King Square Cinemas
25 King Square North,
Saint John,
NB
E2L1E6
25 King Square North,
Saint John,
NB
E2L1E6
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Empire Theatres, Famous Players
Previous Names: Paramount Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The Paramount Theatre was opened by New Brunswick’s Lieutenant Governor David MacLaren on September 21, 1948 as Atlantic Canada’s premiere movie theatre. When built, the theatre employed the latest film technology and is believed to be because Louis B. Mayer was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. As Famous Players most modern theatre in Atlantic Canada, the original single screen theatre with 1,040 seats had first rights to the latest Hollywood movies, which were shown daily from 1pm to 11pm.
In 1979, the theatre was twinned. Cinema 1 and Cinema 2 had seating for 586 and 454, respectively. The strategic location of the Paramount Theatre on centrally located Kings Square made it a key entertainment venue in Saint John for decades. However, the building became surplus to the Empire Movie Corporation following the opening of their new multi-plex on the East side of Saint John.
It was demolished in October 2013.
Contributed by
Matt Alexander
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
This is the King Square cinemas which was formerly the Famous Players Paramount. When Empire bought all the Famous Players cinemas in Atlantic Canada, they renamed this one Empire King Square Cinemas. The other one is the former Odeon theatre which as it states was renamed King Square in 1984, closed in 1996 and is demolished.
The King Square/Paramount Theatre should now be listed as demolished. It was torn down in October 2013. The article on the theatre’s demolition is below:
Paramount Theatre Demolished – another Saint John landmark swept away
I do NOT believe that this was the Paramount Theatre in Saint John, New Brunswick. I believe this was originally an Odeon Theatre!!!
Well when you Google Paramount Saint John and it shows photos with the Famous Players logo and marquee, it looks identical to this one.
OK — maybe I was wrong on that one!!
DavidDymond is thinking of the King Square Cinema (singular) which was called the Odeon from 1966 to 1984. It was the King Square Cinema from 1984 until closing in 1996. The Paramount, renamed Cinema 1 and Cinema 2 in 1979, must have been renamed Kings Square Cinemas after the other house closed.
Grand opening ad posted.
Paramount theatre opening 21 Sep 1948, Tue Telegraph-Journal (St. John, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada) Newspapers.com
Reopened with two screens on April 26th, 1974.
Famous Players Paramount Cinemas 1 & 2 opening 25 Apr 1974, Thu The Evening Times-Globe (St. John, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada) Newspapers.com
Interior pics
Paramount Twin interior 25 Apr 1974, Thu The Evening Times-Globe (St. John, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada) Newspapers.com
The Paramount Theatre opened with Jean Arthur in “A Foreign Affair” with no extras, and originally had a capacity of 1,392 seats (with 834 seats in the orchestra pit and 558 seats in the balcony). It was first managed by F. Harrison Howe, who also formerly managed the nearby Imperial/Capitol Theatre.