Fox Theatre (Toronto)

File:Fox Theatre inside 2023.jpg

The Fox Theatre was built in 1914, making it the second-oldest cinema that is still in use in Toronto, after the Revue Cinema,{{Cite web |date=2016-06-22 |title=Vintage photos of Toronto's opulent, old-timey movie theatres |url=https://torontolife.com/culture/photos-old-cinemas-doug-taylor-toronto-local-movie-theatres-of-yesteryear/ |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=Toronto Life |language=en-US}} which was built in 1912 and later closed in 2006,{{Cite web |date=2008-04-20 |title=About The Revue Cinema {{!}} Revue Film Society |url=http://revuecinema.ca/_revue |access-date=2022-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420203421/http://revuecinema.ca/_revue |archive-date=2008-04-20 }} before re-opening in 2007;{{Cite web |title=HISTORY OF THE REVUE – REVUE CINEMA |url=https://revuecinema.ca/about/history/ |access-date=2022-07-17 |language=en-CA}} as a result of this, the Fox Theatre is the oldest continuously operating cinema in Toronto.{{Cite web |title=Is Toronto's Fox Theatre haunted? A seance is being held to find out |url=https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/is-the-fox-theatre-haunted-theyre-holding-a-seance-to-find-out |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=torontosun |language=en-CA |quote="Staff at Toronto’s longest continuous-running cinema..."}}{{Cite web |date=2020-04-15 |title=Toronto's independent cinemas get creative in bid to stay relevant amidst city shutdown {{!}} TRNTO.com |url=https://streetsoftoronto.com/toronto-cinemas-get-creative/ |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=Streets Of Toronto |language=en-US |quote="The charming and intimate Fox Theatre in Toronto’s Beach neighbourhood is the oldest continuously running cinema in the city dating back to 1914."}}

Before opening in 1914, the theatre was referred to as "The Theatre Without A Name." A week before opening, a naming contest was held in the community, and the name "The Pastime" was chosen. The Fox was built for roughly $15,000 and was first owned by Arthur Brooks Webster. The first film to screen at the theatre was The Squaw Man (1914).{{Cite web |last=johndougtaylor |date=2013-06-15 |title=Toronto's architectural gems—the Fox Theatre on Queen East |url=https://tayloronhistory.com/2013/06/15/torontos-architectural-gemsthe-fox-theatre-on-queen-east/ |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=Historic Toronto |language=en-US}}

After less than a year, the name of the cinema was changed to the "Prince Edward Theatre" after Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII to honour British dignitary who visited that year during the beginnings of World War I. The name change was also intended to aid in recruitment for the war, and recruitment meetings were often held in the cinema.

Years later, after Edward's abdication from the British throne in 1936, the theatre was renamed the "Fox Theatre". A stained glass panel with the Prince Edward name, over the doorway from the lobby, remains from the Prince Edward period.

In 1978, the cinema was taken over by Tom Litvinskas and Jerry Szczur, who began to develop it as a repertory cinema, screening a mixture of old classic films, foreign films, genre films, and new releases.

In 2007, the Fox Theatre underwent an extensive restoration.{{Cite web |title=Fox Theatre - Beaches in Toronto, CA - Cinema Treasures |url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/880 |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=cinematreasures.org}} Some of the changes include 250 new plush reclining red-finish seats with cupholders, a 1930s-inspired carpet, a new concession stand with an old-fashioned popcorn machine and menu chalkboard, a reupholstered smoking wall, one-of-a-kind classic light up movie posters, and the original Prince Edward and candy bar signs.

In 2007, the cinema was bought by Daniel Demois and Andy Willick.{{Cite web |last=Seale |first=Andrew |date=2019-02-20 |title=A tale of two cinemas: Toronto's Fox Theatre and Kitchener's Apollo Cinema |url=https://digitalmainstreet.ca/case-study/a-tale-of-two-cinemas-torontos-fox-theatre-and-kitcheners-apollo-cinema/ |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=Digital Main Street |language=en-US}}

During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the cinema remained open, but instead of screening films in the theatre, it hosted virtual screenings, sold popcorn and other concessions to the local community, sold naming rights to each of the cinema's 248 seats, and rented out the theatre's marquee for people to display personal messages.{{Cite web |last=Simonpillai |first=Radheyan |date=2020-04-03 |title=The Fox Theatre is selling naming rights to seats to stay in business |url=https://nowtoronto.com/movies/fox-theatre-seat-sale-coronavirus |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=NOW Magazine |language=en-US}}

In 2020, the owners of the Fox Theatre planned to hold a séance due to long-running rumours that the cinema is haunted.{{Cite web |title=Toronto movie theatre is holding a seance to find out if it's haunted |url=https://www.blogto.com/film/2020/10/toronto-movie-theatre-holding-seance-find-out-if-its-haunted/ |access-date=2022-07-17 |website=www.blogto.com |language=en}}

• List of cinemas in Toronto

{{reflist}}

• [http://foxtheatre.ca/ Official site]

{{Theatres in Toronto}}

Category:Cinemas and movie theatres in Toronto

Category:Repertory cinemas in Canada