows, which needed restorative work, but has since learnt that the theatre also needs extensive repairs to its roof and stage, among other things.

This will cost millions of dollars so the move by the Ward Theatre Foundation to put on this fund-raising event is a good idea, not only to secure funding, but to stimulate public awareness.

Political rallies

In the old days, the Ward was an important place for political rallies. National Heroes, Marcus Garvey, Sir Alexander Bustamante and Norman Manley all had their day at the Ward. And like the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York City, it showcased many of the icons of the local stage - the Honourable Louise Bennett, Ranny Williams, Oliver Samuels, and others in its annual Pantomine, which traditionally opened on Boxing Day, as well as Bim and Bam, roots plays such as the long-running Gun Court Affair with a youthful George 'GT' Taylor in the lead, '70s revolutionary plays like Barry Reckord's In The Beauitful Caribbean, which was way ahead of its time, Festival eliminations, not to mention visiting ballet companies. The Ward was also used as a cinema for many years in the '50s and '60s.

In the late-'80s, the Ward was transformed to become the star of a movie - Popcorn - which went on to become a cult classic in the horror genre.

As a youngster growing up in central Kingston in the 1960s, the Ward was a special place for me. I had an enduring love affair with the Ward as a cinema.

During the late '50s and up to the late '60s when its use as a cinema was discontinued, I had the pleasure of seeing some of the great movies coming out of Hollywood at the Ward, blockbusters such as Ben Hur, Gone With The Wind, Dr. Zhivago, How The West Was Won, Samson and Delilah, The Longest Day, Peyton Place, Quo Vadis, Duel In The Sun, Valley of The Dolls, King Of Kings, Magnificent Seven, Cleopatra, War And Peace, North By Northwest, Bridge On The River Kwai, Judgement At Nuremberg, Cimmaron, The Robe and its sequel, and Demetrius And The Gladiators.

In addition, The Ward palyed host to Rebel Without A Cause, Blackboard Jungle, Psycho, Diary Of Anne Frank, For Whom The Bells Toll, A Summer Place, 300 Spartans, Man In The Grey Flannel Suit, Casablanca, Asphalt Jungle, AStreetcar Named Desire, and the list goes on. Many of those movies were adapted from great literary works: War And Peace, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and phenomenal best selling novels: Peyton Place, Diary of Anne Frank, Gone With The Wind, Valley Of The Dolls, The Young Lions, Man In The Grey Flannel Suit, The Robe, A Farewell to Arms, Song Of Bernadette, For Whom The Bell Toll.

Indeed, the Ward was my film school, my university. It should be preserved at all costs.