Brian Croft is an artist who loves Vancouver’s heritage The former RCAF, CP Air and Air Canada pilot has spent his time since retirement painting. This is Vancouver’s 125th anniversary as a city  so it’s only fitting that we feature some of Brian’s amazing concepts of various parts of Vancouver over the decades. He is a stickler for detail and you notice it in each painting. One of his paintings I greatly admired was the former Aristocratic restaurant at the corner of 12th and Cambie (now a White Spot). He brought a print of the painting into my office to present it as a gift, and pointed out that me and my 1957 Ford  Fairlane 500 are featured in the background in the drive-in parking lot.

Brian also has been working on a painting of the original Capitol Theatre which graced the corner of Robson and Granville for decades before morphing into the Capitol 6 Theatres and most recently as a high rise apartment block.  Brian has captured the feeling of  the first Elvis movie to ever play this town at the Capitol in November of 1956. It was my duty to act as host for the movie and I went on stage to give out prizes, talk about the movie, Elvis and rock and roll.

Theatre manager Charlie Doctor came up with a promotional idea inviting anyone named Presley to be his guests at the theatre for the opening show. About a dozen Presleys showed up. Looking back it was a most interesting time as Elvis hit the big screen. Love Me Tender was the King of Rock and Roll’s movie debut. You should have heard the young ladies crying when Elvis’ character is killed at the end of the movie. It was not a great movie but it didn’t matter to the sold out theatre crowd.

Brian’s painting displays the city back in those days and all the merchants along what was known as Theatre Row.  Interesting that my star in STARWALK sits in concrete only feet from the place  where the Capitol Theatre once stood.

I featured Brian’s work on my Global BC morning appearance this week:

Brian, thanks for involving me in  your wonderful, creative pieces of art.