Category: Toronto Cinemas

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Broken Blossoms at the Colonial Theatre

Eric Veillette

“The pinnacle of art expressed on the silver sheet,” proclaimed an ad for D.W. Griffith’s Broken Blossoms on November 4, 1919. The film opened on November 10 at the regal Regent Theatre on Adelaide St., which N.L. Nathanson and partners had purchased in 1916, before the formation of Famous Players Canada Corporation in 1920. Weeks later, the film was playing in several other theatres, including the Colonial, located across from Old City Hall (pictured above, to the left, on a particularly snowy day). One of Toronto’s first picture palaces, the Colonial predates the construction of the Loews/Winter Garden and Madison … Continue reading Broken Blossoms at the Colonial Theatre

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Mothra Attacks Toronto!

Eric Veillette

Well, not really. But since Lightbox screened Gojira alongside Mars Attacks last night, I thought I’d dig into the archive and share this June 1, 1962 Toronto Star advertisement for Mothra, the atomic fire-breather’s fellow kaiju. The “most monstrous beast ever created” — which could be referring to Rod Steiger —  played the Downtown Theatre and other screens. Horror and monster fans had plenty to work with that week: the New Toronto Biltmore was showing The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Horror of Dracula, A Bucket of Blood, and depending on your definition of horror, at the Metro, Jerry Lewis in … Continue reading Mothra Attacks Toronto!

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Ladies line up near the Uptown Theatre

Eric Veillette

Here’s a shot from April, 1946, showing a long lineup of ladies as the Uptown Theatre‘s marquee advertises Turhan Bey and Merle Oberon in Universal’s Technicolor spectacle Night in Paradise. The Star‘s Jack Karr called Arthur Lubin’s film “a big, wondrous joke.” The film opened on Wednesday, April 17, 1946. Check out the opening night ad! But what are the ladies lining up for? [1] Christina Stewart, media archivist at the CNE Archives, supposes they are waiting for a new shipment of nylons at the hosiery shop next to the Uptown — a likely occurrence in the post-ration days after the end … Continue reading Ladies line up near the Uptown Theatre

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Gloria Swanson lures movie-goers at Gerrard & Coxwell

Eric Veillette

Shoveling through mountains of snow in mid-February, 1924, residents of  Gerrard and Coxwell are tempted by the gaze of starlet Gloria Swanson, appearing in  Toronto-born director Sydney Walcott’s film The Humming Bird at Shea’s Hippodrome on Monday, February 18. Although the Hippodrome was centrally located at the current site of Nathan Philips Square, its films were advertised at every end of the city. Many theatres  neighboured this stretch of Coxwell Ave. — the Family, the Beach, the Fox (then known as the Prince Edward) — but Torontonians still had to go to one of its biggest showplaces to see the … Continue reading Gloria Swanson lures movie-goers at Gerrard & Coxwell

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Tough guys at the Yonge Theatre

Eric Veillette

When you compare Toronto’s modern-day film landscape to what existed in the ’70s, you know what’s missing? Well, yeah, porn. There was plenty of that. Lots of it. But the one thing you were guaranteed to find on every marquee, whether at a Yonge St. grindhouse or the Teepee Drive-In, was a healthy serving of Tough Guy Movies *. Thanks to the Star and the Sun’s gritty movie listings, the ads jumped out at you like a bare-knuckle punch. Michael Ritchie’s Prime Cut, which opened at the Yonge (now the Elgin) in July of 1972, is about as tough as … Continue reading Tough guys at the Yonge Theatre

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Toronto’s Burlesque Legacy

Eric Veillette

Don Evans, of Meaford, On, wrote a great letter in response to a piece I wrote for the Toronto Star on the Victory Burlesque: “Re: Less sleaze, more tease, July 18 During the 1930s the south side of Queen St. between Bay and York St. had two burlesque houses: the Roxy and later, around 1936, the Casino theatre. The Roxy was converted into a regular Hollywood second run or older movie theatre before the Casino opened. I can recall seeing Burlesque stars such as Gypsy Rose Lee, Sally Rand, Rose La Rose with straight men like Rex Doyle and Robert Alda [father … Continue reading Toronto’s Burlesque Legacy

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The Eglinton Theatre’s Elegant Neighbours

Eric Veillette

When adding photos to the Silent Toronto collection, I typically look for theatres and cinemas, but most importantly,  neighbouring streetscapes showing some form of social activity. Where did neighbourhood cinema patrons dine, shop, and in this case, deposit their paycheques? So imagine my surprise when I found this gorgeous shot of the Eglinton Theatre‘s art deco neighbours. Probably taken in the late 1940s, early 1950s, we see the north side of Eglinton Ave., east of Castle Knock Rd. The giant structure on the right is indeed Kaplan and Sprachman‘s famed Eglinton, which closed in 2002 and now operates as a … Continue reading The Eglinton Theatre’s Elegant Neighbours

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So Young So Bad, Disappearing Doors at the Bloor

Eric Veillette

Since last week’s post showcased a burlesque act and a juvenile delinquent flick at the Casino Theatre, I thought I’d share this marquee-blazing shot of  So Young So Bad at the Bloor Cinema, then the Midtown, in late 1950. Despite the alluring tagline, the film’s a bit of a doozy, but it does feature an early appearance by fiery Silent Toronto-fave Rita Moreno. When So Young So Bad opened, similar fare was shown across the street at the Bloor (now Lee’s Palace), which closed in 1957; you could catch the fancier stuff at the Alhambra (demolished), slightly east of Bathurst. … Continue reading So Young So Bad, Disappearing Doors at the Bloor

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Latin American Revue at the Casino

Eric Veillette

From the June 6, 1953 edition of the Toronto Telegram comes this tempting offer from the Casino Theatre at Queen & Bay: Latin-American chorus girls, the Marciano-Walcott fight and a Columbia cheapie about a school for sassy juvenile delinquents. If that wasn’t scintillating enough, your retinas would burn out to a newsreel of the recent coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. If you preferred the full royal experience, a visit to Yonge and Carlton was your best bet. That same day, the Odeon Toronto was showing A Queen is Crowned, “the only full-length Technicolor film of the coronation.” And hey, a … Continue reading Latin American Revue at the Casino

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Olsen & Johnson at the Odeon Carlton

Eric Veillette

Here’s a shot of the interior of the former Odeon Carlton, from September of 1948, featuring Vaudeville act Olsen & Johnson, some creepy clowns and a bunch of furries behind the Carlton’s fantastic mural. The comedy team and their perverted pals were in town performing on the grandstand at the CNE. A special benefit was held at the theatre, located near the corner of Yonge and Carlton. Days beforehand, on September 9, the mighty British cinema chain opened its finest Canadian movie house – dubbed “The Showplace of the Dominion” – with a premiere of Oliver Twist, starring Alec Guinness … Continue reading Olsen & Johnson at the Odeon Carlton