University Theatre

100 Bloor Street W,
Toronto, ON M5S 1M4

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Showing 26 - 50 of 60 comments

Coate
Coate on August 15, 2014 at 2:46 pm

Thirty-five years ago today, Toronto’s University was among three North American theaters to open Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” in a reserved-performance, guaranteed-seat exclusive engagement. A 35th anniversary retrospective article was posted today at The Digital Bits.

telliott
telliott on March 16, 2013 at 12:05 pm

…and David I still miss it to this day. All these years later.

DavidDymond
DavidDymond on March 16, 2013 at 11:20 am

This theatre’s first Manager was the late A. E. “Bert” Brown and they desired to get this theatre open in time for President John J.Fitzgibbon’s birthday. This theatre was one of the first theatres to have the modern hanging urinals and the Famous Players Head of Purchasing Jules Wolfe called down to Chicago and asked them when they were going “to have the hanging pisspots ready.” This theatre had NO right angles in it and was Famous Players most prestige theatre in downtown Toronto!!

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on May 22, 2012 at 1:04 am

Scroll down on this webpage to see a picture of the University during the run of “Cleopatra” in 1963.

Jon Lidolt
Jon Lidolt on June 10, 2011 at 7:55 am

In the early 60’s Richard Burton was in Toronto appearing onstage in the John Gielgud production of Hamlet. One morning Burton’s new movie Becket was being screened in 70mm at the University for the local critics. As the lights dimmed and the film began, Elizabeth Taylor quietly took her place at the back of the theatre to watch her new husband’s new movie. No one in the audience even knew she was there.

JohnnyCool
JohnnyCool on June 10, 2011 at 3:35 am

I’m writing an article about Apocalypse Now to coincide with the UK Blu-ray release on Monday (13th June). Anyone have or know where I might find a photo of the facade of the University from the initial run of Apocalypse Now there in August 1979?

William Mewes
William Mewes on March 21, 2011 at 9:19 am

I found this on “Flickr"
A night time photo from December 1969

View link

socal09
socal09 on January 16, 2011 at 7:55 am

How sad that this beautiful theatre was partially demolished, the remaining facade left to rot and then converted into a Pottery Barn.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on January 16, 2011 at 4:17 am

Here are fresh links for the July 2, 1949, Boxoffice items posted above by ken mc and Gerald A. DeLuca:

Cover photo of the main floor lounge.

Page one of the two-page article about the University Theatre in the Modern Theatre section of the same issue.

socal09
socal09 on December 11, 2010 at 10:21 pm

JerryR: You’re very perceptive and correct! The image in my Nov2/09 post is indeed the Imperial and not the University movie theatre. The image is mislabelled on the City of Toronto Archives website (scroll halfway down the page):
View link

jerryross
jerryross on July 24, 2010 at 10:34 pm

re SoCal09’s posting of Nov 2/09: This isn’t the University. It’s the Imperial. The Henry Faber mens wear and haberdashery is seen clearly across Yonge St. Also the University’s box office was attached to the building, the Imperial’s was free standing as in the photo. Anyway I grew up with and loved both theatres…the Imperial was where I first saw a movie at night, taken by my older brother. I was 8 or 9. Samson and Delilah was the flick.
JerryR

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on July 3, 2010 at 8:23 am

Good Story IanG.

Gerald A. DeLuca
Gerald A. DeLuca on June 24, 2010 at 7:03 am

…and a story with more photos, Boxoffice, July 2, 1949:
View link

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on February 4, 2010 at 7:58 pm

There was a photo of the lounge on the cover of Boxoffice in July 1949:
http://tinyurl.com/ydx3vcd

JohnnyCool
JohnnyCool on January 9, 2010 at 9:04 pm

The University holds so many fond memories for me; I’m sad that I will never get to share the joy of watching a film there with my sons (both teenagers and both professional actors). Frederic Forrest sat in front of me when I saw ‘Apocalypse Now’ there; I saw ‘Alien’ there when I was 17 and looked about 12 (it was rated R…she wasn’t paying attention clearly). Saw at least onme of the original 3 ‘Star Wars’ there….had an advance ticket for ‘Heaven’s Gate’ but UA yanked it after one day so I didn’t get to use it!

I still go to the cinema at least once a week…but it isn’t the same, and never will be. When I took my oldest boy to the cinema for the first time (Holloway Road Odeon in north London to see ‘Lion King’ on its first run) I told him as we were going in (he was 2) ‘This is the closest this family gets to going to church; no talking!’. Sadly, we have no more St Pauls or Trinity of theatres…so goes the world.

Great site by the by, stumbled on it today while researching the Lyric/Century in Hamilton that is about to be torn down as it is very unsound…another great bloody shame.

chuckkahn
chuckkahn on January 6, 2010 at 7:22 pm

I’ve started a list (working backwards) of movies that played here at View link

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on January 6, 2010 at 1:46 am

Exterior shot when ‘The Return of the Jedi’ was playing: View link

chuckkahn
chuckkahn on November 7, 2009 at 3:14 pm

“Strange Brew” (1983) featured the University Theatre quite prominently hosting the premiere of Bob & Doug’s “Mutants of 2051 A.D.”

View link

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on November 2, 2009 at 2:17 pm

Adults at a University that would be something NEW!Thanks Tim E.

telliott
telliott on November 2, 2009 at 1:57 pm

No harm done. I think it’s funny….the University as an ADULT house….now THAT would have been something! LOL

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on November 2, 2009 at 1:48 pm

Tim Thanks for the info.I did not mean any harm! I used to work for LOEWS THEATERS in the U.S.’s WE closed one house that started showing porno and the new owner did not take down the LOEWS SIGNS, it looked as if we were doing it,hope you have a good day!

telliott
telliott on November 2, 2009 at 11:31 am

LOL, the University was one of the most prestigious movie theatres ever in Toronto. Adult Entertainment in those days was Ontario’s version of today’s PG 13……we had 3 classification of films back then, General, Adult Entertainment and Restricted: To persons 18 and over. It looks like Forever Amber is on the marquee and that certainly wasn’t ADULT films in that sense.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on November 2, 2009 at 10:41 am

THIS HOUSE LOOKED TO NICE TO BE SHOWING"ADULT FILMS"

socal09
socal09 on November 2, 2009 at 8:06 am

A great shot of the University theatre lobby (inside looking out onto Bloor St.)
View link