The Warwick Hotel Toronto was a hotel located at the corner of

Dundas Street Dundas Street is a major historic arterial road in Ontario, Canada. The road connects the city of Toronto with its western suburbs and several cities in southwestern Ontario. Three provincial highways— 2, 5, and 99—followed long sectio ...

East and Jarvis Street, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was notable as being the site of significant dance band performances until approximately 1960, after which it became notable as a location for

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

entertainment.

History

The hotel was initially a higher end hotel in downtown Toronto, featuring many of the dance bands of the 1940s and 1950s. The building was constructed in 1910 and originally known as the Royal Cecil Apartments. It was later known as the Royal Cecil Hotel and was owned by millionaire contractor James Franceschini. During World War II, Franceschini was interned, based on his alleged association with Mussolini.Uncredited
In the midst of thieves and murderers, pimps and prostitutes, was the greatest aggregation of do-gooders in the city
April 25, 1970. Unsolved Murders, Missing People Canada, in relation to Faye Mclean - Toronto, ON - Murdered - 1968. "Background of the Walsingham Hotel and the surrounding area from that era", January 18, 2012. Retrieved 2017-11-16. As of the 1950s, the hotel was owned and renamed by Harry Sniderman who, with his associates, at one time owned three of the four corners at Dundas and Jarvis. Sniderman was a former semi-professional athlete, once regarded as the best fastball pitcher in Canada. Author

Hugh Garner Hugh Garner (February 22, 1913 – June 30, 1979) was a British-born Canadian novelist. Biography Early life Hugh Garner was born on February 22, 1913, in Batley, Yorkshire, England. He came to Canada in 1919 with his parents, and was raised in ...

made his home at the Warwick Hotel for a period, and referenced the hotel in his pseudonym, Jarvis Warwick, when writing pulp fiction. As of 1960, the hotel had changed its focus to

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

entertainment, and was notable as having one of Toronto's earlier crossdressing personalities, Allan Maloney, hosting the evening in his alter ego as Brandee.

References

Hotels in Toronto Hotels established in 1948 Hotel buildings completed in 1948 Defunct hotels in Canada Buildings and structures demolished in 1980 Demolished buildings and structures in Toronto Demolished hotels {{Toronto-stub