From the book “Hamilton: Panorama of Our Past” (page 63/c. 1994): The Main Theatre opened June 22, 1925. There is a photo from The Spectator showing the theater entrance in the center, with a store on either side. The name was changed to the Community Theatre in August of 1938. The facade stayed the same, except for the name and marquee change. The name was changed to the Cinema Theatre and reopened on April 23, 1951, after a renovation. The marquee was changed and the lower facade was altered, removing the two storefronts. The theatre entrance, box office and the marquee were at the extreme right/eastern side of the facade. The lobby area was enlarged and extended from the entrance to the left side of the building. The Cinema Theatre showed British and foreign films for a time, then was a first-run Famous Players theater until it closed in l98l. It was then put up for sale and later converted.
The Cinema Theatre and the Main Theatre are the same theater/building. It was named the Cinema Theatre the longest until it closed. The Google street view (on the Main listing) shows the Main/Community/Cinema as looks today, converted into apartments and a storefront.
I was hanging around the theatre, taking pictures and a real estate agent showed me around inside. The interior is ornate, and I remember light bulbs around the stage procenium (arched, I think). A sound and lighting operation area was set up in the rear seats in the auditorium. There were two apartments on the second floor and the projection room was across the hall. There were a few projector parts on the floor of the room, and there was a board with the marquee letters and numbers (in alphabetical/numerical order) hanging on nails. In the basement (under the stores) there were old movie posters for Italian and soft-core porn movies, still there after all those years since the theatre ran them. For a time, the Playhouse ran Italian films. There used to be a sign advertising the Italian film policy on the upper South side of the building. The theatre showed soft-core pornographic movies until it closed and was then taken over by the theatre group.
Comparing the photo and the Google street view, you can see the changes City Kidz has made to the facade of the building. After Theatre Terra Nova failed and vacated the theatre, it was put up for sale by the city for $60,000.00 (c. 1991-2). It had the original paint job on the marquee. The letters for the sign board were original and had a very unusual font style. The display windows and the box office (at the right side of the entrance) still existed.
The photo above shows the Playhouse soon after City Kidz took over the building. The tiled roof (just like the one in the Main/Cinema pictures) was replaced with ordinary shingles. The marquee was repainted and the neon and lightbulbs were replaced. I recall a concert was given by Ian Thomas (brother of Dave Thomas of SCTV, etc.) as a fundraiser. All the neon and lightbulbs have since been removed. Why? I don’t know. I hope they aren’t going to remove the marquee. It is the last original marquee in the city. I’m guessing it dates from the 1940’s. The house seen in the Google street view has been torn down and is used a parking lot, mostly for the buses.
I have a snapshot of Woodward Avenue showing a theatre just past John R Street (on the right) with the Fox Theatre tower in the distance (on the left). From the look of the cars, etc. I would date the photo in the 1940’s. The three lines of words on the marquee are not readable. Is it possible this theatre showed foreign or ethnic films? The name of the theatre is not readable, but there seems to be a letter “C” in it. This definately matches the location and the building. Is it possible the theatre was reopened after the 1930 closing?
If you look at the Capitol facade, on the Google street view, a stairway to the second level can be seen. As of the first of November, I noticed that it has been removed.
A correction to my May 1/12 comment: The Lee Marvin film title should be “Prime Cut”.
Yo, Dave. The Tivoli in Hamilton had a great neon maple leaf logo. It was removed in the early l980’s and replaced with an “EVE” sign, when the Tivoli started showing “adult” films. There is also a leaf shaped sign on the Lincoln in St. Catharines, but this is probably a later back-lit style. On the two link photos of the
Seneca, there is a sign on the lower front of the box office stating “A Famous Players Theatre” and the
FP/leaf logo.
For more great information and pictures of the Capitol, do a Google search for Capitol Theatre Quebec City. Check out these: Historic Places; Trip Advisor; Canadian Encyclopedia; Virtual Tourist.
The Capitol Theatre is now part of a complex known as Le Capitole de Quebec. It includes the theatre, a cabaret, hotel and restaurant. The former Cinema de Paris, next door, is now known as Le Cabaret du Capitole. It has been altered and seats 565 patrons. Their web site has a few small pictures and information: www.lecapitole.com/en .
