Miscellany Toronto Photographs: Then and Now

[Miss Sadie Thompson]

The housing looked so familiar, but from the angle of the "then" pic it appeared to me it was literally the end of the road. I thought perhaps at some point Kipling Avenue had been re-directed.

I don't remember seeing Kipling Ave."N." on street signs back in the day, either.

Thank you!

 

[Mustapha]

February 14 addition.

Then: Yonge street, east side, on the block north of St. Clair. 1953. A pair of views today.

Now: November 2009.

Then: 1943

Now: February 2010.

 

[thecharioteer]

According to Cinema Treasures, the Odeon Hyland had 1357 seats, the Hollywood 1321. Aside from relative ease of going to a movie in those days (compare the distance one must walk today in a typical SilverCity), and the pleasure of seeing a movie with a large crowd, urbanistically, these theatres were the lifeblood of the Yonge-St.Clair neighbourhood in terms of supporitng restaurants and retail. Think about over 2000 people coming and going to the movies (twice) on a typical night and on weekend afternoons. That vitality is long gone form Yonge and St. Clair, in the same way it's depated from the Eglinton Theatre neighbourhood. Obviously, the business model for stand-alone cinemas changed, but one can still hope that "event" theatres like the Eglinton and the Capitol will one day return to screening movies (maybe even combine the uses like an old night-club with a floor-show?). Pity it's too late for the theatres of Yonge and St. Clair (and the Odeon Carlton, the Odeon Fairlawn, the Glendale, the University........).

Hollywood Theatre 1943:

 

[adma]

I don't remember seeing Kipling Ave."N." on street signs back in the day, either.

I don't know at what point they retired the N-vs-S street naming, at least in terms of Etobicoke (with Bloor as the divider a la Yonge)--though was that just a naming thing, or did it extend to street numbering as well?

 

[Mustapha]

According to Cinema Treasures, the Odeon Hyland had 1357 seats, the Hollywood 1321. Aside from relative ease of going to a movie in those days (compare the distance one must walk today in a typical SilverCity), and the pleasure of seeing a movie with a large crowd, urbanistically, these theatres were the lifeblood of the Yonge-St.Clair neighbourhood in terms of supporitng restaurants and retail. Think about over 2000 people coming and going to the movies (twice) on a typical night and on weekend afternoons. That vitality is long gone form Yonge and St. Clair, in the same way it's depated from the Eglinton Theatre neighbourhood. Obviously, the business model for stand-alone cinemas changed, but one can still hope that "event" theatres like the Eglinton and the Capitol will one day return to screening movies (maybe even combine the uses like an old night-club with a floor-show?). Pity it's too late for the theatres of Yonge and St. Clair (and the Odeon Carlton, the Odeon Fairlawn, the Glendale, the University........).

Hollywood Theatre 1943:

thecharioteer, you and I are not alone in regretting the loss of St Clair and Yonge as a destination for movie going. The familiar old and luxurious walls of both those theatres could be enjoyed for a couple of hours for a few dollars. Parking in the evenings was free and easily found along Yonge street in front of the cemetery. The Hollywood theatre entrance lobby packed much elegance into such a small space. Those stairs - five steps of anticipation of the picture show to come...



February 15 addition.


Then: Bloor looking W from Bathurst (Bathurst behind the photographer). 1960?

Now: November 2009. The Alhambra theatre is gone; lately it was a Swiss Chalet but that's gone too.

 

[thecharioteer]

Another lost neighbourhood theatre was the Avenue Theatre, on the south side of Eglinton just west of Avenue Road. It was long gone by the time I started going to movies, but from pictures in the Archives it looks like it rivaled the Eglinton in Art Deco splendour. The Archives contains a few pics of British film star Anna Neagle visiting the Avenue in 1939 for the premiere of her film "Victoria the Queen". What an event that must have been for North Toronto:

The following year:

 

[Mustapha]

thecharioteer, the Mount Pleasant road strip between Davisville and Eglinton still supports two old school movie houses dating waay back. When I walk it, usually with french fries in hand from Penrose, I can't help but think how it all seems preserved in amber. Good on the neighbourhood people that patronize them and keep them going concerns.



February 16 addition.



Then: Looking W on Bloor towards Yonge. May 1959.

Now: November 2009.

 

[thecharioteer]

Ah, the Towne Cinema! Wonder if that's the same Peoples Church (on the north side) that's now at Sheppard and Bayview.

 

[Aladone]

Keele and Finch

South west corner of Keele and Finch 1953 - 2009

 

[Mustapha]

February 17 addition.



Then: Yonge and Woodlawn, NE corner. 1960?

Now: February 2010.

 

[thecharioteer]

February 17 addition.



Then: Yonge and Woodlawn, NE corner. 1960?

Now: February 2010.

What an interesting find, Mustapha! It had never occured to me that underneath the PoMo EFUS, signage and additions was a very interesting single moderne building, quite skillful in its handling of the grade change. Pity the renovations could not have been done more in the spirit of the original.

 

[jswag]

Wow, that building completely lost its soul!

 

[Aladone]

I can't say I really like to old look to that building. It's VERY dull looking. Also, I think they did the best they could to keep the old elements in the new urban look. I actually give the new look two thumbs up!

 

[Urban Shocker]

I've been in there a few times. The stairway ( where the vertical window is ) looks like it hasn't been altered, and there's a small washroom that's probably original. It's fun to stumble across small elements like those, which remain unchanged while all about them has been monkeyed with and sadly diminished. There's a spacious gentlemen's washroom/changing room in the National Club, for instance, that's very Bertie Wooster in character - with a hefty weigh scale that looks like it has been there since the building opened. An Ridpath's furniture store has that ancient elevator.

 

[Lone Primate]

Taken from approximately the same location, this view looks west down Highway 7 from Woodbine Avenue (termed "Don Mills Road" in the 1964 write-up). The church seen in the distance in the 1964 shot still exists in 2010, but is largely concealed by the growth of trees in the meantime.