Century Theatre
12 Mary Street,
Hamilton,
ON
L81 1A5
12 Mary Street,
Hamilton,
ON
L81 1A5
9 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 100 comments
Closed September 28th, 1989, and replaced with four more screens at the Jackson Square.
Reseated and reopened on May 19th, 1967. Ad posted.
Reopened as Century on August 22nd, 1940
Century Theatre opening ½ 22 Aug 1940, Thu The Hamilton Spectator (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) Newspapers.com
and
opened as Lyric on August 13th, 1913. Grand opening ad posted.
The Century was one of my favorite old theatres. Originally opened in the 1880’s as the Lyric Opera House, it entertained many of the most famous stars of the day. I worked there as an usher in 1974 and again as manager a few years later. I think I explored every nook and cranie of the old girl back in those days. Most of her history was hidden backstage and above the false ceiling in the front of the building. Over that false front ceiling was hidden the balcony and original projection room with the silent film projectors still in place.
I have organized a “get-together” of former employees of the Century Theatre to be held Friday,June8th..if you are interested in attending please contact me at …..come share your memories.
For a great 1940’s photo of the Century exterior, see John Sebert’s “Glamorous Ghosts” at: www.hamiltonmagazine.com/sitepages/?aid. I’d hadn’t seen this photo before. During the demolition, I got one of the wall anchors that the chain, that supported the horizontal canopy, was attached to. I saw “Mary Poppins” at the Century. First-run in l964. I remember there being a balcony, then and the line-up to get in went around the block. “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” was a long, long time ago…
It was a great theater to see a movie: big auditorium, big screen. “The Sound of Music” played for over a year (didn’t see it then). Later I saw “Yentl”, “The Exorcist”, “Rocky”, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”(pre-cult) and “Gone With the Wind” (for the first time, one of ’M-G-M’s Fabulous Four'). It was pathetic to see them tear this place down. I took a lot of pictures and video every day. And I got a lot of bricks and concrete pieces.
I found a Century Theatre ticket stub for a reserved-seating screening of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. Check it out at SilentToronto.com!
There is a long-standing brick company on Lawrence Road, at the base of the Niagara Escarpment, just west of Ottawa Street. It seems entirely likely that what you found might well have originated here.
I was at the demolition site last week and was able to pick up a couple of bricks. They both had the word HAMILTON stamped on them. Is it safe to assume these came from a local brick manufacturer from the period?
As a result of the interest and the momentum generated in the Facebook page group, I’ve set up a blog as a means to an end; setting up an actual ‘memorial’ site for The Century.
That blog can be found here: [url]http://thecenturytheatre.blogspot.com/[/url]
All interested parties are invited to contribute.
Was able to spend the mornings this week to watch the destruction of the Century. Spent time with Mark M. and I believe Rich and Rob who was a usher there in it’s last days as a movie theatre. Will post on facebook the pictures I took. Was also able to get one of the Hamilton red bricks from the outside walls and a white brick fron the original back wall of the stage area.
What a shame!!!!!
Chuck there is a You tube video here..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvpTESNCcFc
Chuck there are almost 400 images of the demolition on the facebook page.. The most recent were taken today
View link
View link
Tons of stuff there. Let me know if you need any further input.
Alas, as of today the Lyric / Century is completely gone…
RIP old girl…
Thanks so much to RJB and Brian. Much appreciated at this time of loss.
Hi schmadrian,
In the early 1920s Rapp & Rapp were brought in to remodel the interior entirely. In about 1924 work began by ripping out the balcony and box seats. Then, for reasons I have yet to determine, work stopped, Keith vaudeville moved to the Tivoli, and the Lyric sat decimated and unusable for several years. In 1930 an architect named W Bruce Riddell drew up plans to convert the upper-story offices to apartments and club rooms, and to build a small box inside what was once the orchestra level, which was to be used as a new cinema. The stage, unusable without the balcony, was sealed off with a brick wall. That’s why the seating capacity was reduced to less than half of what it originally was. (Much of this info comes from Brian Morton.)
By the way, are TheSaltMan and Matt Meier reading this? If so, could you write to me? Thanks so much!
Ciao!
Adrian:
All of this stuff is in the Ontario archives in the RG11 – RG10 files.
Seating capacity when it opened was 2000 seats IN ALL ADVERTISING.. (This does not mean that there were really 2000 seats – Just that the management wanted every one to know that the Lyric was the biggest new theatre in town.)
In the 1921 Gus Hill Moving Picture Directory the Lyric Theatre is listed as having 1820 seats (Which was likely the real figure all a long). Both the Loews (1917) and the Pantages (1920) had opened by then, and they had given up on being the biggest in town.
According to the RG 11 files at the ONT archives:
Nov 8/1938 Construction report – Lyric Theatre – Lic: Ross T Stewart. 722 seats (no balcony) (This is the seating capacity since the theatre reopened in 1930 I believe).
June 25/1940 – Seating plan Century Theatre – 866 seats – Kaplan and Sprachman
March 9/1967 – Century Theatre reseating – 705 seats – Canadian seating company.
The final seating count was its capacity till Famous Players clsoed it in Sept 1989.
Demolition has started BTW…. Sad to lose the old girl.
Can anyone confirm the various seating capacity numbers? How did it drop from 2000 upon the Lyric opening to 860…or 705…upon the Century closing?
Did this happen during the renovations in ‘22? In the shift in use in 1940? In the '67 rejigging?
I’m looking for non-speculative material here, such as plans, or otherwise certified seat counts.
Went down to have a last look at the Century Friday. I parked off King William Street which is behind/next to the Century. It then dawned on me that I was parking where the Palace auditorium use to stand. A short distance down the street is where the Capital auditorium use to stand as well. Add another parking lot to that area.
Brian. You are right. There was only one balcony. Sorry about that. My parents who came from England made Hamilton their home in 1950 remember all the theatres and buildings Hamilton once had and neglected to save and or protect. From the picture with the ( one ) balcony it’s a shame that it ended up as as it did when it ended its life as a theatre.
Mark:
It was I who talked to Paul Wilson Monday for today’s article eulogizing the theatre. The image which I directed them to from the January 3rd issue of the SPECTATOR clearly shows the interior of the Lyric Theatre with ONE balcony.
I think many Hamiltonians are only now waking up to the history that this building represents… Sadly none of it will prevent the destruction which will begin early next week.
BTW we have started a facebook group to remember the grand old girl… How join us!
View link
There is a great artical in the Hamilton Spectator January 13 paper about the Lyric/Century. There is even a picture of the auditorium in 1914 with two balconies. What a differance in 96 years.