[Cast_Member]

Recently I was reading Blog T.O., I came across a blog entry regarding the Cumberland Cinemas. To my surprise, Blog T.O. reported Cumberland Cinemas is not closing anytime because Cineplex extended the lease to keep Magic Lantern out of Toronto. Not only that, Alliance sold the theatre to Cineplex last year. Blog T.O. didn't mention the source though. Probably from someone from theatre management or an employee from Cineplex head office.

A short history about the theatre and the building. The building and the theatre was built in 1979, was the head office of Famous Players and Paramount Pictures Canada from 1980 to 2005. Famous Players moved into Cineplex Odeon head office in 2006. In 1997, Famous Players sold the theatre to Alliance. In 2005, Cineplex took over the joint venture of Atlantis Alliance Cinemas from Famous Players.

Here is the link to Blog T.O.regarding the Cumberland Cinemas:

www.blogto.com/film/2011/03/the_cumberland_cinema_is_saved_by_cineplex/

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

A minor correction to the above, the Cumberland and Runnymede cinemas were leased by Famous Players to Festival Cinemas (Vancouver), turned over in early January of 1998 and named Lumiere (Cumberland and Runnymede) Cinemas as the Festival Cinemas name was already used in Toronto. Alliance Atlantis and Famous Players came back into the picture as partners with Festival Cinemas (Vancouver) in 1999 and was then renamed Alliance Atlantis (Cumberland). The Runnymede was closed. Alliance Atlantis also took over the Bayview Cinemas from Famous Players that year, renovated it and re-opened it under their brand and also built the terrific Alliance Atlantis Beach Cinemas on Queen east of Coxwell.
That's terrific news that the Cumberland cinemas has an extended lease on life. It's not the greatest cinema complex in the city but the programming there is sensational.

 

[Dan416]

Personally I've always found Cineplex to be rather mediocre. How they up and bought Famous Players I'll never understand.

That said, I'll stick to AMC. Though I don't understand how AMC bought Cineplex in the States and not here.

 

[Cast_Member]

Personally I've always found Cineplex to be rather mediocre. How they up and bought Famous Players I'll never understand.

Viacom invested 500 million dollars to built Silvercities and replacing old theatres. They were not satisfied about the amount of money those new theatres made since Canada has a small population. Viacom built too much theatres.

That said, I'll stick to AMC. Though I don't understand how AMC bought Cineplex in the States and not here.

Loews merged with Cineplex Odeon Corp back in 1998, in my opinion was a dumb move because Cineplex was having financial problems at that time. Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 in 2001. A year later, Onex & Oaktree Capital Management bought Loews Cineplex. Two years later, the American Loews Cineplex theatres were sold to a private group of investors and later to A.M.C. In 2003, Onex's Galaxy Cinemas merged with the Canadian Loews Cineplex.