Tag: tivoli

Toronto CinemasLeave a comment

Phonofilm returns to Toronto

Eric Veillette

As we’ve previously examined, Toronto movie-goers were privy to various synchronized sound and film experiments before the medium settled permanently in the fall of 1928. On December 8, 1927, weeks before aviation epic (and recent Silent Sundays selection) Wings premiered at the Princess Theatre on King St. West, audiences were treated to the return of the Deforest Phonofilm, short sound and talking films dubbed “the revolution of the motion picture” by the Globe & Mail. The sound-on-film process, consisting of musical acts and Vaudeville routines, was made functional due to inventions by Theodore Case — who by 1927 was working … Continue reading Phonofilm returns to Toronto

Montreal Cinemas11 Comments

The Laurier Palace Theatre Fire

Eric Veillette

Today we look at the tragic Laurier Palace Theatre fire, which claimed the lives of 78 Montreal children in January of 1927. Many local parents considered the Laurier Palace Theatre a firetrap. Situated between a cafe and a bar, there were no lateral exits; the only way out of the theatre was through exits on either side of the ticket wicket and two rear exits on both sides of the stage, which led out onto a lane at the rear of the building. Few parents were aware their children had lined up to see a movie that cold and sunny … Continue reading The Laurier Palace Theatre Fire

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Murders in the Rue Morgue

Eric Veillette

by Eric Veillette Since tomorrow is the first day of the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear, I thought it’d be fitting to share this ad featuring the premiere of Universal’s Murders in the Rue Morgue, starring Bela Lugosi. The film opened on Friday, March 18, 1932 at the Tivoli, which was then owned by Famous Players Canada. It was also host to many early Universal horror films, beginning with Dracula in April, 1931, followed by Frankenstein, The Mummy and The Invisible Man . A real bevy of classic films were playing in Toronto that week. At the Oakwood, you could … Continue reading Murders in the Rue Morgue

Toronto Cinemas2 Comments

The Danforth Music Hall Turns 90!

Eric Veillette

by Eric Veillette In today’s Saturday Star, I write about the Danforth Music Hall’s upcoming 90th anniversary. On Tuesday, August 18, Heritage Toronto and the Riverdale Historical Society will be celebrating this milestone by unveiling a plaque in its honour. By recreating the events from nearly a century ago, the evening will also feature a silent film, Dollars and Sense, with live accompaniment. The Music Hall, originally known as Allen’s Danforth, remains one of the best examples of this former theatre empire. Other Toronto Allen survivors are the Bloor and Parkdale. The former – a popular midtown cinema until the … Continue reading The Danforth Music Hall Turns 90!