Lansdowne Theatre, originally the Park

By
TorontoJourney416
-
1942 - Lansdowne Theatre was once located at 683 Lansdowne Ave, north of Bloor St W on the east side. On the marquee, “The Penalty,” starring Edward Arnold, Lionel Barrymore and Marsha Hunt and “Bachelor Daddy,” starring Baby Sandy, Edward Everett Horton and Donald Woods, were playing
1942 – Lansdowne Theatre was once located at 683 Lansdowne Ave, north of Bloor St W on the east side (Archives of Ontario I0012575)

Lansdowne Theatre, originally the Park Theatre, was once located at 683-685 Lansdowne Ave (north of Bloor St W on the east side) in the Bloordale Village/Wallace Emerson neighbourhood of Toronto.

The Park Theatre opened in 1914, showing live theatre. The building stretched from Lansdowne Ave to St Clarens Ave. Park Theatre later switched to a movie house also featuring vaudeville and amateur shows. About 1937, the theatre was renamed Lansdowne.

In 1958, new management took over the 900-seat theatre. While making updates, they found a stage, dressing rooms and 70 ft of fly scenery. In the Fall of that year, it opened as The Playhouse of Toronto with the production of Cock-a-Doodle Dandy. Mayor Nathan Phillips officially opened the theatre.

In the early-1960s, the theatre went back to showing movies. It also hosted wrestling and boxing matches, including a bout between John Lapadula and Salvador Brutzi. The space was used for union meetings too.

By the late-1960s/early-1970s, Greek films were being shown at the theatre under the name “Acropolis,” plus there were Saturday midnight shows. By 1974, the Toronto Yellow Pages showed the name Radio City Theatre & Film Exchange and, in 1977, reverted to the Lansdowne. The theatre closed in the late 1980s, and today, the site is home to retail space.

The Academy Theatre at Bloor St W and St Clarens Ave was just around the corner.

Lansdowne Theatre Photos

1942 - Lansdowne Theatre was once located at 683 Lansdowne Ave, north of Bloor St W on the east side. On the marquee, “The Penalty,” starring Edward Arnold, Lionel Barrymore and Marsha Hunt and “Bachelor Daddy,” starring Baby Sandy, Edward Everett Horton and Donald Woods, were playing
1942 – Lansdowne Theatre was once located at 683 Lansdowne Ave, north of Bloor St W on the east side. On the marquee, “The Penalty,” starring Edward Arnold, Lionel Barrymore and Marsha Hunt and “Bachelor Daddy,” starring Baby Sandy, Edward Everett Horton and Donald Woods, were playing (Archives of Ontario I0012575)
1947 – The auditorium at the Lansdowne Theatre
1947 – The auditorium at the Lansdowne Theatre (Ontario Archives I0012576)
1952 - Looking northeast from Bloor St W towards the Lansdowne Theatre, once located at 683 Lansdowne Ave
1952 – Looking northeast from Bloor St W towards the Lansdowne Theatre, once located at 683 Lansdowne Ave (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 19071)
1952 - On the Lansdowne Theatre marquee, “Pandora and the Flying Dutchman,” starring James Mason, Ava Gardner and Nigel Patrick and “Japanese War Bride,” starring Shirley Yamaguchi, Don Taylor and Cameron Mitchell, were playing
1952 – On the Lansdowne Theatre marquee, “Pandora and the Flying Dutchman,” starring James Mason, Ava Gardner and Nigel Patrick and “Japanese War Bride,” starring Shirley Yamaguchi, Don Taylor and Cameron Mitchell, were playing (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 19072)
1960 - Lansdowne Theatre, once located at 683 Lansdowne Ave, hosting a union meeting
1960 – Lansdowne Theatre, once located at 683 Lansdowne Ave, hosting a union meeting (York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Toronto Telegram fonds, ASC52273)
1969 - A union meeting being held at the Lansdowne Theatre
1969 – A union meeting being held at the Lansdowne Theatre (York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Toronto Telegram fonds, ASC52160)
1969 -Looking south on Lansdowne Ave towards Bloor St W
1969 – Looking south on Lansdowne Ave towards Bloor St W (York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Toronto Telegram fonds, ASC52140)
1969 - A meeting being held in the auditorium of the Lansdowne Theatre once located at 683 Lansdowne Ave
1969 – A meeting being held in the auditorium of the Lansdowne Theatre once located at 683 Lansdowne Ave (York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Toronto Telegram fonds, ASC52133)
1969 - Looking north on Lansdowne Ave, just north of Bloor St W. Notice the "S" on the left, which was part of the Loblaws sign
1969 – Looking north on Lansdowne Ave, just north of Bloor St W. Notice the “S” on the left, which was part of the Loblaws sign (York University Libraries, Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections, Toronto Telegram fonds, ASC52130)
1980 - Lansdowne Theatre was once located at 683 Lansdowne Ave. On the marquee, “Red Rose,” starring Rajesh Khanna, Poonam Dhillon and Aruna Irani, was playing
1980 – Lansdowne Theatre was once located at 683 Lansdowne Ave. On the marquee, “Red Rose,” starring Rajesh Khanna, Poonam Dhillon and Aruna Irani, was playing (Toronto Public Library LOCHIST-BL-080)
2022 - Looking northeast towards the former site of the Lansdowne Theatre, once located at 683-685 Lansdowne Ave, north of Bloor St W. Today, the space is home to retail space
2022 – Looking northeast towards the former site of the Lansdowne Theatre, once located at 683-685 Lansdowne Ave, north of Bloor St W. Today, the space is home to retail space
1914 - The Toronto City Directory showing the address of the Park Theatre
1914 – The Toronto City Directory showing the address of the Park Theatre (Toronto Public Library)
1937 - The Toronto City Directory showing the address and phone number of the Lansdowne Theatre
1937 – The Toronto City Directory showing the address and phone number of the Lansdowne Theatre (Toronto Public Library)
1972 - The Toronto Yellow Pages showing the address and phone number of the Acropolis Theatre
1972 – The Toronto Yellow Pages showing the address and phone number of the Acropolis Theatre
1977 - The Toronto Yellow Pages showing the address and phone number of the Radio City Theatre & Film Exchange
1977 – The Toronto Yellow Pages showing the address and phone number of the Radio City Theatre & Film Exchange
1985 - The Toronto Yellow Pages showing the address and phone number of the Lansdowne Theatre
1985 – The Toronto Yellow Pages showing the address and phone number of the Lansdowne Theatre
Source

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR