Shea's Hippodrome Theatre

This theatre was a partnership situation between Mr. Mike Shea and the Shea family and Famous Players Canadian Corporation. I actually have a signed letter from Mr. Mike Shea advising that his doorman was on holidays and to please extend to him the courtesy of free movies should he so desire!!

An ad for “A Devil With Women” starring Victor McLaglen from Dec 22 1930:

Hey Jerry, drop me a line at — would love to have a look!

Over at Silent Toronto, a winter shot from 1924 advertising a Gloria Swanson flick at the Hippodrome.

My mother was an usherette at Shea’s Hippodrome on Bay Street, Toronto in the late 1950’s. She met the likes of Gloria Swanson and Gordon Lightfoot.

She recalls a photographer from ??Famous Players? coming in and asking if she’d do some photography of her getting ready to “go on the floor”, and she is wondering what happened to those photos. She recalls him taking photos of her sitting and putting on her hat, fixing her make up, putting on her jacket – all this was taken in the usherettes dressing room. Anyone seen any of these or have a lead where we may find them?

The history of the Wurlitzer organ (Opus 558, 3/15) that was installed in Shea’s Hippodrome in 1922 at a cost of 50,000is a fascinating story. It was rescued and purchased (for a mere $2,000) even as the theatre was being demolished. It was then installed at the Maple Leaf Gardens and expanded in size. It was later removed from the Gardens and stored at the Imperial Theatre on Yonge, and then installed at Casa Loma after again being modified. The complete story can be read here: http://www.theatreorgans.com/toronto/history.html

I too was surprised that it had not been entered previously; recently I was rereading “Palaces of the Night: Canada’s Grand Theatres” by John Lindsay and thought I would see what CT had to say about it and discovered there was no entry.

There are some terrific interior shots of Shea’s in that book, showing that it had, at least at one time, twelve opera boxes and elaborate ceiling lighting. I had noted the 1947 picture before during a previous hunt, but had not been able to match it up to a specific theatre as there is no vertical and the theatre’s name is not visible anywhere else in the picture. I finally figured it out when I came across the 1921 picture and matched the designs in the facade’s brickwork.

I’m always astounded to see theaters of this size (in the US and Canada) only now making it to Cinema Treasures. I wonder how many others are waiting to be discovered.