I have a postcard (c. 1950’s-“The Eddy Cantor Story” is on the marquee) showing the Eagle Theatre on Central Avenue. The building still exists. The Eagle was located on Central between Cheadle and North Railway. You can see the building on the Google street view. It is the last building before the parking lots (which extend to North Railway Street). The building is occupied by the Backstage Dance Co. The Eagle vertical sign was attached to the relief area between the two sets of windows. You can also locate it and see the satellite shot of the building.
I have a postcard (c. 1940’s) of a Royal Theatre on Main Street. This is a street scene showing Main Street looking North from C.P.R. Station. The theatre front is in the right foreground.
I have a postcard (early 1960’s?) of Assiniboia, with four color photos. The upper left photo is identified on the back of the card as: Main Street looking North. The photo is quite small, but you can clearly see the vertical OLYMPIA sign, with THEATRE underneath (horizontally). There also appears to be a canopy/marquee. It doesn’t sound like the same Olympia described above…
A few errors…The google satellite/hybrid and street view names the next street (to the right of the theatre) as Blowers. The correct name is Bowers (see the street sign). The satellite shot points to the wrong building as the Paramount. It is the third roof from Sackville St.
You can see the facade of the Paramount on the google street view, above. The canopy over the sidewalk still exists. I guess this must have been an entrance to the theatre, with the auditorium further back. It appears the auditorium had been demolished to make way for the Mountain Equipment Co-Op.
For an article about the proposed demolition, go to:
www.niagarafallsreview.ca/2012/09/12/council
There is a recent photo of the front/facade and some history: It opened in l922 as the Web Theatre, with 860 seats. It was renamed the Hollywood in l931 and the Princess in l956. The theatre closed in l978 and sold to the Serbian group. On yelp.com, it is listed as Venues and Event Space and the address is shown as
5956 Main Street. Postal code: L2G 5Z8.
The theatre may have been demolished! A google search took me to a September 12, 2012 Niagara Falls Review article about the city purchasing the building, with the intent to demolish it. The property will be used as a walkway to the Farmer’s Market. The Serbian Center hadn’t used the building for almost a year and put it up
for sale. I don’t know if the demolition has taken place. I couldn’t find anything else on line about it (not even the Review website).
The Hollywood Theatre can be seen on the google street view. It is shown as the Canadian Serbian Cultural Center. You can see the altered marquee and a side view of the building (there’s a vacant lot beside it). You can see it on the google satellite shot as well.
The theatre location on the google street map is wrong. It locates the theatre at Queen and St. Clair Streets. The correct location is at Queen and St. Lawrence Streets. The Seneca can be seen on the google satellite shot: it is the second building from the corner of Lawrence St., with the white roof. The front and the rear of the building can be seen on the google street view. The address is 4624 Queen Street. The box office phone number is 905-356-2300 (web site info).
The theatre is now officially named the Seneca Queen Theatre. It is the home of the Lyndesfarne Theatre Company. It has been presenting live theatre since mid-2012, and has a current season of productions scheduled to early 2013. Do a google search for the Lydesfarne and see matches for newspaper articles and their web site.
Wow. I just discovered the google satellite shots! The whole Majestic Theatre building seems to exist. Does the original interior exist? Anybody know? I can’t find any mention of it on any of the city history sites or elsewhere.
The above spectrum/2010 comment, mentioning the parking lot, may have been referring to the newer building to the right of the Capitol. The google image shows Brant Office Suppply in a recent building. This building took the place of two properties, between the Capitol and Odeon theatres. The business, beside the Capitol, was Comstock’s Furniture and Funeral Service.
If you look at the side wall of the third building, it appears to be old brick. You can see this wall from the front, on George St. and from the back, on Water Street. It looks like an addition has been made to the rear of the Capitol building, as well. There used to be a building, at the corner of Charlotte and Water, that extended over to (and in front of/up against) the rear of the Capitol Theatre. This building can be seen in the postcard photo. It has been demolished and has exposed the rear of the Capitol building. There is a sign (partially obscured) on the building that says: PETERBOROUGH DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT… To the left, you can see the side wall and some of the roof contour.
Looking again at my postcard and the google image, I think the Capitol building still exists, but has been altered inside and out. The building that houses the Peterborough Inn & Suites, is a vintage structure that appears in the postcard photo. It is the second building from the corner of George & Charlotte. The Capitol is the third building, from the corner, beside the PI&S building.
The Gayety web site is: gaetytheatre.com. There is a brief history given, but no photos. There is promotion for the latest attractions.
I have two vintage postcards showing the Gayety. The vertical sign is the largest sign on the street.
