Comments from DavidDymond

Showing 226 - 246 of 246 comments

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Beaver Theatre on Feb 3, 2013 at 1:53 pm

The BEAVER THEATRE closed in 1961. It was built by the Allen Family, but when their organization disintegrated, the receivers Clarkson & Co. sold it to Sam Bloom and Sam Fine of B & F Theatres, Limited who were a Famous Players affiliate. Pornography was NEVER shown at the Beaver!!! The Beaver was located in a section of Toronto known as The Junction!!

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Alma Theatre on Feb 3, 2013 at 1:48 pm

The Alma Theatre was built by a Mr. Langer, who built 3 or 4 other suburban theatres in Vancouver including the giant movie palace the ORPHEUM THEATRE! Mr. Nathanson president of Famous Players at the time said “We must stop Langer sooner rather than later — the Orpheum NEVER would have been allowed to be built anywhere except the West!! Famous Players tried to squeeze Langer into a partnership but he refused insisting on outright purchase only. One of the other theatres along with the Alma was the Kerrisdale. These little neighbourhood theatres are now long gone!!

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Capitol Theatre on Nov 7, 2012 at 7:34 pm

The Capitol, Palace, Savoy and other Hamilton theatres were operated as Famous Players affiliates with the name Hamilton United Theatres. Famous Players agreed to do their booking, and after paying all expenses to split the profits in equal shares. Famous Players do not guarantee any results however. George Stroud was the majority shareholder and after he passed the George Stroud estate controlled these theatres. They were sold off to Odeon Theatres without telling Famous Players.

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Cineplex Cinemas Yonge-Dundas on Nov 7, 2012 at 6:46 pm

Cumberland Theatre Closure — I don’t care that Famous Players Cumberland Four is closed. These theatres were nothing theatres as far as I was concerned, and played too arty films and quite frankly had a very weird clientele. As to closing theatres, Famous Players would never sell a theatre to be actively operated as a movie theatre. They would have a convenant on the property that actually forbade showing movies of any sort!! That is how Famous Players controlled everything!

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Center Theatre 4 on Nov 7, 2012 at 6:40 pm

Oh my beloved Center 4 Theatres!! Visited these theatres many many times in DURHAM!! Yes, the area was perceived to be rough, but never had any problems there! Outside this building, on the left hand side of the boxoffice is a time capsule from 1966, the year this theatre was built. Probably built for Wilby-Kincey, (A Paramount Theater associate), later operated by ABC. and then Plitt Southern followed by Cineplex-Odeon, maybe operated by Carmike Theaters for a while (Yeeccch!!)

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Cinema Twin Theatres on Nov 7, 2012 at 2:54 pm

Famous Players Canadian Corporation had NOTHING to do with this theatre. It was always independent!!

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Capitol Theatre on Nov 7, 2012 at 2:34 pm

This theatre was a partnership theatre between Mr. Jack MacLennan and Famous Players Canadian Corporation. Mr. MacLennan passed away in 1965, so Famous Players bought the theatre from his widow and ran it successfully for many many years. The late Noella Desjardins (a top flight Manageress) ran this theatre for many years. She was well known and respected in the Brockville community!

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Capitol Theatre on Nov 7, 2012 at 2:30 pm

The Capitol Theatre in Cornwall is one of my favourite theatres, built in 1928 by the Palace Amusement Company, a Famous Players partnership situation. Clarence Markell was the spark behind this building and the Palace Theatre in Cornwall, Ontario — and during the twenties and thirties both these theatres did very well. Clarence Markell was extremely GOOD theatre operator!! During the first year or two of the Capitol Theatre’s operation — the Palace Theatre was kept closed, but later was re-opened and much later became the number one house when remodelled completely about `1949. Business was so good in Cornwall, that the Markells and the Whithams seriously considered building a third theatre in Cornwall, but it never happened!! The Capitol Theatre had a wooden floor and I remember hearing the crowds move on that wooden floor (it sounded very loud almost like a herd of elephants moving).

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Capitol Theatre on Nov 7, 2012 at 2:23 pm

This theatre was built by McClelland who came from Kingston Jamaica as mentioned above. This was a Famous Players partnership theatre where Famous Players and McClelland would jointly operate the theatre and after paying expenses would split the profits in equal shares, and in the early years it did quite well. Mr. McClelland had to agree to follow all Famous Players instructions on matters pertaining to the theatre operation. When Famous Players attempted to vacate the building years later, Famous Players sent its General Sound employees to remove the projection equipment and Mr. McClelland or one of his helpers notified Famous Players that they could NOT remove the equipment. The lease that Mr. McClelland had probably had a requirement that any equipment installed would become his after termination of the lease!!

