Burr Theatre

That explains it! Since having to take the detour from Indian Orchard back to 21 I happened to see this obvious cookie cutter design of neighborhood movie houses that sprung up in the late 1920's. I believe I discovered it while at a stop sign and happened to look to the left. My curosity has been satisfied. Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't I see a stage house above the auditorium? Unusual for the movie houses of that time. Live stage shows?

There is a MGM Theatre Photograph and Report card for the Burr Theatre in Ludlow. There is a photo of the facade taken in April 1941. My copy is of very poor quality. There is a rather nice brick facade which features a small, brightly-lit triangular marquee. Attractions are "Let's Make Music" and "Slightly Tempted". To the left of the entrance is Florence's Sweet Shop. The Report states that the address is "24 Hubbard St." It says that the Burr has been a MGM customer for 10 years; that it was built about 1930; that it;s in Good condition; and has 700 seats, apparently all on one floor. There is a competing theatre in Indian Orchard and the 1940 population of Ludlow was 8,181.

In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the Burr in Ludlow is listed under the Rapalus Theatres, which was run by Joseph Rapalus of the Majestic Theatre in Easthampton, MA. At the time, there were 5 theatres in the Rapalus circuit.

Jumping ahead twenty years, the 1963 almanac list four Rapalus theaters. Joe Rapalus was still the GM and film buyer. The theaters were the Burr, the Capitol in Monson, the Bijou in Holyoke and the Majestic in Easthampton. I guess Rapalus lost one theater over the two decades, which isn't a bad attrition rate.