But if the site for this theater is occupied by the Port Authority building built in 1932, then either the FYB entries from at least that year up until 1942 must be in error or they are referring to a different Village Theater – unless the building once contained a new theater or what was once the original Greenwich. Or am I missing something?
The New Yorker was definitely known as as the Victoria – (there’s a picture of it here; you may have to scroll up or down to see the building as it was and later in 1994): View link
The confusion is due to the fact that there was another Victoria Theatre – specifically Shea’s Victoria – which opened in 1910 and was a very large vaudeville house at 83 Victoria Street, near Richmond, so apparently, at least for awhile, Toronto may have had two Victoria theatres. Shea’s Victoria closed for some years as a theater (possibly made redundant after Shea’s opened the even larger Shea’s Hippodrome in 1914, and vaudeville was fading). It was then re-opened by Famous Players as the Victoria. This indeed was the Victoria that showed “Samson and Delilah”. In the meantime, the Victoria on Yonge changed names at least twice.
I am doubtful, though that the New Yorker was ever known as the Victory; the only Victory Theatre I can find was on Spadina.
Are you perhaps thinking of the Bala Theater in Bala Cynwyd? Its entry here on CT is at /theaters/9064/
At least some of the links in the comments posted there are functional and will take you to sites with pictures.
A recent article about events, including free movie showings (probably video or digital projection) at Lincoln Hall, including a picture of the exterior as it is now: View link
I love the line at the bottom of p.2 of the programme from 1937 included on that page: “In the interests of Public Health, this Theatre is disinfected throughout with Jeyes' Fluid.” It must be pretty powerful and/or pungent stuff because, although it is still manufactured today, it is only for outdoor use.
Based on the address given above, it was either the Clinton Park Theater or the Clifton Park (CinemaTour says the former and the Rivest List the latter). My guess is that Clinton or Clifton Park is or was the name of of area, neighborhood, or town now incorporated into Houston.
According to this 2002 online Guelph history, the Odeon was built on the site of Guelph Royal Opera House (later the Capitol Theatre) and became a nightclub called Club Denim (which appears to be still in operation): View link
However, as noted above, the Odeon opened in 1947, and the Opera House had an even-numbered address which would have placed it on the other side of the street.
According to this online 2002 history of Guelph, (p. 30 of the 64 ) the Capitol was torn down soon after its closing and the Odeon (and a Simpson Sears) built in its place: View link
Status should be Closed/Demolished.
Here’s a picture of the marquee referred to in the introduction – an unusual case of single marquee serving two separate theaters of very different architectural styles (now removed). The side closest to the Riviera reversed the elements on the Strand side, i.e., “Riviera” was in the white lights on the red background with “Strand” in smaller cut-out letters below, and “Riviera” is on the side of the yellow dividing element pointing away from the viewer: View link
Based on this article, I do not think there can be any doubt that the Royal Opera House and the Guelph Opera House are the same. According to the article, the location was “at the top of Wyndham Street”: View link
The aka should be changed.
According to this 2008 article from the Guelph Tribune, the Capitol actually opened in 1894 as the Guelph Opera House and became the Capitol in 1922. It includes two pictures of the Capitol, one after its conversion from the Guelph Opera House and the other nearer the time of its closing, which the article indicates happened in 1953. It also indicates that the location was at the corner of Wyndham and Eramosa (there does not appear to be a Woolworp in Guelph): http://www.guelphtribune.ca/printarticle/124386
Look closely at the blue logos at the left and right within the sign; the hotel being referred to is a Howard Johnson’s franchise motel at 220-16 Jamaica Boulevard. I doubt if it has any connection to the church.
The precise address is/was 161 Wyndham. It was a part of the Odeon (Canada) circuit well before the creation of Cineplex Odeon, having opened in 1949 (if the information on the Rivest List is accurate). I would imagine that most locals referred to it simply as the Odeon right up until its closing, which appears to have occurred in the early 1990s.
I was reading another story in the New York Times and there was a sidebar reference to this story; after I read it, I thought it might be of interest to other regular CT readers such as yourself.
There are some old pictures of the theater as the Union Square here on this web page well as some history: View link
There was a Showcase Cinema in Downey, CA operating in 1968; perhaps Boxoffice misidentifed the location?
This chain went out of business in the fall of 2009; its former properties have been sold off or are closed. The link is dead.
Two pictures of the exterior prior to the one cited above:
1: View link
2: View link
Shouldn’t this theater be listed as the RKO Warner Twin, its name when it closed?
