The Market Square Cinemas were built and operated by Cineplex Odeon. When they took over Famous Players they were required to divest themselves of a certain number of theatres to reduce their dominance in Canadian exhibition to what the government considered a reasonable level. Some of their theatres were sold to Rainbow Cinemas, a mainly Western Canada small chain, and others to Empire Cinemas, an Eastern chain.
Correction: The first VistaVision release was White Christmas and was likely shown at the Michigan. The Command was a Warner’s 3D release from a year earlier. I suspect that the Michigan, installed a wide screen in summer 1953 to show Paramount’s Shane, a different western.
I saw Lawrence of Arabia at the Criterion on one of my yearly visits to New York and it was a revelation. I didn’t know movies could be so beautifully sharp and detailed. It was magnificent and I can still see images from the film in my centre row seat about half way back. Only the original IMAX could equal this.
vic1964 has confused two theatres in London, Ontario I think, the Odeon London in the downtown built in 1948, twinned in the 70s and showed Amadeus in the 80s, but not in 70mm. The other was a mid-1930s neighbourhood house seating about 600 originally and called the Elmwood. The Odeon chain leased it for a few years in the 40s and then permanently in 1955 when it renamed it the Odeon Hyland. Around 1980 it was renovated with a new marquee, larger lobby and candy bar, air-conditioning and seating reduced to about 400. Back to the Future was one of many first-run films that had long runs there. The record setter was The Sound of Music which ran for 73 weeks at reserved seat prices. The Hyland was closed in the 90s a victim of newer multiplexes in the city. Later it was briefly used as a church. A few years ago a couple took it over and has devoted it to showing foreign and independent films that otherwise would have no chance of being seen in this area.
The Market Square Cinemas were built and operated by Cineplex Odeon. When they took over Famous Players they were required to divest themselves of a certain number of theatres to reduce their dominance in Canadian exhibition to what the government considered a reasonable level. Some of their theatres were sold to Rainbow Cinemas, a mainly Western Canada small chain, and others to Empire Cinemas, an Eastern chain.
Correction: The first VistaVision release was White Christmas and was likely shown at the Michigan. The Command was a Warner’s 3D release from a year earlier. I suspect that the Michigan, installed a wide screen in summer 1953 to show Paramount’s Shane, a different western.
I saw Lawrence of Arabia at the Criterion on one of my yearly visits to New York and it was a revelation. I didn’t know movies could be so beautifully sharp and detailed. It was magnificent and I can still see images from the film in my centre row seat about half way back. Only the original IMAX could equal this.
vic1964 has confused two theatres in London, Ontario I think, the Odeon London in the downtown built in 1948, twinned in the 70s and showed Amadeus in the 80s, but not in 70mm. The other was a mid-1930s neighbourhood house seating about 600 originally and called the Elmwood. The Odeon chain leased it for a few years in the 40s and then permanently in 1955 when it renamed it the Odeon Hyland. Around 1980 it was renovated with a new marquee, larger lobby and candy bar, air-conditioning and seating reduced to about 400. Back to the Future was one of many first-run films that had long runs there. The record setter was The Sound of Music which ran for 73 weeks at reserved seat prices. The Hyland was closed in the 90s a victim of newer multiplexes in the city. Later it was briefly used as a church. A few years ago a couple took it over and has devoted it to showing foreign and independent films that otherwise would have no chance of being seen in this area.