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Probably the last word on The Cumberland Cinemas

CumberlandClosed.jpg



http://www.thestar.com/news/article...umberland-movie-theatre#.T6f-z-d5mpE.facebook

http://torontoist.com/2012/05/cumbe...me-nespresso-boutique-says-real-estate-agent/
 
I just heard about the Cumberland closing. Quite sad as it's been around since as far back as I can remember and often enough played great movies that didn't get screened elsewhere in the city.
 
As much of a cinephile as I am, I never had much love for the Cumberland. I've seen my share of films there, but I'm not as sorry to see it go as I would be if the Carlton, Varsity, or any of the other existing rep cinemas closed.
 
I like the Varsity a lot, it's a great cinema complex but the four Cumberland cinemas were light years better than The Carlton. The screens were of a moderate but decent size with good projection, all had Dolby Digital, the seats were old and there wasn't huge legroom like the new gigaplexes but the padding & seat covers were fine - The Carlton is much the same but with tiny screens and mostly mono sound.

We've got a handful of great legit rep. houses, The Bloor (Docs), The Regent, The Royal, The Fox, The Revue, Toronto Underground (despite it's erratic film schedule in the past several months) and The Mount Pleasant but very few of the types of films that played Cumberland ever reach these venues.
 
AMC Canada next to bite the dust? http://www.toronto.com/article/726915

One correction, Leonard Schein's Festival Cinemas (Vancouver) partnered with Famous Players to manage and operate the Cumberland and Runnymede cinemas in early January 1998 and were branded Lumiere Cinemas in Toronto as the Festival Cinemas name was already in use here (Bloor cinema etc.). A partnership was formed with Alliance Atlantis later in 1999 and along with the cinemas being re-branded yet again, they also took on and renovated Famous Player's Bayview Cinemas and opened the new Beach Cinemas on Queen E.
 
" I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die"......... Its always sad to see such great places close for me it was watching Full Metal Jacket there.
 
Yorkville needs a another theatre and maybe would be entrepreneurs out there may found an opportunity here.
 
There was talk about 10-15 years ago with replacing Cumberland, Uptown and Plaza cinemas with a complex near or where Varsity field is, there was a large property for sale around there somewhere. The plan was a Famous Players/Alliance Atlantis partnership with a Famous Players Silver City type giga-plex on one side then on the other side (under the same roof but with a separate entrance) six Alliance Atlantis cinemas to play the specialty product. Of course like several other similar proposals in the area, it never came to be.
 
Anyone remember the Plaza (1 & 2) under the Bay at Yonge/Bloor. I have a vague recollection of it and it having steep stairs down, but cannot remember exactly where the entrance was when you come in down the stairs off Bloor.

Did they just close it up and turn the entrance into a store? I'm curious where it was located and what they put in it's place under there. Anyone remember?

Wish I could find a picture to stir up my memory of it.
 
The Plaza was great -- it was a huge space, with two very large theatres.

As far as I know, the space has just been closed up and is sitting empty...unless it's been made into a supervillain lair (complete with ready access to subway tunnels for hidden coming and going).
 
@Tulse

Thanks for that - do you remember where the entrance was exactly? For some reason I can't recall where you entered, if it was across from the Shoppers Drug Mart, or down by the old Fabricland.
 
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