Astor Theatre
176 Tremont Street,
Boston,
MA
02108
176 Tremont Street,
Boston,
MA
02108
7 people
favorited this theater
The Tremont Theatre was opened on October 14, 1889, and was the third Tremont Theatre to be built on the site. In November 1947, it was remodeled and reopened as the Astor Theatre. One of the premiere first run movie theatres in Boston’s past. It was located opposite the Boston Common on Tremont Street. It was where De Mille’s “The Ten Commandments” played in the 1950’s.
Demolished in July 1983, the Loews Boston Common multiplex now occupies the same general spot.
Contributed by
Gerald A. DeLuca
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 79 comments)
Why did the federal government care what kind of entertainment the Astor was presenting?
The federal government cared that some rather shady characters were running a club where ambulances were lined up in front like taxi cabs. I testified at the hearing telling the court that I didn’t see any violence. I did go on about the projection system. The court reporter had trouble with Todd-AO and I had to spell it out for her when I was finished testifying. I was safe in the projection booth when it was the Union Station. The celebs would come up to the projection booth be safe and to do their coke (they don’t like to share). I will just say that there were a number of fights, stabbings, etc. in the club or around the club. Crime in the area went way up for a while. I am sure there were plenty of drugs for sale in men’s room. It was a sad end to a great theater. And this was the mid to end 70’s
I briefly worked at the Astor in the mid-fifties as an usher. They were running “Raintree County” (Elizabeth Taylor) on a reserved seat/roadshow basis and after that ended they went back to the daily grind with a film whose name I do not recall right now. The projection booth took up part of the second balcony which had pieces and parts strewn about the now bare floor. I do not know if the booth extended through the back wall of the auditorium or not. Some dressing rooms remained from the vaudeville era. It was far too large, even then, for movies. As the Tremont Street Theater, it had a beautiful proscenium arch for its large stage. A friend of the family took me there one time to see a film and I was rather impressed by the theatre even at that early stage of my life. As for “Union Station”, have never heard that name used before this.
I well remember the reports of violence at the Union Station" that RogerA discusses. The place had a very unsavory reputation, mostly drug-related. When the Astor was the Tremont Theatre it was mostly a legit stage house with musicals and plays. Occasionally movies played there, too. The live theater ended around 1930. It was never much of a vaudeville house, though. There were vaude shows there briefly. On the front cover of the recent murder mystery book “Murder at the Tremont Theatre” by Frank Cullen & Donald McNeilly, there is a nice hand-colored postcard illustration of the front of the theater and on the marquee is posted “Klaw & Erlanger Advanced Vaudeville”. This dates from maybe around 1910. But the principle stage product at the theater was mostly plays and musicals, not Vaudeville.
The booth that was in the second balcony was replaced by the Todd-AO booth. The Todd-AO booth was installed in the first balcony. At that time all the dressing rooms and the stage were torn out to make room for the Todd-AO screen.
RogerA – regarding “first balcony” and “second balcony”. I have seen a good-quality drawing of the Astor interior when it was the Tremont Theatre, made circa-1910. Looking from the stage outwards. There were definitely two balconies. But when I first went into the Astor around 1949/1950, there was only one balcony. When you say “second balcony” do you mean the rear half of the balcony, seperated by a cross-aisle ? Or do you mean the back remnant above of the original second balcony?
the second balcony and original projection booth remained intact but was closed to the public. The door leading to the stairway that went up to the second balcony was in the rear of the first balcony. the first balcony was closed to the public also
the second balcony and original projection booth remained intact but was closed to the public. The door leading to the stairway that went up to the second balcony was in the rear of the first balcony. the first balcony was closed to the public also
The only time I sat in the balcony at the Astor was around 1960 or 1961 for “Splenour in the Grass” because the main floor was full (balcony filled up, too). Many Boston movie theaters of that era seemed to have a policy of not allowing anyone to sit in the balcony if there were seats available on the main floor. The interior of the Tremont Theatre circa-1910 was similar to the Colonial on Boylston Street. There were 2 balconies and tiers of boxes on each side of the stage, very much like the Colonial. Very fancy decor, too.
many of the older theaters had multiple balconies but as the buildings aged they were closed or used only when needed. May areas of the older theaters were condemned in the 50’s 60’s and 70’s by public safety. The second balcony in most theaters was closed. The first balcony at the Astor was unsafe because the fire escapes were rusted and weak.
The Astor was at one time the Tremont Street theater and dated way back. There were gas lights in the stairwell leading to the second balcony. There was a steam engine in the basement that had not been used for years. Keeping these buildings up to current code was a challenge. Theater owners got in the habit of using the balconies only when the lower seats were filled. One Easter Sunday in the 70’s the Astor filled up and the balcony was opened. If a theater had a balcony that people liked then that management might tend to open it more often; that is if it wasn’t condemned and they had staff to patrol it. Boxes went out in the early twentieth century. In many theaters like the Astor and Graunam’s Chinese they were removed when the theater was renovated for sound or wide screen.