Sorry- I meant 6 or 7 letters. Is there a historical society in the area, or a library with 1941 newspapers on file? The question is When was the name “Walden” dropped and what replaced it, if anything, prior to the names “College” and “Nickleodeon” ?
No, the theatre name written in on the MGM Report is not “Nickleodeon” either. The hen-scratching appears to be about 6 or 7 words and looks like “Gacomis” to me.
When the intrepid MGM agent called in from Middleborough with the information he had gathered about the Middleboro Theatre, Nickerson must have sounded like McKesson to the person on the other end of the line ! What a dream job, driving around, photographing theatres and getting paid to do it.
It’s unfortunate that the person who filled out the MGM Report on this theatre in 1941 had such poor penmanship. He/she typed in “Walden” as the theatre name, then crossed it out and wrote in another name. It doesn’t look like “College” or “College Cinema”, but I cannot read it. It seems that he was implying that the theatre was no longer named “Walden”. In any event, the post-Walden history described above is interesting !
The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Middleboro Theatre has an exterior photo dated 1941. The theatre was a free-standing building 3 stories high with the legend “Middleboro Theatre” imprinted on the facade. There was a rain canopy above the sidewalk and several sets of doors, with poster cases. The Report states that the Middleboro Theatre is on “McKesson” Street in Middleborough, but that name does not appear on a street map of the town. The Report states that the theatre has been showing MGM films for 15 years; that it was built in 1910, is in Good condition, and has 346 seats on the main floor and 130 in the balcony, total: 476 seats. It was described as a “community theatre”, was the only theatre in Middleborough, whose population in 1940 was 9,000.
The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Mattapan Theatre has an exterior photo dated 1941. The theatre was located in back of a one-story commercial block on River St. There was a walkway that sloped up to the entrance. There was no marquee but on the roof above the entrance was a gigantic billboard which read “Mattapan Theatre” in huge letters. Below the name was “Now Playing” and below that were 2 lines on which movie titles could be posted. The building possibly may have be built for other purposes and was adapted as a cinema. It was adjacent to the trolley terminal and yard in Mattapan Square. The Report states that the Mattapan had been a MGM customer for 15 years; that it was built in 1910, was in Good condition and had 781 seats.
There is a MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Magnet Theatre in Dorchester. There is an exterior photo dated March 1941. The theatre had an impressive facade with a gigantic window on the second floor. There was a rectangular marquee with “Magnet” in big letters on the front. There was also a vertical blade sign, and the name was also spelled out at the very top of the facade. No mistaking the identity of this theatre ! Under the marquee there were 3 sets of double doors with poster cases on either side. The Report states that the Magnet has been a MGM customer for over 10 years; that it was built in 1925, is in Fair condition, and has 714 seats on the main floor and 714 seats in the balcony. (I am suspicious of the “714” being repeated twice). The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook says that the Magnet had 800 seats.
There is a MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Imperial Theatre in South Boston. It has an external photo dated April 1941. The theatre had a narrow entrance at the left end of a building at least 3 stories high. There was a small, but very bright , triangular marquee above which was a large sign with bright letters reading “Imperial Theatre Moving Pictures”. Below the marquee was a double door with poster cases on each side. The movie posted on the marquee is Cary Grant in “In Name Only”. It’s possible that the auditorium was upstairs on the second floor. The Report states that the theatre is on “I Street” (“eye”), but the streetscape looks more like Broadway. The Report says that the Imperial is not a MGM customer, that it’s over 15 years old and is in Fair condition, and has 500 seats. Does anyone know anything about this long-gone little “Nabe” ? I know someone who grew up in “Southie” in the 1940s and 1950s and he, despite being a film fan, never heard of the Imperial.
The Waltham Theatre was included in the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project. The entrance was in the center of a 2-story building with a heavy cornice along the roof. There was a 1920s-style rectangular marquee with “Waltham” in big bulbed letters on the front. There are small shops on either side of the entrance. The Report states that the theatre is at 410 Moody St. in Waltham, that it has been showing MGM films for over 10 years; that it’s over 15 years old, and is in Fair condition. It had 370 seats on the main floor and 305 in the balcony; total: 675 seats. The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook lists the Waltham as having 1400 seats and open 6 days per week. The 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac shows it as being part of M&P Theatres.
