West End Theatre
1239-1241 State Street,
Bridgeport,
CT
06605
1239-1241 State Street,
Bridgeport,
CT
06605
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I attended nearby Elias Howe Elementary School from 1951-1960. One morning during a school day the teacher walked us down to the West End for a free showing of the movie “Heidi.”
It seemed that Mr Schwartz, a bald-headed gentleman, was nearly always on the premises.
From Boxoffice magazine, February 10, 1958:
Italian-Language Policy Ends Boxoffice Blues
BRIDGEPORT – Jack Schwartz, owner-manager of the West End Theatre, believes Italian-language pictures are solving his boxoffice worries.
Last November, business was so bad at the West End, a subsequent-run house located in a business area, that Schwartz found it necessary to curtail operations to weekends. After Christmas he went back to a seven-day operation, experimenting with Spanish-Language and Italian-language films. His theatre is in an area adjacent to a thickly-populated Puerto Rican section. But Spanish-language films were a flop. On the other hand the Italian films began to catch on and now Schwartz, an exhibitor for 15 years, says he is drawing from cities within a radius of 25 miles from Bridgeport, such as Norwalk, Wesport, Ansonia and Derby. He notes that his patrons are largely Italians who have recently arrived in this country and cannnot speak English. In the future he will show these films Sunday afternoon and night and Monday night. The remainder of the week will be given to Hollywood product.
The original address was 1241 State Street and it opened in 1910 according to the City Directory.