Charles Cinema
185 Cambridge Street,
Boston,
MA
02114
185 Cambridge Street,
Boston,
MA
02114
9 people
favorited this theater
The Charles Cinema had, for a time, the biggest movie screen in Massachusetts. It was a great place to see an ‘event’ movie, like “The Empire Strikes Back” or other blockbusters. The style was modern and simple. The Charles Cinema was the “Astor Plaza” of Boston: a top-notch presentation with a huge audience.
The Charles Cinema was built for the Walter Reade circuit. The Charles Cinema eventually became part of Loews and was closed in 1994.
If anybody else knows more history on the Charles, please share!
Contributed by
Ian Judge
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Recent comments (view all 71 comments)
In the late 60’s / early 70’s When the Music Hall showed movies it was the largest screen, followed by the Astor and then I think the Savoy. Thanks to the the closing of those theatres the Charles moved up the ladder. I don’t remember the Cinema 57 screen being that large but if you guys say so, I’m willing to believe it.
By the late 1970s and early 80s, the Music Hall was almost exclusively a live stage and rarely showed films.
The Charles was always a great place to see and hear BIG movies in the 70’s and 80’s. I have fond memories of seeing ALIEN, JAWS, THE LAST WALTZ, GLORY, the STAR WARS and BACK TO THE FUTURE trilogies… It was the only theatre in town that did justice to the restored LAWRENCE OF ARABIA in 1982.
After the Music Hall closed in the 70’s, the Charles was the one of the usual Sack houses for the Bond movies. I’m pretty sure I saw FOR YOUR EYES ONLY there.
Wasn’t there a smaller screen downstairs at the Charles too? Pretty sure that’s where I saw BLADE RUNNER.
The Charles had a huge screen upstairs and two small screens downstairs. When Walter Reade still owned it, those were called the Charles East and Charles West.
No one seems to know who the famous Bostonian was that ushered at the Charles. If i.m not mistaken it was Jay Leno while he was at Emerson. Another Emerson student, although not a Bostonian who may have worked there was “THE FONZ” Henry Winkler. I’m just guessing at this. I know he was an alumni speaker at Emerson colleges graduation back about 17 years ago when my son graduated. The Charles was a great movie house not a Palace like the Metropolitan(Music Hall-Wang ctr- Citi Wang ctr). Saw many films there especially the big ones like Deliverance, Pete and Tillie, The Wrath of God(Robert Mitchum, Star Wars(35 & 70mm) and Ryans Daughter in 70mm. Just to keep people informed I do believe that Ted Turners Gettysburg in 70 mm opened at the Coolidge Corner 1st because Sack did not want it because it was too long. Another movie that Sack didn;t want was the 1st Muppetts Movie, it went to the Exeter and played to packed houses for many weeks.
Not quite as famous as Leno or Fonzie, but I worked at the Charles with Mario Cantone, who was as high-energy then as he is now (and I mean that in a good way).
But I saw Gettysburg at the Charles. Maybe it opened simultaneously at Coolidge?
I believe that gettysburg opened 1st for about 3 weeks at the Coolidge Corner then Moved over to the Charles. Sack didnb’t want it because it was too long and he could only get about 3 screenings per day. So the coolidge tookit. The same thing happened to the 1st Muppetts movie. Sacl controlled downtown at that time and he thought it was probably too G to make money. So of all the theatres to take it was the Exeter and they laughed all the way too the bank for many weeks.
I think Loews had taken over the Charles by the time Gettysburg opened.
There are two pictures of the Charles Cinema (scroll down about a third of the way) on this webpage.