King Square Cinemas
25 King Square North,
Saint John,
NB
E2L1E6
25 King Square North,
Saint John,
NB
E2L1E6
1 person favorited this theater
Showing 13 comments
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.
Interior pics Paramount Twin interior 25 Apr 1974, Thu The Evening Times-Globe (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
Grand opening ad posted. Paramount theatre opening 21 Sep 1948, Tue Telegraph-Journal (St. John, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada) Newspapers.com
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.
OK — maybe I was wrong on that one!!
Well when you Google Paramount Saint John and it shows photos with the Famous Players logo and marquee, it looks identical to this one.
I do NOT believe that this was the Paramount Theatre in Saint John, New Brunswick. I believe this was originally an Odeon Theatre!!!
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
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.
Something is odd here. The picture that accompanies the above referenced article is basically the same as the ones in the pictures indicated within the comments for the King Square Cinema, but the addresses in the CT listings are different; also the listing for the King Square Cinema would seem to indicate that the Kings Square is at least partially demolished if not completely.
Bad news concerning renovation plans here.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2012/04/12/nb-paramount-theatre-project.html
Thanks Matt for getting these theatres listed.