LOVE that photo of the Tivoli Jon! I’ve often wondered if FP had booked “The Sound of Music” in to the Tivoli instead of the Eglinton, would it have survived a few more years. After all, the Tivoli was once the “home of Todd-ao” and TSOM was in glorious Todd-ao. I thought at the time it was a shame to have closed it since it had such a wonderful run as a major roadshow house. Why couldn’t they run it as they did with the Imperial-Yorkdale-Golden Mile-Runnymede and maybe had the Tivoli with the Capitol-Birchcliff-Westwood…
Status for this should be open. It re-opened on November 18 with the latest “Twilight” movie. From the showtimes, it appears that only one of the screens is open at this time, no word on when the other one will open.
Boy is the photo and map location ever off for this theatre-the Skyway 6. It was at 25 Carlson Court at Dixon Rd and Hwy 27, nowhere near Airport Rd & Derry. This should be changed and updated.
David, I loved it. It brought back so many memories of when we went to many roadshows when I was a kid here in Toronto. What an event it seemed to be with the souvenir books, the overture before the beginning and then the eventual parting of the curtains. Thanks again, and enjoyable and memorable read.
I think the only reason they dropped One Bloor is because it was no longer Famous Players but Cineplex, who already has the Varsity. What gets me is that at one time Famous Players had ALL the theatres at Yonge/Bloor/Bay except the Varsity. (cumberland4, university, plaza twin, towne cinema, uptown 5) So why Cineplex couldn’t have 2 complexes a block apart is beyond me. The Varsity could have become a classy art house and the new one more Hollywood fare.
Famous Players had all kinds of plans that never came to be. They were going to build a new Imperial Six in the basement of the Ryrie Bldg at Yonge and Shuter, a new University 9 in the complex that replaced the University using the facade and old entrance. And ultimately a new 10 screener at Yonge & Bloor to replace the Uptown in what is now becoming the condo One Bloor E. Too bad that one didn’t get built before the merger. Somewhere I have newspaper articles on all of these announcements.
At one time years ago, Famous Players was considering re-developing it’s Hollywood site at Yonge & St Clair in to a multiplex. Instead however they built Silvercity at Yonge & Eglinton. Too bad since we would have that one where the Hollywood was and the Canada Square up at Eglinton.
Same with Chicago. They still have the Logan, Davis, Century Centre and other neighbourhood theatres open. I always thought that there were other parts of Toronto that should have theatres too. Like Liberty Village seems to be an area that could have one. I miss theatres in the Eglinton/Avenue rd area as well as the Yonge/St Clair area. For some reason, Danforth hasn’t been able to support one but I wish there were more like the Beach Cinemas around town, not too big, 4-6 screens with all the bells and whistles. Miss the Bayview Village cinemas too, seemed perfect, just the right size too. And have always always found it puzzling why there is not ONE cinema of any size in southern Mississauga, south of the QEW where I grew up. If you want to go to a move, you have to go way up to Square One area or drive several miles east to the Queensway.
Well whatever the reason it’s just too bad. This is a lovely theatre in a great part of town and was the last of the “original” Odeons built in the late 40s..would have been terrific if it had been a great success. Having just returned from NYC last weekend, I was impressed at how many neighbourhoods still have thriving theatres like we used to. Here they are mainly downtown and in outlying malls. It was nice to have this Bloor West theatre open again, even if only for a few months. Such a shame…
Some beautiful photos of the Humber on the urban Toronto website listed above by hdtv267. Such a shame. I had a terrible feeling that this was all too good to be true when this reopened. A movie theatre compliments this neighbourhood so much, obviously the people of Bloor West Village, Swansea and the much posher Kingsway area don’t agree.
I can’t believe there aren’t any photos of this theatre anywhere, especially of the original twin cinemas. Even movie-theatre.org which often will have the opening ads or photos doesn’t have any. Too bad since this sounds like it was once an important theatre in the Buffalo area.
Rainbow cinemas took over Market Square long before Famous Players was sold. Rainbow took over June 2003 and none of the former Famous Players were sold to Rainbow. All of the Rainbow buys over the years have been former Cineplex Odeons.
Well after all these months, they are still showing films in about half of their screens, so I guess this is ongoing. Another thing I’ve noticed is that they never seem to get the big blockbusters that they used to get. Always shared them with the Colossus across the highway, but now the Interchange seems to get mainly second run. Which is a shame, because personally I like the Interchange better. Not nearly as noisy or as garish as the Colossus.
Jon, I’ve always found it interesting that almost all Rainbow cinemas are former Cineplex Odeons and no former Famous Players. Did they have some kind of deal or something? Can think of a few Cineplex theatres that should have become Rainbow including Upper James in Hamilton, Sherway in Toronto and Huron Market Place in London.
When I was in North Vancouver in 1966 and later in the 70s, there was an Odeon Totem theatre on Lonsdale, would this not be the same one? It was an indoor theater, not a drive-in.
What a shame. Looks like a great theatre, several photos of it on cinematour.com
This theatre should be listed as open, it re-opened on November 18 with the latest Twilight movie. One screen open so far.
