The old Empress Theatre, located on Sherbrooke Street W, corner Marcil, in NDG. Photo taken April 27th, 2008.
Built in 1927 the Egyptian-style building began its life as a vaudeville theatre, and then, in 1962 was re-incarnated as a burlesque dinner theatre called the Royal Follies. In 1968, it became known as Cinema V, and in the ’70s switched to a repertory movie house and home of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. A fire in 1992 damaged the theatre and it has been closed ever since.
The Empress Cultural Centre aims to give the building new life as a cultural centre and performance space, something that most NDG residents (myself included) feel is lacking from the ‘hood. The final plans include a café/art gallery, and in partnership with the McGill University Conservatory of Music, a 246-person concert hall. The project will cost $6-8 million, which you can apparently help offset by purchasing their “special Empress chocolate truffles” at the head office (the door to the left/East of the building) and at other NDG businesses.
29 comments
What a great plan. Far better than just leaving the building to time and decay, and eventually tearing it down.
That’s great news! I always admire that façade whenever I’m in NDG, and I worried that it would end up housing yet another Pharmaprix or something. Other theatres have not fared so well with the cold indifference of real estate “values”.
For those of you who have always wanted a glimpse inside the burnt out cinema, take a look at this incredible pic by Controleman:
http://controleman.com/index.php?showimage=130
Very happy to hear this venue is up a running again. It’s a terrific outlet for more of our great, homegrown talent. Bravo!
I have fond memories of playing hooky and sitting in the mysterious darkness of the Empress with my co-conspirator, David Duncan, as we each silently pledged our troth to Carole Lynley in “Blue Denim”.
A better treat was the Monkland theater. Its loges and star-painted ceiling transported us to a Venetian night. I wondered if it had been modeled on the Globe theater. “And now, from the stage of the Monkland theater, Radio station CJAD presents Moira Sheehy’s LITTLE PLAYERS OF THE AIR….”
It’s not on the corner of Marcil and Sherbrooke, it’s on the corner of Old Orchard and Sherbrooke
CW – you’re right. Its between Old Orchard and Marcil, but on the corner of Old Orchard.
empress??? here I am in vancouver remembering seeing texas chainsaw massacr and the exorcist!! ( we snuck in too young) at CINEMA V (5) anyone else??
The glass doors on the left of the picture are the old Empress Tea Room which was at first a place for theater goers to have their pre-movie beverages and later became a hangout for Motorcycle gangs. The Empress is on the south side of Sherbrooke opposite N.D.G. Park where many of us played our first games of softball and hockey. Between the theater and the corner of Marcil was a funeral home.
John Lynch: I was a member of the Little Players of the Air at that time. Do you have any photos or info about the Monkland theater, etc.?
How long did the Rocky Horror Picture Show play at the Theatre. I know when i lived in Montreal it was the only show playing in the theatre at the time. Just wondering.
This is a music video about the Empress Theatre, its history and its different uses through time. It was shot inside the now abandoned building.
Music is by Scott MacLeod.
http://www.bisfilms.com/blog/?p=846
My 4 sisters sang in the Little Players of the Air show. I wonder if there are any recordings of the songs the kids sang
Richard Hutchinson
My brother Kevin, sister Pat and I were with The Little Players of the Air for several years. Each Saturday morning it would be broadcast over radio station CJAD from 1191 Mountain Street. The program was aired live a few times a year from the stages of the Monkland and Rialto Theatres where we would follow the program with the performance of a variety show. Movies would then follow – all for the bargain price of 34 cents. My siblings and I made direct-to-disc recordings (that I still have) at Miss Sheehy’s rehearsal studio above a hardware store on Queen Mary Road. J. Arthur DuPont (CJAD) promised Miss Sheehy a radio show if he ever got his radio broadcasting license – which he obviously did.
By the way, the space above the Empress Tearoom was home to an acting school where Michael Sarrazin studied. I got to know him a bit and later on we occasionally played at the same gigs in different bands. He was a pretty good drummer.
Just happened upon the clipping regarding the Empress and Moira Sheehy. And oh my, fond memories were awakened. I too was a “Little Player” in CJAD and later CFCF. I was then Margaret Hamilton.
My cousin Janet Stern used to be a “Little Player” too! (Actually she was my ‘quasi-cousin’ – her mom and my mom were best friends, so I always called her mom ‘Auntie’ – and naturally Janet was my cousin!) We listened to Little Players of the Air on radio religiously. And I was lucky to get to see the show on stage at the Monkland once or twice. I used to love getting Janet’s fancy hand-me-downs! She was a few years older than me; I saw her as sooo glamourous!! Do any of you “Little Players” remember Janet?
