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Toronto’s Carlton Cinemas set to close on December 6
posted by
qwo06
on
November 20, 2009 at 9:59 am
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA — The Carlton Cinemas is set to close on December 6 due to decline in business. Opened back in 1981 as part of Garth Drabinsky and Nat Taylor’s original Cineplex chain. In recent years, the cinema have been declining in business due to the public’s movie going habits.
More details in the Globe and Mail.
Comments (8)
The article’s last paragraph indicates that its author does not know too much about Toronto’s movie theater history; this small multiplex was built into an apartment building erected some years after the original stunning Odeon Carlton was sadly demolished. It served a purpose, but the screening rooms were always small, non-descript shoeboxes (if I am not mistaken, some used rear projection) and the place was very shabby toward the end. I hope that the new Bell Lightbox when it opens will pick the the kind of films this place used to show.
Exactly CW. The magnificent Odeon Carlton was demolished around 1975 and this didn’t open until 1981. I DO wish people that write these reports would get their facts straight before they write these articles. All the other newspaper articles about the closing were correct in stating that it was built next door to where the Odeon Carlton was. However one mentioned that it was on Carlton St. west of Yonge street which of course can’t be since west of Yonge St it is called College St, NOT Carlton St. So that person couldn’t even get the location right.
TE, I do hope that when I get back to Toronto, our paths might cros some tme. There is nothing like talking to a local about topics of shared interest!
Yes I know CW, that’s why I love this site so much. There are a LOT of us out there!
Uncomfortable seats, poor sightlines, appalling picture quality, dirty screens, ugly little auditoriums, mediocre and mostly mono sound – and they blame the poor attendance on changes in the public’s moviegoing habits? Give me a break. Should'a closed years ago.
One of the last 3 original Cineplex theatres left. The other 2 are the Rainbow Market Square 6 in Toronto and the Encore Upper Canada Place in Burlington.
Another article that confuses these Carlton Cinemas with the Odeon Carleton. This multiplex did not even make to thirty let alone the sixty years claimed for its existence.
I know! Why can’t these writers get their facts straight. It must be because both of them were named Carlton. Actually the original Odeon Carlton (1948-1974) was called the Odeon Toronto until about 1955/56 when it was changed to the Odeon Carlton. This complex opened in 1981 so there was a 6 or 7 yr period where there was NO theatre on this site. It’s not like it was continuous.