Park Theatre
28 Chelsea Street,
Everett,
MA
02149
28 Chelsea Street,
Everett,
MA
02149
2 people
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The last time I was at the PARK THEATRE was in 1955 or so when I moved rom 39 Chelsea street ( which is now torn down)
PARK THEATRE- EVERETT
I can remember the people as it was yesterday:
Leo Brotman and his wife Edith, Alan his girl friend at the time Beverly Tunkel, Paula and her husband Sam Spivek,the rest of the crew:
Dad Cooper at the door, Mrs Cavanaugh and May Trunfio in the ticket booth, Mary Seward at the candy counter, Art Carlton and Randy Goodwin (Shorty) in the booth, Ushers: Elmer Bagno, Jimmy Laterralie, Frank Lo Presti, my self Dick Alsterberg, Ed Guarino Cleaned up with the blower, I can’t remember the fireman’s name but I can see his face and that of his wifes. Of course, Irving Green and his stamp collection and his son Ed, who I understand ran the booth in the Park’s final years Another regular was the potato hip man Charlie as I recall.
If I left anyone out or spelled names wrong it was not intentional I can’t recall when I statred working there but it was many wonderful years
Dick Alsterberg- New Hampshire
There is a Strand Theatre listed for Everett in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook with 800 seats. From info posted above, the Strand was an earlier name for the Park.
The Park Theatre closed in May,1985, with a local production of “Cabaret”. It had stopped running films a couple of years previously, and was running concerts and community theatre. It was demolished in July,1987. The high rise Park Plaza Condominiums were built on the site. Most of the old Rialto Theatre building was demolished 2-3 years ago. The part of the building still standing is now a restaurant. The Capitol Theatre housed for many years the Glad Tidings Tabernacle. They moved out about a decade ago, and the new owners gutted the theatre and built apartments and offices.
If you look at the comment on June 14, 2005, it is mentioned that the Park may have been demolished for apartments. The current view on Google shows no building like the Park but does show a very large apartment building at that address. Any local confirmation would be helpful.
Here is a 1980 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dk2uqz
It is definitely not the Park you are thinking of—there were never any porn houses in the city of Everett. You may be thinking of the Parkway Plaza Theater, which was located in the Parkway Plaza Shopping Center in Chelsea—opposite Bradlees and some other stores, between Webster Ave and Revere Beach Parkway. That theater showed porn in the late 1970s-1980s. That theater building was demolished years ago and that site is now the back of the parking lot of a relatively new Home Depot store.
Here is a quote from a brochure found in the historical archives at the Parlin Memorial Library in Everett: “The Park Theatre opened its doors in 1914. First known as the Crown Theater, it was one of three in the city. It probably featured vaudeville shows and "electric pictures,” as early movies were called. Over the years, its name was changed to the Olympia Theatre (circa 1919-21), the Strand (mid-1920s) and, by 1930, the Park Theatre."
Please note Barry Goodkin’s specific dates two comments back.
The Park Theatre was advertised in the local evening paper as the New Strand on April 3, 1925 and later as the Park on November 22, 1929. In that advertsiement the Rialto, also in Everett, was playing the same show.
PopcorNRoses is correct that there was (and maybe still is?) a marquee-type sign with large vertical numbers on the outer wall of McKinnon’s. It certainly did look theatrical, but as Sam S says, there never was a cinema there.
To Sam S and anyone else- There are now “pages” here in Cinema Treasures for the other two theatres in Everett, the Capitol and the Rialto. Please post any comments you care to make on those two pages; there is almost nothing posted there so far. Thanks.
PopcorNRoses……RE your Everett question….There was never a theatre on the site of Mckinnons butcher shop. Perhaps you Are rhinking of the Capitol Theatre which was located a few blocks beyond Mckinnons towards Everett Square. But that was never a multiplex. It was a single screen theatre that closed in the 1950s.Everett never had a multiplex. There were three theatres
PARK CAPITOL RIALTO… The Park was the only one that survived when television came in………….Sam S
I’m curious and I don’t know where else to put this so I will put it here since it concerns Everett.
As we drive down Broadway (rt 99) coming from Revere and heading towards downtown Everett and on to Boston, we have noticed a butcher shop on the right side of the road. The signage seems to indicate that the building may have been a small multiplex at one time or another because it has (or used to have, it’s been a couple years since we’ve been by it) a large “1”, a large “2”, and a large “3” painted over on the lighted sign.
The building is before you hit the true downtown area of Everett, but I don’t remember exactly where but Mapquest puts a McKinnons Butcher Shop at 620 Broadway, so this is likely the place. Does any one remember a cinema at that location?
Like I said, just curious….