I was in The Little Players of the Air for about 7 years.
I just heard a song I sang in one the Christmas Shows (“I just Can’t Wait Till Christmas”)
and my husband couldn’t believe that I remembered the words.
Does anyone remember how we would close or open the shows……..”Happy Days are here Again”
Those are such fond memories for me …..I was Donna Patton at the time.
My husband, George Elliott, was a member of the Little Players of the Air from about 1934 to 1939. he has a photograph of the group with Miss Sheehy, and a man dressed as Charlie Chaplin.
Oh my goodness, I read these posts about the Little Players of the Air. Brought back so many wonderful memories. I was with the Little Players for about 7 to 8 yrs. I sang solos every weekend. I started wh en I was 5 yrs old. I sang on CJAD and CFCF. We performed at the Rialto theater the monkland and we also did shows at the Queen Mary Veterans Hospital. What memories. My name was Olga Hryhoruk my brother was Peter . my name now is Olga Pridham, I live in Lambertville, Michigan.. Yes I also still remember all the words for Happy Days.
Olga Pridham Facebook
I was also a member of the Little Players of the Air and was the little French girl. As a consequence, I was often asked by Moira Sheehy to sing a French song. People I remember were Trixie, Maryann, Vaugn Dowie, and Sonia Babinsky to name a few. I have tried to find information about the Little Players in the past, to no avail, so I am delighted to finally find some connection and history to Moira Sheehy who was quite the inspiration for me. The Monkland Theatre and the Rialto are the ones that stand out in my memory and I was with them when we sang on CJAD but mostly in the years at CFCF.
If any one you remember these years, I would love to hear from you.
My name then was Lili-Ann Renaud.
Hi there,
This message is for Ellie Presner. We just saw your note about Janet Stern and Little Players. I am her daughter, Darcie, and I would love to speak with you. My email address is: drsherman@rogers.com.
Donna,
I think that I remember you from the late 1960s. I still remember all of the words from “Buttons and Bows”, “If I Ruled the World”, and many other songs from Little Player shows at the Monkland Theater, Queen May Vets, etc. Mrs. Sheehy really helped to bring me out of my shell when I was eleven and twelve years old. She was a great lady.
To Ellie Presner: Your cousin Janet and I performed several duets together with Little Players. I still have an 8×10 glossy picture of the two of us onstage singing something or other back around 1952 +/- . She with her captivating smile and I in my short pants. Would love to hear from her. I’m still very active on stage. Ham apparently lasts forever.
BTW, Christopher Plummer and William Shatner were members of our troupe a couple of years before us. Terry Browne
I was in Little Players of the Air when I was 5 I think For a few years. MoiraShea. We used to be on the radio CFCF on Cote des Neiges on Sundays I think it was. Also the Monkland Theatre. I was Master of Ceremonies at the St. Patrick’s day show. Must have been around 1956 or 57.
I was a member of Little Players of the Air. We did shows at the monkland theatre and I also remember CFCF studio on Cote des Neiges. I was probably around 5. I remember Moira Shea (hope spelling right) and I believe the studio was on Queen Mary
I have an 8×10 glossy of Janet Stern and me singing one of the duets we had together. She and I were partners in crime on quite a few occasions. She was an absolute sweetie. Love to hear how she is.
I joined Moira Sheehy’s Little Players of the Air shortly after moving to Montreal in 1957. The studio on Queen Mary wasn’t far from where I lived (then and now) and, although pretty much everything has changed on the street (except Jack & Jill), I still think of the studio when I pass by.
I remember reading A.A.Milne’s The King’s Breakfast on CJAD and I remember performing at the Rialto – but not a lot more. Except the last lines of the theme song: “We’re the Little Players of the Air, bringing happy times to you “ .
I was also a member of “Little Players” in the 1960s. I do believe that Vaughan Dowie’s(?) parents took lots of pictures. Very fond memories!
Gerald Lemieux
To Donna P here goes: “Happy days are here again, the skies above are clear again, let us sing a song of cheer again, Happy days are here again.” I also was a member of The Little Players of the Air. Played in many a Saturday morning radio show on CJAD and a few shows at the Monkland, Rialto and Empress on Sherbrooke st. I remember well Miss. Sheehy’s studio on Monkland. What a great time we all had as teenagers. I am now 83 years old and not too many years (months) to go. Would be happy to hear back from any of you (Pat Browne, Eileen Kennedy) and others. Please E-mail me.