Chatham Theatre
637 Main Street,
Chatham,
MA
02633
637 Main Street,
Chatham,
MA
02633
1 person
favorited this theater
This was a small theatre operated by Interstate Theatres. It had a few sister theatres including the Orleans, Dennis, and Yarmouth Drive-In, all located on Cape Cod, MA. They were open only from early-spring till early-fall. Had two performanes daily at 7 and 9 pm and offered rainy day matinees! When folks could not go to the beach the movies were open.
In 2011, a local group was formed to help raise funds to re-open the theatre under its original Orpheum name.
Contributed by
Dr. Forrest Leone
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 27 comments)
In May or June 1980, I saw “The Empire Strikes Back” there (with my date, the delightful Heidi Leugers).
“the 1940 population of Chatham was 2,100”
I can remember nights in the 1980’s when it seemed like there were more than 2,100 people drinking in The Chatham Squire!
Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/cd2zkm
The CVS store/former theater can be seen in this photo:
http://tinyurl.com/cy82jd
Address should be 637 Main Street.
ken mc’s CVS store photo shows the facade looking something like it did in the Chatham Theatre’s May 1941 photo on the MGM Theatre Report, complete with the row of large “X” shapes along the upper part of the facade. In the 1983 theater photo, the facade is much modernized compared to its more traditonal appearance in 1941. The theatre had a peaked roof and shingled sides, fronted by a big rectangular false front.
ken mc
Nice photos….I was manager and projectionist for many years.(More that I like to remember.)
The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook lists one movie venue for Chatham, Mass., the Orpheum Theatre with 600 seats, open 6 days per week. There is a posting above by Richard D which says that the original name for the Chatham Th. was “Orpheum”.
Our company, Oberleitner Associates Cinema Consultants, Could probably be of great service to your project. We have over 40 years of experience in working with non-profit groups, small and medium theatrical,cinema ventures.
For complete information, reference and, contact info. and such, please visit our website at:
www.cinema-consultant.com
We shall look forward to hearing from you!
The business news of the Quincy Patriot Ledger of Sat Nov. 26, 2011 carried a long article about this theater “Group Seeks reprise of Orpheum Theater – Nonprofit plans to restore Chatham movie house”.This group has energy, ideas, plans, drawings, specs, etc. Missing is $2.7M needed for the project. They would restore the facade to something like original. There would be a 30-seat cafe in front and 2 screens, one with 50 seats and one with 160 seats; the latter would have a stage. (the article points out that live performances were given here in the few years leading up to the 1990 take-over by CVS.) They give the dates of movie operation as 1915-1988. CVS moved out in Oct to a new store down the street. At the same time, according to the article, Regal cinemas closed their operation in Harwich. The group wants to buy the Orpheum building. The Patriot Ledger article is by Doreen Leggett, Wicked Local Cape Cod.