The
University Theatre
was a single-screen cinema located at 100
Bloor Street
West along the
Mink Mile
, just west of
Bay Street
in
Toronto
,
Ontario
,
Canada
. The area was once home to a number of cinemas, most notably the
Uptown Theatre
.
For several decades, it was one of the premier movie
cinemas
in Toronto,
[1]
and was a centre for the
Festival of Festivals
. At the time of its closing it was the largest movie house in Canada.
[2]
Operating History
[
edit
]
The University Theatre opened on 25 March 1949,
[1]
and aimed to be the premier cinema in the city. It was a single screen theatre with seating for 1300 people. The cinema would host many of the most important films of its day. For major productions it would use reserved seating where patrons would buy specific seats ahead of time.
[1]
The cinema also helped introduce new technologies to Toronto such as
CinemaScope
,
Cinerama
and
70 mm film
Dolby Stereo
.
[1]
[2]
Demise and Demolition
[
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]
In 1985, Famous Players Realty Investments Inc. ? not to be confused with their tenant
Famous Players
? announced plans to demolish the theatre and build a condo residential complex with a cinema.
[3]
Its closing was delayed several times, with the Famous Players theatre chain trying, but not able, to sign a long-term lease.
[4]
It shuttered soon after the 1986 film festival,
[5]
where it hosted the gala opening screening of
The Decline of the American Empire
.
[6]
Despite the closure, it was agreed that the unique
facade
of the building would be preserved.
[2]
When the theatre was torn down the front wall was left standing with a scaffolding at the rear supporting it. These supports were meant to be temporary but were left in place for over a decade due to the early 1990s recession.
Location Redevelopment
[
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]
With the revival of the property market in the late 1990s, developments were again proposed for the site. The first plan called for a new 3100-seat
multiplex
cinema to be topped with a 150-unit condominium tower.
[7]
However, the cinema plans were abandoned and the building was constructed with retail along Bloor Street.
[7]
The University Theatre's facade now serves as an entrance to a two-level store space, which was a
Williams-Sonoma
and
Pottery Barn
from 2002?2015.
[8]
See also
[
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]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Media related to
University Theatre
at Wikimedia Commons
43°40′11″N
79°23′29″W
/
43.669636°N 79.391500°W
/
43.669636; -79.391500