Kingsway Theatre
3030 Bloor Street W,
Toronto,
ON
M8X 1C4
3030 Bloor Street W,
Toronto,
ON
M8X 1C4
9 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 52 comments
1982 article
Visited the Kingsway tonight for the first time in years for a showing of Purple Rain. Since the last time I visited, they are now licensed to serve alcohol, and have a small café out front in the lobby area. Seating is very comfortable, and there are four armchairs at the rear of the main auditorium. Show up early for the “VIP” area.
All announcements are made on our Facebook page. If you join our group – all the news feeds and new films are there. You can link through our webpage to Facebook or the link below.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kingsway-Movie-Theatre-Cafe/126875134016379?ref=ts&fref=ts
You would think something would be mentioned on the web site of having a second screen now open.
No there is no wall down the middle of the theatre. The main auditorium is intact – as it was in 1939. The second floor screening room was reopened – used to be known as the Nostalgia Cinema – it now once again plays films. 30 theatre seats(same seats as the main theatre) with film and digital projection and full Digital Dolby sound.
This theatre was twinned by splitting the theatre down the middle with a wall!! The old screening room hasn’t been used for years — but in 1976 I saw a movie there!
Anyone know WHERE the second screen is for this theatre? They don’t mention a thing about it on their web site, but obviously with twice as many films playing there now, and overlapping start times they have more than one screen. Years ago, there was a small “screening room” on the upper level with a separate entrance, wondering if that is open again. You would think that something would be said on their web site about two screens.
The Kingsway was an operation of Twenthieth Century Theatres (Twinex) who were partners of Famous Players Canadian Corp. Nice to see that it is operating again. Located in the West end of Toronto in what used to be a better class of area!!
Please note that Cinema Treasures has once again removed comments, links, etc. that refer to an ongoing feud between one party and the operators of this theater. Cinema Treasures is not a place for this conversation and will not be a venue for this kind of debate. Any additional postings about this issue will also be deleted.
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:
View link
Torontoist has some pics:
View link
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:
View link
Lost Memory, how did you come across that pic on Flickr? It was just uploaded today. Or are you onesharp?
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!