Loew's Majestic Theatre
1347 Main Street,
Bridgeport,
CT
06604
1347 Main Street,
Bridgeport,
CT
06604
6 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 41 comments found
I recently photographed the inside of the Majestic Theatre. Check out my blog post at After the Final Curtain
From a CT Post article on urban blight, the sister theaters are mentioned in the “theater district ” section. http://bit.ly/mpDpmM
Picture #11 isn’t mentioned by name but is the Hippodrome Theater on Stratford Avenue, which was in operation from 1907-1964.
I have pictures on my cell phone….Please can we save her???
To whom It may conceren….
I am not a very good speller…..BUT…I would like to tell my story,…It is VERY true.,…..strange,..but true.
I was born and raised in and around Bridgeport Patheticut,.June 5th,..1972. Out of this recent time of this craazy spinning rock..I know this is not my first time around……..Anyway,..Am living in Vermont and had to come back to Ct. to take care of motor vehicular mayhem that I left behind…..
Long story short,….I spent 4 nights in the Majestic…..
They were nice to me,…They let themselves be known, but did not torment me….
If anyone would like to hear further on this matter,….PLEASE contact me,….I will never EVER be the same…..
Wanna hear this?…I spent 4 nights in the Majestic….
Its amazing to see in the photos that the projection equiptment is still there,although in bad shape I am sure.I quess it is hard enough to restore one theatre,but 2 in the same building!Matbe they could at least restore one of them, maybe the one still in the best shape, I know that is wishful thinking.
Slight mention in CT Post.
Any more ghost photos?
I’m currently trying to get support to restore the theatres and would like to put together a list of people who
1) could provide some historical information about the site or who attended when it was open (e.g. russello)
2) would be interested in aiding with the restoration project
3) are interested on being on a mailing list about it’s restoration.
If you’re interested please email me at
Thanks, Christina
Found this set of beautiful pictures on flickr. The location is not listed so it makes it difficult to find otherwise.
View link
Two more palaces down the tubes.
Exterior photo of the Loew’s Majestic Tehate courtesy 826 Paramornal.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nespirit/4138086398/
Hi, Gary. Thanks for your information on the organs in the in the Majestic and the Palace. The photo I was basing my information on was this one on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nespirit/2567163173/
According to the caption, the photo was taken in 2008. I’m not sure whether this console was in the Majestic or Palace portion of the complex. I’m assuming this is an original pipe organ console and is not electronic.
A comment about “the organ” referred to two posts above by MikeR.: The organ pipes you see in the recent photos of the Majestic and Palace are display pipes, that is, non-functional, put there just for looks, as is actually done in some churches. The real organ pipes were behind them. The organs themselves—pipes and consoles—were removed from both theatres long ago. In 1990, I toured both the Palace and Majestic with the Theatre Historical Society. A few of us climbed the ladder into one of the organ chambers in the Majestic. There were indeed a few organ pipes in the chamber leaning against a wall, but the chests and wind lines were gone. I can’t speak for the Palace—other than being told that the organ was gone—we were not allowed to go backstage at the Palace, as we were told the stage surface was rotted from roof leaks and might not hold our weight. On the same Conclave tour, we also visited the Poli Palace in Waterbury, CN, a very similar Thomas Lamb design to those in Bridgeport. It too, had display pipes intact, though the organ was gone. The Waterbury Palace has since been restored, which makes me especially happy, as my dad went there frequently when it was new, and his memories are one of the ingredients which kindled my own interest in theatres.
This is a 1983 photo.
Here is an August 1958 ad from the Bridgeport Post:
http://tinyurl.com/p57x6t
It certainly would be great if both the Majestic and the Palace were restored to their original condition, along with the pipe organ. If this does not happen in the long run, I really do hope someone trys to rescue the organ. Two years ago the Commodore Theater in Brooklyn was torn down (see /theaters/268/)) The Commodore’s original organ was demolished along with it! Let’s hope that the Majestic’s organ does not suffer the same fate.
Here is a whole series of interior photos (267 in the set) of the Loew’s Poli and Majestic Theatres. It appears that most if not all photos were taken in 2008.
View link
One photo shows the bedraggled organ console still at the Loew’s Poli.
This is interesting and was mentioned in the NewsTimes a few weeks ago. It was about a Bridgeport cop who investigated breakins here, The Savoy and at the Colonial and brought his camera with him. He has documented orbs and apparitions of moviegoers in the seats and hooked up with famed CT ghosthunters, The Warrens. http://www.photoshow.com/watch/JE9DF6BY/ Pic 40o-64 with 44 of note.
Isn’t Bridgeport experiencing some kind of revival? It’s heartbreaking to see this.
This is not a pretty sight.
Here is a July 1951 ad from the Bridgeport Telegram:
http://tinyurl.com/34euk7
Third from the bottom. View link
In the middle of the page. View link
Added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1979
Palace and Majestic Theaters (added 1979 – Building – #79002626)
1315-1357 Main St., Bridgeport
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Architect, builder, or engineer: Lamb,Thomas W.
Architectural Style: Beaux Arts
Area of Significance: Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation
Period of Significance: 1900-1924
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic, Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Business, Hotel, Theater
Current Function: Vacant/Not In Use