This theatre was built in 1939 by the late D.P. MacDonald and operated jointly by Mr. MacDonald and Famous Players Canadian Corp as one of their partnerships!
The Victory Theatre was to be built in 1939 but when the war started the basement was covered over and it was finally completed after the war in 1947. The architect of this theatre Abraham Kaplan of the firm Kaplan and Sprachman. The owner of this theatre was Leo Mascioli theatre magnate from Timmins, Ontario. It was operated by his company Timmins Theatres Limited in association with Famous Players Canadian Corp. Leo Mascioli had 5 big theatres going all at the same time in Timmins: The Broadway, The Cartier, The New Empire, The Palace, and The Goldfields. Famous Players threatened Mascioli and tried to put the squeeze on him so in 1937, Mascioli joined Famous Players as a partner.
This theatre was originally built as The Allen Theatre. When the Allen family theatres went under, Mr. Simon Meretsky successful theatre operator from Windsor acquired this theatre in partnership with Famous Players. Jointly they operated the former Loew’s Theatre, (CAPITOL) Allen TheaTRE (PALACE) TIVOLI THEATRE Walkerville and built the Centre Theatre at Wyandot and Pilette Street. These theatres were extremely profitable to Famous Players!
This theatre was built by Western Theatres Limited and Famous Players Canadian Corp. Richard Miles, president of Western Theatres Limited was the name of the partner. Western Theatres owned and operated 20 theatres in and around Winnipeg during the theatre heydays!!
This theatre was built by an independent Claude Desaulniers against the combined partnership forces of the local Kaplan family, and Premier Operating (Famous Players). When they found that they couldn’t get product to show, Desaulniers sold out to Famous Players and the Kaplan family. This theatre closed not too long ago, and sadly I don’t believe it will ever operate as a theatre again. It is simply not viable!!
The Kingsway was an operation of Twenthieth Century Theatres (Twinex) who were partners of Famous Players Canadian Corp. Nice to see that it is operating again. Located in the West end of Toronto in what used to be a better class of area!!
J. Harper Kent, local financier built the Kent Theatre and operated it as a partnership of Famous Players Canadian Corporation. Mr. Kent owned practically everything in Bathhurst. The Kent family operated department stores in the Maritimes with a catalog sales operation and that is how they became extremely wealthy!!
This theatre was operated as a partnership of the mall owners and Famous Players Canadian Corporation. Eventually Famous Players took it over 100%. I attended a movie there in 1976 called “The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane.” This theatre was dualled nicely, but it wasn’t that special.
This was an old Twinex (Twentieth Century Theatre) house and in the mid-seventies it was dumpy. It had a puny Candy bar and I can remember watching movies in there and hearing the damn projectionist’s radio blaring in the booth. Old-time manager of this theatre was Ernie Warren an old Twinex manager.
This theatre was a joint venture of Barry Allen (Premier Operating) and the original British Odeon Theatres of Canada. Other theatres in this partnership included the Odeon Parkway Drive-In and the Odeon Don Mills Theatre. At the same time Barry Allen was partners with Famous Players Canadian through Premier Operating and Theatre Holding Corporation.
The New Empire Theatre in Timmins was built around 1930, by Mr. Leo Mascioli owner of Timmins Theatres Limited. Mr. Mascioli was an extremely successful builder and theatre operator who in 1937 became a partner of Famous Players Canadian Corporation in the operation of many theatres in Timmins, and Sudbury, Canada!
Cedarbrae Cinemas were certainly NOT the nicest theatres of their time, but to Famous Players Canadian Corporation, they were one of the most profitable theatre operations that they had!!
The stately old CAPITOL THEATRE in Lethbridge was a partnership between Mr. A. W. Shackleford and Famous Players Canadian Corporation. It was built in 1928 and torn down for a mall project in 1974 that include two new modern Famous Players Theatres. Mr. Shackleford and Famous Players were partners nearly 50 years and this included the new Paramount Theatre in 1949!!
This theatre had quite the auditorium, an art deco masterpiece, I know because I was lucky enough to manage it at the beginning of my theatre career. This theatre was purpose built by Famous Players Canadian Corp in 1930, and Mr. John J. Fitzgibbons from Toronto attending the opening!
The Capitol Theatre in Peterborough was a Famous Players partnership situation where a local person managed and operated the theatre under Famous Players instructions and then split the profits in equal shares. I don’t know the name of the partner here because he passed away many many years ago!
