Regent Theatre

Sparks Street,
Ottawa, ON K1P

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Allen Theatres, Famous Players

Architects: Morton James Coulson

Styles: Beaux-Arts

Nearby Theaters

Regent Theatre

Opened in September 1915, the Regent Theatre was taken over by the Allen Theatres chain on May 20, 1918. It became one of downtown Ottawa’s favourite theatres by playing the most popular films on a first-run basis in addition to all the Disney movies for kids. It was used as Famous Players' Canadian flagship theatre throughout the 1920’s: movies would open at Ottawa’s Regent Theatre before opening anywhere else in the country.

It had the steepest balcony in Canada, a tiny lobby with a wooden vending machine, and a three-sided marquee that wrapped around and above the entrance doors at the corner of Bank and Sparks Streets.

In 1972 the Regent Theatre was closed and was torn down to accommodate the expansion of the Bank of Canada. Its last movie was Walt Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp”.

Contributed by Alain Miguelez

Recent comments (view all 4 comments)

Hugger1
Hugger1 on March 29, 2006 at 2:09 am

One of the classiest places around in it’s day, along with the Capital.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 29, 2013 at 9:46 pm

The entry for Morton James Coulson in the 1956 American Architects Directory lists a 1950 remodeling of the Regent Theatre in Ottawa, Canada, among his principal works.

maccuaig33
maccuaig33 on November 19, 2013 at 12:27 pm

I remember The Regent well. I went weekly from 1966 thru to the end in 1972. Very classy as Hugger1 says. However, the photo above shows the corner of Sparks and Kent, and as your comments say, the Regent was for sure a the corner of Bank Street and the Sparks Street Mall. The Mall closing to vehicle traffic in the summer of 1966, the year I arrived from Alexandria ( with one theatre ) to Ottawa which had about 8 or 9 at least. A great time for movies and the theatres were always filled. Ah, memories.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on October 11, 2018 at 11:18 am

An article about the Regent appeared in The Moving Picture World of August 28, 1915. The target date for the opening of the house, then under construction, was September 15.

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