Timeline of the decline of Toronto movie theatres
Contents
- 1 1979 - [OPENING] Cineplex Eaton Centre
- 2 1984 - [MERGER] Cineplex merges with Odeon
- 3 1986 - [CLOSED] University Theatre demolished
- 4 1999 - [CLOSED] Hollywood Theatre
- 5 2001 - [CLOSED] Hyland Cinema
- 6 2001 - [CLOSED] York Cinema
- 7 2003 - [CLOSED] Uptown Theatre
- 8 2003 - [CLOSED] Eglinton Theatre
- 9 2005 - [BUY] Cineplex Buys Famous Players
- 10 2015 - [DEBUT] Dolby Vision debuts in five theatres
- 11 2023 - [UPDATE] Still no Dolby Vision screens in Toronto
- 12 References
1979 - [OPENING] Cineplex Eaton Centre
- "18-screen complex was once cited in the Guinness Book of World Records" [1]
- smaller "shoebox-sized" theatres of 56 to 398 seats allowed more movies to be played in a compact space
- some auditoriums used 16mm projection while others used 35mm projection
- quantity over quality
1984 - [MERGER] Cineplex merges with Odeon
- "Odeon merged with Cineplex in 1984 to form Cineplex Odeon Corporation" [2]
1986 - [CLOSED] University Theatre demolished
- projected 70mm six-track Dolby surround titles such as Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Apocalypse Now, Top Gun and Aliens
- "a single screen theatre that sat some 1300 people"[3]
- "Despite a petition of over 25,000 people, it was closed when the property value became too great to continue operating as a theatre. The University Theatre was demolished in 1986 and, today, only its rebuilt facade remains"[4]
1999 - [CLOSED] Hollywood Theatre
- projected 70mm six-track Dolby surround titles such as Tron and Star Trek III
- "Famous Players closed the theatre in February 1999, and it was demolished later in 1999" [5]
2001 - [CLOSED] Hyland Cinema
- projected 70mm six-track Dolby surround titles such as E.T., Back to the Future and The Abyss
- "When Cineplex Odeon was granted interim bankruptcy protection two months later, the Hyland was closed immediately." [6]
2001 - [CLOSED] York Cinema
- projected 70mm six-track Dolby surround titles such as Ghostbusters, Amadeus, Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo and My Fair Lady
- "this two-screen theatre opened in 1969 and closed on August 26, 2001" [7]
2003 - [CLOSED] Uptown Theatre
- projected 70mm six-track Dolby surround titles such as WarGames and Dick Tracy and later Dolby Digital titles such as The Fugitive and The Matrix
- "the Uptown Theatre was one of Toronto’s largest" [8]
2003 - [CLOSED] Eglinton Theatre
- projected 70mm six-track Dolby surround titles such as Cocoon, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Malcolm X and DTS titles such as Stargate and Titanic
- "The Eglinton Theatre has now been renovated into a rental hall for banquets and special events and has been renamed the “Eglinton Grand.”" [9]
2005 - [BUY] Cineplex Buys Famous Players
- "from Viacom for CA$500 million" [10]
2015 - [DEBUT] Dolby Vision debuts in five theatres
- "Disney’s historic El Capitan theater is one of five theaters in the world to meld Dolby Vision and Atmos together for a mind-blowing experience" [11]
- but no Dolby Vision in Toronto
2023 - [UPDATE] Still no Dolby Vision screens in Toronto
References
- ↑ http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/850
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cineplex_Entertainment
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Theatre_(Toronto)
- ↑ http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3090
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Theatre_(Toronto)#cite_note-DougTaylorGoldenAge-1
- ↑ https://jamiebradburnwriting.wordpress.com/2020/06/24/past-pieces-of-toronto-the-odeon-hyland/
- ↑ http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/28114
- ↑ http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/897
- ↑ http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/847
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cineplex_Entertainment
- ↑ https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/tomorrowland-dolby-vision-dolby-atmos-el-capitan-theater/