Brian: Great work! You have certainly done your bit to help keep the Tivoli going.
Do you think the Ballet group will be successful in raising the money to fix it up?
Brian:
Thanks for the photo’s. The last time I was in the Tivoli was in 1961. Back then it was decorated in some kind of salmon pink and cream colour with very old seats.
I like the way it was re-done. Too bad the building could not have been used longer.
Also….in addition to my previous post…I have not seen anything on the Palace in the Ontario Archives online. The Capitol is there but not tghe old Palace theatre. The only shots I have seen are in John Lindsay’s book and the original photo’s at the Archives.
I was down to the Archives a year ago and found a couple of the Palace. The best one is from the stage looking out but I have never seen it on any website. Brings back memories for me from when I used to go there when I was in high school.
The presentation of movies at the Palace was the best I saw in Hamilton. Good use of the stage lighting a curtains, nice clean show. Most other theatres in Hamilton back then had atrocious showmanship. No curtains, slap on the movie and that was it…even the Capitol.
Brian Morton wrote:“ The feeling was that the big theatres had had their day.”
Brian: For sure. The Palace would have made a terrific multi-use theatre but which city councillor at the time would have argued to keep the Palace when a project like Hamilton Place was needed to improve that area of downtown?
I have been gone from the city since the end of 1961 so I am out of touch with the arts scene there (still a Ti-Cat fan though!). Looking back since the demolition of the Palace……can anyone assess today whether there would have been enough events and local use to keep it open along with Hamilton Place?
I was in Oshawa yesterday and talked to some of the construction workers at the Regent site. They told me they are fixing up the front and the interior.
That’s great news. Its supposed to be ready by this fall.
I was talking about the new owner (promoter-whatever) who operates the Danforth Music Hall. From what I read in the Toronto Star a while back it read as if he was combining theatre events with other things. When I saw the work being done on the front I thought it was the start of the new renovations…which maybe it IS if it has to be done before the new work can begin.
Whatever is going on……congratulations and good luck to the new owner.I hated seeing the place looking so run down waiting for the city councillors to decide if they wanted to fix it up or wait and build a bigger new arts centre.
Saraphin referred in the first post on this site to theatre architect “Charles Lamb”.
Should this be Thomas Lamb?
I can find no reference anywhere to a “neo-classical” theatre architect/designer in that period named Charles Lamb. A Charles Lamb is also mentioned and described as “reknowned” on another website about the Met.
Just for the record, maybe someone in Winnipeg can check with the Free Press or local library to see if there is any reference to Thomas or “Charles” Lamb whose design style was reportedly adapted by Crane.
Also…the Allen Brothers used Thomas Lamb to renovate the old Hollywood Theatre in Toronto at one time and also used him to design the Capitol in Brantford.
I have been reading up on Thomas Lamb recently so when I saw a reference to Charles Lamb I was curious to see if they were relatives.
I drove by the Regent last week and saw the front of the theatre was covered for what looked like renovation work.
A Toronto promoter is supposed to be fixing the place up as a nightclub/theatre.
I thought it was a bit odd too.
However it looks like Thomas Lamb made a career of building theatres for different chains close together in Canadian cities.
I found three examples.
The Capitol in Hamilton was originally the Loews which competed with Pantages.
In Toronto he designed the Pantages and the Loews/Winter Garden just down the street.
In Montreal he designed the Loews and the Capitol (Famous Players) which were very close to each other on Ste Catherine Street.
I’m sure there are more examples in U-S cities.
He sure made his mark.
On page 47 of John Lindsay’s book “ Palaces of the Night”, he mentions that Thomas Lamb was the architect for the Pantages in Hamilton. It was later re-named the Palace.
He also mentions( as Brian has posted above) that the Pantages/Palace “ bore a strong resemblance to the Capitols in Windsor and Winnipeg and all three owed something in their design to the Capitol in Brantford.”
Getting back to the Palace…..I was recently in the Ontario Archives building in Toronto and found some great interior photos of the Palace. I did not get them reproduced because I was on a mission to get some stuff on the Odeon Carlton in Toronto. There is a great shot of the auditorium from the stage.
