Coolidge Corner Theatre
290 Harvard Street,
Brookline,
MA
02446
290 Harvard Street,
Brookline,
MA
02446
24 people
favorited this theater
Converted in 1933 as an Art Deco style movie house from a 1906-built Universalist church in the Boston suburb of Brookline, the Coolidge Corner Theatre has been showing movies for over seventy years.
New management shifted the Coolidge Corner’s schedule from first run films in 1977 as the theater became a showcase for art house and foreign films.
In an effort to increase profits, the balcony was closed off and converted into a second screen. Despite the renovation, the theater could no longer turn an adequate profit and was put up for sale and nearly demolished.
In 1989, the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation bought the theater and now houses a steady stream of art house, second run films and classic movies. A 45-seat video screening room was added in 2000. One more small video screening room has since been added bringing the total screen count to four.
The Coolidge Corner Theatre is the only currently operating Art Deco style theater in the Boston area.
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Recent comments (view all 66 comments)
Their website now has panoramic views of the auditorium and lobby; they also completed a renovation in 2006.
Yankee Magazine has named the Coolidge Corner as one of the five top movie theaters in New England. The other four are in Dennis MA, Newport RI, Concord NH and Waterville ME. The judge was veteran local movie man Garen Daly. The listing in Yankee was reported in a small item in today’s Boston Sunday Herald. It says that these five cinemas “have found a unique voice, one that represents the communities in which they dwell.”
Saw Midnight in Paris there recently which was showing in the lovely Art Deco main theatre. Went to school in Boston in the 60’s, but don’t remember going here then.
I love the Coolidge Corner Theatre, and I always will. Holding an annual membership there really helps.
I absolutely love this theatre. It’s one of those main auditoriums that gives you shivers.
Came here right when they were doing extensive renovations around 2001. Repair-work and scaffoldings were everywhere, but the theater was still gorgeous.
I saw Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and during the follow-the-boucing-ball scene, EVERYONE in the audience sang along to the lyrics at full pitch. Coolest cinematic/theatrical experience to date.
A photo of the Coolidge Corner Theatre circa 1943 can be found at the bottom of this page: boxofficemagazine
Exclusive 70mm engagement of “The Master” confirmed: Link
Can’t wait to see “The Master” here in 70mm.
An article about the theater’s reluctant and expensive conversion to digital can be read here.