early vancouver, part nine

An early movie that played both in Vancouver and Victoria, and seemed to coincide with the automobile races.

Greased Lightning played at the Rex in Vancouver and the Royal in Victoria. Both theatres long gone.

Here's the synopsis from Turner Classic movies:

When Andy Fletcher, the inventive village blacksmith of Pipersville, demonstrates his automatic "Little Giant Potato Slicer" for a committee of skeptics, including banker Laban Flint, the machine works well until it begins to deposit peelings in the faces of the onlookers. Later, Flint, an enemy of new inventions, tells Andy that he cannot continue to court his daughter Alice if he spends all his money to buy a car. Andy trades his potato machine for a dilapidated auto, but when it breaks down on the way to the Chautaugua picnic, Alice and her father ride away with Andy's rival from the city, Alden J. Armitage, in his new car. Andy then converts his old auto into a racing car and, christening it "Greased Lightning," he enters the country fair race. Learning that Armitage is robbing the bank's safe, Andy gives up his lead to capture the crook. Flint agrees to Andy and Alice's marriage and gives them a new car.

And a link to a Charles Ray bio.