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Capitol Theatre on Nov 7, 2012 at 2:15 pm

This theatre was a run by a partner of the Famous Players Canadian Corporation.

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Capitol Theatre on Nov 7, 2012 at 2:14 pm

This theatre was operated by J. Purnell & Sons, partners of Famous Players Canadian Corporation.

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Capitol Theatre on Nov 7, 2012 at 2:12 pm

Mr. Les E. Mitchell who became a Vice-President, Operations of Famous Players Limited, was manager of this theatre for a time in the early 60’s. When Mr. Mitchell was listing all of our theatres for correspondance distribution — he would always list it as Capitol Theatre * St. Kitts — rather than St. Catherines!!

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Capitol Theatre on Nov 7, 2012 at 2:07 pm

This theatre was built for N. L. Nathanson founder of Famous Players Canadian Corporation. Famous Players sold this theatre off to Ron Dalziel in about 1974. Later he sold this theatre to June and Ken Tarrant, who operated this theatre for a while and tripled this theatre in the 70’s!! In the small theatres Ken didn’t use regular theatrical screens, he used dry-wall painted white and sat the speakers down on the floor in front of the screen. The main was good as it used the existing proscenium arch with a large large screen. Cineplex Galaxy built a theatre in St. Thomas which ended this theatre’s life as a commercial movie theatre. This situation was always tough because the St. Thomas people could go down the road just 20 miles to LONDON, Ontario to see a movie!!

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Bloor Theatre on Nov 7, 2012 at 1:39 pm

This was an Allen Theatre that Famous Players acquired control from the receivers of the Allen Theatres Limited. One of our veteran pioneer lady managers, Miss Dorothy St. Edward, was the Manager at this theatre for a while. Although I have never been inside this theatre, I have been told that are the old-fashioned cathedrals around the ceiling just like in the Adam style of decor used in so many movie palaces!!!

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Avon Theatre on Nov 7, 2012 at 1:32 pm

This theatre was just an old Twinex house — and they used to play a lot of the Disney product there. It was nothing special — the last time I was there would have been in the late 70’s!!!

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Cinéma Paramount on Nov 6, 2012 at 1:59 pm

This was a Famous Players Theatre partnership, operated jointly the Korman family and Famous Players Canadian Corporation. Rouyn was a mining town doing fairly well, so in addition to the big Capitol Theatre built in 1937, the Kormans added the Paramount in about 1948.

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Cinema At The Toronto Dominion Centre on Nov 6, 2012 at 1:55 pm

Famous Players Theatres had very few theatre failures. The Cinema at the TD Centre in Toronto was one of them. Even it’s name “THE CINEMA” reeks of elitism. Built in the basement of one of Toronto’s largest and earliest office towers in the financial district, what Famous Players couldn’t understand was that people who worked there all day wouldn’t likely go back downtown to see a movie there at night. Famous Players put a lot of money into this theatre, and some of the expensive lobby furnishings, etc. were over the top.

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Century Theatre on Nov 6, 2012 at 1:49 pm

Century Theatre London was originally built and operated by Loew’s Theatres — it was quite ornate. Nat Taylor’s Twinex Century Theatres (a Famous Player partner) took it over in 1964 and made it into two fairly nice theatres. The smaller theatre (The Little Century) was a bit too shotgun in its approach for me. Mike Rogers and TS Loews I just want you guys to know that I hung around and knew this one very well!!

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Algoma Theatre on Nov 6, 2012 at 1:44 pm

I managed the Algoma Theatre in the Sault for a while in 1979. It was an original purpose built theatre on land acquired in 1920 from the original Canadian founder of Famous Players, N.L. Nathanson! Seating capacity was around 700 — and there was lots of competition like the Odeon and the Princess, as well as the Station Mall Cinema. That’s why I didn’t stay there too long, I don’t like to be in extremely competitive situations — so I went back to The Victory Theatre in Timmins, Ontario!!

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about London Mews Theatre on Nov 6, 2012 at 1:38 pm

The London Mews Theatre was a fairly plain theatre in a mall that kept ongoing down hill!! Towards the end of the mall’s life — this movie theatre was the only tenant and you had to go by dozens of closed stores to get to the theatre which didn’t help. In the latter years this mall was renamed Smuggler’s Cove —– nice eh. Heinz Behnke and Doug Coulter among others managed this theatre. This was a Famous Players Theatre now long gone!!!

DavidDymond
DavidDymond commented about Seneca Queen Theatre on Nov 6, 2012 at 1:33 pm

This was a purpose built Famous Players Theatre. On all of their old theatres there would have been a maple leaf in green neon and somewhere the words “A Famous Players Theatre”! I see neither in the photographs. The old-time manager of this theatre was a gentleman named Jack Ward.