1947 – Looking southwest towards the Parkdale Theatre, once located at 1605 Queen St W (Archives of Ontario I0012603)
Parkdale Theatre was once located at 1605 Queen St W (at Triller Ave on the southwest corner) in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto.
Built between 1919 and 1920, the Parkdale Theatre was designed by Detroit-based architect Charles Howard Crane for brothers Jule and Jay Allen. The luxurious movie palace opened its doors on April 5, 1920 and featured 1,500 leather seats, gilded details, crystal chandeliers, and a decorative plaster ceiling.
When the theatre closed in 1970, the building was used as commercial space for Eaton’s Bargain Centre Clearance Store, Brewer’s Retail, MacLean Hunter Cable TV Parkdale, a bookstore, antique dealers and more.
In 2020, the historic theatre was converted into a multi-use event venue called The Parkdale Hall. The ornate ceiling has been beautifully restored to its original grandeur. That same year, the building received heritage status from the City of Toronto.
Other theatres in the city that were part of the Allen brothers’ chain include:
Allen, later the Tivoli, once at Richmond St E and Victoria St
Allen’s Beach, once at Queen St E and Waverley Rd
Allen’s Beaver, once at Dundas St W, east of Pacific Ave
Allen’s Bloor, today’s Lee’s Palace at Bloor St W, east of Bathurst St
Allen’s Danforth, today’s Danforth Music Hall at Danforth Ave and Broadview Ave
Allen’s St. Clair, once at Dufferin St and St. Clair Ave W
Parkdale Theatre Photos
1937 – Parkdale Theatre was once located at 1605 Queen St W and Triller Ave, on the southwest corner. On the marquee, “Kid Galahad,” starring Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart and “Marry the Girl,” starring Mary Boland, Frank McHugh and Hugh Herbert, were playing and both released in 1937 (City of Toronto Archives, Ken Webster Fonds, Fonds 251, Series 1278, File 130)June 12, 2021 – Parkdale Theatre was once located at 1605 Queen St W and Triller Ave, on the southwest corner. Today, the former theatre building is home to commercial and event spaceBetween 1920 and 1926 – Looking east towards the Parkdale Theatre, once located at 1605 Queen St W and Triller Ave (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1488, Series 1230, Item 2964) 1937 – A usher at the Parkdale Theatre, once at 1605 Queen St W (City of Toronto Archives, Ken Webster Fonds, Fonds 251, Series 1278, File 130)June 12, 2021 – Looking southeast towards the former Parkdale Theatre, once located at Queen St W and Triller Ave. Today, the building is home to The Parkdale Hall and commercial space1937 – The auditorium at the Parkdale Theatre (City of Toronto Archives, Ken Webster Fonds, Fonds 251, Series 1278, File 130)1947 – The concession stand in the lobby at the Parkdale Theatre (Archives of Ontario I0012604)1947 – The auditorium and screen at the Parkdale Theatre (Archives of Ontario I0012605)2021 – The Parkdale Hall event space and original decorative plaster ceiling of the former Parkdale Theatre (courtesy of The Parkdale Hall by photographer Nick Wons)Between 1920 and 1924 – Advertising on a billboard for the “Spring Fashion Show” at Allen’s Parkdale Theatre (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1488, Series 1230, Item 1941)1947 – Looking southwest towards the Parkdale Theatre, once located at 1605 Queen St W. On the marquee, “Humoresque,” starring Joan Crawford, John Garfield and Oscar Levant and “A Chump at Oxford,” starring Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel, were playing and released in 1946 and 1940, respectively (Archives of Ontario I0012603)June 11, 2022 – Looking southwest towards the former Parkdale Theatre, once located at 1605 Queen St W and Triller Ave. Today, the building is home to event and commercial spaceCicra 1947 – On the marquee at the Parkdale Theatre, “Forever Amber,” starring Linda Darnell, was playing and released in 1947 (City of Toronto Archives, Ken Webster Fonds, Fonds 251, Series 1278, File 130)June 11, 2022 – The Parkdale Hall entrance is located at 1605 Queen St W and Triller Ave2021 – The Parkdale Hall event space and original ornate plaster ceiling of the former Parkdale Theatre (courtesy of The Parkdale Hall by photographer Nick Wons)2021 – The ornate ceiling of the former Parkdale Theatre has been beautifully restored to its original grandeur inside The Parkdale Hall (courtesy of The Parkdale Hall by photographer Nick Wons)1921 – The Toronto City Directory showing the address and phone number of the Allen’s Parkdale Theatre (Toronto Public Library)1970 – The Toronto Yellow Pages showing the address and phone number of the Parkdale Theatre (Toronto Public Library)
SOURCE
The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: Apr 1, 1920, pg 29
