Franklin Park Theatre
616 Blue Hill Avenue,
Dorchester,
MA
02124
616 Blue Hill Avenue,
Dorchester,
MA
02124
2 people
favorited this theater
Another of the 30+ theatres operated by Boston movie pioneer Jacob Lourie and his partners, including Sam Pinanski (later to head ATC Theatres). Opened in pre-1920s. Currently is a church on Blue Hill Avenue at Ellington Street. This was originally built as a Yiddish theatre. Lourie was the original president of New England Theatres Operating Company (NETOCO).
Contributed by
John Toto
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Recent comments (view all 26 comments)
More info: Boston Herald has related articles that you can link to from the one above (links on right). One of them:
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has a good photo from the back of the auditorium showing ceiling to be intact. The sunlight I referred to in my previous post may simply be from the media lighting. Fire officials are suspecting arson.
I certainly hope the insurance settlement is generous so they can restore this wonderful place.
reas
My name is Marty Crichton and i grew up at the Franklin Park Theatre.
My farther Charlie worked there as a doorman. I would like to hear from anyone who remebers him or myself.
anyone remember CHARLE the door man at Franklin Park Theatre
Sheryl
Just rediscovered this site after several years. Thanks to you & Ron for the info about the Magnet Theater. While I remember going there, the name doesn’t ring a bell, but it was soooo long ago.
Do you still live in Cape Coral? I’ve been in Ft. Myers since ‘04. If you’d like to talk more about Dorchester, please contact me at
David
Well, in November 2010, they are listed in the on-line yellow pages at 616 Blue Hills Avenue, the address of the former theatre. I hope this means they have been able to repair the damage and move back.
In a 1918 Boston street directory, the Franklin Park Theatre is listed at 618 Blue Hill Avenue, east side of street, south of Columbia Road.
I went by the theater today to take some photos, and thankfully it’s still standing and still looks great on the outside. There is clearly some fire damage around the old fire escape doors and vent but it looked great for what happened to it.
The old painted sign on the wall facing Columbia Road is still intact. “Franklin Park Theatre” and “Vaudeville” are faint but legible, amazing considering their decades of exposure.
This theater is currently classified as Gothic Revival in style, but the round arch, dentilated cornice, fanlights in the doors and all are Classical elements. Was the interior Gothic? Funk & Wilcox usually favored the Adamesque or Italian Renaissance styles for theater interiors during this period.
The Franklin Park’s facade is very similar to that of the Strand Theatre in Columbia Street, which was also designed by Funk & Wilcox, and has the same sort of “triumphal arch” entrance. In fact, of the five Funk & Wilcox houses for which Cinema Treasures has either photos or street views available, all have designs firmly rooted in Classicism.
I was just talking with a friend about the Franklin Park a couple of days ago. It was two blocks from our home on Walcott St. I started going to Saturday matinees with my friends when I was almost 7. Films I saw there: “Invaders From Mars,” “The Mysterians,” “Not of This Earth,” “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad,” “It Came from Beneath the Sea,” “Old Yeller,” “The Ten Commandments,” “Tammy and the Bachelor.” It’s also where I was introduced to Jujubes.