Timeline of the decline of Toronto movie theatres

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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 of screens over quality of presentation
  • more Cineplex multiplex complexes would follow:
    • Scarborough Town Centre - 12 screens - "lowest seat count was 63 in Cinema #7 and higher count of 176 in Cinema #5" [2]
    • Hillcrest Mall
    • Erin Mills
    • Warden Woods [3]

1984 - [MERGER] Cineplex merges with Odeon

  • "Odeon merged with Cineplex in 1984 to form Cineplex Odeon Corporation" [4]

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"[5]
  • "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"[6]

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" [7]

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." [8]

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" [9]

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" [10]

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.”" [11]

2005 - [BUY] Cineplex Buys Famous Players

  • "from Viacom for CA$500 million" [12]

2015 - [DEBUT] Dolby Vision debuts in five non-Toronto 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" [13]
  • but no Dolby Vision in Toronto

2023 - [UPDATE] Still no Dolby Vision screens in Toronto

References

  1. ↑ http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/850
  2. ↑ http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/45992
  3. ↑ http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/65938
  4. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cineplex_Entertainment
  5. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Theatre_(Toronto)
  6. ↑ http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3090
  7. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Theatre_(Toronto)#cite_note-DougTaylorGoldenAge-1
  8. ↑ https://jamiebradburnwriting.wordpress.com/2020/06/24/past-pieces-of-toronto-the-odeon-hyland/
  9. ↑ http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/28114
  10. ↑ http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/897
  11. ↑ http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/847
  12. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cineplex_Entertainment
  13. ↑ https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/tomorrowland-dolby-vision-dolby-atmos-el-capitan-theater/


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