Johnny Nash

Johnny Nash (1875-1958), born John Albert Schuberg, was an accomplished magician by his teens and became one of Canada's leading cinema exhibitor.

Born to a Swedish family in Minneapolis, he moved to Canada in 1894 to tour in the country's fairs and variety halls. In 1898 he added films to his act and continued to tour throughout Canada. Wishing to end his family's traveling life, he converted an empty shop in Vancouver into Canada's first cinema in October 1902. He opened more theaters, eight in Canada and the United States, and by 1919 had become one of Canada's leading cinema exhibitor.

References

• Who's Who of Victorian Cinema: A Worldwide Survey