Eaton Centre Cinemas

If You Would Like To Learn More About The Eaton Cineplex Odeon Cinemas In Toronto, Ont, Canada, Then Just Click Here --> http://www.angelfire.com/film/cinemas-toronto/eaton_centre_cineplex.html

I could never understand what the attraction of this movie theatre was. I use the term "movie theatre" loosely here. It was more like an overglorified screening room complex. From the "bubblegum" decor, to it's large screen TV screens, this place was not a venue I favored to see a movie in. The other theatre that was just like this one was the Scarborough Town Centre, which opened in 1980 & had 12 screens. During the Eaton Centre & Scarborough's heyday, they were constantly busy from when they opened at 11am up until the last show at 10pm. $2.50 Tuesdays were another experience. The cheap price attracted a cheap patron. Pay duty police were hired because trouble broke-out at these theatres. In conclusion, I am not sad to see this theatre go. It was just a matter of time before the public discovered what a rip-off this style of theatre was.

I would actually like to see this interesting style the theater has.

I believe this was the original 'Cineplex' - this was what launched His Arrogance The Grand Pooh-bah on his great crusade to revolutionize the movie theatre business and teach everyone else how to build and run a theatre. It was from here that he took over the Canadian Odeon chain. Unfortunately, nobody put a stake in his heart before he inflicted himself on the business in the United States.

As I recall from the trades at the time, this place was built in a parking garage, and had movable walls so room size could be adjusted (they were all very small) to accommodate the size of the audience. In the beginning it had 21 screens, some were probably combined to make a couple of decent sized screening rooms.

I had been to this theatre a few times, but the last time I went there (shortly before it closed) was memorable. I was there with a girlfriend, and it was obvious to both of us that the theatre we were in was a trolling area for gay men. There were quite a few men sitting in the theatre by themselves. Every so often they would get up and sit with another man. Then move to another man. And sometimes they would then walk out. It was very distracting. My friend and I were seeing Fight Club, and would have like to have focused more on the movie. Needless to say, we never went back.

The address for this theater was 1 Dundas St West.

The year given for this photo is 1979.

Jez this place was depressing. The new AMC across the road will be warmly welcomed being as the Paramount is not much loved in Toronto.

It's pretty interesting that the theatre opened with mainly art films. Was that the original intent or were they just filler titles?

Meanwhile, the premiere titles:
The Tree Of Wooden Clogs (Italy, on four screens)
The Shout (UK, on three screens)
The Rubber Gun (Canada)
Tommy (UK)
Queen Of The Gypsies (Russia, previously USSR)
Rain and Shine (Hungary)
A Purple Taxi (France/Ireland, on three screens)
Newsfront (Australia, on four screens)

The first movie I saw in the Eaton Centre was "The Silent Partner" with "Elliot Gould"

When I went in I didn't realize that a big part of it had been filmed in the Eaton Centre.

The bank where "Elliot Gould" worked was the "Toronto Dominion Bank" adjacent to the cinema.



D

Now a question if I may..

Does anyone remember a Cinema on the West Side of Yonge south of Dundas before they built the Eaton Centre.

I am sure I remember going to a cinema on the west side of Yonge between Queen and Dundas in the 1970s.

Thank You

This theatre opened with subrun films because Odeon and Famous Players would not allow Cineplex access to first run films and Canada did not have trade regulations to stop the duopoly.

Garth Drabinski followed the early AMC policy of playing just what he could get and the theatre was still a huge success. The megaplex innovation received enough backing that he was able to finance the takeover of Odeon (hence Cineplex Odeon) and therefore access to first-runs.

The success of his Beverly Hills Cineplex also eventually led to financing to enter the U.S. market in a big way. The involvement of MCA/Universal also allowed him the deep pockets to buy up huge chains of U.S. theatres such as Plitt and RKO.

Thanks for the explanation.

