If they’re worse than Copley Place, that’s pretty bad! I’ve probably never been in any of them. The last film I saw here was The Prince of Egypt, and that was in a big auditorium.
Chestnut Hill is a fairly long walk from the Green Line, and the AMC Fenway is a long way from Newton. It seems like even chain multiplexes are now starting to disappear from local neighborhoods.
Today’s Boston Herald carries a report that developers are interested in buying the Circle Cinemas property and demolishing it to build condominiums.
That would leave a big void in the Brookline-Newton market, with only the four-screen Chestnut Hill Cinemas remaining to show mainstream films. (The Coolidge Corner and West Newton concentrate mainly on art films.) It would also remove one of the few movie theaters easily accessible by public transportation. I hope it doesn’t happen.
There’s another entry here for Puritan Theatre, but it gives the address as 1741 Washington Street. Either one of the addresses is wrong, or it changed its address, or these were two different theatres, side-by-side.
And as for the Canton theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Pipe Organ, the October 20, 1980, Globe article says it was originally installed in the Dedham Community Theatre, and for the last 25 years “had been used as a church organ in a small fishing village in Nova Scotia”.
I made a mistake in the above comment — he was trying to develop a movie house called Dreamland in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard — not Nantucket.
I found a few Globe articles from October 1980 and March 1982 about a guy named Fred McLennan who operated the Oriental Theatre in Canton, with many decorations from the Oriental in Mattapan. The 1982 article said that Canton’s Oriental was 65 years old at the time. It also says the Canton theatre seated 300, which seems very small for a 1917 theatre.
A September 19, 1988 Globe article said that McLennan, who had owned the Oriental’s stars, moon, and cloud machine for 17 years, was trying to sell it to a theatre in Phoenix. I guess this did not happen, because…
A Globe article from January 4, 1993, says that the same Fred McLennan, now the developer of the Dreamland movie house in Nantucket, was “trying to incorporate into the design the cloud machine from the old Oriental Theater in Mattapan.” I don’t know if this actually happened either.
Anyone know more about either McLennan or the Canton theatre?
(the spelling of his name in the Globe articles is very inconsistent — McLennan is most common, but I also see McLernan, MacLennan, and even McLellan)
If we have to lose the Gaiety, the second-best outcome would be for the court to rule that a destroyed theatre must be replaced in any new development. Downtown Boston could certainly use a second movie multiplex, especially once Copley Place closes.
The Stoughton Cinema is still open as a cinema pub. I’ve never been there, so I can’t say anything useful about the interior.
The former entrance to the Oriental appears to now be occupied by a retail clothing store called “J City”, whose address is 1599 Blue Hill Avenue. To get to Capitol Electric Supply, which occupies the former theatre itself, you have to walk around the corner onto Fairway Street and enter through a side parking lot.
When I walked by there at 7 pm tonight, Capitol Electric Supply was not open, but I’ll try again some weekend.
I actually think the high-rises are good for downtown — the more people live there, the more they will patronize local entertainment venues. However, a theater should never be sacrificed for this purpose if it’s still usable.
Tonight on WGBH 2 at 7:00 PM, Emily Rooney’s Greater Boston, will feature a 10 minute segment on the plight of The Gaiety Theatre. [i believe this show repeats at midnight — RN]
Unfortunately I must also report that Judge Spina of the SJC has rejected the standing of the Glass Slipper to request an injunction against demolition. His decision begins, “I have failed to conclude that the petitioners will suffer irreperable harm if an injunction does not issue…”
Thus, the remaining impediment to demolition of The Gaiety Theatre will be removed without a trial on the merits of the case ever having been heard. There now appears to be no further recourse.
Though this may be of little consolation to Gaiety Friends, the appeals process remains open to challengers of Kensington Place.
So people did not typically decide to go to these theatres by seeing them in newspaper listings or ads?
Do New Yorkers actually call this the ‘Cadillac Winter Garden’ in ordinary conversation, or do they just call it the ‘Winter Garden’ ?
Is it still closed for renovations, or has another show opened since Cats closed?
In everyday conversation, do New Yorkers actually call it the ‘American Airlines Theatre’, or do they still call it the Selwyn?
What do Chicagoans call this in ordinary conversation? The Palace, or the Cadillac Palace?
“Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theater” is a very awkward name.
What do everyday Chicagoans call it? Is it still “the Oriental” in ordinary conversation? What do newspapers call it?
If they’re worse than Copley Place, that’s pretty bad! I’ve probably never been in any of them. The last film I saw here was The Prince of Egypt, and that was in a big auditorium.
Chestnut Hill is a fairly long walk from the Green Line, and the AMC Fenway is a long way from Newton. It seems like even chain multiplexes are now starting to disappear from local neighborhoods.
