Palace Theatre
219 Eighth Avenue SW,
Calgary,
AB
T2P 1B7
219 Eighth Avenue SW,
Calgary,
AB
T2P 1B7
3 people
favorited this theater
Showing all 15 comments
Loved this theatre, lined up for many a movie premier during the late 70’s to early 80’s.
From the late 1950s a photo postcard that captured a view of the Palace Theatre in Calgary.
1983 Photo of the Palace Theatre.
View link
Does anyone have informaqtion on the Capitol Threat in Calgary, it was in operation during at least the early 70’s.
There is a 1981 photo on this site:
http://tinyurl.com/cm2amd
This building is home to a restaurant and sports bar known as Flames Central.
Thanks, worked perfectly. I always wondered if the beautiful old building was still standing, glad to see it still looks good. Wondered what ever happened to it.
See if these work better. These are direct links to the photos.
View link
View link
View link
View link
View link
View link
Lost memory, couldn’t get the photos to open, would love to see them.
Crane also built Winnipeg’s Metropolitan Theatre (nee Allen) a year or two earlier for the Allen Brothers. Some reports claim that the Calgary Allen (Palace) Theatre opened first, although the Allen theatre in Winnipeg is reported to have opened originally either in 1919 or 1920. Both theatres ended up owned by Famous Players after the Allens went bankrupt. This probably accounts for the name change from Allen.
Except for the color of the brick above the ground level, as well as a 1950’s remodelling to the facade and marquee of the Met in Winnipeg, there is considerable similarity to the facades of the two theatres. I wonder if the interior is similar too.
Here are some recent photos of the Palace Theater building. Click each photo to expand it.
A Hillgreen-Lane theater organ opus 605 size 2/10 was installed in the Palace Theater in 1921.
I’m curently work at the Palace right now on one of the many teams working to restore and renovate the beautiful building that it is. As much as I would truly love to see it be fully restored to a theatre, I have to say that I do apperciate the fact that everyone working there respects the detail work that is still there, and is very carefull when working close to the mouldings,etc. And the new venue that it’s going to be has been very tastefully done and commplements the orignal details very nicely. I has been a blast working there learning about what the Palace was and what it will be.
The Palace was renovated but it is no longer a theater. It is now the Palace Nightclub. The following is from a Calgary travel site:
“The Palace Nightclub – This was once a theatre built in the 1920s that has been renovated into this rather extravagant night spot. There are huge columns, Egyptian statues and a wall of water as part of the decor, and dancing girls complete the scenery. There’s a quiet lounge for those who would rather take in the scene than get onto the dance floor. It is on 219 8th Ave SW”.
The Palace opened October 25, 1921 with a seating capacity of 1,951. Architect C. Howard Crane. Interior decorator Theodore Jagmin. Original owner was Barney Allen and his sons Jules and Jay of Allen Theatre Enterprises who at one time controlled the largest chain of movie houses in Canada.
This was a fun place to go in the mid-60’s.What about the several others in this immediate area?