Plaza Theater

Hi Bill,

Thanks for contributing that information! We had been wondering what had previously stood in that parking lot next to E. M. Loew’s Salem Theater. It was the Empire Theater! That makes sense to me, because I clearly recall all three theaters (including the Paramount) coexisting for quite awhile, although the Empire had long been closed. And I did watch the demolition of the Empire for awhile. So the demolition didn’t create a lot for E. M. Loew’s Salem, simply the parking lot next to it. And when I visualize it in my mind’s eye now, yes, I can see those two marquees adjoining one another there. I should have remembered that, because my dentist was directly across the street on a second floor with the waiting room windows looking out at the two theaters. Back in the 50s what I most remember seeing at the Plaza were old WWII movies. And yes, it could get raucous in there!

The Plaza did have the E.M. Loew’s name on the center point of the marquee. It stood idle during the early fifties until purchased by James Solovicos who operated the Martha’s Sweets soda fountain and lunch counter at the corner of Summer and Essex streets, diagonally across from the Plaza. They ran largely second-run double features and found a good trade in spooling all the Allied Artists cheapie horror/sci-fi films. They then became a showcase for some, not all, AIP horror films. They had the first-run of “House Of Usher” and in 1958 ran the first run of William Castle’s “Macabre”. I was in a Saturday matinee of this.

Hi Dave,
I really don’t know what was there before, I just always remember that parking lot being there. I used to park there at night if I went to see a movie at the Salem in the 1970’s or if I was going to Jerry’s Army and Navy store. The Salem charged $1.00 admission on monday nights back then and they attracted a pretty good crowd. I’ll make a prediction for you. I went to see a film at Loews (now AMC-Loews Cineplex) at Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers, MA this past weekend. I don’t go there very often but every time I have gone there recently it was “no waiting” at the box office in the Mall. That wasn’t always the case. When it first opened about 10 years ago, it was always packed and I always called ahead to see if the film I wanted to see was sold out or not. The Cineplex is a BIG movie house with about 20 screens, stadium seating and very elaborate 1930’s style themed theater with a huge lobby area. If business doesn’t pick up I’m afraid it will end up soon as just another memory. I also don’t think Liberty Tree Mall is doing that well these days which may be part of the problem. The Hollywood Hits theater across the street (Route 128) not elaborate in any sense of the word, is a big brick oblong box cut up into a lot of very small theaters and their movies are all second run features but yet they always seem very busy judging by the cars I see parked there. Also, its very easy access into those theaters, just park and go in. At the AMC Loews Cineplex, you have to park and then physically walk through the Mall which can be kind of a pain in the neck.

Hi Dave,
No, I am familiar with the parking lot that you mean though. If you were standing on Essex St. looking down Crombie St. towards Holyoke Square (Norman St.), CF Tompkins Furniture would be on the left corner of Essex and Crombie St. and the parking lot that you are referring to would be on the right corner. The Plaza Theater was the next building down Essex St. on that left directly after CF Tompkins Furniture. The Salem Theater building was to the right directly after the parking lot your thinking of.
Jon

Hi Dave,
The Salem and The Plaza never abutted one another. The Salem and The Empire may have been next to one another or in basically the same location but the Plaza was abutted by the CF Tompkins furniture store in fact, it was a block over from the locations of The Salem and The Empire on the other side of Crombie st. I never remember a fire occuring at The Salem, only that they finally tore it down after it had been vacant for a long while.

Hi Dave,
I checked with my mother who grew up in Salem. She says the Empire and Salem Theaters were practically in the same location (directly across from the YMCA) in fact she believes that the Empire was torn down to make way for the Salem. The Plaza was further down Essex St. next to the old CF Tompkins Furniture store. I watched them tear down The Plaza in the 1970’s, you could smell the musty air from across the street. The few times I was in there watching horror films I swear you could see mice running around. They didn’t take very good care of it. I never remember the Plaza’s marquee saying “New Plaza”. It only said Plaza in yellow neon letters and the “Always 2 Big Hits” on the letter board below. It was a very small triangular marquee.

Hmmm, as I think about the information in my prior post, supposedly from old city directories, I’m wondering if perhaps the address was actually 293, not 273 Essex Street. The Salem Theater was farther down Essex Street (if one were walking east) at 285 Essex. My recollection is that the Plaza Theater directly abutted the Salem Theater (sharing a common wall). It would make much more sense then if the Plaza would have been at 293 Essex. I must believe that was the case.

I was able to locate a picture of a Robert-Morton 2/4 Style 75 theater organ on the Internet, formerly installed in a theater and now in a funeral chapel. The 2/4 means two keyboards and 4 ranks—a rather small theater organ, but recall that the Plaza seated only 750
patrons. So a smaller organ would make sense. Here is the link:

View link

A Robert-Morton theater organ size 2/4 style 75 was installed in the Plaza Theater in 1920.

Hi, Dave1— the photo I have on the MGM Report, taken in May 1941, is a washed-out Xerox copy. I do think that I can see the word “New” up above the marquee, not actually on it. It appears to be on the wall directly over the marquee. In 1941, the ticket booth was in the center of the entrance, under the base of the marquee. In front of the booth was one of those old-fashioned brass railings intended to allow only one patron at a time to buy a ticket. The fact that the theatre was judged to be in “Fair” condition would have been strictly based on the opinion of the person filling out the report.Someone else might have called it “Poor” or “shabby”, like your dad.

Hi, Jon

The Plaza was closed during the early 60s, and had a perpetual David Frye Realtor sign in the front lightbox facing the sidewalk. Yes, it was small and quite rundown. I don’t believe it ever saw any meaningful refurbishment during its entire existence. My dad once said was getting shabby even in his time. My friends and I always opted for the balcony. The main floor was much smaller, and even the last row down there was too close to the screen. Upstairs you could get considerably farther back. I had forgotten about the marquee claim of “Always 2 Big Hits”, haha! They were always second run, of course. In the 50’s war movies were frequently shown there.

The theaters in Salem had very different characters. The Plaza was shabby, the Paramount was the crown jewel, and E. M. Loew’s Salem was modern—but boring in design. Yet compared to today’s shoebox “theaters”, I guess it was a palace.

The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Plaza has a facade photo taken in May 1941. There was a narrow entrance in a building which was at least 2 stories high. There was a triangle marquee with , surprisingly, a clock at its apex. (Can anyone name another theatre which had a working clock on its marquee ???) Above the large “Plaza” name appears to be a E.M. Loew logo — I’m not sure of that. The movie playing is W.C. Fields in “The Bank Dick”. To the right of the entrance is a store with the name “O.L. Bown—”; to the left appears to be a restaurant. The Report states that the Plaza has been offering MGM product for over 10 years; that it was built over 15 years ago; that it’s in Fair condition; with 500 seats on the main floor, and 300 in the balcony; total, 800.