Date unknown – Looking southeast towards Odeon Theatre, once located at 1473 Queen St W (City of Toronto Archives, Ken Webster Fonds, Fonds 251, Series 1278, File 117)
Odeon Theatre, later the Regal Theatre was once located at 1473 Queen St W (between Jameson Ave and Dowling Ave, opposite Fuller Ave on the south side) in the Little Tibet/Parkdale neighbourhoods of Toronto.
Built in 1931, architects Kaplan & Sprachman designed the theatre for GB Garabino. The cost to construct the movie house was approximately $100,000. “Modernistic in treatment” the theatre was faced with stone, stucco, black Vetrolite® and trimmed in stainless steel. The Odeon Theatre opened on December 5, 1931, with the movie Palmy Days starring Eddie Canter and Charlotte Greenwood.
While this theatre is named the Odeon, it should not be confused with the J Arthur Rank Odeon chain, nor the previous Odeon Theatre at 1558 Queen St W, which was just down the street, on the north side.
The movie house later joined the 20th Century Theatres chain. In 1968, the lease expired on the building, and the theatre closed. In the mid-1970s, the theatre was briefly reopened and named the Regal. After the theatre closed again, the building was demolished and replaced with the present-day mixed-use structure.
Odeon Theatre Photos
1971- Odeon Theatre was once located at 1473 Queen St W, between Jameson Ave and Dowling Ave on the south side in the Parkdale neighbourhood (Toronto Public Library DC-LOCHIST-SA-031)Date unknown – Looking southeast towards Odeon Theatre, once located at 1473 Queen St W (City of Toronto Archives, Ken Webster Fonds, Fonds 251, Series 1278, File 117)Date unknown – Looking southwest towards Odeon Theatre, once located at 1473 Queen St W in the Parkdale neighbourhood (City of Toronto Archives, Ken Webster Fonds, Fonds 251, Series 1278, File 117)Date unknown – Odeon Theatre at 1473 Queen St W became part of 20th Century Theatres. Notice on the sign the 20th Century Theatres logo (City of Toronto Archives, Ken Webster Fonds, Fonds 251, Series 1278, File 117)Date unknown – The auditorium and screen at the Odeon Theatre at 1473 Queen St W (Archives of Ontario 2304) Date unknown – Seating in the auditorium at the Odeon Theatre at 1473 Queen St W (Archives of Ontario 2303) Date unknown – Looking southwest from Queen St W, opposite Fuller Ave, towards the site of the former Odeon Theatre (City of Toronto Archives, Ken Webster Fonds, Fonds 251, Series 1278, File 117)2022 – Looking southeast from Queen St W, opposite Fuller Ave, towards the site of the former Odeon Theatre. The building that housed the theatre was demolished and replaced with the present-day structure, home to Shoppers Drug Mart. Notice next door, the heritage-designated Toronto Hydro-Electric System Parkdale Sub-Station, built in 19281968 – A letter advising the lease expired on the Odeon Theatre building once located at 1473 Queen St W (City of Toronto Archives, Ken Webster Fonds, Fonds 251, Series 1278, File 117)1933 – The Toronto City Directory showing the address of the Odeon Theatre (Toronto Public Library)1968 – The Toronto Yellow Pages showing the address and phone number of the Odeon Theatre when it was part of 20th Century Theatres (Toronto Public Library) 1977 – The Toronto Yellow Pages showing the address and phone number of the Regal Theatre (Toronto Public Library)
SOURCE
The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: May 22, 1931, pg 33
The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: Jul 17, 1931, pg 25
The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: Dec 5, 1931, pg 8
The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jan 23, 1957, pg 19
