Tivoli Theatre
110 James Street N,
Hamilton,
ON
L8R
110 James Street N,
Hamilton,
ON
L8R
7 people
favorited this theater
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The page for architect B. Kingston Hall at the Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada lists the Tivoli Theatre in Hamilton as a 1924 project of the firm of Hall & Duerr. The page lists a total of five theater projects for the firm.
After the firm was dissolved in 1926, partner Herbert George Duerr established his own practice and went on to design at least twenty more theaters.
According the information at the IMDb for “Rated X”, filming took place in Hamilton, at the Tivoli, in Toronto, and in Uxbridge, Ontario. Portions of the also made-for-TV film, “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” based on the play by (and really about) Neil Simon, made the year after “Rated X,” were also filmed at the Tivoli.
The Tivoli marquee is shown in all its glory…lots of lights…chaser lights and flashing lights. The Tivoli name is covered to read: “The Mitchell Brothers' O'Farrell Theater”. The marquee and the theater entrance are shown a number of times, throughout the movie. The interior of the second floor was used as the brothers' office. The arched windows can be seen, as well as the TIVOLI sign letters (in reverse, from behind, outside of the windows). The shots of the audience in the theater, watching the films, were not filmed in the Tivoli auditorium. There is a scene later in the movie (at 1:38:00) that was shot on the steps that descend from the exit doors of the Tivoli auditorium. (They can be seen on the street view.)
There is no credit given for the Tivoli or Hamilton as a shooting location. There is no mention in the commentary or on-screen in the credits. The end credits state: Filmed on location in Toronto, Ontario. I don’t know how much of the movie was actually filmed in Toronto. It’s a fairly good movie and a very interesting story. I haven’t seen “Behind the Green Door”, but I’ve seen the Tivoli. I saw “Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS” at the Tivoli. Does that count?
If you would like to see the former Tivoli marquee “in action”, see the Showtime movie “Rated X”. The theater was used to represent the O'Farrell Theater in San Francisco (in the 1970’s). “Rated X” is the true story of the Mitchell brothers (Jim & Artie) who created a porn empire. It was Jim’s idea to make their own films and show them in their own theater. It stars Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez, and was directed by Estevez.
Just to clarify my Dec. 3/9:04 comment: The ceiling in the “lounge” was added during the 1924 remodelling, when the Tivoli auditorium was built.
So here we are, over six years later. There is nothing we can do about past and people are going to have their opinions about the failure of former owners or tenants. What we have left is pretty fantastic, even in its current state. This is the last theater we have in this city, that is as old or beautifully designed. Unfortunately, there are many stages in town, and this could be a stumbling block against support for this type of building. Also, we don’t have a complete building. And if you restore it, you have to use it. It’s a delicate building and a delicate situation. Here’s hoping!
This remaining “lounge” portion shares the same address as the demolished building (110 James Street on this site, and I’ve seen 108 in the ads). The auditorium added in 1924 has a separate Hughson Street address.
When the James Street building had to be demolished, city council had to vote on demolition permits. Originally, the owner wanted to demolish the entire theater, but many wanted the auditorium saved. The city council meeting on this issue was agonizing and frustrating (I attended). If they voted for permits for demolition of the James Street address, this would have included the collapsed/damaged building and the “lounge” addition. There were council members voting on this issue, and they didn’t know the particulars of the situation at the Tivoli. Some members were very impassive, disinterested or bored. I observed some dozing or sleeping, doodling…frustrating, to say the least. And on a matter this important!
The “foyer lounge” remains, along with the 1924 auditorium. Behind the wood (as seen on the street view) is the arched opening to the lounge as seen in the “Box Office” photos. There is a concession stand on the right, and the stairs lead to the theater auditorium. The ceiling you see in the photos was added during the remodelling (and this is what it looks like at present). This area was originally the added silent movie auditorium. Above this ceiling is the original ceiling of the silent movie theater. It was discovered by a former tenant investigating a leak in the roof. This is a great piece of surviving history.
