University Theatre
100 Bloor Street West,
Toronto,
ON
M5S 1M4
100 Bloor Street West,
Toronto,
ON
M5S 1M4
5 people
favorited this theater
Opened on March 25, 1949, the University Theatre was one of the first movie theaters in North America to not only feature 70mm projection, but also a THX Dolby Surround Sound system. It was a good-sized theater with a balcony so large that there was a snack bar on it as well as on the main floor.
It was a very popular theater for its entire run and screened several significant premieres, including "Apocalypse Now" and a special double bill of "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back" with a rare preview for the trailer of "Return of the Jedi" before it came out and was known as "Revenge of the Jedi."
Despite a petition of over 25,000 people, it was closed when the property value became too great to continue operating as a theater. The University Theatre was demolished in 1986 and, today, only its rebuilt facade remains, fronting a newly constructed retail structure.
Contributed by
J.D. Lafrance
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Recent comments (view all 34 comments)
re SoCal09’s posting of Nov 2/09: This isn’t the University. It’s the Imperial. The Henry Faber mens wear and haberdashery is seen clearly across Yonge St. Also the University’s box office was attached to the building, the Imperial’s was free standing as in the photo. Anyway I grew up with and loved both theatres…the Imperial was where I first saw a movie at night, taken by my older brother. I was 8 or 9. Samson and Delilah was the flick.
JerryR
JerryR: You’re very perceptive and correct! The image in my Nov2/09 post is indeed the Imperial and not the University movie theatre. The image is mislabelled on the City of Toronto Archives website (scroll halfway down the page):
View link
Here are fresh links for the July 2, 1949, Boxoffice items posted above by ken mc and Gerald A. DeLuca:
Cover photo of the main floor lounge.
Page one of the two-page article about the University Theatre in the Modern Theatre section of the same issue.
How sad that this beautiful theatre was partially demolished, the remaining facade left to rot and then converted into a Pottery Barn.
I found this on “Flickr"
A night time photo from December 1969
View link
I’m writing an article about Apocalypse Now to coincide with the UK Blu-ray release on Monday (13th June). Anyone have or know where I might find a photo of the facade of the University from the initial run of Apocalypse Now there in August 1979?
In the early 60’s Richard Burton was in Toronto appearing onstage in the John Gielgud production of Hamlet. One morning Burton’s new movie Becket was being screened in 70mm at the University for the local critics. As the lights dimmed and the film began, Elizabeth Taylor quietly took her place at the back of the theatre to watch her new husband’s new movie. No one in the audience even knew she was there.
Scroll down on this webpage to see a picture of the University during the run of “Cleopatra” in 1963.
This theatre’s first Manager was the late A. E. “Bert” Brown and they desired to get this theatre open in time for President John J.Fitzgibbon’s birthday. This theatre was one of the first theatres to have the modern hanging urinals and the Famous Players Head of Purchasing Jules Wolfe called down to Chicago and asked them when they were going “to have the hanging pisspots ready.” This theatre had NO right angles in it and was Famous Players most prestige theatre in downtown Toronto!!
…and David I still miss it to this day. All these years later.