Donlands Theatre

Building in Donlands Avenue, Toronto

Donlands Theatre

Donlands Theatre, 1948

General information
Address| 397 Donlands Avenue
Toronto[1]
Opened| 1948
Closed| 1984
Design and construction
Architect(s)| Herbert G. Duerr
Other information
Seating capacity| 838[2]

The Donlands Theatre, is a multipurpose complex and former movie theatre, located on the eponymous Donlands Avenue in the East York neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[1]

## Theatre

[edit]

The Donlands Theatre, in its modern incarnation as a film and recording studio.

After a protracted construction that lasted more than one and a half year due to a workers' strike,[1] the Donlands Theatre opened on 20 November 1948 with a screening of the historical drama Tap Roots.[3] It operated as part of the regional Bloom and Fine chain, a Famous Players affiliate, until 1969.[4] It was favorite childhood spot of actor John Candy, who grew up in the neighborhood.[5] Some sources also mention that he worked there as an usher.[6] Writer Pierre Berton and his wife, who lived next door with their first daughter, were also regular patrons.[7] It then operated directly under the Famous Players umbrella, before being sold in 1975 amidst a reorganization of the company's assets.[8] Shortly prior to the sale, it was described as a repertory cinema, offering multiple bills in quick rotation.[9]

Following a short tenure under the management of one William Collins,[10] the building then reemerged as a specialty theatre and occasional live venue catering to the area's growing Indian, and particularly Hindi-speaking immigrant community.[11][12] It was owned by local event promoter Darshan Sahota, who also managed the Landsdowne and Paradise Theatres.[13][14] Ashok "Charlie" Mehra, the owner of several hospitality businesses[15][16] and the principal of Scarborough-based company Friends Film (Canada),[17] was also associated with the venue.[18] Several prominent South Asian entertainers have made personal appearances there, including classic actor Dilip Kumar.[18]

While the theatre employed IATSE projectionists under Famous Players,[19] it apparently ran afoul of the organization during Sahota's ownership tenure, as the Toronto Motion Pictures Projectionists Union, an IATSE member, filed grievances against him with the Ontario Labour Relations Board.[14] In early 1984, the theatre saw its license suspended due to safety violations, including overcrowding.[20]

### Design

[edit]

The Donlands Theatre was designed in 1946 by Toronto-based theatre specialist Herbert G. Duerr.[4][21] Kaplan & Sprachman, another study specializing in theatres, contributed to later renovations.[1][22] The Donlands is an example of modern theatrical architecture,[1] although it also incorporated art deco touches.[23] It offered lodges but did not possess a balcony.[1] The theatre's entrance has earned notice for its Asian-influenced decor, which features a domed ceiling painted with a dragon and the Chinese symbol for prosperity embedded in the floor.[23][24][25] While those decorative elements predated the transformation of the place into a kung fu movie studio (see § Film studios), the Donlands was never a Chinese cinema.[6]

## Multipurpose complex

[edit]

### Sound studios

[edit]

After a period of closure while awaiting a sale in 1985,[26] the theatre was repurposed as a suite of business spaces, primarily intended for use as recording studios and post-production facilities. That incarnation of the building was promoted under the commercial names Mediaplex[27] and Media Centre.[28][29]

Among early adopters was Studio 92, a new studio founded by engineer Norman Barker which was housed on the third floor.[6] It settled there in 1986 or 1987 depending on sources,[30][31] and would be the building's emblematic tenant until 2011.[32] Barker went on to receive two Juno Awards for his work at the studio.[33] It was used by former Chilliwack member Glenn Miller for several of his productions.[6] The building also welcomed a group of companies associated with Toronto's christian rock scene, which were previously housed within the walls of the Yonge Street Mission,[34][35][36] such as former Deliverance member Doug Virgin's Yonge Street Records.[37] As of 2024, part of the building still operates as a recording studio.[38]

Although it was primed for a renovation, the main theatre lay mostly unoccupied through the rest of the 1980s.[39] It was there however, rather than in the theatre's dedicated studios, that the band Blue Rodeo recorded their classic album Diamond Mine in December 1988 with the help of a mobile sound unit.[40][41]

### Film studios

[edit]

The disused theatre was used as an underground kung fu club during the 1990 shoot of the film Tiger Claws. Not long after, its producer and star, Jalal Merhi, moved in full time and fitted out the headquarters of his company Film One inside the building.[6] Over the following years, it came to boast a soundstage, production offices, two film editing suites, a video offline suite and a 25-seat 35mm screening room.[42] The music studios already housed inside the theatre remained active as independent entities.[6] The facility has seen several occupants following Film One's departure, and is still active as a film studio.[23][43]

### Martial arts

[edit]

