Ed Mirvish Theatre

244 Victoria Street,
Toronto, ON M5B 1V8

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Showing 1 - 25 of 39 comments

m00se1111
m00se1111 on January 1, 2024 at 3:46 pm

Now that the Mirvish is primarily a live event venue, they. look to be harkening back to their movie theatre days.

During the performances of “Chicago”, popcorn was being popped fresh and sold in the lobby. Photo uploaded.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on December 5, 2023 at 2:49 pm

The Imperial was also the first movie house in Canada to have CinemaScope on October 23, 1953.

robboehm
robboehm on November 10, 2018 at 10:26 am

Ed Mirvish was really a champion of theater in Toronto. He even built a theater so that the helicopter could fly in Miss Saigon.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on November 9, 2018 at 11:35 pm

The Wikipedia page has quite the intriguing history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Mirvish_Theatre?fbclid=IwAR0or0JkaBusnGNx3g3etIViC6qfMUqqovepWH1S6NP_HsfPzDTFe9e7RYw

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on March 14, 2018 at 6:52 pm

Link with photos of the Imperial and other theatres.

https://tayloronhistory.com/2013/02/26/torontos-lost-movie-theatresthe-downtown-theatre-on-yonge-st-south-of-dundas/

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on March 14, 2018 at 6:49 pm

1964 postcard of Yonge Street added, Imperial Theatre to the right of center.

telliott
telliott on June 21, 2014 at 12:48 pm

Sorry, my mistake, I thought it was.

robboehm
robboehm on June 21, 2014 at 9:50 am

As you can see, telliott, it now is. But the last name used it not always the case on CT, for whatever reason.

telliott
telliott on June 20, 2014 at 10:55 pm

Shouldn’t this now be listed as the Ed Mirvish Theatre? Name was changed over 2 years ago.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on February 9, 2012 at 11:28 pm

Actually, no. As previous comments indicate, the historical main entrance to the Pantages was on Victoria Street; the Yonge Street entrance was actually a later addition (although constructed a long time ago now and well-blended architecturally into the original design). The Yonge Street entry actually takes one over O'Keefe Lane and then into the the original main foyer. Because Yonge is such a main thoroughfare, it is easy to assume the Yonge Street entry always was the main entry, especially if you are among those who recall the theater in its days as the Imperial 6 cinema.

robboehm
robboehm on February 9, 2012 at 10:59 pm

Is not the main entrance on Yonge Street, 263?

rivest266
rivest266 on January 7, 2012 at 2:58 pm

I uploaded the 1973 grand opening ads as Imperial Six as well as the 1987 reopening ad as the Pantages. I also uploaded an plan of the 1986 Dubinsky-Cineplex coup over Famous Players.

igoudge
igoudge on January 22, 2011 at 4:14 pm

Wall St and Die Hard would have been amazing in this glorious space ;–)

SilentToronto
SilentToronto on January 22, 2011 at 2:29 pm

Since we re-branded to Silent Toronto last summer, here’s the new URLs to some of our features on the Pantages/Imperial/Imperial6:

A Zardoz lobby card from 1974
The Imperial Drabinsky
Extreme Usher: The Imperial Six — by Gerry Flahive
Always cool and comfortable at the Pantages(talking pictures arrive)

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on July 19, 2010 at 3:46 pm

Nice photo CWalczak.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on January 6, 2010 at 4:42 am

As the Imperial, showing ‘The Godfather:’ View link

KingBiscuits
KingBiscuits on November 2, 2009 at 11:01 pm

When Cineplex Odeon ran it as a one-screen theatre, here were some of the theatre’s engagements:

Wall Street
The Unbearable Lightness Of Being
Colors
Die Hard in 70mm (the final movie played at the theatre)

Jon Lidolt
Jon Lidolt on August 2, 2009 at 3:50 pm

The Imperial was the first movie house in Canada to show a film produced in the wide-screen CinemaScope process. And it was one of only a handful of cinemas in the world equipped with large format VistaVision projectors. One of the others was the Paramount in New York. This is not surprising, since VistaVision was Paramount Pictures' big-screen system and they controlled both the Paramount in NY and the Imperial in Toronto.

igoudge
igoudge on July 3, 2009 at 4:16 pm

such a gorgeous theatre, wish I could have experienced it as a movie house, I have always been there to see various theatre shows over the years.

SilentToronto
SilentToronto on May 26, 2009 at 3:12 pm

The Imperial/Pantages has recently been featured at 32 Elvis Movies. Have a look at an opening week flyer for the Imperial Six and a great ad for the premiere of Mae West’s SHE DONE HIM WRONG!

telliott
telliott on June 3, 2008 at 12:55 pm

I remember the week before the “new” Imperial Six opened, they had an open house where the public could walk in and look around to see all the new theatres. I went twice that week and despite the garish colours (remember this was 1973) it was quite impressive to see how they were able to create all these cinemas in the old building. Through the years I was able to see films in all 6 cinemas several times. It was then downtown Toronto’s major “multiplex” theatre. It was done about 4 years after the old Loew’s Uptown had been divided into 5 screens.

telliott
telliott on June 3, 2008 at 12:46 pm

Cinemas 5 & 6 in the old orchestra section of the original Imperial. Cinemas 3 & 4 were in the old backstage area of the theatre and were reached by a glass enclosed walkway on the side of the building from the main lobby.