Tracking the history of cinemas in Toronto is no small task. There are well over 100 movie theatres to account for, some of which have left little recorded history. I've already taken a small stab at presenting some of our city's cinematic history with a look at some of Toronto's more significant lost theatres, but given that I've devoted time to shopping malls, grocery stores, butcher shops, gas stations, etc. it seems only right to include a more thoroughgoing visual account of movie theatres.
The gallery below is still far from complete, of course, but provides a decent overview of the city's cinematic legacy. Some of the noteworthy theatres not included below include the Runnymede (now a Chapters bookstore), Mies Movie House, the Brighton (Roncesvalles & Galley), The Mount Pleasant and Regent theatres, The Hollywood and Hyland near Yonge and St. Clair, The Cinema, the Yonge/Elgin, The Royal and a host of others.
It's actually quite amazing how many of these buildings are still standing, if not in use as theatres. Once one knows where to look, evidence of Toronto's former movie theatres is quite widespread. Toward that end, a great basic resource is this list of cinemas past and present that have graced our city streets, though the cinema treasures archives are also a valuable resource. For a more in depth look at the history of movie theatres in Toronto, the best resource is surely Silent Toronto, which has images and accounts of many of the theatres not pictured below. Also worth a look is this exhibit summary from the Ontario Archives, which has extensive holdings featuring the province's lost movie theatres.
Enjoy the images below, and share your memories of Toronto's cinematic history.
PHOTOS
Comique Theatre (Yonge & Dundas area), 1910
Auditorium Theatre (Queen & Spadina), 1910
Rialto Theatre (Yonge & Shuter), 1916
Odeon Theatre (1558 Queen West), 1918
Madison Theatre (Bathurst and Bloor, site of current Bloor Cinema), 1919
Capitol Theatre (Yonge & Castelfield), 1921
Colonial Theatre (Queen & Bay), 1921
The Fox (Beaches), 1934
University Theatre (now a Pottery Barn), 1940s
Tivoli Theatre (Yonge & Richmond), 1940s
Midtown (where the Bloor Cinema is now), 1941
The Revue (Roncesvalles, interior), 1941 via Ontario Archives
Joy Theatre (Queen & Jones), 1946
Fairlawn Theatre (Yonge & Fairlawn), 1947
Eglinton Theatre (Eglinton & Avenue area), 1947
Nortown Theatre (Eglinton & Bathurst area), 1948
Shea's Hippodrome (Queen & Bay), 1954
Towne Cinema (Yonge & Bloor), 1950s
Willow Theatre (Yonge & Ellerslie), 1950s (source unknown)
Kingsway Theatre, 1958
Alhambra Theatre (Bloor & Bathurst), 1960
Odeon Theatre (Yonge & Carlton), 1960s
Bay Theatre (Bay & Queen), 1962
The Uptown (Yonge & Bloor), 1970
Broadway Theatre (Queen & Bay), 1972
Westwood Theatre (Bloor & Kipling), 1974
Imperial Six ad via Silent Toronto
Coronet Theatre (Yonge & Gerrard), 1979
Rio Theatre (Yonge & Gerrard), 1980
Photos from the Toronto Archives unless otherwise noted