An actual kung fu school has also been operated inside the Donlands Theatre, with an opening date listed as 2007.[44][45]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f Taylor, Doug (22 July 2014). Toronto Theatres and the Golden Age of the Silver Screen. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 54, 116, 131–132\. ISBN 9781625849823.
2. ^ Sedore, Clair. "Toronto Theatres". World Theatres. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
3. ^ Karr, Jack (20 November 1948). "Movie-Go-Round". Toronto Daily Star. p. 15\. "Another movie house opening slated for tonight—the handsome new Donlands. Its first attraction is "Tap Roots" [...]  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) "
4. ^ a b Michailidis, John (15 October 2015). "East York Reflections: Memories of shopping at Ron's Smoke Shop, watching movies at Donlands Theatre and other Donlands commercial area businesses of the 1960s and '70s". Toronto.com. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
5. ^ Gamester, George (21 November 1985). "The day John Candy was truly fit to be tied". The Toronto Star. p. A2  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
6. ^ a b c d e f Arnott, Duane (August 15, 1991). "'Tiger Claws' producer settles in East York". North Toronto Herald.
7. ^ Berton, Pierre (1995). "6. Going Home". My Times: Living with History 1947–1995. Toronto: Pierre Berton Enterprises; Doubleday Canada. p. 33\. ISBN 0385255284.
8. ^ Adilman, Sid (19 March 1975). "Glendale theatre will close within two weeks". The Toronto Star. p. E19  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
9. ^ "Raised movie prices may be a blessing in disguise". The Varsity. Toronto. 10 January 1975. p. 5.
10. ^ Metropolitan Toronto Directory. Toronto: R.L. Polk & Co. 1975. p. 262.
11. ^ Serge, Joe (5 August 1979). "These cops smooth ethnic relations". Sunday Star. Toronto. p. A18  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
12. ^ "Films classified for 1982". Theatres Branch Annual Report 1982–1983. Toronto: Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations – Ontario. 1983. pp. 22–51.
13. ^ Metropolitan Toronto Directory. Toronto: R.L. Polk & Co. 1977. p. 340.
14. ^ a b "Complaints under Section 79 (Unfair Labour Practices)". Decisions (Report). Ontario Labour Relations Board. September 1980. p. 264.
15. ^ "'Good time' no crime". Toronto Star. 13 April 1978. p. A18  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
16. ^ "9 booked in morals case after police raid on hotel". Sunday Star. Toronto. 16 August 1981. p. A3  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
17. ^ Sangal, Ambrish (director) (1983). Gerhi Chot a.k a. Durdesh, Door-Desh (feature film) (in Hindi and English). Scarborough: Friends Film International. "Ashok Mehra presents Friends Film (Canada) International Inc.'s Gehri Chot URF: Door-Desh"
18. ^ a b "Cancelled by the police show goes ahead today". Toronto Star. 7 June 1983. p. A6  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
19. ^ "Pioneers' Golf Event Attracts Big Turnout". Boxoffice. Vol. 99, no. 24\. Kansas City: Associated Publications. 27 September 1971. p. K-4.
20. ^ "Theatre ordered to close due to safety violations". The Star. Toronto. March 2, 1984. p. A16  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
21. ^ "Toronto's old movie theatre—the Donlands | Historic Toronto". 2016-04-28. Archived from the original on 2016-04-28. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
22. ^ "Kaplan, Harold Solomon | Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada". dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
23. ^ a b c "The old Donlands Theatre: a piece of Toronto history". piestudios.ca. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
24. ^ East York History Bike Ride (PDF) (Tourist guide), Toronto: Ward 29 Bikes; The East York Historical Society
25. ^ "East York Into the Future". Explore East York East End: Art, History and Nature Self-Guided Tours (PDF). Cultural Loops Guide. Arts & Culture Services – City of Toronto. 2017. p. 24.
26. ^ Slinger, Joey (5 March 1985). "Another quiet day in Midvale". The Toronto Star. p. A13  – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
27. ^ Thompson, Patricia (Canada), ed. (1991). "The Industry in Canada". 1991 International Motion Picture Almanac. Quigley Publishing: New York. p. 681\. ISBN 9780900610448.
28. ^ n/a. Diamond Mine (LP sleeve notes). Blue Rodeo. Risqué Disque/WEA. 256 268-1/WX 271.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
29. ^ "Donlands Ave". Toronto/Central East York Polk Criss-Cross Directory. Toronto: R.L. Polk & Co. 2000. p. 124.
30. ^ "Studio 92 Canada". discogs.com. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
31. ^ "Welcome". studio92canada.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2010.
32. ^ "In Pursuit of Audio Excellence....Rebirth of Studio 92". studio92canada.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2011.
33. ^ "Portfolio". studio92canada.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2010.
34. ^ "Yonge Street–Gould Starts". 1985/86 Metropolitan Toronto City Directory. Toronto: Might Directories. 1985. p. 922.
35. ^ Bidd, Donald, ed. (1990). "Directory of producers and distributors". Film/Video Canadiana 1987–1988. Montreal: National Film Board of Canada; National Archives of Canada; National Library of Canada; La Cinémathèque québécoise. p. 682\. ISSN 0836-1002.
36. ^ Allen, Richard; Charron, Andrew, eds. (1990). Music Directory Canada. Toronto: CM Brooks. pp. 458, 491. ISBN 9780969127253.
37. ^ "Yonge St. makes its debut". RPM Weekly. Vol. 42, no. 6\. Toronto. 20 April 1985. p. 13.
38. ^ "About". marqueesound.ca. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
39. ^ Silverman, David (15 June 1989). "Rodeo Rockers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
40. ^ Schneider, Jason (21 November 2009). "Blue Rodeo: Better Off As We Are". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
41. ^ Aikenhead, Paul D. (September 2018). Real Rock: Authenticity and Popular Music in Canada 1984–1994 (Doctorate of Philosophy). Toronto: York University. p. 166.
42. ^ Hoffman, Andy (December 14, 1998). "Apple and Spice shooting New Blood". Playback. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
43. ^ "ShuttleSpace.com – Studio Rental". shuttlespace.com. Archived from the original on 24 March 2006.
44. ^ "Forbidden Dragon Kung Fu". allbiz.ca.
45. ^ "Kung Fu & Kickboxing Classes in East York, Toronto". kungfuschool.ca. Retrieved 10 January 2024.

43°41′38″N 79°20′33″W﻿ / ﻿43.693842°N 79.342526°W﻿ / 43.693842; -79.342526