If anyone has some time to kill in Toronto its worth a look through the old Ontario Theatres photo file. There are also some photos on the net under Ontario Archives at: View link
Thanks again!
I was looking at the projectionist list photo and at the bottom is a phone number for the union at the Palace Theatre.
Thats because the projectionist at the Palace at that time (around 1960) was Hugh Usher…. who was also the President of the union local.
Mike:
Great work!
It will be nice to have these photos as a record of the Century once it is demolished. Do you have any photos of the projection booth?
I have Ben Hall’s “Best Available Seats”. Lots on the Roxy but just a passing paragraph about the projection booth and no pictures.
Al…I contacted the Theatre Historical Society to order the Marquee Special edition on the Roxy.
Ken….that is a rare photo of the Roxy from the stage. Thanks for making it available.
Thanks Ken.
In Robert Curry’s book there are pictures of the blueprints from Blackmore and Sykes showing the main floor and balcony plans.
What is amazing is that the complete interior and exterior renovations were done in just three months, including lowering the roof, building the new balcony and projection room which was high over the rear of the balcony and rebuilding the lobby and outside facade.In effect they built a whole new theatre in that short amount of time.
I moved to Canada with my parents in 1961 at the age of 16 but my memories of visiting the Dorchester and its projection room remain. Their presentation of movies was excellent and as good as any I have ever seen. When I visited, David Alexander was the “whiz kid” on the projection staff for his technical abilities as well as his showmanship.
Vito:
That is really disappointing to hear….not masking a screen properly? What on earth were they thinking? Didn’t presentation matter?
Brian: Great work! You have certainly done your bit to help keep the Tivoli going.
Do you think the Ballet group will be successful in raising the money to fix it up?
Brian:
Thanks for the photo’s. The last time I was in the Tivoli was in 1961. Back then it was decorated in some kind of salmon pink and cream colour with very old seats.
I like the way it was re-done. Too bad the building could not have been used longer.
Brian wrote:
“This theatre looks very similar to the Tivoli Theatre in Hamilton…
I wonder if it was the same architect?”
Brian: The architect for the Regent Theatre in Oshawa was J. McNee.
I have not been able to track down the Tivoli architect on the net.
Brian:
Thanks. They are the ones I saw at the Archives.
Also….in addition to my previous post…I have not seen anything on the Palace in the Ontario Archives online. The Capitol is there but not tghe old Palace theatre. The only shots I have seen are in John Lindsay’s book and the original photo’s at the Archives.
I was down to the Archives a year ago and found a couple of the Palace. The best one is from the stage looking out but I have never seen it on any website. Brings back memories for me from when I used to go there when I was in high school.
The presentation of movies at the Palace was the best I saw in Hamilton. Good use of the stage lighting a curtains, nice clean show. Most other theatres in Hamilton back then had atrocious showmanship. No curtains, slap on the movie and that was it…even the Capitol.
Brian Morton wrote:“ The feeling was that the big theatres had had their day.”
Brian: For sure. The Palace would have made a terrific multi-use theatre but which city councillor at the time would have argued to keep the Palace when a project like Hamilton Place was needed to improve that area of downtown?
I have been gone from the city since the end of 1961 so I am out of touch with the arts scene there (still a Ti-Cat fan though!). Looking back since the demolition of the Palace……can anyone assess today whether there would have been enough events and local use to keep it open along with Hamilton Place?
I was in Oshawa yesterday and talked to some of the construction workers at the Regent site. They told me they are fixing up the front and the interior.
That’s great news. Its supposed to be ready by this fall.
I was talking about the new owner (promoter-whatever) who operates the Danforth Music Hall. From what I read in the Toronto Star a while back it read as if he was combining theatre events with other things. When I saw the work being done on the front I thought it was the start of the new renovations…which maybe it IS if it has to be done before the new work can begin.
Whatever is going on……congratulations and good luck to the new owner.I hated seeing the place looking so run down waiting for the city councillors to decide if they wanted to fix it up or wait and build a bigger new arts centre.
Saraphin referred in the first post on this site to theatre architect “Charles Lamb”.
