Kingsway Theatre

3030 Bloor Street W,
Toronto, ON M8X 1C4

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Showing 1 - 25 of 52 comments

truenorthstrongnfree
truenorthstrongnfree on May 2, 2016 at 3:56 am

Visited the Kingsway tonight for the first time in years for a showing of Purple Rain. Since the last time I visited, they are now licensed to serve alcohol, and have a small cafĂ© out front in the lobby area. Seating is very comfortable, and there are four armchairs at the rear of the main auditorium. Show up early for the “VIP” area.

kingswaytheatre
kingswaytheatre on February 24, 2013 at 7:36 pm

All announcements are made on our Facebook page. If you join our group – all the news feeds and new films are there. You can link through our webpage to Facebook or the link below.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kingsway-Movie-Theatre-Cafe/126875134016379?ref=ts&fref=ts

telliott
telliott on February 24, 2013 at 3:50 pm

You would think something would be mentioned on the web site of having a second screen now open.

kingswaytheatre
kingswaytheatre on February 24, 2013 at 1:53 am

No there is no wall down the middle of the theatre. The main auditorium is intact – as it was in 1939. The second floor screening room was reopened – used to be known as the Nostalgia Cinema – it now once again plays films. 30 theatre seats(same seats as the main theatre) with film and digital projection and full Digital Dolby sound.

DavidDymond
DavidDymond on February 24, 2013 at 1:19 am

This theatre was twinned by splitting the theatre down the middle with a wall!! The old screening room hasn’t been used for years — but in 1976 I saw a movie there!

telliott
telliott on February 24, 2013 at 12:46 am

Anyone know WHERE the second screen is for this theatre? They don’t mention a thing about it on their web site, but obviously with twice as many films playing there now, and overlapping start times they have more than one screen. Years ago, there was a small “screening room” on the upper level with a separate entrance, wondering if that is open again. You would think that something would be said on their web site about two screens.

DavidDymond
DavidDymond on February 4, 2013 at 12:21 am

The Kingsway was an operation of Twenthieth Century Theatres (Twinex) who were partners of Famous Players Canadian Corp. Nice to see that it is operating again. Located in the West end of Toronto in what used to be a better class of area!!

Ross Melnick
Ross Melnick on October 12, 2012 at 6:14 pm

Please note that Cinema Treasures has once again removed comments, links, etc. that refer to an ongoing feud between one party and the operators of this theater. Cinema Treasures is not a place for this conversation and will not be a venue for this kind of debate. Any additional postings about this issue will also be deleted.

PeterD
PeterD on July 23, 2009 at 3:43 am

The Kingsway was my first-ever job as a projectionist. I worked there “on permit” from 1980 until 83, then after officially becoming a member of Local 173 I offically owned the job until I moved to the Showcase (ex-New Yorker) in 86. Wonderful booth. Stuff that lifelong memories are made of. It was running purely repertory at the time (two different films a night), running 2000 foot reels on Super Simplex heads and Peerless Magnarc Type G lamphouses. The optical stereo sound was home-brewed by the general manager from a Quadraphonic-QS decoder!

When I started off the booth ran with an insanely-loud Motor-Generator for arc power, but was later converted to rectifiers. The Super Simplex heads went out in favor of Century C’s and thanks to a resourceful sound technician, we put Motiograph 35mm Magnetic soundheads in, which I think I ran about 3 or 4 times. I later worked there in the mid-90s after the Showcase closed and I was a relief operator. This is where I saw many of the best movies ever made. There was a real gem in this theatre. A small 20 seat auditorium upstairs that ran 16mm movies, completely separate from the main Kingsway. I forgot what it was called at the time (the Festival?) or the name of the kindly older gentleman who ran it.

Lots of good memories int aht theatre, though. Glad to see it’s no longer dark.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on June 26, 2009 at 11:29 pm

Here’s an updated link to the 1957 picture I posted on June 4, 2008:
View link

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on April 13, 2009 at 9:40 pm

A photo taken after the reopening:
View link

johngg
johngg on January 2, 2009 at 3:25 pm

Torontoist has some pics:
View link

telliott
telliott on December 2, 2008 at 5:33 pm

Any news on the re-opening of the Kingsway? It is now December and so far haven’t heard any more about it.

DaveC426913
DaveC426913 on August 28, 2008 at 3:10 am

Would you like some help? You’ve got a bunch of people who would love to be involved!

DaveC426913
DaveC426913 on August 27, 2008 at 2:10 am

“The Kingsway Theatre will open soon and play movies once again.”

Please elaborate. Do you know something we don’t? Are are you just being optimistic?

coolhandluke
coolhandluke on August 26, 2008 at 3:45 pm

Hey Paige(Theme Queen),
I also have aspirations to open a rep theatre, and also have the Paradise in my sights. Have you had any luck with your business plan? My email is in my profile.
Mark

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on June 4, 2008 at 8:55 pm

Here’s a picture from 1957:

View link

DaveC426913
DaveC426913 on April 29, 2008 at 4:48 am

Lost Memory, how did you come across that pic on Flickr? It was just uploaded today. Or are you onesharp?

DaveC426913
DaveC426913 on September 9, 2007 at 5:40 pm

I very much like the idea, though I should probably be realistic about just how able I am to follow it through in addition to my career.

You’ll find my email in my profile.

PaigeL
PaigeL on September 9, 2007 at 1:23 am

Thanks Dave, I would appreciate the information, are you still interested at all?

DaveC426913
DaveC426913 on September 8, 2007 at 11:30 pm

Last October I arranged a meeting with the owner and the former manager to get some advice from them about the workings of the theatre as a prelude to possibly running it myself. The meeting never happened (my fault) so I never got the chance to discuss it with them. But they were both interested in anything that might help the theatre re-open.

I think they might be open to talking with you and I think that it would be an extremely informative meeting for you. (The first things I wanted to ask were: what is the rent? and what are the operating costs? )

If you’re interested, I think it would be OK to pass along their contact info to you.

PaigeL
PaigeL on September 8, 2007 at 8:26 pm

Ps-of course I would look at the Kingsway as well!