Downtown Theatre

Toronto, Ontario

285 Yonge Street

, Toronto, Ontario M5B Canada

(map)

Status:	Closed/Demolished
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Unknown

Function:	Unknown
Seats:	1059
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Unknown

This theatre was built 1n 1948 and closed in 1972. The Dundas Square building now occupies the site.

Contributed by Christopher Walczak

YOUR COMMENTS

A picture of the Downtown theatre from 1949:

http://ao.minisisinc.com/scripts/mwimain.dll/113/4/2/15662?RECORD

posted by CWalczak on Jun 9, 2008 at 11:43am

Actually the very site of this theatre is where the large open square of Yonge/Dundas square is, directily across from Hard Rock cafe. There was a block of stores and this theatre that sat between Dundas St East and the small street called Dundas Square...this theatre was on the corner of Dundas Square.

posted by Tim Elliott on Jun 9, 2008 at 4:22pm

Thanks for the clarification.

posted by CWalczak on Jun 9, 2008 at 6:03pm

The link to the picture of the Downtown Theatre in Toronto that I posted yesterday no longer works. To see the picture, go to he Ontario Archives image website:

http://ao.minisisinc.com/scripts/mwimain.dll/144/IMAGES?DIRECTSEARCH

and enter 'Downtown Theatre' in the search window.

posted by CWalczak on Jun 10, 2008 at 7:28am

Here's a direct link to the picture of the Downtown in 1949:

http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0020595.jpg

posted by CWalczak on Jun 13, 2008 at 7:29am

Was this at one time called the "Savoy" ?
Thanks

posted by Grainger on Jul 12, 2008 at 7:29pm

No, the Savoy became the Odeon Coronet in December of 1963. It is also on this site.

posted by Tim Elliott on Jul 12, 2008 at 7:58pm

Thanks

posted by Grainger on Jul 12, 2008 at 8:10pm

There's a great writeup and some of great photos of the Downtown Theatre over at 32 Elvis Movies!

posted by 32elvismovies on Sep 22, 2008 at 9:57am

The Coronet was located a few blocks north of the Downtown at Yonge & Gerrard. When it closed, a jewelery store took its place, and I believe a jewelery store still exists there today.

posted by 32elvismovies on Sep 22, 2008 at 9:58am

The Downtown was owned and operated by the 20th Century Theatres chain. It generally showed first-run double-bills of action movies which usually ran for one week. On occasion a movie opened there which shouldn't have. One big example that comes to mind was the Peter Ustinov directed film Billy Budd. The ads for this movie were redone in house at the head office and featured a pirate ship with scatily clad females walking the plank. The customers that showd up for this one couldn't have been very happy: no women, no walking the plank and very little action. But at least it was in CinemaScope, albeit in B&W.

posted by Jon Lidolt on Jan 10, 2009 at 9:39am

The Downtown showing 'Dr. Phibes Rises Again:' https://gencat4.eloquent-systems.com/webcat/systems/toronto.arch/resource/fo0124/f0124_fl0003_id0002.jpg

posted by CWalczak on Jan 6, 2010 at 2:04am

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