Central Square Cinemas
415 Massachusetts Avenue,
Cambridge,
MA
02139
415 Massachusetts Avenue,
Cambridge,
MA
02139
3 people
favorited this theater
The Central Square opened in 1968. Located between MIT and Harvard, the programming consisted mostly of recent foreign films and revivals of mostly foreign films. Its competition was the Orson Welles Cinema further up on Massachusetts Avenue.
The most famous bit of programming here was Philippe de Broca’s 1966 “King of Hearts”, which ran for four years or so and spawned a huge cult following that gave the film new life across the United States. The Central Square Cinemas closed April 1, 1980.
Contributed by
Gerald A. DeLuca
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
In the 1970s, this was part of a small art-house chain called “Sonny & Eddy’s Theatres”, which also ran the Allston Cinema, Exeter Street Theatre, Galeria Cinema (which under a later owner became the Janus), and Academy Twin Cinemas in Newton.
As stated in the description, Philippe de Broca’s KING OF HEARTS played here for at least four years as a cult attraction in the 1970s. Late in the run, perhaps to expand interest, it was paired on the same bill with de Broca’s GIVE HER THE MOON. As a prank one evening, some folks re-arranged the words of the titles on the marquee to create a funny message. Does anybody remember that and what the message was? I’ve forgotten and didn’t save the newspaper piece that included a photograph.
The Central Square closed just after midnight on Tuesday night, April 1, 1980, according to a Boston Globe article published two days later. At the time it closed, it was under the same ownership as the Brattle.
Another Globe article says it opened in 1968.
This Boston Phoenix article shows a photo of the Central, whose marquee advertises “King of Hearts” (of course) and “Give Her the Moon”.
For the record, “King of Hearts” opened at the Central Square Cinema on January 10, 1971 and it ran until April 13, 1976.
If nothing good was at the Orson Welles, there was always something good at the Central Square.
It was a cramped theater, but the programming was so interesting, I never cared.
A week before the Central Square closed on April 1, 1980, I saw the last two films I would see there: revivals of To Be or Not to Be (1942) and Sunnyside Up (1929). They ran programs here in both 35mm and 16mm.
The address on this entry should be changed to something more specific. The former theatre building is now occupied by Quest Diagnostics (originally “Bioran”), a medical lab whose address is 415 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge 02139.
Harvard Crimson article on the history of the theatre at the time of its closing in 1980.
A newspaper story about the King of Hearts 5 year stay mentioned that the theater had used up all the available prints of the film. They contacted the director who not only supplied a print but assured them they would be able to get prints when they needed them for the rest of it’s run.