From the book “Hamilton: Panorama of Our Past” (page 63/c. 1994): The Main Theatre opened June 22, 1925. There is a photo from The Spectator showing the theater entrance in the center, with a store on either side. The name was changed to the Community Theatre in August of 1938. The facade stayed the same, except for the name and marquee change. The name was changed to the Cinema Theatre and reopened on April 23, 1951, after a renovation. The marquee was changed and the lower facade was altered, removing the two storefronts. The theatre entrance, box office and the marquee were at the extreme right/eastern side of the facade. The lobby area was enlarged and extended from the entrance to the left side of the building. The Cinema Theatre showed British and foreign films for a time, then was a first-run Famous Players theater until it closed in l98l. It was then put up for sale and later converted.
The Cinema Theatre and the Main Theatre are the same theater/building. It was named the Cinema Theatre the longest until it closed. The Google street view (on the Main listing) shows the Main/Community/Cinema as looks today, converted into apartments and a storefront.
I was hanging around the theatre, taking pictures and a real estate agent showed me around inside. The interior is ornate, and I remember light bulbs around the stage procenium (arched, I think). A sound and lighting operation area was set up in the rear seats in the auditorium. There were two apartments on the second floor and the projection room was across the hall. There were a few projector parts on the floor of the room, and there was a board with the marquee letters and numbers (in alphabetical/numerical order) hanging on nails. In the basement (under the stores) there were old movie posters for Italian and soft-core porn movies, still there after all those years since the theatre ran them. For a time, the Playhouse ran Italian films. There used to be a sign advertising the Italian film policy on the upper South side of the building. The theatre showed soft-core pornographic movies until it closed and was then taken over by the theatre group.
Comparing the photo and the Google street view, you can see the changes City Kidz has made to the facade of the building. After Theatre Terra Nova failed and vacated the theatre, it was put up for sale by the city for $60,000.00 (c. 1991-2). It had the original paint job on the marquee. The letters for the sign board were original and had a very unusual font style. The display windows and the box office (at the right side of the entrance) still existed.
The photo above shows the Playhouse soon after City Kidz took over the building. The tiled roof (just like the one in the Main/Cinema pictures) was replaced with ordinary shingles. The marquee was repainted and the neon and lightbulbs were replaced. I recall a concert was given by Ian Thomas (brother of Dave Thomas of SCTV, etc.) as a fundraiser. All the neon and lightbulbs have since been removed. Why? I don’t know. I hope they aren’t going to remove the marquee. It is the last original marquee in the city. I’m guessing it dates from the 1940’s. The house seen in the Google street view has been torn down and is used a parking lot, mostly for the buses.
I have a snapshot of Woodward Avenue showing a theatre just past John R Street (on the right) with the Fox Theatre tower in the distance (on the left). From the look of the cars, etc. I would date the photo in the 1940’s. The three lines of words on the marquee are not readable. Is it possible this theatre showed foreign or ethnic films? The name of the theatre is not readable, but there seems to be a letter “C” in it. This definately matches the location and the building. Is it possible the theatre was reopened after the 1930 closing?
If you look at the Capitol facade, on the Google street view, a stairway to the second level can be seen. As of the first of November, I noticed that it has been removed.
A correction to my May 1/12 comment: The Lee Marvin film title should be “Prime Cut”.
Yo, Dave. The Tivoli in Hamilton had a great neon maple leaf logo. It was removed in the early l980’s and replaced with an “EVE” sign, when the Tivoli started showing “adult” films. There is also a leaf shaped sign on the Lincoln in St. Catharines, but this is probably a later back-lit style. On the two link photos of the Seneca, there is a sign on the lower front of the box office stating “A Famous Players Theatre” and the FP/leaf logo.
For more great information and pictures of the Capitol, do a Google search for Capitol Theatre Quebec City. Check out these: Historic Places; Trip Advisor; Canadian Encyclopedia; Virtual Tourist.
The Capitol Theatre is now part of a complex known as Le Capitole de Quebec. It includes the theatre, a cabaret, hotel and restaurant. The former Cinema de Paris, next door, is now known as Le Cabaret du Capitole. It has been altered and seats 565 patrons. Their web site has a few small pictures and information: www.lecapitole.com/en .
