From the Border Cities Star – September 18, 1920
- Walkerville’s new $250,00 theatre, on Wyandotte Street which will be opened by the owner Simon Meretsky, on Monday. Only the highest class motion pictures and vaudeville will be shown at this fine “House of Comfort”.
A nice rendering of the Walkerville Theatre. Still standing on Wyandotte Street, between Lincoln & Gladstone. When constructed, it was an oddity by the fact that it straddled the municipal boundary. The western half of the building was in Windsor, while the eastern half was located in Walkerville.
The theatre was designed by renowned theatre architect C. Howard Crane.Some of Crane’s more well known Detroit commissions, include the State (now the Filmore Detroit) and Fox Theaters.
Why did they change the façade? why did they smash the marquee? these are things that belong. I want them back!
It was beautiful back then! What a mess it is now! Too bad : (
All the striations on the original make it really difficult to judge its beauty, one way or the other.
I remember this great theatre as the Tivoli Theatre back in the 50’s and 60’s, affectionately called “the Tiv.” It belonged to the Famous Players chain of movie houses. The confectionery stand was just inside the front doors. Other Famous Players theatres in Windsor were the Centre on Wyandotte St. E. just east of Pillette Rd., the Park on Ottawa St. near Gray’s Dept. store, the Capitol on London St. (now University Ave. W.), and the Palace downtown on Ouellette Ave. at London St. The Tivoli also played host to concerts by the Windsor Symphony Orchestra under the direction of the late Matti Holly, who was conductor of the orchestra at the great dance hall on Bob-lo Island and of the studio orchestra in the early days of radio station CKLW, “your good neighbour station.” Talking about CKLW, I remember the great opening to its newscasts sponsored by Cunningham’s Drug stores in Detroit. They would say: “Cunningham’s news ace (the sound of a Spitfire fighter plane like this- zoooom) zooms into your home with the latest news.” Very dramatic!