Old Calgary stuff you miss...(The Nostalgia thread)

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Jordan!

I still have a dream about Sizzling Wok every 6months. Malaysian style Sate that i just haven't had anything close to in that style.

That place was excellent.

[flamesfever]

I recall dining at the restaurant on the top of the old circular Summit Hotel in the 60s and watching the singing group, "the Ink Spots". I think we were on the 9th or 10th floor and could look over the top of the city, as it was one of the highest buildings at the time.

Also I recall one of the favorite places to go dancing at the time was the "Isle of Capris", also known by some as the "Pile of Debris".

I miss the old smaller town atmosphere of the 60s, when everyone in the oil patch knew who the movers and shakers were, and the small oil stocks could double or move up by a factor of 10 times overnight, with a sudden discovery.

[Shazam]

It wasn't just the secretaries being pumped and dumped back in the day!

[flamesfever]

I also remember one winter sometime in the 70s, when someone rented a community hall in SW Calgary, and charged admission to watch some "bluevy movies". The place was raided by the cops and 100+ guys climbed out the basement window leaving their overcoats. The next morning everyone was watching to see who came to work without their overcoat.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Swift

Looking through this movie theatre website, specifically at the closed locations - http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/...lberta/calgary

Where was Southland Cinema, apparently located at Southland & MacLeod? Looking at the aerial maps of the time, I don't see an obvious cinema-like building, unless it was just a dinky thing?

Also where was the Southcentre cinema located in the mall?

that is a neat site to look at , I'm specifically interested in the section with the dates


lots of talk already in this thread about the Southland/Southport theaters


as someone growing up in the SW this pretty much checks out
Southcenter 1986-1999
Studio 82 1966-1986
Chinook Center (v1) 1965-1990
Southland 1981-2001


so I guess there wasn't much overlap between Studio 82 closing and Southcenter opening


for much of the late 70s to late 80s there would have been two or three of these options- we'd rarely venture downtown for a fancy movie

[CRXguy]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Was there a cinema in Chinatown? I remember going on a "I didn't know it was a date" with a girl and watching a Chinese movie, which I swear was in Chinatown.

It was above Sakana Grilll wasn't it?

[browna]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Southland cinema was at the base of one of the office buildings on the south side of Macleod, I believe.

The theater in Southcentre was where Crate and Barrel and Craft are now.

And the Southcentre cinema was converted from the Safeway that was there until Food For Less opened (where the Safeway is now). It was the most luxurious theater in the south and maybe the city, when it opened.

Esso Plaza moved to $2 movies in its last few years.

Showcase Grand downtown showed first run movies until mid 80s when it shut down too.

[kn]

Man, that video on the first post brought back a lot of memories. I memorized the whole song to Hercules just by virtue of watching it all the time.

I miss Joe's Diner in Market Mall, sitting in the antique cars, playing a tune on the Juke Box, and having those giant hotdogs that they probably lost money on.

[OldDutch]

Sothcentre was the nicest for sure in the early 90s, second I think was Bankers Hall until Westhills opened in 1997, then that was the best one (reclining seats!). Then Chinook in 98 and the Coliseum in 1999.

Esso Plaza and Southland in the 90s were run down, but fun to go downtown as a kid. Southland I think was North side of building.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

Sothcentre was the nicest for sure in the early 90s, second I think was Bankers Hall until Westhills opened in 1997, then that was the best one (reclining seats!). Then Chinook in 98 and the Coliseum in 1999.

Esso Plaza and Southland in the 90s were run down, but fun to go downtown as a kid. Southland I think was North side of building.

I recall Eau Claire being right up at the top of the list for theatres in the mid to late 90s.

[Sliver]

The worst theater was Marketmall. No legroom whatsoever.

[Calgary14]

Originally Posted by browna

And the Southcentre cinema was converted from the Safeway that was there until Food For Less opened (where the Safeway is now). It was the most luxurious theater in the south and maybe the city, when it opened.

Esso Plaza moved to $2 movies in its last few years.

Showcase Grand downtown showed first run movies until mid 80s when it shut down too.

What was the Safeway building next to Southcenter before it was Food for Less?

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

Sothcentre was the nicest for sure in the early 90s, second I think was Bankers Hall until Westhills opened in 1997, then that was the best one (reclining seats!). Then Chinook in 98 and the Coliseum in 1999.

Esso Plaza and Southland in the 90s were run down, but fun to go downtown as a kid. Southland I think was North side of building.

Crowfoot was top of the list for a while. It was first with stadium seating and curved screens. I seem to recall seeing Speed 2 there when it first opened.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Calgary14

What was the Safeway building next to Southcenter before it was Food for Less?

Nothing. It was purpose-built in the mid-80s.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Swift

Spotted in Canyon Meadows today. No idea if it's contemporary or a more recent addition.

Just noticed this, I have a homerun ball from Alex Rodriguez as a Cannon, I wish now I could have had it signed

[Captain Otto]

Originally Posted by Swift

Spotted in Canyon Meadows today. No idea if it's contemporary or a more recent addition.

Is that Babbling Brook?

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Southland played first run movies.

The theatre was awful. The floor sloped up to the screen, so you were guaranteed a blocked view no matter where you were.

We tried to avoid it whenever we could, but Jurassic Park played there.

That's sounds terrible.

I first watched Jurassic Park at the old North Hill theatre, I think it's capacity was about 900-1000 seats, huge screen and a great theatre experience,
it was the first film I saw with DTS Audio (which ended up costing me a fortune in buying home theater stuff later)

[Swift]

Originally Posted by Captain Otto

Is that Babbling Brook?

Not quite, you can see it here between the two white cars -
https://maps.app.goo.gl/CeUifASrExxBn6aRA

[Captain Otto]

Nice!

That park is a classic though. Can't think of another community with a park like that.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

[Nage Waza]

Originally Posted by troutman

Used to be an Earls right beside it.

Wasn’t it Cannery Row first or was that a different restaurant all together?