Fine Arts Theatre
80 Norway Street,
Boston,
MA
02115
80 Norway Street,
Boston,
MA
02115
2 people
favorited this theater
The Fine Arts Theatre was a repertory cinema whose entrance was on a side street around the corner from the Loew’s State Theatre on Massachusetts Avenue. It was up one flight and was a jewel-box of a theatre.
It operated well into the 1960’s and specialized in double bills of foreign films and classic American movies as well. It had been originally used as a theatre for Jewett Repertory Company.
Contributed by
Gerald A. DeLuca
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Recent comments (view all 27 comments)
I saw Ed Sanders, Tuli Kupferberg and Ken Weaver in the The Fugs in 1966.
This 1928 map shows the Loew’s State – Fine Arts Theatre complex, occupying most of a city block bounded by Massachusetts Avenue, Astor Street, Bickerstaff Street, and Norway Street.
It looks massive. Besides the two theatres, the map also shows it containing a “BALL ROOM”.
I never saw these buildings, but I’m appalled that the city fathers at the time allowed them to be demolished, especially since they were apparently well-used up to the date of demolition.
The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Fine Arts Theatre has an exterior photo dated May 1941. There was a narrow entrance with one pair of doors (maybe 3) with poster cases on either side and a small marquee above.There was a fire escape just above the marquee. The Report states that the theatre is on Norway St., that it features “foreign pictures”, that it is not a MGM customer, that it was built in 1920 (actually, later), that it’s in Good condition, and has about 750 seats, all on one floor.
I was only in this theater once in the late 1960’s. I remember it being tucked away on Norway Street not far from the Sack Cheri theater complex. The bill use to change weekly I believe and as stated by others, usually more often than not featured a double bill of foreign or “Art†films in the original language with subtitles. If you weren’t looking for it, it was not hard to miss. I remember going in a small door up the stairs and that the seating in the small auditorium was not very comfortable. The bill I went to see was “Never On Sunday†and “Tom Jonesâ€.
In his book A Life in the 20th Century, historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. writes a chapter on what he enjoyed while at Harvard in the 1930s. In this quoted paragraph, he tells of seeing movies at the University Theater in Cambridge and the Fine Arts Theatre in Boston:
“Came the talkies. The University Theater in Harvard Square was a constant refuge. So was George Krasna’s Fine Arts Theater, near Symphony Hall in Boston. Here one saw the great UFA movies from Germany – von Sternberg’s The Blue Angel, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and Die Frau im Mond (By Rocket to the Moon, both feeding my fascination with the future, and his powerful and scary M, with Peter Lorre as the child murderer. Here too one saw lighthearted German musicals like Erik Charrell’s Congress Dances and William Thiele’s Die Drei von der Tankstelle, where I acquired an early enthusiasm for the ravishing Lilian Harvey, English by birth but a great favorite in pre-Hitler Germany.”
Hi, My band, “The New Life” was the last show at the theater. We were part of Al Rubin’s “The Third World Raspberry” psychedelic light show. We played the last two nights. Just thought I’d let you know.
Do you remember the dates?
The good thing about the Internet is you can get information on practicaly any subject. The bad thing about the information is that it’s usually wrong or incomplete.
The Fine Arts Theater was on 80 Norway Street, off Mass Ave. and it was owned by the Christian Science Church accross the street. The legitimate theater was closed for many years and it was turned into a cinema and operated by Steve Prentoulis in the 60’s and 70’s. This was the guy who made the cinema famous by playing a double feature “art films” twice a week. He also owned and operated The Symphony Cinema 1 & 2 on Hunington Ave. across the street from Symphony Hall.
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Fine Arts Marquee.
BOSTON – A new marquee has been put up at the Fine Arts Theatre. It was designed and executed by Leonard Krasna, assistant manager at the house. He was aided by Edward Cincotti and William Harvey.
Re: “The bad thing about the information is that it’s usually wrong or incomplete.”
Can you tell us specifically which information now on this page is not correct? Thanks.