The Lancaster and Bowdoin Square were our neighborhood theaters in Boston’s West End. I never heard the Lancaster referred to as anything but the Lanci. The Lanci arrived in 1917, a year after my father got off the boat from Albania. He often mentioned that I wouldn’t believe the SRO crowds on Sundays. My sister has spoken of the neighborhood talent shows that were held there in the late 40’s and early 50’s. As a small boy, I recall seeing “Five Fingers” there, as well as “Red Mountain” and “He ran all the way.” It closed in the early 1950’s and re-opened in ‘53 with a cinema scope screen. The re-opening was a big day for the neighborhood. It was a Sunday and the place was jammed. The movie was “How to Marry a Millionaire,” and unaccompanied children had to sit in the balcony (I know because I was asked by a uniformed usher). My family became regulars again. In 1956, urban renewal forced us out of the area. With “The Best Things in Life are Free,” I bid farewell to the Lanci and the woman in the ticket booth.
The Lancaster and Bowdoin Square were our neighborhood theaters in Boston’s West End. I never heard the Lancaster referred to as anything but the Lanci. The Lanci arrived in 1917, a year after my father got off the boat from Albania. He often mentioned that I wouldn’t believe the SRO crowds on Sundays. My sister has spoken of the neighborhood talent shows that were held there in the late 40’s and early 50’s. As a small boy, I recall seeing “Five Fingers” there, as well as “Red Mountain” and “He ran all the way.” It closed in the early 1950’s and re-opened in ‘53 with a cinema scope screen. The re-opening was a big day for the neighborhood. It was a Sunday and the place was jammed. The movie was “How to Marry a Millionaire,” and unaccompanied children had to sit in the balcony (I know because I was asked by a uniformed usher). My family became regulars again. In 1956, urban renewal forced us out of the area. With “The Best Things in Life are Free,” I bid farewell to the Lanci and the woman in the ticket booth.