The Odeon Fairlawn Theatre was once located at 3320 Yonge St (north of Fairlawn Ave on the west side) in the Teddington Park/Bedford Park neighbourhood of Toronto.
Built in 1946/47, architect Jay Isadore English designed the luxurious, postwar Modern-style theatre. It featured a stone and glass facade with a giant neon and bulb-lit sign.
The lobby was visible from the street with floor-to-ceiling windows and featured a social area with chartreuse and wine-coloured furnishings. In the auditorium of the single-screen theatre, the stage draperies continued around a portion of the green walls. The seats on the main floor had red upholstery, while the balcony seats were bright green. Smoking was permitted on the balcony, with a special ventilation unit installed to remove cigarette smoke. The carpeting in the Fairlawn was the standard Odeon blue, with the walking areas done in colourful designs.
On August 15, 1947, the spacious 1,195-seat theatre opened with the movie “Green for Danger” starring Alastair Sim, Sally Gray and Trevor Howard.
The Fairlawn was one of five theatres that were part of the Odeon chain, owned by J Arthur Rank. The other four included the Humber, Carlton, Danforth and the Hyland.
In the mid-1970s, the Odeon Fairlawn was redesigned and divided into two auditoriums. The theatre became part of the Cineplex Odeon chain before closing in December 1985.
The neighbourhood movie house was torn down and is home to a mixed-use building today.
Odeon Fairlawn Theatre Photos
SOURCE
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Aug 14, 1947, pg 9
- The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: Aug 15, 1947, pg 9
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Aug 18, 1949, pg 13
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Feb 17, 1977, pg 15
- Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Dec 20, 1985, pg D26
- Taylor On History: Odeon Fairlawn Theatre
- IMDb
- Photos: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photos: City of Toronto Archives & Archives of Ontario
- Toronto City Directory by Might Directories Ltd 1949 courtesy of Toronto Public Library