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Uptown Theatre (Toronto)
Encyclopedia
The Uptown Theatre was a historic movie theatre in Toronto
, Ontario
which was demolished in 2003. The entrance to the theatre was located on Yonge Street
just south of Bloor
. Like many theatres of the time (including the nearby Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre) it was constructed so that only the entrance was on a major thoroughfare while the main building fronted on a side street. A bridge connected the two buildings.
and films. It was designed by acclaimed theatre designer Thomas W. Lamb
. Although built for different chains, the Uptown Theatre and Pantages Theatre (aka Imperial, Canon)
were sisters, designed by the same architect, and opened less than a month apart. The Uptown was smaller than the Pantages and with a much smaller lobby, but the two had similar Yonge Street entrances and their auditoria were of the same style. The original paint colours for the auditorium were rose, grey and gold. For several years noted choreographer Leon Leonidoff was employed by the theatre. It was at the Uptown that Leonidoff developed the style that he would later give Radio City Music Hall
's Rockettes
. The name Uptown was fitting for its time, as Bloor Street was the northern boundary of Toronto in 1920.
closed the cinema on September 5, 1969 and renovated it, dividing the Uptown into five theatres, one of the world's first multiplexes. The architect for the multi-plexing project was Toronto architect Mandel Sprachman, who later did many similar projects for rival Famous Players across Canada, including the Uptown's sister, the Imperial (now known as the Canon). On December 25, 1969 the rebuilt facility opened. Uptown 1 on the original balcony now sat 1000, and was one of the earliest instances of an all stadium seating
auditorium in a cinema. Uptown 2 and 3 were the original main floor seating divided by a partition wall down the middle. Uptown Backstage 1 and 2 were built in the original stage house and could only be accessed through its own entrance and box office on Balmuto Street. The Uptown 1, 2, 3 played all the major releases, while the Uptown Backstage 1 & 2 usually played "art" films, such as extremely long runs of A Clockwork Orange
and The Gods Must Be Crazy
during the 1970s.
In the mid 1970's, Nat Taylor sold his chain of theatres known as "Twentieth Century Theatres" (no relation to the studio) to Famous Players, including the Uptown and the Yonge Theatre (later renamed the Elgin). Mr. Taylor would later found a new chain of multiplex cinemas in 1979 with Garth Drabinsky called Cineplex Corporation.
The Uptown was a favourite place to see films, always doing good business. It was the last remaining large-audience big-screen, old-style movie theatre still operating in downtown Toronto for Famous Players. In addition to the sudden closure of another major downtown historic Famous Players movie theatre, the Imperial Six, in 1986, many other Famous Players theatres in the Yonge & Bloor area closed during the 1980s including The Plaza 1 & 2 Cinemas in the Hudson's Bay Centre and the University Theatre
on Bloor Street West (now a Pottery Barn). Following the loss of the Imperial Six in 1986, the Uptown became the theatre of choice for many movie goers in downtown Toronto and regularly played midnight shows on the weekend. The Uptown was also an important venue for the Toronto International Film Festival
.
accessible. Famous Players balked at paying to estimated $700,000 expense and announced that they would be closing the cinema. The five screen cinema made little financial sense in the era of megaplexes, especially when the land it was on was worth millions of dollars. Despite community protests the cinema was closed on September 14, 2003 immediately after the 2003 TIFF. The last film to be shown there was Undead.
The The Uptown Residences
, a 48-storey, 284 suite condo was completed on the site of the former theatre in 2011.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
which was demolished in 2003. The entrance to the theatre was located on Yonge Street
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
just south of Bloor
Bloor Street
Bloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct westward into Mississauga, where it ends at Central Parkway. East of the viaduct, Danforth Avenue continues along the same...
. Like many theatres of the time (including the nearby Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre) it was constructed so that only the entrance was on a major thoroughfare while the main building fronted on a side street. A bridge connected the two buildings.
Early history
The 3000 seat theatre opened as Loew's Uptown Theatre in 1920, originally serving as a venue for both vaudevilleVaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and films. It was designed by acclaimed theatre designer Thomas W. Lamb
Thomas W. Lamb
Thomas White Lamb was an American architect, born in Scotland. He is noted as one of the foremost designers of theaters and cinemas in the 20th century.-Career:...
. Although built for different chains, the Uptown Theatre and Pantages Theatre (aka Imperial, Canon)
Canon Theatre
-History:The Canon Theatre began as the Pantages Theatre in 1920 as a combination vaudeville and motion picture house. Designed by the great theatre architect Thomas W. Lamb, it was the largest cinema in Canada and one of the most elegant.The Pantages was built by the Canadian motion picture...
were sisters, designed by the same architect, and opened less than a month apart. The Uptown was smaller than the Pantages and with a much smaller lobby, but the two had similar Yonge Street entrances and their auditoria were of the same style. The original paint colours for the auditorium were rose, grey and gold. For several years noted choreographer Leon Leonidoff was employed by the theatre. It was at the Uptown that Leonidoff developed the style that he would later give Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
's Rockettes
The Rockettes
The Rockettes are a precision dance company performing out of the Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, New York City. During the Christmas season, the Rockettes have performed five shows a day, seven days a week, for 77 years...
. The name Uptown was fitting for its time, as Bloor Street was the northern boundary of Toronto in 1920.
