The Warwick Hotel Toronto was a hotel located at the corner of
Dundas Street East and
Jarvis Street, in
Toronto,
Ontario, Canada.[1] 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 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.[2] 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.[3][4] 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.[3][5]
Author
Hugh Garner made his home at the Warwick Hotel for a period, and referenced the hotel in his pseudonym, Jarvis Warwick, when writing
pulp fiction.[6]
As of 1960, the hotel had changed its focus to
burlesque entertainment, and was notable as having one of Toronto's earlier crossdressing personalities, Allan Maloney, hosting the evening in his alter ego as Brandee.[7][3]
References
^The Chef and Restaurant Database,
Warwick Hotel. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
^Vincenzo Franceschini (1890-1961), who changed his first name to James, was interned at
Camp Petawawa for one year (1940-1941). He had founded
Dufferin Construction in 1912 and two years later became a millionaire, at the age of twenty-four, nine years after arriving in Canada from Italy. Franceschini was later exonerated, with then Minister of Justice and future Prime Minister
Louis St. Laurent acknowledging that Franceschini's internment had been in error. McCreath, James S.
"James Franceschini, The Man and his Passions". June 26, 2015. Retrieved 2017-11-16.