Sad to hear about the Granville 7, the only one left on the once thriving “theatre row” on Granville st. Of all the theatres I’ve been to in Vancouver, I never did get to this one. Now downtown Vancouver will be just like downtown Chicago and Boston which only has 2 multiplex locations in each city. End of an era I guess.
Ok, finally found a discussion about this site at forums.redflagdeals.com/entertainment and it says that this site will become a new Target store. So I guess there will definitely be no more movies at Kennedy Commons.
Does anyone know ANYTHING about what’s going on with this place? It’s been closed since Aug 30 and a friend went to the plaza there on the weekend and said there are large bins out front, so sounds like it’s being gutted for non theatre use. Too bad, it’s a great location, right on the highway and has lots of free parking. Still no items in any media that I can find about it’s closing (even though it still says open here).
Ahh, I remember that well as well. I’m hoping with all the condo construction happening around Yonge and Bloor now, someone will open something new in that area again. I know that the Varsity is the only one with 12 screens but I would think that Empire could open something in that area. If only the 10 screen complex at 1 Bloor E could have been built before Cineplex bought Famous Players, then there would be 2 midtown complexes now. But if you count the Varsity’s 12 screens, that’s almost as many screens that used to be in the area prior to Sep 1986
Hard to imagine big cities like Minneapolis without downtown theatres. I guess I’m just spoiled with all the ones here in Toronto and other big cities.
This should be listed as Closed. Has been for a week now and still says open. Still not one word in any media that I can find about this 20 screen closure.
I read on the SOWNY.CA web site that apparently Empire theatres looked at this, but thought it was too old. Which is interesting since they took over the Elgin Mills 10 in Richmond Hill which is older than this one, and didn’t have stadium seating or anything. Too bad since now the remaining 3 multiplexes in the Scarborough area are all Cineplex. No competition.
It appears that this is now closed. It has gone from all the newspaper advertising and no longer comes up on the AMC web site. I would have thought the Interchange 30 would have been gone before this one, since it only uses about 13 screens. Haven’t found one word on the Kennedy Commons closing in any of the papers.
The newspaper ads and web site now list 3 films showing daily, I wonder where the 3rd screen is? They did mention soon to be 4 screens but I haven’t heard how they further divided the cinemas.
That was the previous Square One cinemas 4, opened and operated by Famous Players from when the mall opened in 1973 until 1997 when the first Coliseum was opened by them across the street.
Having just been to Boston for the first time, I’m surprised that someone (Landmark, Angelika, Sundance) didn’t grab this site, gut it and reformat as a 5 or 6 screen complex, given it’s location by Prudential Center, Copley Place and all the hotels, restaurants etc in the area. Seems like the perfect location, right in the middle between the AMC Loews Boston Common and the Regal Fenway. If they had combined some of the cinemas and made them larger with larger screens, sound systems etc,this may have made a great little multiplex. Found it odd that this hadn’t happened given the location.
Still puzzled how Cineplex Odeon is allowed to have both this and SilverCity just blocks away, when they had to divest of several locations after taking over Famous Players. And isn’t the downtown Yonge & Dundas and Scotiabank in the same “zone” as well?
As a native Torontonian I can attest that all of the original movie palaces (Imperial, Loews, Loews Uptown, Sheas etc) are gone or have other uses, most notably the Imperial, now the Ed Mirvish legitmate theatre and Loews, the Elgin/Winter Garden. There are a few single screens left, the Fox and Revue being the oldest, then the Kingsway, Royal, Mt Pleasant, Regent and Bloor. The single screen Eglinton which opened as a neighbourhood theatre in 1936 and went on to become one of the most successful roadshow houses in the city is now an event theatre (weddings, banquets etc) as is the single screen Capitol.
Apparently the Humber is STILL open after all. If you look at their Facebook page the closing notices were a hoax, so they have a new web site and facebook page. I don’t know who owns it anymore or who runs it now but glad to know it is open after all.
What the heck goes on with this place? Recently it has said on their website soon to be 4 screens and now it’s closed? Why can’t this place run like the Davis and Logan in Chicago and be the local cinema for Bloor West village. I’ve never understood what the problem is here.
I know John. I’m surprised that Empire didn’t grab Yonge & Dundas to have a major downtown location. Remember before “zones”, Famous Players ran every theatre in the Bloor-Yonge-Bay area except the Varsity Twin? Times sure have changed. I’m sure that Cineplex will have to sell their SilverCity Mississauga now since it’s just up the street from the Winston Churchill 24.
Sad to hear about the Granville 7, the only one left on the once thriving “theatre row” on Granville st. Of all the theatres I’ve been to in Vancouver, I never did get to this one. Now downtown Vancouver will be just like downtown Chicago and Boston which only has 2 multiplex locations in each city. End of an era I guess.
Ok, finally found a discussion about this site at forums.redflagdeals.com/entertainment and it says that this site will become a new Target store. So I guess there will definitely be no more movies at Kennedy Commons.
