State Theatre
882 Main Street,
Sanford,
ME
04073
882 Main Street,
Sanford,
ME
04073
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The final show for the State Theatre took place Easter Sunday, April 1, 1956 and during a showing of “Ransom!” the theatre suffered a major fire and was closed permanently. Hoses were challenging to get to the burning theater but quick thinking by the fire department taking the hoses to the roof of the neighboring W.T. Grant store save not only the neighboring Grant and bank building, but the theater, itself.
remember the huge balcony in the back, on the upper floor, we use to drop popcorn on the lower seats on people, it was a great place to go, big part of Sanford in memories when it burnt down, remember this place very strongly
it was open till at least in the middle 60,s , I was born in 1958 and remember going there when I was little, until it burnt down
Sanford appears to have renumbered its lots at some point, so the historic address we’ve been using is inaccurate. The Cinema Data Project’s page for the State Theatre says that it was “…close to midtown mall,” which is a modern shopping center on the northeast side of Main Street between St. Ignatius Street and Washington Street.
The Project’s description of the photo in the 1941 MGM report says that it shows the theater in a corner block. Our photo above shows a narrow alley next to the theater. If that was the corner referred to, it must have been St. Ignatius Street, which is still very narrow, though it might have been widened a bit when the mall was built. Internet says that the business in the modern building at that location, Gold Rush Party, is at 882 Main Street, so that’s most likely what the address of the State Theatre would be if it were still standing.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the State; it’s Card # 443. Address is Main St. There is an exterior photo made April 17, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says it opened in 1930, was not showing MGM films, and had 973 seats.
In the 1942-43 edition of the Motion Picture Almanac, the State in Sanford is listed as part of E.M. Loew Theatres of Boston MA. EML also ran the Capitol Th. in Sanford ME at the time.