LOVE that photo of the Tivoli Jon! I’ve often wondered if FP had booked “The Sound of Music” in to the Tivoli instead of the Eglinton, would it have survived a few more years. After all, the Tivoli was once the “home of Todd-ao” and TSOM was in glorious Todd-ao. I thought at the time it was a shame to have closed it since it had such a wonderful run as a major roadshow house. Why couldn’t they run it as they did with the Imperial-Yorkdale-Golden Mile-Runnymede and maybe had the Tivoli with the Capitol-Birchcliff-Westwood…
Status for this should be open. It re-opened on November 18 with the latest “Twilight” movie. From the showtimes, it appears that only one of the screens is open at this time, no word on when the other one will open.
Boy is the photo and map location ever off for this theatre-the Skyway 6. It was at 25 Carlson Court at Dixon Rd and Hwy 27, nowhere near Airport Rd & Derry. This should be changed and updated.
Yes, that was the Skyline Cinemas, in what was then the Skyline Hotel. It is listed here under Skyline and opened in 1971 and closed in 1991.
Me too Techman707, one of my favourite musicals!
Stockholm IS in Sweden Ken, NOT Denmark!
David, I loved it. It brought back so many memories of when we went to many roadshows when I was a kid here in Toronto. What an event it seemed to be with the souvenir books, the overture before the beginning and then the eventual parting of the curtains. Thanks again, and enjoyable and memorable read.
I think the only reason they dropped One Bloor is because it was no longer Famous Players but Cineplex, who already has the Varsity. What gets me is that at one time Famous Players had ALL the theatres at Yonge/Bloor/Bay except the Varsity. (cumberland4, university, plaza twin, towne cinema, uptown 5) So why Cineplex couldn’t have 2 complexes a block apart is beyond me. The Varsity could have become a classy art house and the new one more Hollywood fare.
Famous Players had all kinds of plans that never came to be. They were going to build a new Imperial Six in the basement of the Ryrie Bldg at Yonge and Shuter, a new University 9 in the complex that replaced the University using the facade and old entrance. And ultimately a new 10 screener at Yonge & Bloor to replace the Uptown in what is now becoming the condo One Bloor E. Too bad that one didn’t get built before the merger. Somewhere I have newspaper articles on all of these announcements.
At one time years ago, Famous Players was considering re-developing it’s Hollywood site at Yonge & St Clair in to a multiplex. Instead however they built Silvercity at Yonge & Eglinton. Too bad since we would have that one where the Hollywood was and the Canada Square up at Eglinton.
Same with Chicago. They still have the Logan, Davis, Century Centre and other neighbourhood theatres open. I always thought that there were other parts of Toronto that should have theatres too. Like Liberty Village seems to be an area that could have one. I miss theatres in the Eglinton/Avenue rd area as well as the Yonge/St Clair area. For some reason, Danforth hasn’t been able to support one but I wish there were more like the Beach Cinemas around town, not too big, 4-6 screens with all the bells and whistles. Miss the Bayview Village cinemas too, seemed perfect, just the right size too. And have always always found it puzzling why there is not ONE cinema of any size in southern Mississauga, south of the QEW where I grew up. If you want to go to a move, you have to go way up to Square One area or drive several miles east to the Queensway.
Well whatever the reason it’s just too bad. This is a lovely theatre in a great part of town and was the last of the “original” Odeons built in the late 40s..would have been terrific if it had been a great success. Having just returned from NYC last weekend, I was impressed at how many neighbourhoods still have thriving theatres like we used to. Here they are mainly downtown and in outlying malls. It was nice to have this Bloor West theatre open again, even if only for a few months. Such a shame…
Well has anyone heard ANYTHING about this theatre? There was so much hype about it reopening after all those years and now nothing.
Some beautiful photos of the Humber on the urban Toronto website listed above by hdtv267. Such a shame. I had a terrible feeling that this was all too good to be true when this reopened. A movie theatre compliments this neighbourhood so much, obviously the people of Bloor West Village, Swansea and the much posher Kingsway area don’t agree.
No! What happened??!!
I can’t believe there aren’t any photos of this theatre anywhere, especially of the original twin cinemas. Even movie-theatre.org which often will have the opening ads or photos doesn’t have any. Too bad since this sounds like it was once an important theatre in the Buffalo area.
I’ve always wondered, are these theatres in this chain pronounced CINE as in “sin” or sin-eh…thought this was a strange name…
Rainbow cinemas took over Market Square long before Famous Players was sold. Rainbow took over June 2003 and none of the former Famous Players were sold to Rainbow. All of the Rainbow buys over the years have been former Cineplex Odeons.
Well after all these months, they are still showing films in about half of their screens, so I guess this is ongoing. Another thing I’ve noticed is that they never seem to get the big blockbusters that they used to get. Always shared them with the Colossus across the highway, but now the Interchange seems to get mainly second run. Which is a shame, because personally I like the Interchange better. Not nearly as noisy or as garish as the Colossus.
I wish Cleveland had been included in that “Remembering Cinerama” series last year, I kept waiting for it.
Jon, I’ve always found it interesting that almost all Rainbow cinemas are former Cineplex Odeons and no former Famous Players. Did they have some kind of deal or something? Can think of a few Cineplex theatres that should have become Rainbow including Upper James in Hamilton, Sherway in Toronto and Huron Market Place in London.
Yes, opened in 1983, not 1989. First film I saw there was “The Big Chill” which was released that year.
When I was in North Vancouver in 1966 and later in the 70s, there was an Odeon Totem theatre on Lonsdale, would this not be the same one? It was an indoor theater, not a drive-in.