The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Madison Theatre in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston has an exterior photo dated 1941. The entrance was in the center of a one-story commercial building. There was a big arched sunburst over the entrace, and a rectangular Deco-style marquee with “Madison” in large letters on the front. Movie was “Flight Command”. There are shops on either side of the entrance. The Report states that the Madison is at 292 Center St., that it has been playing MGM films for over 10 years; that it was built in 1900, is in Fair condition and has 450 seats. In the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook there is no Madison Th. listed but there is a Supreme Theatre in J.P. with 600 seats — it’s probably this one. There was no apparent trace of any movie theatres along Center St. when I worked in J.P. in the early 1970s.
The Jamaica Theatre in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston was included in the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project. There is an exterior photo dated April 1941. The entrance was at the right end of a large brick building. It had a small triangular marquee with the M&P logo at the apex and “Jamaica” in big letters at the top of each side. Attraction was “Footsteps in the Dark”. There were narrow poster cases on each side of the entrance and a fire excape landing directly above the marquee. The Report states that the Jamaica was at 413 Center St., had been showing MGM films for over 10 years; was over 15 years old, in Fair condition, and had 1164 seats on the orchestra floor and 774 in the balcony; total: 1,938 seats. The Jamaica Theatre is listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook as having 1200 seats and being open 7 days per week. When I worked in “J.P.” in the early 1970s, there was no apparent trace of any movie theatres along Center St.
Yes, it was. It was located across from the west wall of the Navy Yard. Every building there was demolished in the late-1940s for the right-of-way for the approach to the south end of the Mystic River Bridge (Tobin Bridge). The Hollywood was supposedly built in 1929. The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Hollywood has an exterior photo dated March 1941. The entrance was in the middle of a commercial building at least 2 stories high. There was a rectangular marquee with “Hollywood” in big bulbed letters on the front. Under the marquee was a centered ticket booth; with narrow poster cases on either side of the entrance. A metal grate has been drawn across the entrance. To the left of the entrance is Blackie’s Locker Hall, open 24 hours. These locker facilities were very common near the gates of Navy bases; the sailors used them to store their belongings. The Hollywood Theatre undoubtedly drew much of its patronage from the sailors and marines at the base. Somewhere I heard that toward the end of its existence, it was only open on weekends.
The 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac lists the Medford Theatre as being operated by the Middlesex Amusement Co. (Ramsdell Brothers), which ran most of the theatres in Malden. The Medford Theatre is also listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook as having 1800 seats and being open 6 days per week. That seating figure appears to be incorrect.
The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook lists the Princess Theatre in Wakefield as having 800 seats and open 6 days per week. The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Princess has an exterior photo dated March 1941. The theatre was apparently “modernized” in 1938. It’s an older theatre with a new streamlined front. The entrance is on the right corner of the building; there is a semi-circular rain canopy over a set of double doors, with “Princess Theatre” in enormous letters on the wall above. There appears to be an elevated stage house at the rear. The Report states that the Princess has been showing MGM product for 3 years; that it was “Built” in 1938; that it’s in DeLuxe condition, and has 489 orchestra seats and 210 balcony seats; total: 699 seats. It’s at 26 Mechanic St.; the competing theatre is the Wakefield Th., and the 1940 population of Wakefield was 16,200.
The Wakefield Theatre was listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook has having 900 seats and operating 6 days per week. The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Wakefield has an exterior photo dated March 1941. The theatre had a narrow entrance in a brick commercial block. There was a small old-fashioned marquee with “Wakefield” in big letters on its front with a sunburst above, all outlined with bulbs. On the second floor, above the marquee, was a large arched Palladian-style window. The Report states that the Wakefield has been a MGM customer for over 10 years; that it’s over 10 years old; in Good condition, and has 900 seats.
The Hyde Park Theatre is listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook as having 800 seats and open 7 days per week. In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac it is listed twice- under M&P Theatres and also under Marget Theatres. The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Hyde Park Theatre has an exterior photo dated April 1941. The theatre had a grand facade like a Greek temple. There was a big rectangular marquee with “Hyde Park” in big letters at the top. Attractions posted in white letters on a black background are “Play Girl” and “The Legion of the Lawless”. The Report states that the theatre is at 1254 Hyde Park Ave., that it has been playing MGM films for over 10 years; that it’s over 15 years old, is in Fair condition, and has 521 seats on the main floor and 215 balcony seats, total: 736 seats.