But if the site for this theater is occupied by the Port Authority building built in 1932, then either the FYB entries from at least that year up until 1942 must be in error or they are referring to a different Village Theater – unless the building once contained a new theater or what was once the original Greenwich. Or am I missing something?
There is an old postcard picture of Shea’s Victoria on this blog site (scroll down slightly to see it): View link
The New Yorker was definitely known as as the Victoria – (there’s a picture of it here; you may have to scroll up or down to see the building as it was and later in 1994): View link
The confusion is due to the fact that there was another Victoria Theatre – specifically Shea’s Victoria – which opened in 1910 and was a very large vaudeville house at 83 Victoria Street, near Richmond, so apparently, at least for awhile, Toronto may have had two Victoria theatres. Shea’s Victoria closed for some years as a theater (possibly made redundant after Shea’s opened the even larger Shea’s Hippodrome in 1914, and vaudeville was fading). It was then re-opened by Famous Players as the Victoria. This indeed was the Victoria that showed “Samson and Delilah”. In the meantime, the Victoria on Yonge changed names at least twice.
I am doubtful, though that the New Yorker was ever known as the Victory; the only Victory Theatre I can find was on Spadina.
Are you perhaps thinking of the Bala Theater in Bala Cynwyd? Its entry here on CT is at /theaters/9064/
At least some of the links in the comments posted there are functional and will take you to sites with pictures.
There is a picture of the Roxy’s lobby from the 1940s on this blog page (scroll down to see it): View link
A recent article about events, including free movie showings (probably video or digital projection) at Lincoln Hall, including a picture of the exterior as it is now:
View link
I love the line at the bottom of p.2 of the programme from 1937 included on that page: “In the interests of Public Health, this Theatre is disinfected throughout with Jeyes' Fluid.” It must be pretty powerful and/or pungent stuff because, although it is still manufactured today, it is only for outdoor use.
Based on the address given above, it was either the Clinton Park Theater or the Clifton Park (CinemaTour says the former and the Rivest List the latter). My guess is that Clinton or Clifton Park is or was the name of of area, neighborhood, or town now incorporated into Houston.
According to this article, the theatre is now a dispensary for medical marijuana: http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_14273968
According to this 2002 online Guelph history, the Odeon was built on the site of Guelph Royal Opera House (later the Capitol Theatre) and became a nightclub called Club Denim (which appears to be still in operation): View link
However, as noted above, the Odeon opened in 1947, and the Opera House had an even-numbered address which would have placed it on the other side of the street.
According to this online 2002 history of Guelph, (p. 30 of the 64 ) the Capitol was torn down soon after its closing and the Odeon (and a Simpson Sears) built in its place: View link
Status should be Closed/Demolished.
Here’s a picture of the marquee referred to in the introduction – an unusual case of single marquee serving two separate theaters of very different architectural styles (now removed). The side closest to the Riviera reversed the elements on the Strand side, i.e., “Riviera” was in the white lights on the red background with “Strand” in smaller cut-out letters below, and “Riviera” is on the side of the yellow dividing element pointing away from the viewer:
View link
Based on this article, I do not think there can be any doubt that the Royal Opera House and the Guelph Opera House are the same. According to the article, the location was “at the top of Wyndham Street”: View link
The aka should be changed.
According to this 2008 article from the Guelph Tribune, the Capitol actually opened in 1894 as the Guelph Opera House and became the Capitol in 1922. It includes two pictures of the Capitol, one after its conversion from the Guelph Opera House and the other nearer the time of its closing, which the article indicates happened in 1953. It also indicates that the location was at the corner of Wyndham and Eramosa (there does not appear to be a Woolworp in Guelph): http://www.guelphtribune.ca/printarticle/124386
This multiplex, though operating, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy;; story here: http://www.ocbj.com/article.asp?aID=144292
Look closely at the blue logos at the left and right within the sign; the hotel being referred to is a Howard Johnson’s franchise motel at 220-16 Jamaica Boulevard. I doubt if it has any connection to the church.
The precise address is/was 161 Wyndham. It was a part of the Odeon (Canada) circuit well before the creation of Cineplex Odeon, having opened in 1949 (if the information on the Rivest List is accurate). I would imagine that most locals referred to it simply as the Odeon right up until its closing, which appears to have occurred in the early 1990s.
There’s a recent picture of the closed River Oaks on this blog page; scroll down to see it: View link
A picture of the closed Lawndale 10 on this blog page: View link
I was reading another story in the New York Times and there was a sidebar reference to this story; after I read it, I thought it might be of interest to other regular CT readers such as yourself.