Timeline of the decline of Toronto movie theatres

From Chuckipedia
Revision as of 21:10, 13 February 2023 by Admin (talk | contribs)
Jump to: navigation, search

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