The 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac lists Interstate Theatres Corp. at 260 Tremont Street, Boston. At the time, they controlled 3 theatres in Plymouth: the Old Colony, the Plymouth and the Park Theatre.
If you are in Elmhurst during business hours the THSA has a little museum in their space above the York Th. entrance. It’s worth seeing. You can also do theatres-related research, for a fee, in their extensive archives there.
The Majestic would have had a distinguished neighbor if certain plans had come to fruition. Someone with good contacts in the film distribution business in Boston told me that years ago he had heard that in the 1920s Fox had tentative plans to build a huge Fox Theatre on lots directly across Tremont Street from the Majestic. Does anyone know anything about this??
In recent years there have been short reports about the “Rialto Building” in the newsletter of the Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society. The railroad station was built in 1876 and was the terminus of a branchline which came into Lowell from the southeast, from Salem. Later, when the station was closed, the theatre was constructed where the tracks and platforms had been, with its entrance through the old station “head-house” on Central Street. The head-house was renovated and its facade changed. Now that the Rialto Theatre is gone, the head-house has been restored to its original 1876 appearance and is now a commercial structure. The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Rialto has an indistinct photo taken in 1941 which shows that the entrance was in the middle of the block. The Report states that the Rialto has been showing MGM product for 12 years, that it’s over 20 years old, is in Fair condition, and has about 1000 seats, apparently all on one floor. Am I correct in understanding that this building is the last remaining remnant of all the theatres which once stood in Lowell? (not counting the Lowell Memorial Aud.)
Does the Capitol back up to the railroad tracks in Willimantic? I am a railfan and have seen several books which feature color rail photos taken in the 1940s and 1950s. In those taken in Willimantic there is a big theatre with a tall stage-house in the immediate background. The rear stage wall overlooked the railroad yard. Is it the Capitol Theatre??
299 is only 2 storefronts away from 295, so it’s possible that the entrance was changed. Or maybe whoever made up the 1949 list copied the address incorrectly. How I wish I had paid more attention to this cinema when I saw it, even if I didn’t actually go into it. The Borders Books building was originally the main office of the Boston Five bank, as mentioned above. The preceeding building on that site was also a Boston Five office and I went into it a few times. It had no park in front of it and its facade was right on the edge of the sidewalk on Washington St. There was a long corridor inside which led to the building adjacent on School Street which was the main office of the Boston Five before the new (Borders) building opened. If I had ever remembered or realized that the older building had contained the Old South Theatre I would have been more observant while inside it.Anyway, the Old South was gone after 1950-51 or so.
The 1899 photo which Ron Newman posted on Jan. 8th was taken from the new elevated structure— you can see the crossbeam at the bottom of the photo on which the photographer is standing. I have seen another photo taken just a little later, after the el structure had been extended another few dozen yards northward. That photo was taken from ground level and showed that the fencing (or “hoarding”) was still in place around the building just to the Columbia’s south. I understand that a new lobby entrance was being constructed in that building. In the 1928 map posted above, that building is labeled as being owned by the “New Columbia Company”. And although it’s true that the Columbia was on the other (wrong?) side of the tracks, the South End was a huge residential area, able to sustain a number of theatres , in addition to the Columbia, such as the Grand Opera House, Hub, National, Puritan, Cobb, Apollo, Castle Square, etc.
Does anyone know when it closed to movies? I went by it a few times in the 1950s but never went into it. Also, does anyone know when it closed as a live theatre, and what is there now?
When the Wang began its Monday night movie classics series, I believe that they referred to their screen as “the largest in New England”. A rather ominous note was sounded during the 2005 movie season when they dropped admissions and made the showings free.
In its newspaper ads it described itself as an “Open Air Auto Theater”, which showed movies “Continuous from Dusk to Midnight, Rain or (moon) Shine”. I don’t know if it had “Drive-Up” ramps, or “Drive Over” ramps. With drive-up ramps, motorists drove into a position, and then had to back out when leaving. With drive-over ramps, you left by driving forward. I went past this theatre many times, but I cannot remember ever going there.