Take a look at the “Box Office” article about the remodelling of the Tivoli in 1954. It will show you what was contained in the demolished building. The entrance is referred to as the outer “vestibule” and the inside as the “second lobby”. The photos of the remodelling show what the interior of the demolished portion looked like, and what the remaining portions look like at present. What I termed the “lobby”, is called the “foyer lounge” in the article. Terminology trouble…
I have removed and corrected my former incorrect and erronious comment. The remaining portions of the Tivoli Theatre can be seen on the Google street view. From James Street, the lobby building can be seen with the larger auditorium beyond that. The auditorium extends to Hughson Street. Take the view to Wilson Street, and you can see side of the Tivoli behind the strip mall. Continue on to Hughson Street and see rear of the auditorium.
The last time there was any mention of the Tivoli in the local newspaper was in October 2011. You can see this article at thespec.ca. Enter “Tivoli” in “search this site” and on page 2, and select the article titled “Lister revived as Tivoli withers”. It’s a “softball article” but hopefully it brought some attention to the project. They should have done a follow-up article, asking: “Why IS the Tivoli withering?” to find out what is going on there. Have you seen the YouTube video? Yikes!
Even 2006 seems like a long time ago. I know restoration projects can take a number of years, but there have been no reports of the progress of the project. The latest aspect of the campaign was to let local artists paint murals/pictures on the lower portion of the exterior walls. I guess this was to induce interest or support from the arts community. If you look at the Google street view, you can see the grey- painted, lower portions of the exterior walls. This paint was applied to cover grafitti that appeared periodically here, and on the upper portions of the walls. A “parkette” was created on the vacant portion, so the property has been open to the public (and grafitti “artists”/vandals). And as seen in the street view, the property has been overgrown with weeds a number of times. Sweet.
Chuck. I must have been really tired yesterday morning. I meant 2006 as the start of the restoration campaign. Sorry about that. The demolished building was the entrance (on James Street) to the theater, with a hall or walkway that led to the lobby area. This building also contained washrooms, a box office and the managers' office. The lobby can be seen in the 1947 archive photo. There was a refreshment stand and there were stairs that led to the auditorium.
If you look at the Google street view, you can see the red brick section of the theater that survives and the back (if you swing around to Hughson Street). It looks to me that the auditorium portion of the building is intact, but, like you, I am also skeptical about the lobby’s survival, as the theater’s frontage would presumably have occupied the vacant lot next to the payday loan center.
The Tivoli lobby and auditorium are in good condition. The building that was demolished was built in the 1870’s. A small auditorium was added, and the demolished building served as an entrance to this silent movie theater. The large auditorium was built east- of/behind in 1924 and the theater was named the Tivoli. The former silent theater auditorium was converted to be the lobby. These two structures still exist. The Tivoli is still beautiful, even in its present condition. The roof has leaked, causing some damage to the interior. The interior also suffered the usual “Famous Players” paint job (high-contrast and garish color scheme).
A restoration project has been on-going since 1996. This is a public building, using public/government money for the restoration. But there have been no announcements or updates about the progress of the project and no accounting of how much money has been raised through fund-raising.
At the time of the demolition, the facade and marquee of the Tivoli Theatre looked much like they do in the above photograph. The only differences being the removal of the “FAMOUS PLAYERS” name & leaf logo, the building being painted dark brown and the removal of the neon in the TIVOLI letters. The outside box office had also been removed years before. OH! (and another thing) the Tivoli lobby and auditorium are STILL THERE!
No-No-No-No-NO!! The Tivoli Theatre auditorium and lobby are still standing. The building that partially collapsed and was later demolished only housed the theater entrance. The comments of Chad Irish and ScreenClassic are incorrect. Status should read: RESTORING…
Status should read demolished. The current Google street view shows the entire theatre now gone, including the auditorium.
The October 23, 1954, issue of Boxoffice featured a multi-page article about the remodeling of the Tivoli, beginning on this page. The entrance lobby was given a fairly sleek streamline modern style, but the other spaces retained much of the more traditional decor from the 1920s. Much of the Italian Renaissance detailing was stripped from the auditorium, but its basic outlines remained intact.