Should this be Thomas Lamb?
I can find no reference anywhere to a “neo-classical” theatre architect/designer in that period named Charles Lamb. A Charles Lamb is also mentioned and described as “reknowned” on another website about the Met.
Just for the record, maybe someone in Winnipeg can check with the Free Press or local library to see if there is any reference to Thomas or “Charles” Lamb whose design style was reportedly adapted by Crane.
Also…the Allen Brothers used Thomas Lamb to renovate the old Hollywood Theatre in Toronto at one time and also used him to design the Capitol in Brantford.
I have been reading up on Thomas Lamb recently so when I saw a reference to Charles Lamb I was curious to see if they were relatives.
Heres a link to three excellent interior photos of the Capitol. ere
View link
This theatre reminds me a lot of the Palace in Hamilton, which was also designed by Thomas Lamb.
I drove by the Regent last week and saw the front of the theatre was covered for what looked like renovation work.
A Toronto promoter is supposed to be fixing the place up as a nightclub/theatre.
I thought it was a bit odd too.
However it looks like Thomas Lamb made a career of building theatres for different chains close together in Canadian cities.
I found three examples.
The Capitol in Hamilton was originally the Loews which competed with Pantages.
In Toronto he designed the Pantages and the Loews/Winter Garden just down the street.
In Montreal he designed the Loews and the Capitol (Famous Players) which were very close to each other on Ste Catherine Street.
I’m sure there are more examples in U-S cities.
He sure made his mark.
schmadrian:
On page 47 of John Lindsay’s book “ Palaces of the Night”, he mentions that Thomas Lamb was the architect for the Pantages in Hamilton. It was later re-named the Palace.
He also mentions( as Brian has posted above) that the Pantages/Palace “ bore a strong resemblance to the Capitols in Windsor and Winnipeg and all three owed something in their design to the Capitol in Brantford.”
Anyone have any interior photos of the Paramount?
Nothing on their website.
Thanks.
Here is a rare view of the auditorium from the stage:
View link
Getting back to the Palace…..I was recently in the Ontario Archives building in Toronto and found some great interior photos of the Palace. I did not get them reproduced because I was on a mission to get some stuff on the Odeon Carlton in Toronto. There is a great shot of the auditorium from the stage.
If anyone has some time to kill in Toronto its worth a look through the old Ontario Theatres photo file. There are also some photos on the net under Ontario Archives at:
View link
Mike:
Thanks again!
I was looking at the projectionist list photo and at the bottom is a phone number for the union at the Palace Theatre.
Thats because the projectionist at the Palace at that time (around 1960) was Hugh Usher…. who was also the President of the union local.
Mike:
Great work!
It will be nice to have these photos as a record of the Century once it is demolished. Do you have any photos of the projection booth?
Ken and Al:
I have Ben Hall’s “Best Available Seats”. Lots on the Roxy but just a passing paragraph about the projection booth and no pictures.
Al…I contacted the Theatre Historical Society to order the Marquee Special edition on the Roxy.
Ken….that is a rare photo of the Roxy from the stage. Thanks for making it available.
nj-girl:
Does the program have a picture of the projection booth?
If so I would love to see it!
Thanks
Thanks Ken.
In Robert Curry’s book there are pictures of the blueprints from Blackmore and Sykes showing the main floor and balcony plans.
What is amazing is that the complete interior and exterior renovations were done in just three months, including lowering the roof, building the new balcony and projection room which was high over the rear of the balcony and rebuilding the lobby and outside facade.In effect they built a whole new theatre in that short amount of time.
I moved to Canada with my parents in 1961 at the age of 16 but my memories of visiting the Dorchester and its projection room remain. Their presentation of movies was excellent and as good as any I have ever seen. When I visited, David Alexander was the “whiz kid” on the projection staff for his technical abilities as well as his showmanship.
The Roxy opened at 9 am and the last feature ran at 2.30am? Thats quite a day. Were these hours just for New Years?
Good luck and best wishes to the Canadian Ballet Youth Ensemble with their project. Maybe the old Tivoli is not dead yet.