The Capitol Theatre in Port Hope was a purpose built movie theatre in the atmospheric style built by Famous Players Canadian Corporation. After a number of years Famous Players allowed one of their partners Premier Operating to take this over, as it probably wasn’t doing typical Famous Players business!!
This theatre was built by the Marshall family who were Famous Players partners going back to the twenties. Their original theatre was called the Empress!
This theatre was built in 1929 by the Daylight Theatre Company, Limited whose principals were Mr. Byers and Mr. Butler. The Daylight Theatre Company were Famous Players partners in the operation of the Capitol, The Daylight, the Broadway, and years later the Midtown A & B. In the late 60’s the Daylight Theatre was renamed Paramount at the suggestion of Famous Players Limited!
Built by Famous Players in the late 20’s — this theatre was “pooled” with the Lyric Theatre a larger theatre in Kitchener to eliminate competition and increase the profits. This theatre was pooled with Premier Operating’s Mr. Herb Allen who had the right to book and date the films for both theatres!!
This theatre opened in 1972 with veteran Famous Players executive Mr. A.E. “Bert” Brown as its dedicated Manager. This theatre was considered to be the most important theatre Famous Players had outside of Toronto!! First rate theatres and theatre operation, I was proud to have received initial theatre management training from this gentleman!
This theatre was owned and operated by B & F Theatres, a Famous Players Theatres partnership situation. Sam Bloom and Sam Fine operated 20 luxurious theatres during the theatre boom in the suburban areas of Toronto!!
The Belle Theatre in Belleville, Ontario was built by a Mr. McCarthy who had another theatre in Belleville, named after him, the McCarthy Theatre. In the late 20’s, the Belle was doing very well so Famous Players tried to get Mr. McCarthy to become a partner of theirs and split the profits in equal shares!! Mr. McCarthy refused this and sold this theatre to Famous Players. I believe the McCarthy became an early unit of Twentieth Century Theatres (a Famous Players partner)!!
This theatre was built in 1939 by the late D.P. MacDonald and operated jointly by Mr. MacDonald and Famous Players Canadian Corp as one of their partnerships!
The Victory Theatre was to be built in 1939 but when the war started the basement was covered over and it was finally completed after the war in 1947. The architect of this theatre Abraham Kaplan of the firm Kaplan and Sprachman. The owner of this theatre was Leo Mascioli theatre magnate from Timmins, Ontario. It was operated by his company Timmins Theatres Limited in association with Famous Players Canadian Corp. Leo Mascioli had 5 big theatres going all at the same time in Timmins: The Broadway, The Cartier, The New Empire, The Palace, and The Goldfields. Famous Players threatened Mascioli and tried to put the squeeze on him so in 1937, Mascioli joined Famous Players as a partner.
This theatre NEVER showed French movies, only the very best first-run American movies!!
This theatre was originally built as The Allen Theatre. When the Allen family theatres went under, Mr. Simon Meretsky successful theatre operator from Windsor acquired this theatre in partnership with Famous Players. Jointly they operated the former Loew’s Theatre, (CAPITOL) Allen TheaTRE (PALACE) TIVOLI THEATRE Walkerville and built the Centre Theatre at Wyandot and Pilette Street. These theatres were extremely profitable to Famous Players!
This theatre was built by Western Theatres Limited and Famous Players Canadian Corp. Richard Miles, president of Western Theatres Limited was the name of the partner. Western Theatres owned and operated 20 theatres in and around Winnipeg during the theatre heydays!!
This theatre was built by an independent Claude Desaulniers against the combined partnership forces of the local Kaplan family, and Premier Operating (Famous Players). When they found that they couldn’t get product to show, Desaulniers sold out to Famous Players and the Kaplan family. This theatre closed not too long ago, and sadly I don’t believe it will ever operate as a theatre again. It is simply not viable!!
The Kingsway was an operation of Twenthieth Century Theatres (Twinex) who were partners of Famous Players Canadian Corp. Nice to see that it is operating again. Located in the West end of Toronto in what used to be a better class of area!!
J. Harper Kent, local financier built the Kent Theatre and operated it as a partnership of Famous Players Canadian Corporation. Mr. Kent owned practically everything in Bathhurst. The Kent family operated department stores in the Maritimes with a catalog sales operation and that is how they became extremely wealthy!!
