Westdale Theatre
1014 King Street West,
Hamilton,
ON
L8S 1L4
1014 King Street West,
Hamilton,
ON
L8S 1L4
4 people
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This is the current website
The Capitol and Palace Theatres were large single auditoriums designed by architect Thomas Lamb in the old-fashioned style.They were beautiful theatres, tastefully designed and appointed. These theatres were quite large and each sat approximately 2,000 people, approximately. During the twenties and thirties these theatres would feature live acts such as singers, dancers and comedians in addition to the big-time movies featured on their huge screens.
Susan If you want to talk to me, I would be glad to. I have a government report that the Federal Canadian government wrote on Famous Players in 1931 detailing how Famous Players obtained a virtual monopoly in Canadian movie exhibition. Your grandfather’s name I believe is mentioned as all the contracts with associates like your grandfather are explained in detail. My g-mail address is
Susan — I have lots of information about your grandfather. He owned and operated important theatres such as the Capitol and Palace and Savoy Theatres in Hamilton. He was an operating partner of Famous Players Canadian Corporation through a stock-holding company called Hamilton United Theatres Limited. He owned most of the shares. Famous Players would choose the movies and provide the advertising and the profits would be split between Mr. Stroud and Famous Players in EQUAL shares. That is how these agreements were written.One of my senior bosses actually worked for THE GEORGE STROUD ESTATE after his passing in the thirties. The Savoy Theatre was more of a legitimate theatre than a movie theatre and they hosted many big-time live stars of vaudeville. The famous comedy team of Olsen and Johnson appeared at the Savoy for a week — if you want to see them in action do a youtube search for Olsen and Johnson re their movie HELLZAPOPPIN. They were zany on and off the stage. The story I was given by old-timers at Famous Players is that about 1940 or 1941 these very important theatres were sold to the original Odeon chain and the only notification these theatres received was a letter in the mail telling them to mail their reports to a new address. The other people with more exact knowledge of this situation have all passed away many many years ago, so that is all the information I can give you. Mr. Stroud would have been an extremely wealthy man because these theatres were extremely busy first-rate situations in a major Canadian city!!
My grandfather was George Stroud of the old Palace Theater and, I think, the Star. Does anyone here know more about him? My contact info is Any info about the theater that he ran or other info about him would be appreciated. Thanks. A link to a picture of the theater would be good as well.
Looking for vintage photos that would be good for wedding invitation and programs.
1986 Photo
According to this website, the address is 1014 King Street West.
1983 photo of the Westdale Theatre.
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This is a recent picture interior of the Westdale theatre. A place have seen many a film in…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wootam/3044998/
This is another recent view of the Westdale Theater.
Unless there was another Westdale Theater in Hamilton, this theater was open prior to 1940. Here is a vintage photo of the Westdale Theater. Also, this website has a picture of a “cover of a movie theatre program from the Westdale Theatre from 1935”.
Here is another photo of the Westdale Theater.
Great neighbourhood theatre. A staple in the Westdale area. This theatre always shows very “artsy” movies, and is very sucessful in that.