Mustapha
Senior Member
Mustapha: Those older pics you posted on July 4&5th-are they dated?
They are quite interesting...LI MIKE
'Dr Phibes Rises Again' was released in 1972.
The other picture is 1980, a year up or down given the cars.
Mustapha: Those older pics you posted on July 4&5th-are they dated?
They are quite interesting...LI MIKE
I wonder if that "before" photo was taken before the 1967 collapse of part of St. Lawrence Hall?
A few blocks north; NE corner of Gerrard and Yonge to be exact, was the Coronet. Still the original building. Mentioned in your Yonge street thread, I believe.
All the downtown cinemas from the '50's-90's are gone except two.
Yes, the Coronet was converted back in the early 80's to the jewelery exchange which still exits today, the Rio Cinema was converted to the AOV adult novelty store in the late 80's with small adult cinemas upstairs where the projection booth and office used to be and the Biltmore was converted to the Yonge Street Mall in the late 80's until it was demolished around '97 to make way for what is now TLS. Let's see, the Postal Station at Yonge & Charles (now McDonalds, Gold's Gym, Starbucks etc.) was the Cinecity cinema in the late '60's to the mid '70's, the Panasonic Theatre was originally the Victory, then the Embassy, The Astor, The New Yorker, The Showcase, The New Yorker (again!) and finally the Panasonic (whew!). The Imperial/Imperial Six and Lowes Downtown/Yonge/Elgin were also movie theatres until the mid to late '80'. Gone are The Plaza, Town, Cinema 2000, Uptown, The Cinema, University, Eaton Centre Cineplex, Odeon Carlton, The Downtown, Sheraton, Tivoli, Sheas, Bay, Broadway, Casino & Festival, might have missed a couple from that period. The only older cinemas that remain downtown are The Varsity (opened in 1974, expanded around 1995) and the Carlton Cinemas (1982). Sorry for going a little O/T but there are a few "then & now" cinema facts there
Some of these late greats are still memorialized on the TTC map in Bloor station of the surrounding area. The only dead-and-gone that I'd ever been to was the Uptown, but the sight of so many theatres clustered so tightly together still makes me sad. Stupid home video...
July 8 addition.
Something today for the condofans.
All the downtown cinemas from the '50's-90's are gone except two.
Yes, the Coronet was converted back in the early 80's to the jewelery exchange which still exits today, the Rio Cinema was converted to the AOV adult novelty store in the late 80's with small adult cinemas upstairs where the projection booth and office used to be and the Biltmore was converted to the Yonge Street Mall in the late 80's until it was demolished around '97 to make way for what is now TLS. Let's see, the Postal Station at Yonge & Charles (now McDonalds, Gold's Gym, Starbucks etc.) was the Cinecity cinema in the late '60's to the mid '70's, the Panasonic Theatre was originally the Victory, then the Embassy, The Astor, The New Yorker, The Showcase, The New Yorker (again!) and finally the Panasonic (whew!). The Imperial/Imperial Six and Lowes Downtown/Yonge/Elgin were also movie theatres until the mid to late '80'. Gone are The Plaza, Town, Cinema 2000, Uptown, The Cinema, University, Eaton Centre Cineplex, Odeon Carlton, The Downtown, Sheraton, Tivoli, Sheas, Bay, Broadway, Casino & Festival, might have missed a couple from that period. The only older cinemas that remain downtown are The Varsity (opened in 1974, expanded around 1995) and the Carlton Cinemas (1982). Sorry for going a little O/T but there are a few "then & now" cinema facts there
There are a number of online and even a book for dead Toronto theatres, but this certainly nets things into one paragraph.
The Carlton Cinemas is my favourite place to get lost for a couple hours. There are no movies derived from comic books and the cafe staff placed tea lights on the tables - a nice touch.
I wonder if the Plaza - that's the one in the Hudsons Bay Centre, right?, still has the space underground...
The Sheraton certainly still does. Any 'Urban Explorers' here?
as much as i don't mind what went up in its place--i really miss the old Crangles building. i lived directly across the road from it for close to 10 years, and its a building i really came to love....
July 9 addition.
Bay and Bloor looking at SW corner.
Hmmmm - I loved the Zumburgers at Bay/Bloor and Yonge/Bloor. It was downhill for Yonge/Bloor after that, especially when Roy Rogers rode into town.