West End Cinema
75 Causeway Street,
Boston,
MA
02114
75 Causeway Street,
Boston,
MA
02114
2 people
favorited this theater
An old steeply-balconied theatre that became re-incarnated as an art house in the 1960’s, showing mostly new foreign films as well as revivals. It was located right near Boston Garden and North Station.
Contributed by
Gerald A. DeLuca
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Recent comments (view all 37 comments)
Why was the architect’s name of this theatre changed to Funk & Wilcox? I don’t see anything in any of the comments saying that the Lancaster was designed by them.
In the street directory section of the 1918 Boston Register and Business Directory, Issue 83, this theater, as the Lancaster, was listed at 31 Lancaster Street, rather than on Causeway Street where the lobby entrance was located.
Perhaps the lobby entrance was moved during the 1963 renovations? (see my earlier comment that mentions 1963)
I know that the lobby entrance was on Causeway St. as of the 1941 MGM Report, so it probably was always there. There were side exits on Lancaster St., and maybe the office entrance was located there. During the 1963 renovations, the facade was removed and a new one constructed with lots of glass. But it was in the same location as the old facade.
I first noticed the theatre in the late 70’s when it was a Pussycat cinema. It was easy to spot from the tacky marquee down Causeway St. from the old Boston Garden. I enjoyed porn as well as hockey, so eventually I checked them out. Along with the old North Station Cinema, it created a sort of mini Combat Zone in the North End.
The old West End theatre was still operating across from the Old Garden down Causeway St a couple of blocks in the late 50’s to early 60’s. At one time I believe it might have been an E>M> Lowes operation. It had a BIG mARQUEE WHICH WAS LIKE MOST OF THAT CHAINS THEATRES. iT WAS A GOOD SIZE AND NOT A BAND BOX OR STORE FRONT. iT WAS A 2ND RUN neighborhood theatre.
It was a first-run art house for a considerable period in the 1960s. I remember seeing films here like “Family Diary,” “The Grand Olympics” “Woman in the Dunes.”
Even into its X-rated days, it was “E.M. Loew’s West End Cinema” — until it was one day renamed “West End Pussycat”.
The E.M. Loews West end theatre and the North Station 1-2-3 or however many there were are and never the same. The West End theatre ended its life a a Pussycat Porn House. Who owned the Art 1&2 across from the Saxon on Tremont St. I remember these being Gay houses.
Yes, it was an E.M. Loew’s theater and it was a full-size house. Later it presented art-house product for awhile. And it was not the same as the “North Station 1-2” or “1-2-3” storefront cinemas (on XXX product). And it was later the West End Pussycat cinema. dickneeds111 mentions above the Art 1&2 cinema across from the Majestic/Saxon on Tremont St. That’s one Boston cinema which I don’t believe is listed here in Cinema Treasures. It was mostly a Gay cinema and occupied former bank space in the Hotel Touraine building.