Looking at the “Bird’s Eye View”, the gray building in the upper left could definitely be the Porter Sq. Theatre. The entrance was at the left, the narrow door across the sidewalk from the white car parked next to a tree. The 1941 MGM photo is not very good. I have no info about an “Eliot Theatre” in Cambridge.
There will be offices on the ground floor and the auditorium will be available for meetings, functions, performances, etc. They have a couple of websites with lengthy addresses – you can view them via Google (Stetson Hall Randolph MA ).
There is a MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Elite Theatre in Walpole. There is an exterior photo dated May 1941, The theatre was a free-standing building 2 stories high. The sides appear to be of wood-frame construction. There is a marquee proclaiming “Elite Theatre” with a small verticle sign above. Large poster cases are on either side of 2 double doors. The Report says that the Elite is at 945 Main St. in Walpole. It has been a MGM customer for over 10 years and is over 15 years old. The condition is Fair. The seating was given as 360 on the main floor and 98 in the balcony, but someone crossed out those figures and wrote in a total of 430 seats. There were no competing theatres in Walpole and the 1940 population was 7,400. In the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook, the Elite was listed as havingt 500 seats and being open 4 days per week.
In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac the Community Theatre in Dedham is listed as being operated by Ralph E. Snider theatres of Boston. At the time, he also ran 2 theatres in Winthrop, 2 theatres in Ware, and one each in Palmer and Salisbury, as well as a few theatres in Maine and RI.
Don- The photo is not very good and probably won’t scan well, but I can send you a copy via mail – are you with the Redev. Authority at the city hall in Woburn? You can also buy a good quality copy of the report from the Theatre Historical Soc. in Elmhurst IL but it’s expensive (about $ 52.) www.historictheatres.org – I wouldn’t advise buying a copy without seeing what it looks like first. I was not aware that the building housing the Strand was still in existence!
The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook lists Stetson Hall in Randolph MA as having 337 seats, open 2 days per week (probably Fri-Sat, or Sat-Sun). The folks who are involved with the restoration effort have some memorabilia – some old ticket stock and an old postcard which shows the theatre interior during the cinema era.
The Winthrop Theatre was included in the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project. There is an exterior photo dated April 1941. The theatre had a grand, heavy facade. There was a big 3-sided marquee with “Winthrop” on the front and sides and space below for posting attractions with black letters on a white background. The Report states that the Winthrop had been a MGM customer for over 10 years; that it was over 10 years old; in Fair condition and had 840 seats. The Winthrop is listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook, but with no information beside its name. It’s listed in the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac as being operated by Ralph Snider theatres of Boston. If the Kincade Theatre was 56 years old in 1982, it would have opened in 1926 and could have been this theatre.
The Watertown Square Theatre in Watertown was included in the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project. There is an exterior photo dated May 1941. The theatre had an impressive facade with decorative brick patterns (I seem to recall that it was yellow or cream brick). A store, the Galen Spa, occupies the left bay, and the center and right bays contain the theatre entrance. There was a rectangular marquee with “Watertown Square” on the front. Attractions posted, in white letters on a dark background, are “Four Sisters” and “Caught in the Act”. There are 3 or 4 pairs of double doors below. Across from the right side of the building seems to be an old diner. The theatre was across from the trolley carbarn in Watertown Sq. The Report states that the theatre has been playing MGM films for over 10 years; that it’s over 15 years old; is in Good condition and has 640 seats. (It appears to be a much larger theatre, with many more seats than that). The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook lists a Strand Theatre in Watertown with 600 seats – is it this theatre?? In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the Watertown Square Theatre is listed as belonging to the E.M. Loew theatre circuit.
The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Porter Square Theatre in Cambridge has an exterior photo dated April 1941. There is a narrow entrance at the left end of the building with an arch above and a small marquee on which is posted “Double Features”. Although the form lists the name as “Porter Square”, the marquee has only “Porter” on it. The form states that the theatre has been a MGM customer for over 10 years; that it was built in 1930, that it’s in Fair condition and has 1000 seats. The type of patronage is described as “Semi-Neighborhood”, whatever that means. This theatre is not listed in the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, and I could find no ads for it in the various old newspaper theatre pages which I have.
