Kingsway Theatre
3030 Bloor Street West,
Toronto,
ON
M8X 1C4
3030 Bloor Street West,
Toronto,
ON
M8X 1C4
6 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 48 comments found
Here it is in August 2010
Click Here
The Kingsway was my first-ever job as a projectionist. I worked there “on permit” from 1980 until 83, then after officially becoming a member of Local 173 I offically owned the job until I moved to the Showcase (ex-New Yorker) in 86. Wonderful booth. Stuff that lifelong memories are made of. It was running purely repertory at the time (two different films a night), running 2000 foot reels on Super Simplex heads and Peerless Magnarc Type G lamphouses. The optical stereo sound was home-brewed by the general manager from a Quadraphonic-QS decoder!
When I started off the booth ran with an insanely-loud Motor-Generator for arc power, but was later converted to rectifiers. The Super Simplex heads went out in favor of Century C’s and thanks to a resourceful sound technician, we put Motiograph 35mm Magnetic soundheads in, which I think I ran about 3 or 4 times. I later worked there in the mid-90s after the Showcase closed and I was a relief operator. This is where I saw many of the best movies ever made. There was a real gem in this theatre. A small 20 seat auditorium upstairs that ran 16mm movies, completely separate from the main Kingsway. I forgot what it was called at the time (the Festival?) or the name of the kindly older gentleman who ran it.
Lots of good memories int aht theatre, though. Glad to see it’s no longer dark.
Here’s an updated link to the 1957 picture I posted on June 4, 2008:
View link
www.kingswaymovies.com
A photo taken after the reopening:
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Here is another photo of the Kingsway.
Torontoist has some pics:
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Any news on the re-opening of the Kingsway? It is now December and so far haven’t heard any more about it.
Would you like some help? You’ve got a bunch of people who would love to be involved!
“The Kingsway Theatre will open soon and play movies once again.”
Please elaborate. Do you know something we don’t? Are are you just being optimistic?
Hey Paige(Theme Queen),
I also have aspirations to open a rep theatre, and also have the Paradise in my sights. Have you had any luck with your business plan? My email is in my profile.
Mark
Here’s a picture from 1957:
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Lost Memory, how did you come across that pic on Flickr? It was just uploaded today. Or are you onesharp?
This is a 2006 photo of the Kingsway.
I very much like the idea, though I should probably be realistic about just how able I am to follow it through in addition to my career.
You’ll find my email in my profile.
Thanks Dave, I would appreciate the information, are you still interested at all?
Last October I arranged a meeting with the owner and the former manager to get some advice from them about the workings of the theatre as a prelude to possibly running it myself. The meeting never happened (my fault) so I never got the chance to discuss it with them. But they were both interested in anything that might help the theatre re-open.
I think they might be open to talking with you and I think that it would be an extremely informative meeting for you. (The first things I wanted to ask were: what is the rent? and what are the operating costs? )
If you’re interested, I think it would be OK to pass along their contact info to you.
Ps-of course I would look at the Kingsway as well!
Yes it is a Toronto rep theatre, I was thinking of the Paradise.
I don’t suppose it’s a Toronto repertory theatre is it?
Hello Everyone,
I am in the extreme early stages of creating a business plan for a theatre and was wondering if anyone had any ideas or advice for me as I know very little about this sort of thing (running a film theatre).
Thanks,
Paige
I am saddened that the Kingsway is still closed, but I have good news regarding the Revue. The Revue Cinema has been purchased by a local couple who has agreed to lease it to the Revue Film Society (the Save the Revue people). We are expecting to have the Revue up and running by the end of the summer. You can read all about it at http://www.revuecinema.ca
Sometimes the good guys DO win!
Keith Denning
Revue Film Society
This is a 2007 close-up view of the Kingsway which is now for lease.
Hi,
Something exciting is going on here in Toronto. See the article link below. Could this be the saviour of other cinemas? Let’s hope so!
-Dave
“The Royal Cinema, one of four neighbourhood repertory theatres that shut earlier this year after the death of the owner, has been taken over by Theatre D Digital.
The company plans to do post-production film work in four editing suites during the day and show movies in the evenings and on weekend afternoons."
View link
Hey DaveC426913,
I would be curious to find out what plans the McQuillans have for the Kingsway/Revue cinemas. Send me an e-mail(on this site) whenever you receive an answer.