UrbanToronto has partnered with Heritage Toronto to capture a moment in Toronto's past. On a weekly basis, we highlight historic photos of the city's people, places and events, and tell the stories behind them.

The great, organic thing about a theatre is that it evolves along with its neighbourhood. That's the best-case scenario, of course, and the former Standard Theatre at the north-east corner of Spadina and Dundas is no exception. Although it currently houses a Royal Bank and other businesses, it has, since 1922, catered to both Jewish and Chinese communities, and as the Victory Burlesque in the 1960s and 70s, played a significant role in loosening the tight-collared morals of Toronto the Good.

Located at 287 Spadina Ave. the Standard was one of the leading Yiddish theatres in North America, featuring the likes of Paul Muni and Stella Adler. It was also a hotbed for social unrest. Throughout the 1920s, the theatre was often the site of mass pro-labour protests. In 1929, as a wave of anti-communism fervour swept the nation, Toronto Police Chief Draper banned the use of Yiddish at the Standard after complaints that "seditious utterances were made" during a memorial for Lenin held at the Standard. John MacDonald, then secretary of the Communist party of Canada, told the Daily Star that he planned to appeal to various labour organizations for support. "The actions of Chief Draper show that he has no knowledge of the Labor movement and in fact, is absolutely ignorant and its ideals," said MacDonald. In 1935, as the Strand, sound was installed and it showed second-run films. In 1941, with 20th Century Theatres, it was re-christened the Victory, a name it held onto until it became the Golden Harvest, a Chinese theatre, in 1975.

Many thanks to both Gary Switzer of MOD Developments and Eric Veillette for putting together the photos and research.