Paramount Center
549-59 Washington Street,
Boston,
MA
02111
549-59 Washington Street,
Boston,
MA
02111
18 people
favorited this theater
Showing 251 - 266 of 266 comments
I have a booklet called “Boston Theatre District: A Walking Tour”, published by the Boston Preservation Alliance in 1993. It says:
In is prime, the Paramount was an outstanding example of Art Deco theatre architecture, representing the first use of this style in a boston theatre. Typical was the inclusion of natural forms, such as shells, sunbursts, and flowers, which were stylized to appear more slender and elegant. Geometric motifs were also employed, the most common being the ziggurat. The theatre was designed by architect Arthur Bowditch. It was built in 1932 and exemplified a reordering of priorities taking place in theatres across the country. When sound films were introduced, they were able to attract audiences without the addition of a stage show. Consequently, the Paramount (seating 1500) was considerably smaller than most earlier Boston theatres. Acoustics were carefuly considered, to take advantage of the “talkies”. Unfortunately much of the interior detail was destroyed or damaged with the removal of asbestos some years ago. The Paramount is a Boston Landmark and is located within the Washington Street Theatre National Register Historic District.
The booklet also says this was the last new theatre building to be constructed in this part of Boston.
If you look up at the restored façade, you’ll see a Paramount Pictures logo on the left, and a Publix Theatres logo on the right.
It would be nice to replace the photo here with a newer one.
The Paramount has been unused and shuttered since it closed in 1976. It was the only Boston downtown theatre to be built in an art deco style. It opened on 25th February 1932 with “Shanghai Express” starring Marlene Deitrich. The original Wurlitzer 3/13 theatre organ has been removed.
The marquee and vertical sign were restored in 2002 and now its red, yellow, orange and white tracer lights are illuminated on alternate weekends.
P.S. Miss Cecily, you also do not have any contact information on your Personal Profile page here, when one clicks on your name, as of today. If you click on the Edit Profile link at the very top, you can insert your E-mail address or other contact data by which Warren can contact you. The developers of this site have gone to some lengths to make those Membership List Personal Profile pages resistant to automatic data harvesting by professional spamers, so the risk of listing such E-mails there is small. Many posters here do not list any contact information, and that is counterproductive to the results the seek.
If Warren cannot help find the records of the Columbia Amusement Co. circuit of vaudeville, then it is likely that the Theatre Historical Society of America can direct you to those who can. Contact their Ex. Director via his link on their site: www.HistoricTheatres.org If you know of specific theatres at which they may have performed, such venues may have an archive of some playbills or other memorbiiia, as may the libraries in the towns in which they performed. I know that the 1895 PABST THEATER in Milwaukee does, since I was once Archivist/Historian there.
Warren,
I would love to be able to contact you. You seem to be so knowledgeable about theatres. My great-granparents were in vaudeville/burlesque and I am trying to get more information on them. They were with the Columbia Amusemement Company Circuit. If you can help point me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate you.
I think the Stewardesses in 3D was actually shown at the Music Hall Theatre, owned by Ben Sack. (I saw it there) The Paramount was a General Cinema in it’s final few years, and that chain was known for publicizing it’s “family fare”. The Paramount couldn’t stay in business with the strip clubs and adult theatres all around it, in Boston’s “combat zone”.
I have the sad distinction of having visited the theatre when it was more or less in its “death throes” and showing X-rated films. I can recall seeing that masterpiece of theatrical work “The Stewardesses” in 3-D, yet!!! Must have been circa 1976. It would be wonderful to see the old girl rise above that sad era and again show some first-run films. My parents went there several times back in its heyday…the 1940’s. Let us hope that someone will see the light and rejuvenate the place, along with the Publix (aka Gayety).
Coyote
I remember seeing Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis movies there in the 50’s
Some time in the 1970s, I believe.
When did this theatre stop showing movies?
The marquee has been beautifully relit, and brings a welcome touch of neon to a formerly dreary part of Washington Street. But the entrance is still boarded up, and where the marquee should be announcing current and upcoming shows, it instead just says
RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL & TOWERS
URBAN LAND INSTITUTE AWARD WINNER
The Paramount will not be the new home of the ART; the ART is staying in its large modern facility in Cambridge. However, the ART is one of several groups expected to utilize the Paramount in the future.
I had the opportunity to tour the interior in 2001 and it is quite a mess. Most of the decorative aspects have been plastered over, but the lobbies and proscenium remain intact. The old mezzanine lobby still had moldy old couches in it.
The proscenium is very narrow and the stage is not very deep, so whatever becomes of it, some major changes can be expected to make the Paramount a feasible space again. But at least it is still here!
When the renovations are over, it will be the new home of the American Repertory Theater (ART) – currently in Harvard Square. I believe it will be open for the season opening in 2004 but I could be wrong on that.
Vertical Marquee has been either restored/rebuilt or new one installed. There appears to be new light bulbs. Looks good even in daytime. Front of building looks like it was sandblasted.
The future of this theater is very much up in the air. The current “renovation” is to the facade only.
when finished renovating this theatre what will it be used for and by whom