Shea's Hippodrome, Movie theater and vaudeville house in downtown Toronto, Canada
The Renaissance-style theater contained 3,200 seats across the orchestra section and balcony, featuring twelve opera boxes with brass railings and a full orchestra pit.
Brothers Jerry and Michael Shea established this entertainment venue in 1914, making it the largest movie palace in Canada at the time of its opening.
The theater presented numerous vaudeville acts including Red Skelton, Bob Hope, George Burns, and Jack Benny before transitioning to motion pictures in the 1920s.
Located at 440 Bay Street, the theater operated until December 1957, when it closed to make space for Toronto's new City Hall complex.
The Wurlitzer organ, installed in 1926 to replace an early synthesizer device called Orchestron, accompanied silent films with musicians like Kathleen Stokes and Colin Corbett.
Location: Toronto
Inception: April 27, 1914
Official opening: April 27, 1914
Capacity: 3200
Address: 440 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G
GPS coordinates: 43.65184,-79.38241
Latest update: March 15, 2025 20:51
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