My impression from the photos is that the foyer and auditorium looked a bit cheesy after the remodeling, and the house would have been better served by a more thoughtful restoration of the original design, except for that spiffy moderne entrance lobby, which was quite an improvement. It’s too bad the entrance was in the part of the building that has been demolished.
A photo of the entrance lobby of the Tivoli made the cover of Boxoffice, October 2, 1954.
There are also some excellent images of its current condition here
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/video2/Tivoli/
The Tivoli Theatre is closed, but only the lobby is demolished. And there is finally movement at last to save what is left of it.
From yesterday’s HAMILTON SPECTATOR.
$15m restoration campaign
August 28, 2009
Standing on the stage of the Tivoli Theatre, Belma Gurdil-Diamante closes her eyes to imagine the room filled with visitors from the past.
In one dust-covered seat, she sees the mother of her hairdresser, who came to the theatre to socialize with other Italian immigrants.
A few rows back, she envisions her husband sharing his first kiss.
“There’s so many people that are attached to this place,” says Gurdil-Diamante, rubbing goosebumps on her arms as she looks around the decayed but still opulent auditorium. “I want to bring those people back.”
In a few weeks, the Canadian Ballet Youth Ensemble will launch a $15-million capital campaign to restore the historic theatre, which has sat empty since its partial collapse five years ago.
Gurdil-Diamante, the group’s CEO, is waiting until the launch to reveal how much money has been committed to date, but says she’s confident the project will go ahead.
In the past few weeks, crews have been inside the James Street North theatre, removing mould and asbestos and installing a new electrical panel. The stabilization work, which cost $300,000, is to be funded one-quarter by the city.
Next week a parkette will be built in front of the theatre where part of the building was demolished after the initial collapse.
Once the park is complete, boarding along the street will be removed to allow passersby to see the property.
Wally Lanosky of Copper Cliff Metals and Wrecking Corp., which is doing the demolition work and donating the parkette, suspects the unveiling will be a reminder that the theatre is still standing.
“Everyone thinks the Tivoli is gone,” he said.
Originally built as a carriage factory in the 1870s, the Tivoli was converted to a theatre in 1924.
The ballet company bought the theatre for $1 in 2006 from the Sniderman family of Sam the Record Man fame. Since then, engineers and architects have combed the building, judging its condition and making plans for the future.
Though damaged by time and the elements, the theatre is structurally solid, said Gurdil-Diamante.
As capital donations come in, the ballet company plans to start construction, hopefully in January. Pace Credit Union has agreed to match donations with financing.
The city helped the ballet ensemble prepare an application for federal infrastructure funding, said Ron Marini, the city’s director of downtown and community renewal. He believes the theatre project will be a perfect addition to the arts revival on James North.
“Instead of buildings falling down, we’re starting to see them being reused,” said Marini.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger also sees potential in the project, both for downtown renewal and the arts community. But he notes it won’t be easy raising the needed capital.
“It will be a challenge … (but) certainly not an insurmountable one,” he said. “I think it’s got opportunity written on it.”
In addition to restoring the heritage elements, the ballet company plans to build a new lobby and a backstage in the basement.
The pace of fundraising and the architect’s plan will decide the timeline, but Gurdil-Diamante hopes to be done in two years. Once complete, the theatre would be a multi-use performing venue used by a range of arts groups, she said.
“We want to make sure this place belongs to the community.”
Very sad pictues of Tivoli—>
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wmacphail/3145009526/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrispics/9422290/
Here are updated links to what the theatre looked like in 1947 as originally posted by Chad I on October 19, 2004:
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0011965.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0011966.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0011967.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0011968.jpg
Well.. I am glad to hear that the street person is gone.
We used to have a street person back in 1991, who used to urinate under the marquee all the time.. One night we surprised him with a bucket of water… so it stopped finally.
I am surprised at this because the offices of the owners (The Ballet) are in the Federal Building on James Street, just across the Wilson Street, but I guess someone has to tell them what’s going on.
If anyone else notices such abuses, perhaps a message left on their answering machine might do the trick…