Sorry- I meant 6 or 7 letters. Is there a historical society in the area, or a library with 1941 newspapers on file? The question is When was the name “Walden” dropped and what replaced it, if anything, prior to the names “College” and “Nickleodeon” ?
No, the theatre name written in on the MGM Report is not “Nickleodeon” either. The hen-scratching appears to be about 6 or 7 words and looks like “Gacomis” to me.
When the intrepid MGM agent called in from Middleborough with the information he had gathered about the Middleboro Theatre, Nickerson must have sounded like McKesson to the person on the other end of the line ! What a dream job, driving around, photographing theatres and getting paid to do it.
It’s unfortunate that the person who filled out the MGM Report on this theatre in 1941 had such poor penmanship. He/she typed in “Walden” as the theatre name, then crossed it out and wrote in another name. It doesn’t look like “College” or “College Cinema”, but I cannot read it. It seems that he was implying that the theatre was no longer named “Walden”. In any event, the post-Walden history described above is interesting !
The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Middleboro Theatre has an exterior photo dated 1941. The theatre was a free-standing building 3 stories high with the legend “Middleboro Theatre” imprinted on the facade. There was a rain canopy above the sidewalk and several sets of doors, with poster cases. The Report states that the Middleboro Theatre is on “McKesson” Street in Middleborough, but that name does not appear on a street map of the town. The Report states that the theatre has been showing MGM films for 15 years; that it was built in 1910, is in Good condition, and has 346 seats on the main floor and 130 in the balcony, total: 476 seats. It was described as a “community theatre”, was the only theatre in Middleborough, whose population in 1940 was 9,000.
The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Mattapan Theatre has an exterior photo dated 1941. The theatre was located in back of a one-story commercial block on River St. There was a walkway that sloped up to the entrance. There was no marquee but on the roof above the entrance was a gigantic billboard which read “Mattapan Theatre” in huge letters. Below the name was “Now Playing” and below that were 2 lines on which movie titles could be posted. The building possibly may have be built for other purposes and was adapted as a cinema. It was adjacent to the trolley terminal and yard in Mattapan Square. The Report states that the Mattapan had been a MGM customer for 15 years; that it was built in 1910, was in Good condition and had 781 seats.
There is a MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Magnet Theatre in Dorchester. There is an exterior photo dated March 1941. The theatre had an impressive facade with a gigantic window on the second floor. There was a rectangular marquee with “Magnet” in big letters on the front. There was also a vertical blade sign, and the name was also spelled out at the very top of the facade. No mistaking the identity of this theatre ! Under the marquee there were 3 sets of double doors with poster cases on either side. The Report states that the Magnet has been a MGM customer for over 10 years; that it was built in 1925, is in Fair condition, and has 714 seats on the main floor and 714 seats in the balcony. (I am suspicious of the “714” being repeated twice). The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook says that the Magnet had 800 seats.
There is a MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Imperial Theatre in South Boston. It has an external photo dated April 1941. The theatre had a narrow entrance at the left end of a building at least 3 stories high. There was a small, but very bright , triangular marquee above which was a large sign with bright letters reading “Imperial Theatre Moving Pictures”. Below the marquee was a double door with poster cases on each side. The movie posted on the marquee is Cary Grant in “In Name Only”. It’s possible that the auditorium was upstairs on the second floor. The Report states that the theatre is on “I Street” (“eye”), but the streetscape looks more like Broadway. The Report says that the Imperial is not a MGM customer, that it’s over 15 years old and is in Fair condition, and has 500 seats. Does anyone know anything about this long-gone little “Nabe” ? I know someone who grew up in “Southie” in the 1940s and 1950s and he, despite being a film fan, never heard of the Imperial.
The Waltham Theatre was included in the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project. The entrance was in the center of a 2-story building with a heavy cornice along the roof. There was a 1920s-style rectangular marquee with “Waltham” in big bulbed letters on the front. There are small shops on either side of the entrance. The Report states that the theatre is at 410 Moody St. in Waltham, that it has been showing MGM films for over 10 years; that it’s over 15 years old, and is in Fair condition. It had 370 seats on the main floor and 305 in the balcony; total: 675 seats. The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook lists the Waltham as having 1400 seats and open 6 days per week. The 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac shows it as being part of M&P Theatres.
