Seville Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Seville Theatre was a movie theatre on Sainte-Catherine street West between rues Lambert-Closse and Chomedey in Montreal
, Canada
, in a district now known as Shaughnessy Village
. After closing in 1985 the theatre was shuttered and remained abandoned for 25 years. It was demolished October 2010.
) in a then-bustling part of downtown Montreal
. Its interior was designed by Emmanuel Briffa
.
The Seville was a single-screen, 1148 seat theatre and one of only 15 atmospheric theatre
s ever built in Canada. Its interior had a Spanish theme (hence the name 'Seville') with its ceiling painted to resemble a night sky with sparkling stars. There was an additional mechanism in place that could be turned on to give the appearance of clouds moving across the sky.The theatre was built with shops in the front, including an ice cream parlour on the east side and a drugstore on the west
In the 1940s the theatre became a live theatre, hosting a variety of performers including Nat King Cole
, Tony Bennett
, Peggy Lee
, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra
and Louis Armstrong
.
.
In the 1960s, the Seville reverted to showing movies once again. The Seville was home to The Sound of Music
for a two year run between 1965 and 1967. Then in 1978 the Seville was converted into a repertory theatre. After the theatre's owners claimed their rent was quadrupled in 1985, the theatre ceased operation. The last film to be shown was Stop Making Sense
on October 31, 1985.
was the beginning of the end of the Seville. During filming the production crew cut a hole in the Seville's screen in order to gain faster access to the dressing rooms located under the stage. The screen, which was one of the largest in the city at the time, was no longer viable for movie projection and since the screen would need to be replaced, the Seville was no longer viable as a repertory theatre. In 1994 a large chunk of the east wall collapsed onto the sidewalk, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the building. The hole, which remains to this day, further deteriorated the Seville's interior.
In 1997, local heritage activist Phyllis Lambert
wrote a letter to the Montreal Gazette advocating for the theatre to be preserved and even restored into a live venue. But in 1998, the interior of the building was gutted to make room for a two-story retail and office building. Despite a great deal of fanfare, including the presence of then-mayor Pierre Bourque
at the announcement, plans for this redevelopment fell through.
It was to have been part of an "eco-friendly residential and commercial development," but the project never materialized. In February 2009, it was announced complete demolition of the remains of the Seville will proceed, in order for redevelopment of the site as part of a $100-million real-estate project by Claridge Properties. However, the project did not move forward. In April 2010, following yet another intervention by Lambert, Claridge again promised that the project would proceed.
The Seville and surrounding structures were demolished in the summer/fall of 2010 to make way for a 450-unit condo and commercial project called Le Seville.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in a district now known as Shaughnessy Village
Shaughnessy Village
Shaughnessy Village is a neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, located on the western side of the Ville-Marie borough. It is bounded by Guy Street to the east, Atwater Street to the west, Sherbrooke Street to the north, and René Lévesque Boulevard/Ville-Marie Expressway to the south...
. After closing in 1985 the theatre was shuttered and remained abandoned for 25 years. It was demolished October 2010.
Original design
The theatre, designed by Cajetan L. Dufort, was built in 1929 (just five years after the nearby Montreal ForumMontreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
) in a then-bustling part of downtown Montreal
Downtown Montreal
Downtown Montreal is the central business district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is nearly enitirely located at the southern most slope of Mount Royal and is approximately bounded by Sherbrooke Street to the north, Papineau Avenue to the east, Guy Street or until Shaughnessy Village to the west,...
. Its interior was designed by Emmanuel Briffa
Emmanuel Briffa
Emmanuel Briffa was a Canadian theatre decorator whose career in North America spanned thirty years, starting in 1912.Devoted almost entirely to theatre decoration since immigrating to North America from Malta in 1912, Briffa spent several years working in the United States prior to moving to...
.
The Seville was a single-screen, 1148 seat theatre and one of only 15 atmospheric theatre
Atmospheric theatre
An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie palace which has an auditorium ceiling that is intended to give the illusion of an open sky as its defining feature...
s ever built in Canada. Its interior had a Spanish theme (hence the name 'Seville') with its ceiling painted to resemble a night sky with sparkling stars. There was an additional mechanism in place that could be turned on to give the appearance of clouds moving across the sky.The theatre was built with shops in the front, including an ice cream parlour on the east side and a drugstore on the west
In the 1940s the theatre became a live theatre, hosting a variety of performers including Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
, Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
, Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
.
Redesign
The original design interior of the theatre was replaced in 1950, perhaps due to fire damage. The Seville's interior was redesigned by Oscar Glas using a pastel colour theme, and most of the original decorations were either discarded or sent to the monastery of St-Bernard-de-LacolleSaint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec
Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle is a municipality in Les Jardins-de-Napierville Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, located in the administrative area of Montérégie. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 1,537. Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle was established officially in 1855...
.
In the 1960s, the Seville reverted to showing movies once again. The Seville was home to The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
for a two year run between 1965 and 1967. Then in 1978 the Seville was converted into a repertory theatre. After the theatre's owners claimed their rent was quadrupled in 1985, the theatre ceased operation. The last film to be shown was Stop Making Sense
Stop Making Sense
Stop Making Sense is a concert movie featuring Talking Heads live on stage. Directed by Jonathan Demme, it was shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in December 1983, as the group was touring to promote their new album Speaking in Tongues. The movie is notable for...
on October 31, 1985.
Abandonment
The structure declined rapidly. A series of developers have shown interest in the site. In 1990 the building was declared an historic site by the city, protecting the exterior of the structure, but not the interior. It is rumoured that the 1987 filming of Street Smart, starring Christopher ReeveChristopher Reeve
Christopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author and activist...
was the beginning of the end of the Seville. During filming the production crew cut a hole in the Seville's screen in order to gain faster access to the dressing rooms located under the stage. The screen, which was one of the largest in the city at the time, was no longer viable for movie projection and since the screen would need to be replaced, the Seville was no longer viable as a repertory theatre. In 1994 a large chunk of the east wall collapsed onto the sidewalk, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the building. The hole, which remains to this day, further deteriorated the Seville's interior.
In 1997, local heritage activist Phyllis Lambert
Phyllis Lambert
Phyllis Barbara Lambert CC, GOQ, OAL, FRAIC, FRSC, RCA is a Canadian philanthropist and member of the Bronfman family....
wrote a letter to the Montreal Gazette advocating for the theatre to be preserved and even restored into a live venue. But in 1998, the interior of the building was gutted to make room for a two-story retail and office building. Despite a great deal of fanfare, including the presence of then-mayor Pierre Bourque
Pierre Bourque
Pierre Bourque, CQ is a businessman and politician in Quebec, Canada. He founded the Vision Montreal political party and served as mayor of Montreal from 1994 to 2001.-Background:...
at the announcement, plans for this redevelopment fell through.
Redevelopment
The theatre's facade remains (although in poor shape) and, in order to fulfill requirements of its heritage designation, will need to be incorporated into any future development. The Seville's overall story is one of "demolition by neglect"; the building was not maintained over the years to the point where its most significant features no longer exist and preservation of the Seville's interior is no longer a possibility.It was to have been part of an "eco-friendly residential and commercial development," but the project never materialized. In February 2009, it was announced complete demolition of the remains of the Seville will proceed, in order for redevelopment of the site as part of a $100-million real-estate project by Claridge Properties. However, the project did not move forward. In April 2010, following yet another intervention by Lambert, Claridge again promised that the project would proceed.
The Seville and surrounding structures were demolished in the summer/fall of 2010 to make way for a 450-unit condo and commercial project called Le Seville.