Tag: yonge street 1970s

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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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Dracula Triple-Bill at the Elgin!

Eric Veillette

I present a fang-tastic ad for a Hammer Dracula triple-bill. Back before you could see Cats or some other Broadway schmaltz at the Elgin, some lucky film-goers spent an afternoon in September of 1978 watching Taste the Blood of Dracula, Dracula Has Risen From the Grave and Dracula A.D. 1972. If Hammer wasn’t your thing (really?), there were plenty of other sights and sounds to take in that weekend:  Nazi zombie flick Shock Waves opened at the Imperial Six: kids could see The Cat from Outer Space at the Bayview Village Cinema (“Children $1.50 Anytime,” says the ad): Omen II … Continue reading Dracula Triple-Bill at the Elgin!

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The Downtown Theatre

Eric Veillette

The Downtown Theatre by Hal Kelly “Going to the movies is my hobby. I go to other theatres, but the Downtown is my favorite. I like westerns, especially ones with Audie Murphy, but ANY good action or adventure picture usually gives me my money’s worth.” – Irvine Exley, 55, war pensioner The Downtown Theatre was located one short block south of Dundas at the north east corner of the largely vacant Yonge and Dundas Square right across from the Hard Rock Café. The closest thing to movie theatre in those parts now is that craptacular celluloid-free, all digital AMC 24 … Continue reading The Downtown Theatre