The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Madison Theatre in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston has an exterior photo dated 1941. The entrance was in the center of a one-story commercial building. There was a big arched sunburst over the entrace, and a rectangular Deco-style marquee with “Madison” in large letters on the front. Movie was “Flight Command”. There are shops on either side of the entrance. The Report states that the Madison is at 292 Center St., that it has been playing MGM films for over 10 years; that it was built in 1900, is in Fair condition and has 450 seats. In the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook there is no Madison Th. listed but there is a Supreme Theatre in J.P. with 600 seats — it’s probably this one. There was no apparent trace of any movie theatres along Center St. when I worked in J.P. in the early 1970s.
The Jamaica Theatre in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston was included in the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project. There is an exterior photo dated April 1941. The entrance was at the right end of a large brick building. It had a small triangular marquee with the M&P logo at the apex and “Jamaica” in big letters at the top of each side. Attraction was “Footsteps in the Dark”. There were narrow poster cases on each side of the entrance and a fire excape landing directly above the marquee. The Report states that the Jamaica was at 413 Center St., had been showing MGM films for over 10 years; was over 15 years old, in Fair condition, and had 1164 seats on the orchestra floor and 774 in the balcony; total: 1,938 seats. The Jamaica Theatre is listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook as having 1200 seats and being open 7 days per week. When I worked in “J.P.” in the early 1970s, there was no apparent trace of any movie theatres along Center St.
Yes, it was. It was located across from the west wall of the Navy Yard. Every building there was demolished in the late-1940s for the right-of-way for the approach to the south end of the Mystic River Bridge (Tobin Bridge). The Hollywood was supposedly built in 1929. The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Hollywood has an exterior photo dated March 1941. The entrance was in the middle of a commercial building at least 2 stories high. There was a rectangular marquee with “Hollywood” in big bulbed letters on the front. Under the marquee was a centered ticket booth; with narrow poster cases on either side of the entrance. A metal grate has been drawn across the entrance. To the left of the entrance is Blackie’s Locker Hall, open 24 hours. These locker facilities were very common near the gates of Navy bases; the sailors used them to store their belongings. The Hollywood Theatre undoubtedly drew much of its patronage from the sailors and marines at the base. Somewhere I heard that toward the end of its existence, it was only open on weekends.
The 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac lists the Medford Theatre as being operated by the Middlesex Amusement Co. (Ramsdell Brothers), which ran most of the theatres in Malden. The Medford Theatre is also listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook as having 1800 seats and being open 6 days per week. That seating figure appears to be incorrect.
The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook lists the Princess Theatre in Wakefield as having 800 seats and open 6 days per week. The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Princess has an exterior photo dated March 1941. The theatre was apparently “modernized” in 1938. It’s an older theatre with a new streamlined front. The entrance is on the right corner of the building; there is a semi-circular rain canopy over a set of double doors, with “Princess Theatre” in enormous letters on the wall above. There appears to be an elevated stage house at the rear. The Report states that the Princess has been showing MGM product for 3 years; that it was “Built” in 1938; that it’s in DeLuxe condition, and has 489 orchestra seats and 210 balcony seats; total: 699 seats. It’s at 26 Mechanic St.; the competing theatre is the Wakefield Th., and the 1940 population of Wakefield was 16,200.
The Wakefield Theatre was listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook has having 900 seats and operating 6 days per week. The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Wakefield has an exterior photo dated March 1941. The theatre had a narrow entrance in a brick commercial block. There was a small old-fashioned marquee with “Wakefield” in big letters on its front with a sunburst above, all outlined with bulbs. On the second floor, above the marquee, was a large arched Palladian-style window. The Report states that the Wakefield has been a MGM customer for over 10 years; that it’s over 10 years old; in Good condition, and has 900 seats.
The Hyde Park Theatre is listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook as having 800 seats and open 7 days per week. In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac it is listed twice- under M&P Theatres and also under Marget Theatres. The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Hyde Park Theatre has an exterior photo dated April 1941. The theatre had a grand facade like a Greek temple. There was a big rectangular marquee with “Hyde Park” in big letters at the top. Attractions posted in white letters on a black background are “Play Girl” and “The Legion of the Lawless”. The Report states that the theatre is at 1254 Hyde Park Ave., that it has been playing MGM films for over 10 years; that it’s over 15 years old, is in Fair condition, and has 521 seats on the main floor and 215 balcony seats, total: 736 seats.
