Broadway Cinema
251 King William Street,
Hamilton,
ON
L8R
251 King William Street,
Hamilton,
ON
L8R
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 13 comments
Renamed Broadway on March 4th, 1977 and closed on July 2nd, 1998.
Reopened as Pussycat Cinema on November 7th, 1971, showing adult movies. Another ad posted. More to come…
Opened on May 7th, 1968 as the International Cinema and taken over by Joe Dydzak on January 8th, 1969. Grand opening ads posted. More to come…
I always sat last row fourth seat from the left. Saw hundreds of movies here. I miss the theatre greatly. The theatre, I believe closed in 1999. I still have my membership card that expired in Jun. 99 and I think the theatre closed a month or two before my membership did.
I agree with shmadiran’s 2006 comment: this was a horrible theater. The worst in the city, along with the Hyland. But, we had no choice. This was a ‘rep’ theater, and this was the only place running art films, foreign films, revivals, etc. If you wanted to see something, you had to see it there (or go to Toronto).
The picture/screen was way too big for the size of the auditorium. You had to make sure you sat it the back rows. The seats were not very comfortable. The floor sloped down from the back, then ‘inclined’ up to the front rows. Heads were a problem in the few rows in front of yours. Projection problems were common. More than a few times, I remember the screen going black. I think they used ‘arc’ lamps…the picture would turn rosey-red and get duller, until it went completely black, until the reel change…
As of April 2012, the marquee has been removed. It has been replaced by a back-lit sign attached to the face of the building. The current occupant is Apostolic Ark Ministries. Their web site is ApostolicArkMinistries.org. The name Puzzy Cat Cinema is incorrect. The correct name is Pussycat Cinema.
In a newspaper article about the closing of the Broadway Cinema, it was mentioned that the Pussycat sign existed under the Broadway sign.
I grew up in the East End near Centennial Parkway and only got to see three movies at The Broadway but I remember each of them. One was a German film about a couple who try to escape from East Germany to West Germany through the sewers but get split up. The movie ends with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the couple see each other through the crowd. If anyone remembers that movie I’d appreciate a name. The second was Lone Star in 96 and the last was Chasing Amy in 97. Ironic that it was once a porn house and is now a church.
Jeffery:
I am guessing that this would be Vija.. Since it was Jon Zemaitis and his then partner Vija that ran the place in the late 80’s early 90’s. I had her in my taxi about a year back.. But I don’t have contact info sadly. A friend of mine in Ottawa was the asst manager in the 1980’s, I’ll ask next time I see him. Hopefully she spots your query.
Hamiltongirl…… I used to call there almost every single night to someone who worked I think she worked at the ticket booth. We talked for hours about movies and as I got older I stopped calling. I remember this woman looked forward to my calls every single night. I think I brought her spirits up while she worked there. What a great reunion this would be if I found this woman again. I do not remember her name but I am sure she would remember my calls. :) if by chance you know of this woman tell her to email me at it would be awesome to talk to her again :)
Actually, to be honest, it was a horrible cinema. (And as a cinephile and theatre buff, it pains me to remember this). When they were going through the ‘Save the Broadway’ campaign, when they were really struggling, my best friend and I had t-shirts made up, replete with a photo. Its caption? ‘Pave the Broadway’.
HamiltonGirl…
I used to visit that cinema back in the day. It was a great cinema.
Elmquist…
I think the infomation that is posted on here should say…
It closed in the 1990’s and NOT in 1990. I remember seeing a movie there in late 1994 so Im guessing it closed in the 1995/96.
Dose anyone know if its still a church? I think that Dinner/Movie idea would be a great idea for that location.
Are you sure that it closed in 1990? I have a July/Aug film guide from 1994. Was there another Broadway Cinema in Hamilton?
I was a member of this cinema for years. I saw many, many films here. It was a big part of my life while it was open. I miss it dearly.