Toronto’s Circle Movie Theatre

The Circle Theatre c. 1945, Photo Toronto Archives, Series 881, File 374 

The Circle was located at 2567 Yonge Street, on the east side of the street, north of Sherwood. Its facade was designed in the Art Deco style and its auditorium possessed a centre section with an aisle on either side of it. This is the only information I was able to discover about the theatre.

In the Toronto Archives, Toronto Reference Library and the Ontario Archives, there are many photographs and plenty of information about Toronto’s old movie houses, particularly on the downtown venues and some of the larger neighbourhood movie houses. However, not all the theatres are well documented. This is understandable as it is estimated that at the height of the popularity of the city’s movie theatres, there were over 150 theatres in Toronto. Some of them were quite small and others were luxurious movie palaces. However, for some of the lesser known theatres the material is scarce. The Circle Theatre is one of those in the latter category, but at least I was able to locate photographs of it.

If anyone has any personal knowledge of the Circle Theatre or is aware of any sources of information that I could consult, I would greatly appreciate being informed. I can be contacted at .

The Art Deco facade and marquee of the Circle Theatre, c. 1945. Photo from Toronto Archives, Series 881, File 374

Lobby of the Circle Theatre, c. 1945. Toronto Archives, Series 881, File 374. 

View of the auditorium from the rear section of the theatre. Photo, Toronto Archives, Series 881, File 374.

View of the auditorium from the front, near the stage. City of Toronto Archives.

           The site of the Circle, after the theatre was demolished.

Recent publication entitled “Toronto’s Theatres and the Golden Age of the Silver Screen,” by the author of this blog. The publication explores 50 of Toronto’s old theatres and contains over 80 archival photographs of the facades, marquees and interiors of the theatres. It also relates anecdotes and stories from those who experienced these grand old movie houses.  

                To place an order for this book:

https://www.historypress.net/catalogue/bookstore/books/Toronto-Theatres-and-the-Golden-Age-of-the-Silver-Screen/9781626194502 .

      Theatres Included in the Book

Chapter One – The Early Years—Nickelodeons and the First Theatres in Toronto

Theatorium (Red Mill) Theatre—Toronto’s First Movie Experience and First Permanent Movie Theatre, Auditorium (Avenue, PIckford), Colonial Theatre (the Bay), thePhotodome, Revue Theatre, Picture Palace (Royal George), Big Nickel (National, Rio), Madison Theatre (Midtown, Capri, Eden, Bloor Cinema, Bloor Street Hot Docs), Theatre Without a Name (Pastime, Prince Edward, Fox)

Chapter Two – The Great Movie Palaces – The End of the Nickelodeons

Loew’s Yonge Street (Elgin/Winter Garden), Shea’s Hippodrome, The Allen (Tivoli), Pantages (Imperial, Imperial Six, Ed Mirvish), Loew’s Uptown

Chapter Three – Smaller Theatres in the pre-1920s and 1920s

 Oakwood, Broadway, Carlton on Parliament Street, Victory on Yonge Street (Embassy, Astor, Showcase, Federal, New Yorker, Panasonic), Allan’s Danforth (Century, Titania, Music Hall), Parkdale, Alhambra (Baronet, Eve), St. Clair, Standard (Strand, Victory, Golden Harvest), Palace, Bedford (Park), Hudson (Mount Pleasant), Belsize (Crest, Regent), Runnymede

Chapter Four – Theatres During the 1930s, the Great Depression

Grant ,Hollywood, Oriole (Cinema, International Cinema), Eglinton, Casino, Radio City, Paramount, Scarboro, Paradise (Eve’s Paradise), State (Bloordale), Colony, Bellevue (Lux, Elektra, Lido), Kingsway, Pylon (Royal, Golden Princess), Metro

Chapter Five – Theatres in the 1940s – The Second World War and the Post-War Years

University, Odeon Fairlawn, Vaughan, Odeon Danforth, Glendale, Odeon Hyland, Nortown, Willow, Downtown, Odeon Carlton, Donlands, Biltmore, Odeon Humber, Town Cinema

Chapter Six – The 1950s Theatres

Savoy (Coronet), Westwood

Chapter Seven – Cineplex and Multi-screen Complexes

Cineplex Eaton Centre, Cineplex Odeon Varsity, Scotiabank Cineplex, Dundas Square Cineplex, The Bell Lightbox (TIFF)

To view the Home Page for this blog: https://tayloronhistory.wordpress.com/

To view previous posts about other movie houses of Toronto—old and new

https://tayloronhistory.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/torontos-old-movie-theatrestayloronhistory-com/

To view links to Toronto’s Heritage Buildings

https://tayloronhistory.wordpress.com/2014/01/02/canadas-cultural-scenetorontos-architectural-heritage/