Magnet Theatre
301 Washington Street,
Dorchester,
MA
02121
301 Washington Street,
Dorchester,
MA
02121
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Hello all!
I just posted a snapshot of a sign that I think came from the Magnet in Dorchester. The time periods line-up well, and I found it at an auction in Malden, so I’m figuring this is a little piece of the Magnet’s history.
Don’t know when the Magnet closed. I lived in Fields Corner until 1952 on ADAMS sT. and don’t ever remember this theatre. Only the Dot, Adams and Fields corner in our area.
I went to the Magnet at least once. It was 1943-45 My babysitters and I walked down Washington Street from Columbia Road so it couldn’t have been more than six or eight blocks. The movie? Phantom of the Opera with Claude Rains. I was scared silly. For years, I couldn’t remember what frightened me, only that there was a scene with the masked man and a woman where she was under his control. Recently, I took the film out and was surprised to findi it in color and very well acted and rather mild. But not for this five year old. Art Singer
Ron, I’m writing a book about a man who grew up on Erie St. in Dorchester and went to the Magnet theatre in the late 30s and 40s. I read your description of a photo and would love to see it so I can describe it in the book. Can you help me. my email address is
In a 1918 Boston street directory, the Magnet Th. is listed at 295 Washington Street in Dorchester, on the west side of the street, between Faxon St. on the north and Harvard St. on the south.
I have been told that the Magnet was at one time known as the “Colony Theatre”. I don’t know how accurate that info is.
That’s for sure. It was very common to round up the numbers, so that 625 seats, for example, became 700. They never seemed to round down, however!
Lost- I entered “1428 seats” because that’s what was on the MGM report. As I stated above on the posting of 1-28-07, I was suspicious because the number of seats for both orchestra and balcony was “714” each, or 1428 for both. It appears that “714” was actually the total for the entire theater.
I looked at the Google Street View for this location and there is no building which resembles the 1941 MGM Report photo of the Magnet Theater. The JW church at that address appears to be a newer structure and is even set back from the sidewalk.
The theatre pages of various editions of the Boston Post in the late-1940s have small ads for the Magnet Theatre and the Mattapan Theatre. The two theatre names (with their phone numbers) are at the top of the ad, with the same movies playing at both.
A Jehovah’s Witness church is now at this location, according to online directories. Is it the same building or a new one?
There is a MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Magnet Theatre in Dorchester. There is an exterior photo dated March 1941. The theatre had an impressive facade with a gigantic window on the second floor. There was a rectangular marquee with “Magnet” in big letters on the front. There was also a vertical blade sign, and the name was also spelled out at the very top of the facade. No mistaking the identity of this theatre ! Under the marquee there were 3 sets of double doors with poster cases on either side. The Report states that the Magnet has been a MGM customer for over 10 years; that it was built in 1925, is in Fair condition, and has 714 seats on the main floor and 714 seats in the balcony. (I am suspicious of the “714” being repeated twice). The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook says that the Magnet had 800 seats.