The Bowdoin Square Theatre had a small ad in the theatre page of the Boston Post for Wed. February 25, 1931. There were 2 movies plus 7 acts of Vaudeville on stage, with the further note that “Tonight is Cabaret Night – Extra Vaudeville Acts”. It must have made for a rather long show, unless they omitted one of the movies at the evening performance.
In the Boston Post for Wednesday, February 25, 1931, the Majestic has ads in two places: it is listed in the Shubert Theatres directory along with the Shubert, Plymouth and Wilbur. Of those 4 theatres, the Majestic is the only one presenting films instead of stage fare. The movie is D.W. Griffith’s “Way Down East” in a “synchronised version”. The movie is Continuous from 11 AM, with admissions of 35 cents to 75 cents. There is a second larger ad for the coming attraction, MGM’s “Trader Horn”, to be shown twice daily at 230PM and 830PM, all seats reserved.
There is an ad for the Tremont Theatre in the Boston Post for Wed., February 25, 1931. The attraction is Charlie Chaplin in “City Lights”. The ad states that the Tremont is “Boston’s New House of Mirth”. Admission ranges for 50 cents to 75 cents to $1., with the note that seats in the second balcony are 50 cents for all shows. In 1931 the theatre would have been still in its 1889 appearance.
There is an ad for the Scollay Square Theatre (no “Olympia”) in the Boston Post for Wed. February 25, 1931. The movie is an action feature about Navy submarines “The Seas Beneath”, plus “Ye Olde Nest Club” floor show on stage with a cast of 75.
There is an ad for the New Gayety Theatre in the Boston Post for Wednesday, Feb. 25, 1931 stating that the theatre would reopen on Sat. Feb. 28th. This may have been after E.M. Loew took it over. The ad states that there will be Vaudeville and Talking Pictures, continuous from 9 AM, with new shows on Sunday, Monday and Thursday. Admission: 15 cents and 25 cents.
There is a small ad for the Fine Arts Theatre in the Boston Post for Wednesday, Feb. 25, 1931. The movie is “Sous les Toits de Paris”, and the ad states that movies are continuous from 1 PM, with admission of 50 cents in the afternoon, and 75 cents in the evening.
There is a very small ad for the Repertory Theatre in the Boston Post of Wed. February 25, 1931. Movies playing are “Melodie des Herzen” (German) and “A Throw of the Dice”.
The Olympic is not mentioned in the Donald King book, either. I once saw a sharp old photo taken from the north (west?) looking south (east?) with the Olympic in the foreground and the Bowdoin Sq. Theatre at the far end of the block. The Olympic had an arched entrance just like the Bowdoin’s. I have no idea what sort of shows it presented; possibly Vaude at first, with films later ???
You can find the Bowdoin Theatre on a 1928 colored map which Ron Newman posted last June to the page for the Strand Theatre in Scollay Square. The Bowdoin’s site was in Bowdoin Square near Chardon Street. To its left was the Majestic Hotel and next to that you can see the site of the Olympic Theatre. The hotel and the Olympic were demolished for the Telephone Co. building. I believe that when the Bowdoin Sq. Theatre was demolished, a new wing was added to the telephone building covering the theatre’s site.
Thanks to Deanna for posting an interesting program— too bad there’s no date on it. Note the Lessee, Gitruh Amusement Co. Gitruh is Hurtig spelled backwards— could this possibly be Hurtig of Hurtig & Seamon, noted theatrical producers many decades ago. You can find the location of the Palace on a 1928 colored map which Ron Newman posted last June on the page for the Strand Theatre in Scollay Square. The Palace was located between Hanover Street and Sudbury St., (closer to the latter), and is identified on the map simply as “Theatre” without the Palace name.
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).
The 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac lists Interstate Theatres Corp. at 260 Tremont Street, Boston. At the time, they controlled 3 theatres in Plymouth: the Old Colony, the Plymouth and the Park Theatre.
