On this day in 1953, Edmonton's largest movie theatre was advertising its new CinemaScope movies.
When the 1,750-seat Paramount Theatre opened downtown on Jasper Avenue in 1952, it was the largest in Western Canada. It was also one of the most luxurious, featuring an understated mid-century modern style, with Tyndall stone on the exterior, and travertine and black marble accents at the entrance. The theatre boasted a sophisticated sound system, the largest indoor screen in Western Canada, and plush seating.
The Paramount was an anchor for its corporate owner, the Famous Players theatre chain, to expand across the Prairies. But it took longer to build than anticipated. Construction originally started in 1950, but was delayed for more than a year mostly due to steel shortages.
When it was finished, the Paramount was a bright light in the growing entertainment district on Jasper Avenue. With its beaming, 17-foot vertical marquee, the theatre could be seen from blocks away to both the east and the west.
For decades, the Paramount hosted not only first-run movies, but also gatherings, lectures, and other events. It was also used to record Premier Ernest Manning's Back to the Bible Hour radio show.
The 1980s saw the rise of large multiplexes, which led to the decline of many downtown theatres. In 1985, the Paramount underwent a massive renovation. It couldn't compete with the big multiplexes in size, so it instead doubled down on comfort. Seating was reduced to 800 and the seats themselves were made even more comfy.
This allowed the Paramount to survive a bit longer, but its days were ultimately numbered. After many unprofitable years, Famous Players shut it down in 2003. Over the past 20 years, the building has been mostly empty, save for sporadic attempts to find it a new purpose. The building housed the City Centre Church for eight years, and was also used as a haunted house by Deadmonton.
In 2014, the Paramount narrowly avoided destruction. Its then-owner, ProCura, had plans to build a 40-storey tower on the lot. That plan stalled due to public backlash, partially because it would also involve closing other businesses near the theatre, including Remedy Café.
A decade later, the future of the Paramount remains uncertain. It's listed on the city's inventory of historical buildings, but is not protected from demolition. Meanwhile, almost all of the businesses along the block have now closed, including Remedy. It remains one of the last surviving examples of the movie theatres that used to be spread across downtown, which now only has one first-run theatre still in business.
This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist Rev Recluse of Vintage Edmonton.