The former Regent Theatre, originally Belsize and later the Crest Theatre, is located at 551 Mt Pleasant Rd in the Davisville Village neighbourhood of Toronto.
The archive photo shows when “Like Water for Chocolate,” starring Marco Leonardi, Lumi Cavazos and Regina Torné, was playing. The theatre, designed by architect Murray Brown and built between 1926 and 1927, was created to host both films and live stage performances.
It originally had over 725 seats on the main floor and 205 in the balcony. The building was granted heritage status by the city in 1984. The theatre closed its doors in 2021, and there are plans to transform the building into a neighbourhood art centre.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