Isn't this the movie theater they shot some of the scenes to bachelor party in? Where tom hanks and his group of misfit party goers search for guy who stole his woman. The above picture looks like the movie theater in the film...Only in the film they list this place as having 36 screens. I figure this was an inside joke based apon the record breaking number of screens this theater had at the time...Can someone tell me if I am right?...

According to the entry for the film on Wikipedia, the theater used was the Mann 6 in Simi Valley, California.

It was shot in California and not Ontario.

Is the new complex across the road open yet and
is there an entry on this site for it yet?

If you mean the "AMC Dundas Square" it is open and you can read about it here.

http://www.blogto.com/film/2008/03/amc_yonge_dundas_24_opens_underwhelms_despite_free_movie_offer/

We have a page about it on this board.

http://cinematreasures.org/theater/23669/

You can get to it from the Eaton Centre with out going outdoors.
You go through the "Dundas Street Subway Station" it connects the "Eaton Centre" to the "Dundas Square Building"

Do'h

When "Ian-'adoraKiaOra" asked if the "AMC Dundas Square" had an entry on this site....

I thought he wanted to know if you could enter it from the "Eaton Centre"

‹(•¿•)›

Ha ha ha ha ha ha

LOL I simply asked if the complex was open yet!!!

Yes, it opened on March 28th and i've been there and it's beautiful! Nice addition to the downtown scene. Nice to finally get some movie screens back on Yonge St. where a lot of old movie houses used to be.

It was getting a bit screenless wasn't it. The paramount not being exactly perfect- hope this is better than that cold brick of a place!

I have been to three movies in there so far.

My prefered cinema in Toronto was the "Uptown" but now that has gone I like the "Varsity"

I like the Varsity too but it's too expensive. The old Uptown (formerly Loew's Uptown) was the best! I prefer the new AMC to the Scotiabank theatre...looks classier and less noise....

A nice retrospective on the Eaton Centre Cineplex can be found over at 32 Elvis Movies.

List of auditorium seating charts:

1-92
2-92
3-56
4-70
5-398
6-84
7-115
8-115
9-86
10-86
11-100
12-96
13-78
14-78
15-195
16-195
17-58
18-58
Total-2,052 seats

Since the AMC opened it's turned into my favorite movie house in Toronto. Classy looking, no pre-show commercials, great seats and excellent 4K digital projection in all of its 24 auditoriums. Sure beats the pants off both the long-gone Eaton Centre cinemas as well as the Scotiabank.

Mine too Jon. Much classier than all the others, and a great location too!

I like all the AMC "multiplex" theatres in the Toronto area. They are comfortable, have all the amenities and are not noisy, garish with that carnival atmosphere that the others have, especially the former Famous Players locations.

To say I hated working this theatre (as a projectionist) would be the understatement of the Century (or Simplex or Cinemeccanica). This was the single most wretched job an operator could get assigned to in the Toronto Local in the 80s and 90s, in my opinion. It was originally 16mm only and ran with non-union operators. King Garth then put in 35mm equipment in throughout. The problem is, many of these abominations masquerading as auditoria were equipped with rear-screen projection equipment, a cobbled-together mini-platter system or MUTT arrangement, and three front-surface mirrors. Did I mention the projectors sat on the floor? Did I mention the rats and mice in the booth?

There were three sections (six regular ops). Front section on the main floor and the three downstairs booths, back-half main floor and second floor. Number 5 was retrofitted with a Cinemeccanica Vic-X (the second machine out of the Humber downstairs when they put a platter in there). Number 5's booth and the downstairs corridor for 15-16-17 were not bad. When I heard it closed I so wanted to ride a bulldozer through the lobby and personally tear the place to rubble.

The rats and mice part sounds scary. That alone would make me want to quit my position.

And it turns out, this theatre really was intended to be an arthouse. In its early years, the theatre ran art films and revivals as well as second-run fare. Also, there was a bistro and art gallery nearby (an idea that later showed up in other Cineplex theatre) which also inforced the whole art intention.

More interesting things I found were that Midnight Express and Life Of Brian both played for over a year in second run.