University Theatre
100 Bloor Street W,
Toronto,
ON
M5S 1M4
100 Bloor Street W,
Toronto,
ON
M5S 1M4
10 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 56 comments
In the early 60’s Richard Burton was in Toronto appearing onstage in the John Gielgud production of Hamlet. One morning Burton’s new movie Becket was being screened in 70mm at the University for the local critics. As the lights dimmed and the film began, Elizabeth Taylor quietly took her place at the back of the theatre to watch her new husband’s new movie. No one in the audience even knew she was there.
I’m writing an article about Apocalypse Now to coincide with the UK Blu-ray release on Monday (13th June). Anyone have or know where I might find a photo of the facade of the University from the initial run of Apocalypse Now there in August 1979?
I found this on “Flickr"
A night time photo from December 1969
View link
How sad that this beautiful theatre was partially demolished, the remaining facade left to rot and then converted into a Pottery Barn.
Here are fresh links for the July 2, 1949, Boxoffice items posted above by ken mc and Gerald A. DeLuca:
Cover photo of the main floor lounge.
Page one of the two-page article about the University Theatre in the Modern Theatre section of the same issue.
JerryR: You’re very perceptive and correct! The image in my Nov2/09 post is indeed the Imperial and not the University movie theatre. The image is mislabelled on the City of Toronto Archives website (scroll halfway down the page):
View link
re SoCal09’s posting of Nov 2/09: This isn’t the University. It’s the Imperial. The Henry Faber mens wear and haberdashery is seen clearly across Yonge St. Also the University’s box office was attached to the building, the Imperial’s was free standing as in the photo. Anyway I grew up with and loved both theatres…the Imperial was where I first saw a movie at night, taken by my older brother. I was 8 or 9. Samson and Delilah was the flick.
JerryR
Good Story IanG.
…and a story with more photos, Boxoffice, July 2, 1949:
View link
There was a photo of the lounge on the cover of Boxoffice in July 1949:
http://tinyurl.com/ydx3vcd
The University holds so many fond memories for me; I’m sad that I will never get to share the joy of watching a film there with my sons (both teenagers and both professional actors). Frederic Forrest sat in front of me when I saw ‘Apocalypse Now’ there; I saw ‘Alien’ there when I was 17 and looked about 12 (it was rated R…she wasn’t paying attention clearly). Saw at least onme of the original 3 ‘Star Wars’ there….had an advance ticket for ‘Heaven’s Gate’ but UA yanked it after one day so I didn’t get to use it!
I still go to the cinema at least once a week…but it isn’t the same, and never will be. When I took my oldest boy to the cinema for the first time (Holloway Road Odeon in north London to see ‘Lion King’ on its first run) I told him as we were going in (he was 2) ‘This is the closest this family gets to going to church; no talking!’. Sadly, we have no more St Pauls or Trinity of theatres…so goes the world.
Great site by the by, stumbled on it today while researching the Lyric/Century in Hamilton that is about to be torn down as it is very unsound…another great bloody shame.
I’ve started a list (working backwards) of movies that played here at View link
Exterior shot when ‘The Return of the Jedi’ was playing: View link
“Strange Brew” (1983) featured the University Theatre quite prominently hosting the premiere of Bob & Doug’s “Mutants of 2051 A.D.”
View link
Adults at a University that would be something NEW!Thanks Tim E.
No harm done. I think it’s funny….the University as an ADULT house….now THAT would have been something! LOL
Tim Thanks for the info.I did not mean any harm! I used to work for LOEWS THEATERS in the U.S.’s WE closed one house that started showing porno and the new owner did not take down the LOEWS SIGNS, it looked as if we were doing it,hope you have a good day!
LOL, the University was one of the most prestigious movie theatres ever in Toronto. Adult Entertainment in those days was Ontario’s version of today’s PG 13……we had 3 classification of films back then, General, Adult Entertainment and Restricted: To persons 18 and over. It looks like Forever Amber is on the marquee and that certainly wasn’t ADULT films in that sense.
THIS HOUSE LOOKED TO NICE TO BE SHOWING"ADULT FILMS"
A great shot of the University theatre lobby (inside looking out onto Bloor St.)
View link
Here are some pictures of the University Theatre from the Ontario Archives:
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0012606.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0012607.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0012608.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0012609.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0012610.jpg
Only the facade of the University remained for quite a few years. The first time I noticed it on a trip to Toronto I was surprised to look through the lobby doors and see daylight and rubble. This remained the case for several years until the retail store was built. At least the building facade and the marquee shape were retained in the transformation.
Check out a tribute I wrote to the University over at 32 Elvis Movies!
I spent a day last November (2006) driving around the Toronto area doing a photo essay on old cinemas. I saw Apocalypse Now at the University Theatre as a special pre-premiere release. There is a photo of the University Theatre from my visit, along with some other Toronto area cinemas at:
http://globecontact.com/photoessay/cinemas.htm
It’s too bad that Famous Players didn’t get to build the University 9 that was proposed at the site of this wonderful theatre. It was to be part of a large condo complex that was built on the corner of Bloor & Belair but for some reason the developer backed out on the theatre part. If this had been built then there would still be a movie going presence on that part of Bloor st which is sorely lacking today considering the Bloor, Yonge, Bay, Avenue area was once the movie going centre of Toronto with the Cumberland, University, Varsity, Uptown, Plaza, Towne and New Yorker/Showcase. All that’s left is the Varsity 12 and the Cumberland 4. And Famous Players is no more.