An Art Deco cinema on Bloor Street that evolved from neighbourhood theatre to countercultural venue, closing in 2013 after 74 years.
At a glance
The Metro Theatre was a mid-century Toronto cinema designed by architects Kaplan and Sprachman in the Art Deco style. Operating daily from its 1939 opening through 2013, the theatre served multiple cultural roles across its lifetime, reflecting the shifting tastes and uses of Toronto’s urban landscape.
History
Built in 1938 and opened to the public in 1939, the Metro began as a neighbourhood theatre screening second-run films and B movies. In 1976, it transitioned to adult programming. By the 1990s, the cinema had become a multifunctional cultural space, hosting kung-fu film screenings and counter-culture performances. The theatre gained renewed cultural visibility through appearances in the 2008 film The Lollipop Generation by G. B. Jones and in the music video for “So Strung Out” by C-Block. At the end of 2013, the theatre closed after being purchased by a numbered company directed by Saroj Jain.
What you see
The interior maintained 1940s styling, with two screening rooms accommodating 286 and 320 seats respectively. A snack bar served patrons. The entrance displayed signed photographs of notable performers, marking the theatre’s later programming.
Cultural significance
The Metro Theatre exemplifies one of Toronto’s several Art Deco cinemas built during the 1930s. As a venue that shifted from mainstream family entertainment to adult programming to countercultural performances, it documented changing attitudes toward cinema and public entertainment in late-20th-century Toronto.
Key facts
- Location: 677 Bloor Street, Toronto
- Built: 1938; opened 1939
- Architects: Kaplan and Sprachman
- Closed: December 2013
- Coordinates: 43.66385, −79.41653
- Country: Canada
Practical information & getting there
The Metro Theatre no longer operates as a cinema. The building was subdivided after 2013, with a rock climbing gym occupying the former theatre space and a retail storefront along Bloor Street.
Sources & resources
- Metro Theatre (Toronto) — Wikipedia
- Cultural Heritage Online
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