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sound. It billed itself as the ‘‘Home Of The Perfect Talkie’’.
The first sound film to play there was ‘‘Street Angel’’ starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell.
In 1953, when Cinémascope was introduced, the Palace was the first Montreal theatre to be equipped. The first Cinémascope picture was the biblical epic ‘‘The Robe’’, starring Victor Mature, Richard Burton and Jean Simmons.
The original theatre, like most downtown theatres, occupied a very narrow frontage as an entrance, in this case, on St. Catherine Street West opposite Goodwin’s, later rebuilt as the T. Eaton Company.
The interior design of the Palace consisted of an orchestra floor seating 1,400 and the balcony and mezzanine loges seating approximately 800. The interior of the theatre was lavishly decorated in late classic style, the outstanding features being the plaster domed ceiling and the front proscenium arch, both heavily decorated with classical moldings, and a frieze running around the upper part of the front wall with a procession of Egyptian figures.
In later years, with the changes in theatre-going habits and maintenance costs running very high, extensive repairs and costly renovations were required. At this point, the building’s future had to be decided.
Studies were made to see whether the building could be turned into a commercial property housing boutiques that would form a pedestrian link between Eaton’s and the newly built ‘*‘Les Terrasses’’ on St. Catherine Street, and Place Ville Marie, which faces the building on Cathcart Street.
After serious discussions and study showed such a move was not feasible, further studies were made to follow the recent pattern of subdividing the building into a multitheatre complex to be known as the ‘*Palace 6’’.
The interior was gutted. The entrance from St. Catherine Street has been rebuilt to include an escalator to the foyer. A new lobby floor now contains a lounge that overlooks Cathcart Street at the far end, the major refreshment counter and the main washroom facilities.
To accommodate the disabled, a passenger elevator was added which permits those in wheelchairs to reach all levels from Cathcart
10 September/October, 1981
The original Palace theatre built in 1921 in Montreal showing the seating arrangement and decorative walls and ceilings.
Lower lobby of Palace 6 showing excalator and stairway leading upward to the main lobby. An elevator for the handicapped is at the far end of the lounge.
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