If you are in Elmhurst during business hours the THSA has a little museum in their space above the York Th. entrance. It’s worth seeing. You can also do theatres-related research, for a fee, in their extensive archives there.
The Majestic would have had a distinguished neighbor if certain plans had come to fruition. Someone with good contacts in the film distribution business in Boston told me that years ago he had heard that in the 1920s Fox had tentative plans to build a huge Fox Theatre on lots directly across Tremont Street from the Majestic. Does anyone know anything about this??
In recent years there have been short reports about the “Rialto Building” in the newsletter of the Boston & Maine Railroad Historical Society. The railroad station was built in 1876 and was the terminus of a branchline which came into Lowell from the southeast, from Salem. Later, when the station was closed, the theatre was constructed where the tracks and platforms had been, with its entrance through the old station “head-house” on Central Street. The head-house was renovated and its facade changed. Now that the Rialto Theatre is gone, the head-house has been restored to its original 1876 appearance and is now a commercial structure. The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Rialto has an indistinct photo taken in 1941 which shows that the entrance was in the middle of the block. The Report states that the Rialto has been showing MGM product for 12 years, that it’s over 20 years old, is in Fair condition, and has about 1000 seats, apparently all on one floor. Am I correct in understanding that this building is the last remaining remnant of all the theatres which once stood in Lowell? (not counting the Lowell Memorial Aud.)
Does the Capitol back up to the railroad tracks in Willimantic? I am a railfan and have seen several books which feature color rail photos taken in the 1940s and 1950s. In those taken in Willimantic there is a big theatre with a tall stage-house in the immediate background. The rear stage wall overlooked the railroad yard. Is it the Capitol Theatre??
299 is only 2 storefronts away from 295, so it’s possible that the entrance was changed. Or maybe whoever made up the 1949 list copied the address incorrectly. How I wish I had paid more attention to this cinema when I saw it, even if I didn’t actually go into it. The Borders Books building was originally the main office of the Boston Five bank, as mentioned above. The preceeding building on that site was also a Boston Five office and I went into it a few times. It had no park in front of it and its facade was right on the edge of the sidewalk on Washington St. There was a long corridor inside which led to the building adjacent on School Street which was the main office of the Boston Five before the new (Borders) building opened. If I had ever remembered or realized that the older building had contained the Old South Theatre I would have been more observant while inside it.Anyway, the Old South was gone after 1950-51 or so.
Thanks, once again, Gerry DeLuca. I imagine the future for this theatre is bleak.
I have heard that the XXX shop in the lobby of the Paris has closed and the entire theatre is now dark. Can anyone confirm??
I have heard that the Art has just closed – can anyone confirm?
The 1899 photo which Ron Newman posted on Jan. 8th was taken from the new elevated structure— you can see the crossbeam at the bottom of the photo on which the photographer is standing. I have seen another photo taken just a little later, after the el structure had been extended another few dozen yards northward. That photo was taken from ground level and showed that the fencing (or “hoarding”) was still in place around the building just to the Columbia’s south. I understand that a new lobby entrance was being constructed in that building. In the 1928 map posted above, that building is labeled as being owned by the “New Columbia Company”. And although it’s true that the Columbia was on the other (wrong?) side of the tracks, the South End was a huge residential area, able to sustain a number of theatres , in addition to the Columbia, such as the Grand Opera House, Hub, National, Puritan, Cobb, Apollo, Castle Square, etc.
In a 1927 list of movie theatres in Film Daily, there was a Plymouth Theatre, with 600 seats, in Plymouth, in addition to the Old Colony Theatre.
Does anyone know when it closed to movies? I went by it a few times in the 1950s but never went into it. Also, does anyone know when it closed as a live theatre, and what is there now?
When the Wang began its Monday night movie classics series, I believe that they referred to their screen as “the largest in New England”. A rather ominous note was sounded during the 2005 movie season when they dropped admissions and made the showings free.
