Globe Cinema
393 Portage Avenue,
Winnipeg,
MB
R3B 0G9
393 Portage Avenue,
Winnipeg,
MB
R3B 0G9
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Famous Players, Landmark Cinemas of Canada
Styles: Art Deco, Gothic Revival
Previous Names: Portage Place Cinemas 3
Nearby Theaters
In an attempt to re-vitalize downtown, Famous Players opened the Portage Place Cinemas on September 17, 1987.
Combining Gothic Revival and Art Deco styles, the cinemas are lavish with giant screens, several different digital sound systems, high-backed seats (different colours for each auditorium), gothic columns down the auditoriums, a large concession stand and an entire wall of glass running the length of the auditoriums that looked down onto Portage Avenue from the third storey of Portage Place.
This cinema is completely wheelchair accessible.
Famous Players skipped paying the enormous lease for a few months before it was closed on June 15, 2014, and that resulted in the mall’s owners replacing the locks. They sued to get their equipment back, but lost.
In June 2002, Landmark Cinemas took over this theatre that is commonly known as one of Winnipeg’s most finest. They were showing art films and offer free parking. It was closed in 2014. The building stands vacant in 2021.
Contributed by
Shelley Kindleman
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
This theatre has a combined total of around 900 seats now.
When it was a Famous Players theatre, the projection booth equipment was as follows:
Cinema 1: “ALTO"
Xebex Supersol 4kw Lamphouse
Cinemeccanica VIC 8 35/70mm Projector
Strong ALPHA 35/70mm Platter
GS Showman II Automation *(later replaced to CineQ Automations)
Cinema 2: “RIO"
Xebex Hi-Beam III 3kw Lamphouse
Cinemeccanica VIC 8 (35mm only) Projector
Strong ALPHA Platter
GS Showman II Automation *(later replaced to CineQ Automations)
Cinema 2: “BIJOU"
Xebex Hi-Beam III 3kw Lamphouse
Cinemeccanica VIC 8 (35mm only) Projector
Strong ALPHA Platter
GS Showman II Automation *(later replaced to CineQ Automations)
I’m almost 100% certain that Famous never updated C2 or C3 for 35/70mm.
If all of their equipment remained in the building when Landmark took over, then it must still be there.
I was the General Manager for Famous Players when we closed this cinema (as Portage Place) and later went on to work for Landmark Cinemas to re-open it as The Globe. I was pleased to help give back such a viable and beautiful theatre to the city of Winnipeg. Truly this is the only premier facility in the downtown of Winnipeg for film exhibition.
Also grandcameo, you’re correct. C2 & 3 were never 70MM capable (largely because of the absence of 70MM product when refurb’s were optioned and deliberated).
FilmExhibitor, please drop me an e-mail at my username at hotmail dot com. I’m posting my e-mail like that to block out spamware that searches the internet for addresses.
Thanks!
This should now be changed to closed.
Seating counts under Famous Players: Alto (#1) 532 Rio (#2) 371 Bijou (#3) 297
Not sure what Landmark’s seating counts were, but it looks like they swapped seats in the Alto and Bijou when they took over and increased legroom.
I was wrong about the seats being swapped.
Cinema 1 had blue seats with a green/teal theme on the marquee/doors, cinema 2 had red seats and a red theme, while cinema 3 had grey-green seats with a blue theme.
You can see so in this news video from opening day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsNPfL2EUv8
I wonder if there was some kind of mix-up with the seats though? You would think since the red seats went in the red auditorium, then they should’ve had the blue seats in the Bijou (#3)?
I noticed in the YouTube video that grandcameo posted this cinema already had the new Famous Players logo and the “Street of Theaters” design with each auditorium having the separate movie palace names of Alto, Rio & Bijou. Was this a prototype for Famous Players? The first cinema that I thought opening with this design was the Gateway 6 in Brampton in October 1988, the Portage Place opened a year earlier. Is there anyone who worked either for Famous Players or Petroff Partnership on this site that would know the prototype status of this cinema?
This opened on September 17th, 1987. Grand opening ad posted. It closed on June 15th, 2014. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/globe-cinema-closing-at-portage-place-in-winnipeg-1.2671952