Does anyone know ANYTHING about what’s going on with this place? It’s been closed since Aug 30 and a friend went to the plaza there on the weekend and said there are large bins out front, so sounds like it’s being gutted for non theatre use. Too bad, it’s a great location, right on the highway and has lots of free parking. Still no items in any media that I can find about it’s closing (even though it still says open here).
Ahh, I remember that well as well. I’m hoping with all the condo construction happening around Yonge and Bloor now, someone will open something new in that area again. I know that the Varsity is the only one with 12 screens but I would think that Empire could open something in that area. If only the 10 screen complex at 1 Bloor E could have been built before Cineplex bought Famous Players, then there would be 2 midtown complexes now. But if you count the Varsity’s 12 screens, that’s almost as many screens that used to be in the area prior to Sep 1986
Hard to imagine big cities like Minneapolis without downtown theatres. I guess I’m just spoiled with all the ones here in Toronto and other big cities.
This should be listed as Closed. Has been for a week now and still says open. Still not one word in any media that I can find about this 20 screen closure.
Thanks Jwright, sounds great!
I read on the SOWNY.CA web site that apparently Empire theatres looked at this, but thought it was too old. Which is interesting since they took over the Elgin Mills 10 in Richmond Hill which is older than this one, and didn’t have stadium seating or anything. Too bad since now the remaining 3 multiplexes in the Scarborough area are all Cineplex. No competition.
It appears that this is now closed. It has gone from all the newspaper advertising and no longer comes up on the AMC web site. I would have thought the Interchange 30 would have been gone before this one, since it only uses about 13 screens. Haven’t found one word on the Kennedy Commons closing in any of the papers.
The newspaper ads and web site now list 3 films showing daily, I wonder where the 3rd screen is? They did mention soon to be 4 screens but I haven’t heard how they further divided the cinemas.
The Allen that became the Tivoli was downtown at Richmond and Victoria streets. This is not that Allen. This is in the east end on Gerrard St.
The Odeon Broadway was part of the Holiday Inn. I stayed there in 1980 and saw “The Blues Brothers” in one of it’s cinemas.
That was the previous Square One cinemas 4, opened and operated by Famous Players from when the mall opened in 1973 until 1997 when the first Coliseum was opened by them across the street.
Having just been to Boston for the first time, I’m surprised that someone (Landmark, Angelika, Sundance) didn’t grab this site, gut it and reformat as a 5 or 6 screen complex, given it’s location by Prudential Center, Copley Place and all the hotels, restaurants etc in the area. Seems like the perfect location, right in the middle between the AMC Loews Boston Common and the Regal Fenway. If they had combined some of the cinemas and made them larger with larger screens, sound systems etc,this may have made a great little multiplex. Found it odd that this hadn’t happened given the location.
I think it’s the same here. That’s why Empire Theatres picked up a lot of locations across Canada when Cineplex took over Famous Players.
Still puzzled how Cineplex Odeon is allowed to have both this and SilverCity just blocks away, when they had to divest of several locations after taking over Famous Players. And isn’t the downtown Yonge & Dundas and Scotiabank in the same “zone” as well?
As a native Torontonian I can attest that all of the original movie palaces (Imperial, Loews, Loews Uptown, Sheas etc) are gone or have other uses, most notably the Imperial, now the Ed Mirvish legitmate theatre and Loews, the Elgin/Winter Garden. There are a few single screens left, the Fox and Revue being the oldest, then the Kingsway, Royal, Mt Pleasant, Regent and Bloor. The single screen Eglinton which opened as a neighbourhood theatre in 1936 and went on to become one of the most successful roadshow houses in the city is now an event theatre (weddings, banquets etc) as is the single screen Capitol.
Apparently the Humber is STILL open after all. If you look at their Facebook page the closing notices were a hoax, so they have a new web site and facebook page. I don’t know who owns it anymore or who runs it now but glad to know it is open after all.
What the heck goes on with this place? Recently it has said on their website soon to be 4 screens and now it’s closed? Why can’t this place run like the Davis and Logan in Chicago and be the local cinema for Bloor West village. I’ve never understood what the problem is here.
This is now the Cineplex Odeon Courtney Park cinemas, should be changed on here.
Now the Cineplex Odeon Winston Churchill cinemas, should be changed on here.
Now officially the Cineplex Odeon Yonge & Dundas cinemas, should be changed on here.
I couldn’t agree more Dennis! I sure do miss those days.
Thanks Ron! From the outside or from the Google satellite shots or Bing map birds eye view you can’t tell a thing.
I know John. I’m surprised that Empire didn’t grab Yonge & Dundas to have a major downtown location. Remember before “zones”, Famous Players ran every theatre in the Bloor-Yonge-Bay area except the Varsity Twin? Times sure have changed. I’m sure that Cineplex will have to sell their SilverCity Mississauga now since it’s just up the street from the Winston Churchill 24.