To Ron: I appreciate that information very much. The theatre I am remembering is indeed the Winthrop Theatre. I wonder if the building is still standing on Putnam St.? When you walked in, it looked like the Park, except it was a mirror image (right was left and vice versa). The Park’s curtains were red and the Winthrop had either gold or blue curtains, if I recall correctly. Thanks.
To Park Theatre: the 1927 Film Daily yearbook lists 2 theatres in Winthrop: the Dream with 800 seats, and the Winthrop Theatre, no seat capacity given. There are 2 MGM Theatre Photograph and Report forms, both dated April 1941, one for the State Theatre in Winthrop at 415 Shirley St., 793 seats, built about 1920; and the other for the Winthrop Theatre on Putnam St., with 840 seats. The photo of the latter shows a very impressive facade.
There was a movie theatre in Winthrop that was an architectural duplicate of the Park in Everett. The interior looked pretty much the same. I was inside that Winthrop theatre once, but I don’t recall its name or its location, and I would like to know if the building is still standing. I think there was a theatre called “The Kincaid” in Winthrop, but there was at least one other theater as well. Anyone know which one I’m thinking of?
To Sam. Here is one of my email addresses you can use to contact me. When you email me at that address I can reply back to you in more detail. Use subject line Park Theatre in your email.
Thanks
TO JANCY……We will be back on April 4… Although we now live in Salem NH We still consider ourselves Everettites and are in Everett several times a week. My wife (Leos daughter) graduated Everett High in 1951…..How do we post our E Mail addresses.? The PARK was part of our lives for so many years. We have enough info to fill a book. Please reply
To Sam Thank you for writing back so soon. Yes I am an Everett native. My mother also grew up in Everett. Will you be coming back to the Everett area in April? We would love to see the pictures that you have. I can leave my direct email on the next post so we may communicate through email. My neighbors father said he knows your family, but we can discuss more when we talk privately via email. I’ll wait for your response before I post my email address for you….Please reply
TO Jancy……We have Park Theatre pictures. If you read the write up in Cinema treasures. My late father inlaw was Leo Brotman. My wife literally grew up in the theatre where Leo was the manager for 28 years and projectionist for ten years prior to being manager. We have several photos and a history that we wrote for the Everett Leader Herald on its 100th anniversary. Right now we are in Florida until April. We will be back in New England in April and would like to communicate with you at that time. Are you an Everett native?…..Please reply
Hi Does anyone have any pictures of the Park Theatre? I live in the Condo building where the Park theatre use to be. We are looking for some pictures for our lobby. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance
The seating capacities listed on the 1941 MGM report forms are not to be 100% trusted! Ditto for the seating capacities shown in lists of theatres in the Film Daily yearbooks. They are sometimes very incorrect. “Sam S” and “Park Theatre” – you are both doing a great job of describing the Park in Everett.
Additional info on PARK THEATRE. The address was DEFINITELY 28 Chelsea St Everett. Also Ron states he has MGM info stating the original seating capacity as 820. That was probably in the very early 40s. My wife who is Leo,s daughter and literally grew up in the theatre says that there used to be fish tanks in the lobby for patrons enjoyment, In the early 40,s they were removed and other renovations were done including constructing a new candy stand. At that time she believes the seating capacity was increased. (that makes sense since Movie business was at it peak in those years)That probably explains the discrepancy. More later
The name of the condo complex where the theatre used to be is the Park Plaza. This is just steps from Everett Square.
The correct address for the Park Theatre was 28 Chelsea St. Everett.The PARK was the first theatre in Everett to have sound. Also the first Theatre to be fully air conditioned. The marquee referred to in Ron’s article was replaced in 1946 with a then modern marquee. The first picture placed on the new marquee was “THE JOLSON STORY”. The Capital had a much larger seating capacity and was operated by Warner Bros. It could not survive the onslaught of television. The RIALTO in Glendale Square was operated by a gentleman named BOB RAPPA,, It to di not survive, The PARK survived as a full time theatre until Oct. 1965 When Leo Brotman passed away very suddenly from a heart attack,,,, Following that the theatre became a part time operation at best but never regained the stature it had in Everett… Several policy changes took place and the Theatre was finally closed in the 80’s. More history to follow at a later time.
I have the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Park Theatre in Everett. It lists the address as “29 Chelsea”. The faded photo was taken in March 1941. There is a rectangular marquee with a vertical sign above. The attraction is Errol Flynn in “Santa Fe Trail”. The Report states that the Park has been a MGM Customer for over 10 years; that it was built about 1915; that it’s in Fair condition; and has 575 seats on the main floor and 225 in the balcony, total: 800. Competing theatres are the Capitol and the Rialto. The 1940 population of Everett was 46,700. The person who took the photo and filled out the Report may well have been in contact with Leo Brotman (above).