This theatre was operated as a partnership of the mall owners and Famous Players Canadian Corporation. Eventually Famous Players took it over 100%. I attended a movie there in 1976 called “The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane.” This theatre was dualled nicely, but it wasn’t that special.
This was an old Twinex (Twentieth Century Theatre) house and in the mid-seventies it was dumpy. It had a puny Candy bar and I can remember watching movies in there and hearing the damn projectionist’s radio blaring in the booth. Old-time manager of this theatre was Ernie Warren an old Twinex manager.
This theatre was a joint venture of Barry Allen (Premier Operating) and the original British Odeon Theatres of Canada. Other theatres in this partnership included the Odeon Parkway Drive-In and the Odeon Don Mills Theatre. At the same time Barry Allen was partners with Famous Players Canadian through Premier Operating and Theatre Holding Corporation.
Famous Players Canadian Corporation had absolutely NOTHING to do with this theatre.
The New Empire Theatre in Timmins was built around 1930, by Mr. Leo Mascioli owner of Timmins Theatres Limited. Mr. Mascioli was an extremely successful builder and theatre operator who in 1937 became a partner of Famous Players Canadian Corporation in the operation of many theatres in Timmins, and Sudbury, Canada!
Cedarbrae Cinemas were certainly NOT the nicest theatres of their time, but to Famous Players Canadian Corporation, they were one of the most profitable theatre operations that they had!!
The stately old CAPITOL THEATRE in Lethbridge was a partnership between Mr. A. W. Shackleford and Famous Players Canadian Corporation. It was built in 1928 and torn down for a mall project in 1974 that include two new modern Famous Players Theatres. Mr. Shackleford and Famous Players were partners nearly 50 years and this included the new Paramount Theatre in 1949!!
This theatre had quite the auditorium, an art deco masterpiece, I know because I was lucky enough to manage it at the beginning of my theatre career. This theatre was purpose built by Famous Players Canadian Corp in 1930, and Mr. John J. Fitzgibbons from Toronto attending the opening!
The Capitol Theatre in Peterborough was a Famous Players partnership situation where a local person managed and operated the theatre under Famous Players instructions and then split the profits in equal shares. I don’t know the name of the partner here because he passed away many many years ago!
The Capitol Theatre in Port Hope was a purpose built movie theatre in the atmospheric style built by Famous Players Canadian Corporation. After a number of years Famous Players allowed one of their partners Premier Operating to take this over, as it probably wasn’t doing typical Famous Players business!!
This theatre was built by the Marshall family who were Famous Players partners going back to the twenties. Their original theatre was called the Empress!
This theatre was built in 1929 by the Daylight Theatre Company, Limited whose principals were Mr. Byers and Mr. Butler. The Daylight Theatre Company were Famous Players partners in the operation of the Capitol, The Daylight, the Broadway, and years later the Midtown A & B. In the late 60’s the Daylight Theatre was renamed Paramount at the suggestion of Famous Players Limited!
Built by Famous Players in the late 20’s — this theatre was “pooled” with the Lyric Theatre a larger theatre in Kitchener to eliminate competition and increase the profits. This theatre was pooled with Premier Operating’s Mr. Herb Allen who had the right to book and date the films for both theatres!!
This theatre opened in 1972 with veteran Famous Players executive Mr. A.E. “Bert” Brown as its dedicated Manager. This theatre was considered to be the most important theatre Famous Players had outside of Toronto!! First rate theatres and theatre operation, I was proud to have received initial theatre management training from this gentleman!
This theatre was built and operated by Twentieth Century Theatres N. A. Taylor who was a Famous Players partner!
This theatre was owned and operated by B & F Theatres, a Famous Players Theatres partnership situation. Sam Bloom and Sam Fine operated 20 luxurious theatres during the theatre boom in the suburban areas of Toronto!!
The Belle Theatre in Belleville, Ontario was built by a Mr. McCarthy who had another theatre in Belleville, named after him, the McCarthy Theatre. In the late 20’s, the Belle was doing very well so Famous Players tried to get Mr. McCarthy to become a partner of theirs and split the profits in equal shares!! Mr. McCarthy refused this and sold this theatre to Famous Players. I believe the McCarthy became an early unit of Twentieth Century Theatres (a Famous Players partner)!!