The Regent Theatre, originally Belsize and later the Crest Theatre, is located at 551 Mt Pleasant Rd (north of Belsize Dr on the east side) in the Davisville Village and Leaside neighbourhoods of Toronto.
Built in 1926/27, architect Murray Brown designed the theatre with 725+ seats on the main floor with another 205 in the balcony. It was designed to host both movies and live stage performances.
In 1953, after a renovation, it was renamed The Crest Theatre. It became a live stage theatre solely for a few decades. In 1971, The Crest started to screen movies again.
The building received heritage status from the City of Toronto in 1984.
In the late 1980s and after a significant makeover, the theatre reopened as The Regent. Today the old neighbourhood theatre shows independent and foreign films.
Regent Theatre Photos
1942 – Belsize Theatre, later renamed Crest and now the Regent Theatre, is located at 551 Mt Pleasant Rd, north of Belsize Dr on the east side. On the marquee, “It Happened in Flatbush,” starring Lloyd Nolan and Carole Landis, was playing (Archives of Ontario I0012591)1933 – Looking north on Mt Pleasant Rd from Belsize Dr towards Belsize Theatre. The theatre opened in 1927, was later renamed The Crest and is now Regent Theatre (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 9735) 1942 – The auditorium and balcony at the Belsize Theatre (Archives of Ontario I0012590)1932 – The Toronto City Directory showing the address of the Belsize Theatre (Toronto Public Library) 1951 – Crest Theatre, originally named Belsize and now the Regent Theatre, located at 551 Mt Pleasant Rd. On the marquee, “The Prowler” starring Van Heflin and “Danger Zone” starring Hugh Beaumont were playing (City of Toronto Archives, Series 372, Sub Series 58, Item 2174)1961- The Toronto City Directory showing the address of the Crest Theatre (Toronto Public Library) 2021 – Regent Theatre is located at 551 Mt Pleasant Rd, north of Belsize Dr on the east side. It opened in 1927 and was originally named Belsize and later the Crest Theatre 2021 – Regent Theatre sign, plus notice the crest with the initial “B” and just below it, the word “Belsize”2021 – Regent Theatre sign and marquee located at 551 Mt Pleasant Rd