In its newspaper ads it described itself as an “Open Air Auto Theater”, which showed movies “Continuous from Dusk to Midnight, Rain or (moon) Shine”. I don’t know if it had “Drive-Up” ramps, or “Drive Over” ramps. With drive-up ramps, motorists drove into a position, and then had to back out when leaving. With drive-over ramps, you left by driving forward. I went past this theatre many times, but I cannot remember ever going there.
The Bowdoin Square Theatre had a small ad in the theatre page of the Boston Post for Wed. February 25, 1931. There were 2 movies plus 7 acts of Vaudeville on stage, with the further note that “Tonight is Cabaret Night – Extra Vaudeville Acts”. It must have made for a rather long show, unless they omitted one of the movies at the evening performance.
In the Boston Post for Wednesday, February 25, 1931, the Majestic has ads in two places: it is listed in the Shubert Theatres directory along with the Shubert, Plymouth and Wilbur. Of those 4 theatres, the Majestic is the only one presenting films instead of stage fare. The movie is D.W. Griffith’s “Way Down East” in a “synchronised version”. The movie is Continuous from 11 AM, with admissions of 35 cents to 75 cents. There is a second larger ad for the coming attraction, MGM’s “Trader Horn”, to be shown twice daily at 230PM and 830PM, all seats reserved.
There is an ad for the Tremont Theatre in the Boston Post for Wed., February 25, 1931. The attraction is Charlie Chaplin in “City Lights”. The ad states that the Tremont is “Boston’s New House of Mirth”. Admission ranges for 50 cents to 75 cents to $1., with the note that seats in the second balcony are 50 cents for all shows. In 1931 the theatre would have been still in its 1889 appearance.
There is an ad for the Scollay Square Theatre (no “Olympia”) in the Boston Post for Wed. February 25, 1931. The movie is an action feature about Navy submarines “The Seas Beneath”, plus “Ye Olde Nest Club” floor show on stage with a cast of 75.
There is an ad for the New Gayety Theatre in the Boston Post for Wednesday, Feb. 25, 1931 stating that the theatre would reopen on Sat. Feb. 28th. This may have been after E.M. Loew took it over. The ad states that there will be Vaudeville and Talking Pictures, continuous from 9 AM, with new shows on Sunday, Monday and Thursday. Admission: 15 cents and 25 cents.
There is a small ad for the Fine Arts Theatre in the Boston Post for Wednesday, Feb. 25, 1931. The movie is “Sous les Toits de Paris”, and the ad states that movies are continuous from 1 PM, with admission of 50 cents in the afternoon, and 75 cents in the evening.
There is a very small ad for the Repertory Theatre in the Boston Post of Wed. February 25, 1931. Movies playing are “Melodie des Herzen” (German) and “A Throw of the Dice”.
The Olympic is not mentioned in the Donald King book, either. I once saw a sharp old photo taken from the north (west?) looking south (east?) with the Olympic in the foreground and the Bowdoin Sq. Theatre at the far end of the block. The Olympic had an arched entrance just like the Bowdoin’s. I have no idea what sort of shows it presented; possibly Vaude at first, with films later ???
You can find the Bowdoin Theatre on a 1928 colored map which Ron Newman posted last June to the page for the Strand Theatre in Scollay Square. The Bowdoin’s site was in Bowdoin Square near Chardon Street. To its left was the Majestic Hotel and next to that you can see the site of the Olympic Theatre. The hotel and the Olympic were demolished for the Telephone Co. building. I believe that when the Bowdoin Sq. Theatre was demolished, a new wing was added to the telephone building covering the theatre’s site.
Thanks to Deanna for posting an interesting program— too bad there’s no date on it. Note the Lessee, Gitruh Amusement Co. Gitruh is Hurtig spelled backwards— could this possibly be Hurtig of Hurtig & Seamon, noted theatrical producers many decades ago. You can find the location of the Palace on a 1928 colored map which Ron Newman posted last June on the page for the Strand Theatre in Scollay Square. The Palace was located between Hanover Street and Sudbury St., (closer to the latter), and is identified on the map simply as “Theatre” without the Palace name.
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).