Online Petition To Save the Revue Cinema

The hard working people over ath the North Ronces Blog have linked to a petition to try and save the Revue Cinema. Torontoist also knows that city council is trying to designate (or has designated) many of these theatres as heritage sites which we think means their facades must remain intact. Susan Flanagan has more info on this on her site.

This measure won't save the theatres but will at least make it harder for a huge condo or supermarket to go up in its place.

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[1] | Dave

This is so sad. Our culture and history is being sucked out of this city by greed and "progress". Please sign the petition.

Here's a letter from the theatre manager:

A Message from the Manger of The Revue

Dear Friends, Neighbours, and Cinema Lovers,

It is with deep disappointment that I write you today with news the Revue, Royal, and Kingsway theatres are slated to close this June 30th, 2006. Like many of you, I will miss walking to my favourite cinema, that nostalgic silver screen experience, and the movies themselves. But more than that, the Revue has felt like a community gathering place where friends and neighbours bump into each other, where we celebrate neighbourhood kids’ birthdays, and bring our babies to the mini-matinées. I will miss getting to know the folks of this neighbourhood and certainly miss working with the dedicated, dynamic, and boundlessly energetic team here.

The Revue was built in 1911 and in its 95 years has never ceased operations as an independent cinema. This makes the Revue the oldest movie house in Ontario and one of the oldest in Canada. The Kingsway was built in 1939 and the beautiful art deco building now known as the Royal was rescued from demolition in 1997 when it was set to become a parking lot. With these closures, the fabric of their neighbourhoods will be altered, where history is lost along with these business anchors.

But the real blow is to cinema lovers in this city: with our options continually narrowing, it is a shame these independent reps will no longer be the affordable option for film in one of the largest cities in North America. Though programming is always a bit of a gamble, we are proud to have been able to showcase some independent, foreign, and documentary films that otherwise would have been screened in limited release. The closing of the Royal in particular is a loss of a flagship venue for local filmmakers and the vibrant film festival circuit in Toronto.

As I understand it, the decision to close was a difficult one, arriving a year-and-a-half after the death of Peter McQuillan, these three theatres’ benefactor. His children inherited the business and were unprepared for the task at hand, citing tough market conditions as factors that contributed to their decision to shut down. Ultimately the managers of each cinema and our director of operations feel the businesses, with an updated business model, are viable. As no announcement has been made regarding the fate of the Revue, we remain hopeful that independent rep cinema will thrive again in Toronto. Should you have brilliant suggestions or comments, please email savetorontoreps@gmail.com. We are also looking for your favourite memories of the Revue, and stories can be sent to revuecinema@sympatico.ca. We will of course send out updates by email as more information becomes available.

Please come out and see us over the next five weeks, sign our guest book, and say good bye. The staff here at the Revue, and myself as manager, thank you for your support over the years and will miss being part of this great community. Please circulate this information to anyone you feel might be interested.

With warm regards,

Midori
Manager, Reuve Cinema