Looking at the “Bird’s Eye View”, the gray building in the upper left could definitely be the Porter Sq. Theatre. The entrance was at the left, the narrow door across the sidewalk from the white car parked next to a tree. The 1941 MGM photo is not very good. I have no info about an “Eliot Theatre” in Cambridge.
There will be offices on the ground floor and the auditorium will be available for meetings, functions, performances, etc. They have a couple of websites with lengthy addresses – you can view them via Google (Stetson Hall Randolph MA ).
There is a MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Elite Theatre in Walpole. There is an exterior photo dated May 1941, The theatre was a free-standing building 2 stories high. The sides appear to be of wood-frame construction. There is a marquee proclaiming “Elite Theatre” with a small verticle sign above. Large poster cases are on either side of 2 double doors. The Report says that the Elite is at 945 Main St. in Walpole. It has been a MGM customer for over 10 years and is over 15 years old. The condition is Fair. The seating was given as 360 on the main floor and 98 in the balcony, but someone crossed out those figures and wrote in a total of 430 seats. There were no competing theatres in Walpole and the 1940 population was 7,400. In the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook, the Elite was listed as havingt 500 seats and being open 4 days per week.
In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac the Community Theatre in Dedham is listed as being operated by Ralph E. Snider theatres of Boston. At the time, he also ran 2 theatres in Winthrop, 2 theatres in Ware, and one each in Palmer and Salisbury, as well as a few theatres in Maine and RI.
Don- The photo is not very good and probably won’t scan well, but I can send you a copy via mail – are you with the Redev. Authority at the city hall in Woburn? You can also buy a good quality copy of the report from the Theatre Historical Soc. in Elmhurst IL but it’s expensive (about $ 52.) www.historictheatres.org – I wouldn’t advise buying a copy without seeing what it looks like first. I was not aware that the building housing the Strand was still in existence!
The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook lists Stetson Hall in Randolph MA as having 337 seats, open 2 days per week (probably Fri-Sat, or Sat-Sun). The folks who are involved with the restoration effort have some memorabilia – some old ticket stock and an old postcard which shows the theatre interior during the cinema era.
The Winthrop Theatre was included in the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project. There is an exterior photo dated April 1941. The theatre had a grand, heavy facade. There was a big 3-sided marquee with “Winthrop” on the front and sides and space below for posting attractions with black letters on a white background. The Report states that the Winthrop had been a MGM customer for over 10 years; that it was over 10 years old; in Fair condition and had 840 seats. The Winthrop is listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook, but with no information beside its name. It’s listed in the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac as being operated by Ralph Snider theatres of Boston. If the Kincade Theatre was 56 years old in 1982, it would have opened in 1926 and could have been this theatre.
The Watertown Square Theatre in Watertown was included in the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project. There is an exterior photo dated May 1941. The theatre had an impressive facade with decorative brick patterns (I seem to recall that it was yellow or cream brick). A store, the Galen Spa, occupies the left bay, and the center and right bays contain the theatre entrance. There was a rectangular marquee with “Watertown Square” on the front. Attractions posted, in white letters on a dark background, are “Four Sisters” and “Caught in the Act”. There are 3 or 4 pairs of double doors below. Across from the right side of the building seems to be an old diner. The theatre was across from the trolley carbarn in Watertown Sq. The Report states that the theatre has been playing MGM films for over 10 years; that it’s over 15 years old; is in Good condition and has 640 seats. (It appears to be a much larger theatre, with many more seats than that). The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook lists a Strand Theatre in Watertown with 600 seats – is it this theatre?? In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the Watertown Square Theatre is listed as belonging to the E.M. Loew theatre circuit.
The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Porter Square Theatre in Cambridge has an exterior photo dated April 1941. There is a narrow entrance at the left end of the building with an arch above and a small marquee on which is posted “Double Features”. Although the form lists the name as “Porter Square”, the marquee has only “Porter” on it. The form states that the theatre has been a MGM customer for over 10 years; that it was built in 1930, that it’s in Fair condition and has 1000 seats. The type of patronage is described as “Semi-Neighborhood”, whatever that means. This theatre is not listed in the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, and I could find no ads for it in the various old newspaper theatre pages which I have.