I have a postcard (c. 1950’s-“The Eddy Cantor Story” is on the marquee) showing the Eagle Theatre on Central Avenue. The building still exists. The Eagle was located on Central between Cheadle and North Railway. You can see the building on the Google street view. It is the last building before the parking lots (which extend to North Railway Street). The building is occupied by the Backstage Dance Co. The Eagle vertical sign was attached to the relief area between the two sets of windows. You can also locate it and see the satellite shot of the building.
I have a postcard (c. 1940’s) of a Royal Theatre on Main Street. This is a street scene showing Main Street looking North from C.P.R. Station. The theatre front is in the right foreground.
I have a postcard (early 1960’s?) of Assiniboia, with four color photos. The upper left photo is identified on the back of the card as: Main Street looking North. The photo is quite small, but you can clearly see the vertical OLYMPIA sign, with THEATRE underneath (horizontally). There also appears to be a canopy/marquee. It doesn’t sound like the same Olympia described above…
A few errors…The google satellite/hybrid and street view names the next street (to the right of the theatre) as Blowers. The correct name is Bowers (see the street sign). The satellite shot points to the wrong building as the Paramount. It is the third roof from Sackville St.
You can see the facade of the Paramount on the google street view, above. The canopy over the sidewalk still exists. I guess this must have been an entrance to the theatre, with the auditorium further back. It appears the auditorium had been demolished to make way for the Mountain Equipment Co-Op.
For an article about the proposed demolition, go to: www.niagarafallsreview.ca/2012/09/12/council There is a recent photo of the front/facade and some history: It opened in l922 as the Web Theatre, with 860 seats. It was renamed the Hollywood in l931 and the Princess in l956. The theatre closed in l978 and sold to the Serbian group. On yelp.com, it is listed as Venues and Event Space and the address is shown as 5956 Main Street. Postal code: L2G 5Z8.
The theatre may have been demolished! A google search took me to a September 12, 2012 Niagara Falls Review article about the city purchasing the building, with the intent to demolish it. The property will be used as a walkway to the Farmer’s Market. The Serbian Center hadn’t used the building for almost a year and put it up for sale. I don’t know if the demolition has taken place. I couldn’t find anything else on line about it (not even the Review website).
The Hollywood Theatre can be seen on the google street view. It is shown as the Canadian Serbian Cultural Center. You can see the altered marquee and a side view of the building (there’s a vacant lot beside it). You can see it on the google satellite shot as well.
The theatre location on the google street map is wrong. It locates the theatre at Queen and St. Clair Streets. The correct location is at Queen and St. Lawrence Streets. The Seneca can be seen on the google satellite shot: it is the second building from the corner of Lawrence St., with the white roof. The front and the rear of the building can be seen on the google street view. The address is 4624 Queen Street. The box office phone number is 905-356-2300 (web site info).
The theatre is now officially named the Seneca Queen Theatre. It is the home of the Lyndesfarne Theatre Company. It has been presenting live theatre since mid-2012, and has a current season of productions scheduled to early 2013. Do a google search for the Lydesfarne and see matches for newspaper articles and their web site.
Wow. I just discovered the google satellite shots!
The whole Majestic Theatre building seems to exist. Does the original interior exist? Anybody know? I can’t find any mention of it on any of the city history sites or elsewhere.
The above spectrum/2010 comment, mentioning the parking lot, may have been referring to the newer building to the right of the Capitol. The google image shows Brant Office Suppply in a recent building. This building took the place of two properties, between the Capitol and Odeon theatres. The business, beside the Capitol, was Comstock’s Furniture and Funeral Service.
If you look at the side wall of the third building, it appears to be old brick. You can see this wall from the front, on George St. and from the back, on Water Street. It looks like an addition has been made to the rear of the Capitol building, as well. There used to be a building, at the corner of Charlotte and Water, that extended over to (and in front of/up against) the rear of the Capitol Theatre. This building can be seen in the postcard photo. It has been demolished and has exposed the rear of the Capitol building. There is a sign (partially obscured) on the building that says: PETERBOROUGH DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT… To the left, you can see the side wall and some of the roof contour.
Looking again at my postcard and the google image, I think the Capitol building still exists, but has been altered inside and out. The building that houses the Peterborough Inn & Suites, is a vintage structure that appears in the postcard photo. It is the second building from the corner of George & Charlotte. The Capitol is the third building, from the corner, beside the PI&S building.
The Gayety web site is: gaetytheatre.com. There is a brief history given, but no photos. There is promotion for the latest attractions. I have two vintage postcards showing the Gayety. The vertical sign is the largest sign on the street.