Today’s Boston Herald carries a report that developers are interested in buying the Circle Cinemas property and demolishing it to build condominiums.
That would leave a big void in the Brookline-Newton market, with only the four-screen Chestnut Hill Cinemas remaining to show mainstream films. (The Coolidge Corner and West Newton concentrate mainly on art films.) It would also remove one of the few movie theaters easily accessible by public transportation. I hope it doesn’t happen.
There’s another entry here for Puritan Theatre, but it gives the address as 1741 Washington Street. Either one of the addresses is wrong, or it changed its address, or these were two different theatres, side-by-side.
And from tomorrow’s Boston Phoenix:
Strike three for a historic landmark
Looks like it’s over, folks. The only remaining question is when the bulldozer arrives.
From tomorrow’s Boston Phoenix:
Strike three for a historic landmark
And as for the Canton theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Pipe Organ, the October 20, 1980, Globe article says it was originally installed in the Dedham Community Theatre, and for the last 25 years “had been used as a church organ in a small fishing village in Nova Scotia”.
I made a mistake in the above comment — he was trying to develop a movie house called Dreamland in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard — not Nantucket.
I found a few Globe articles from October 1980 and March 1982 about a guy named Fred McLennan who operated the Oriental Theatre in Canton, with many decorations from the Oriental in Mattapan. The 1982 article said that Canton’s Oriental was 65 years old at the time. It also says the Canton theatre seated 300, which seems very small for a 1917 theatre.
A September 19, 1988 Globe article said that McLennan, who had owned the Oriental’s stars, moon, and cloud machine for 17 years, was trying to sell it to a theatre in Phoenix. I guess this did not happen, because…
A Globe article from January 4, 1993, says that the same Fred McLennan, now the developer of the Dreamland movie house in Nantucket, was “trying to incorporate into the design the cloud machine from the old Oriental Theater in Mattapan.” I don’t know if this actually happened either.
Anyone know more about either McLennan or the Canton theatre?
(the spelling of his name in the Globe articles is very inconsistent — McLennan is most common, but I also see McLernan, MacLennan, and even McLellan)
Huh? I just said that the former entrance is a retail store and the theatre itself is an electrical supply house.
If we have to lose the Gaiety, the second-best outcome would be for the court to rule that a destroyed theatre must be replaced in any new development. Downtown Boston could certainly use a second movie multiplex, especially once Copley Place closes.
What a name! “Hey, wanna catch a film at the Suck tonight?”
From today’s Boston Herald:
Gaiety may be goner after SJC nix
and Globe:
Bid to stop Gaiety’s demolition rejected
(2nd item)
I agree. In fact, why not make that list something you can page through, day by day, just like the Updated Theatres and Newest Theatres lists?
Sampan is on the ball – they’ve already posted this story to their web site:
Theater’s Days are Numbered
They also posted a copy of the justice’s decision allowing demolition:
Page 1
Page 2
(warning: each page is a 2 Meg JPG file)
The Stoughton Cinema is still open as a cinema pub. I’ve never been there, so I can’t say anything useful about the interior.
The former entrance to the Oriental appears to now be occupied by a retail clothing store called “J City”, whose address is 1599 Blue Hill Avenue. To get to Capitol Electric Supply, which occupies the former theatre itself, you have to walk around the corner onto Fairway Street and enter through a side parking lot.
When I walked by there at 7 pm tonight, Capitol Electric Supply was not open, but I’ll try again some weekend.
I actually think the high-rises are good for downtown — the more people live there, the more they will patronize local entertainment venues. However, a theater should never be sacrificed for this purpose if it’s still usable.
By the way, the listing above says “Twin”. Are you sure? I thought this was a single screen.
And now I’ve got an e-mail back from the owner of Java Jo’s:
“The former theater is used for storage by the building landlord. The screen and seating have been removed and not suitable for screening.”
Did that movie ever open in Boston, or did everyone have to get out to the suburbs to see it?
The very latest from Lee Eiseman:
Subject: last word
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Tonight on WGBH 2 at 7:00 PM, Emily Rooney’s Greater Boston, will feature a 10 minute segment on the plight of The Gaiety Theatre. [i believe this show repeats at midnight — RN]
Unfortunately I must also report that Judge Spina of the SJC has rejected the standing of the Glass Slipper to request an injunction against demolition. His decision begins, “I have failed to conclude that the petitioners will suffer irreperable harm if an injunction does not issue…”
Thus, the remaining impediment to demolition of The Gaiety Theatre will be removed without a trial on the merits of the case ever having been heard. There now appears to be no further recourse.
Though this may be of little consolation to Gaiety Friends, the appeals process remains open to challengers of Kensington Place.