The 60s, 70s and 80s
In 1960 the Uptown was damaged by fire, fueled by extremely flammable material on the seats. The theatre was quickly restored, however all the original ornate plasterwork in the dome, proscenium arch, boxes seats and organ grilles were lost, being replaced by only smooth plaster and drapery. Theatre owner Nat TaylorNat Taylor
Nathan A. Taylor was a Canadian inventor. As head of Twentieth Century Theatres, an Ontario branch of Famous Players Canadian Corporation, he built one of the world's first cineplex movie theatres in Ottawa, Ontario at the Elgin Theatre. The Elgin's second screen opened in December 1947 on a patch...
closed the cinema on September 5, 1969 and renovated it, dividing the Uptown into five theatres, one of the world's first multiplexes. The architect for the multi-plexing project was Toronto architect Mandel Sprachman, who later did many similar projects for rival Famous Players across Canada, including the Uptown's sister, the Imperial (now known as the Canon). On December 25, 1969 the rebuilt facility opened. Uptown 1 on the original balcony now sat 1000, and was one of the earliest instances of an all stadium seating
Stadium seating
Stadium seating or theater seating is a characteristic seating arrangement that is most commonly associated with performing-arts venues, and derives its name from stadiums, which typically use this arrangement...
auditorium in a cinema. Uptown 2 and 3 were the original main floor seating divided by a partition wall down the middle. Uptown Backstage 1 and 2 were built in the original stage house and could only be accessed through its own entrance and box office on Balmuto Street. The Uptown 1, 2, 3 played all the major releases, while the Uptown Backstage 1 & 2 usually played "art" films, such as extremely long runs of A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
and The Gods Must Be Crazy
The Gods Must Be Crazy
The Gods Must Be Crazy is a 1980 film, written and directed by Jamie Uys. The film is the first in The Gods Must Be Crazy series of films. Set in Botswana and South Africa, it tells the story of Xi, a Sho of the Kalahari Desert whose band has no knowledge of the world beyond...
during the 1970s.
In the mid 1970's, Nat Taylor sold his chain of theatres known as "Twentieth Century Theatres" (no relation to the studio) to Famous Players, including the Uptown and the Yonge Theatre (later renamed the Elgin). Mr. Taylor would later found a new chain of multiplex cinemas in 1979 with Garth Drabinsky called Cineplex Corporation.
The Uptown was a favourite place to see films, always doing good business. It was the last remaining large-audience big-screen, old-style movie theatre still operating in downtown Toronto for Famous Players. In addition to the sudden closure of another major downtown historic Famous Players movie theatre, the Imperial Six, in 1986, many other Famous Players theatres in the Yonge & Bloor area closed during the 1980s including The Plaza 1 & 2 Cinemas in the Hudson's Bay Centre and the University Theatre
University Theatre (Toronto)
The University Theatre was for several decades one of the premier movie cinemas in Toronto, Canada. It was located on Bloor Street just west of Yonge Street in an area that was once home to a number of cinemas, most notably the Uptown Theatre, and was a centre for the Toronto International Film...
on Bloor Street West (now a Pottery Barn). Following the loss of the Imperial Six in 1986, the Uptown became the theatre of choice for many movie goers in downtown Toronto and regularly played midnight shows on the weekend. The Uptown was also an important venue for the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
.
Demise
In 2001 new regulations mandated that the theatre be made wheelchairWheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
accessible. Famous Players balked at paying to estimated $700,000 expense and announced that they would be closing the cinema. The five screen cinema made little financial sense in the era of megaplexes, especially when the land it was on was worth millions of dollars. Despite community protests the cinema was closed on September 14, 2003 immediately after the 2003 TIFF. The last film to be shown there was Undead.
Demolition and redevelopment
The site was sold to developers who planned to replace it with a condo. On December 2003 Priestly Demolition was engaged in demolishing the structure, when a large section of the building collapsed. An operator cut a vital steel support beams on a roof truss. The roof suddenly collapsed onto the balcony structure below, pushing out the brick exterior walls. No workers were hurt, but parts of the brick walls fell on the neighbouring Yorkville English Academy. Fourteen people in the school were injured and one, Augusto Mejia Solis, a 27 year old Costa Rican, was killed. After a government investigation lasting almost a year, six charges were laid in the incident including failure to take the reasonable precaution of ensuring that a competent person inspected the internal roof structure before removing the main roof truss.The The Uptown Residences
The Uptown Residences
The Uptown Residences is a condominium project built by developer Pemberton Group in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Located at 35 Balmuto Street south of Bloor Street, the 48 floor retro-Art Deco tower is 158 metres tall, and has 305 units...
, a 48-storey, 284 suite condo was completed on the site of the former theatre in 2011.
Other Thomas Lamb theatres in Canada
- Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre, Toronto
- Canon TheatreCanon Theatre-History:The Canon Theatre began as the Pantages Theatre in 1920 as a combination vaudeville and motion picture house. Designed by the great theatre architect Thomas W. Lamb, it was the largest cinema in Canada and one of the most elegant.The Pantages was built by the Canadian motion picture...
, Toronto - Capitol CinemaCapitol Cinema (Ottawa)The Capitol Cinema was the largest movie theatre ever built in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and was the city's only true movie palace. Opened in 1920, the 2530-seat cinema was regarded as one of the best cinemas designed by famed theatre-architect Thomas W...
, Ottawa