The Pickford Theatre
Address: 382 Queen Street West
Also Known As: The Auditorium Theatre, The Avenue Theatre
History
The Pickford Theatre at 382 Queen Street West was located on the northwest corner of Queen Street and Spadina Avenue. It opened in 1908 as the Auditorium Theatre, occupying the ground floor of the three-storey Moler Barber Building. Its entrance was on Queen Street, and it contained 356 seats with plush backs, but possessed no balcony. However, it contained a stage for live theatre and vaudeville. The floors above the theatre were rented for offices and as residential apartments. It’s corner location was ideal as the two streets it faced contained much foot traffic. As well, two of the busiest streetcar lines in the city passed by its doors (Queen and Spadina).
The theatre was renovated in 1913, extending the auditorium slightly to the north. This allowed the seating capacity to be increased to 456 seats. The entrance was improved and its name was changed to the Avenue Theatre.
Source:
Taylor, Doug. "Toronto's old Pickford (Auditorium) Theatre at Queen and Spadina." Historic Toronto: Information on Toronto's History. 6 Jan. 2014. Accessed 4 Jul. 2017.
tayloronhistory.com/2014/01/06/torontos-old-movie-housesthe-pickford-auditorium-theatre-at-queen-and-spadina/
