Victory Theatre

The enormous Victory Theatre opened in 1920 and was one of eight theaters that thrived during the days of vaudeville and silent motion pictures. The Victory Theatre, like many other combination houses, switched to an all-movies format in 1931. It suffered damage by a fire in 1942, but re-opened after renovations and it remained a vibrant movie house until it closed in 1979.

In 1983, Helen Casey, organized the Save The Victory Theatre Inc., a non-profit organization, which was created to help reopen the theater. Despite some great successes at fundraising along the way, little has been done to help rescue the old movie house reopen.

Like Holyoke itself, the Victory Theatre is still struggling to stay alive. The old theater’s blade sign was removed in 1986 and the marquee was torn down in 1991. Although it has allowed passersby to better see its scultped facade, it is a sad reminder that the Victory Theatre has yet to emerge from its doldrums.

In September 2008, ownership of the Victory Theatre was handed over by the city to the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts, who plan to renovate it as a performing arts center and reopen by the end of 2012. The MIFA has already raised half of the money required for its $27,000,000 renovation.

Recent comments (view all 59 comments)

rsalters (Ron Salters) on November 17, 2010 at 11:01 am

The Victory is listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook as having 2286 seats and open daily.

Matt Lambros on January 13, 2011 at 6:55 pm

I took a photo tour of the Victory recently. My friend Tom did a quick write up of it.

View link

GWaterman on January 20, 2011 at 2:34 pm

Another link with great photos:

View link

The whole site is amazing, poke around.

SteveJKo on March 22, 2011 at 12:58 pm

The Victory once again in the news:

View link

spectrum on April 11, 2011 at 4:15 pm

According to the above article, the victory has raised $19,500,000 of the $27,000 needed to complete the renovation, and they sre launching a fundraising campaign to raise the remaining amount. A much earlier fundraising cappain’s proceeds were partially used some time ago to repaier the roof, remove asbestos, board up the building and complete the renovation plans.

spectrum on April 11, 2011 at 4:16 pm

Sorry, that should read “19,500,000 of $27,000,000” (above)

spectrum on April 11, 2011 at 4:20 pm

The photo tours posted by Matt Labros in january show the paintaings to the left and right of the proscenium to be gone — I hope they were simply removed for restoration (I expect that to be the case)

Joe Vogel on November 25, 2011 at 10:44 pm

The August 27, 1919, issue of The American Architect published an early announcement about the plans for the Victory Theatre, though it placed the site at Suffolk and Chestnut Streets rather than Suffolk and Walnut:

“HOLYOKE, MASS.—An up-to-date theater, seating 2420 people, which can stage vaudeville, moving pictures, a stock company or legitimate plays, is to be erected by the Victory Theater Co., of which Nathan Goldstein of Springfield, Mass., is president. This company has purchased the lot at the corner of Suffolk and Chestnut Sts. and will erect a $350,000 playhouse from the plans of Mowll & Rand, Unity Bldg., Boston. Mass. The building will also include a number of stores.”

Later notices in other publications reduced the cost of the project to $250,000, but Mowll & Rand were still listed as the architects.

The current restoration of the Victory Theatre is designed by the Providence, Rhode Island, firm DBVW Architects (Durkee, Brown, Viveiros & Werenfels.) Their web site currently features a rendering of how the completed project will look, plus four current photos of the theater.

Matt Lambros on April 23, 2012 at 9:43 am

Check out my post on the Victory Theatre at After the Final Curtain

Patsy on April 23, 2012 at 11:42 am

Nice to be updated on the Victory Theatre!