Latchis Theatre
6 Flat Street,
Brattleboro,
VT
05301
6 Flat Street,
Brattleboro,
VT
05301
12 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 42 of 42 comments
Hello guys,
Sorry I almost forgot about the pictures.
If you want the pictures for the Latchis, I will send them to you, but I need your email addresses. I am not going to bother with photo bucket. I have ALOT of pictures and I would have to send them to you via many zipped packages. Also you will need high speed internet connection or you will be up all night downloading.
The pictures are full shot 800 by 600 so they will take up quite a bit of space on a hosting site anyway.
Oh! I do have a You Tube and a Yahoo account, but again I am not sure what Yahoo’s bandwidth restrictions are and I am not even sure that you tube will handle pictures. I only think they do video.
Geo
Hello Lost
No I dont have THAT many, but I have quite a few. Some pictures are a bit dark though. Keep in mind I didn’t have a pro camera with me. But I have lighted up most of the pictures so you can see some detailing.
The Latchis is a very unique theatre. I would almost say it is up there with the rest of the picture palaces. While not as massive and overpowering as most golden age theatres are, it it rich in character.
Unfortunately the week I went to Brattleboro, the rather boring “A Scanner Darkly” was playing and I didn’t go for an actual screening. But the tour was LOADS of fun and I got to see what most people dont.
Vermont has alot of theatres that are a must see. Two I didn’t get to see where the Rutland Paramount and Vermont’s crown jewel, the Burlington Flynn.
Geo
Hello Lost, Roland.
Photobucket? Yeah I heard of them…but I have ALOT of pictures. Not just a few. Is there a limit to a free account? I took pictures of the lobby, all three auditoriums, the stage/backstage areas. Projection booth…etc. Lots of good stuff.
Geo
Geo1, could you please look into my profile for my email address and send those pictures you have of the Latchis? I cannot find your contact info in your profile.
Hello Lost:
I personally had a tour of the Latchis last year and I have lots of pictures…especially of the auditorium(s). If you are impressed with the outside, it is nothing compared to the inside. The architecture on the inside is different. Even though the Latchis building epitomizes the Art Deco style overall. The theatre itself is ancient Greek style. There are many recreations of various temples and other Greek structures that run along the walls. The Theatre is an atmospheric and the stars depict the symbols of the zodiac.
I explained this all in my post above…scroll up. I think one of the things I love about this theatre is the way it is divided. The original owners divided the auditorium UNDER the balcony, thus leaving much of the main auditorium intact.
Did you get pictures of the inside? If so, then you know what I am referring to. It is a beautiful theatre and I am happy to see that it is being saved and it will be undergoing a full restoration and expansion soon that will enable it to do bigger and better live shows.
RON—The Latchis family sold the theatre and hotel in 2003. So they no longer own the building. However, since they had it so long IS the reason why the building remains in excellent condition. The new owners are very estatic about the building and as you can see, measures are already being taken to fully restore the building. For me it makes me happy to know that this building will be loved and cared for many years to come. It is a ‘must see’ visit if you are in the area. But be careful if you bring your car into town, parking in Brattleboro isn’t the greatest, especially around peak quitting time and a good part of the afternoon. At night it is much better though and the town “quiets down”. Most of the parking that is available you have to pay for.
But overall, Brattleboro is a cool town and there is an excellent restaurant by the bridge and you eat on the roof of the building overlooking the river. It is an awesome place. With the exception of the parking, Brattleboro is a great town and they have many historic buildings.
Wilmington and Bellows Falls are also nice historic towns to look at while you are in Vermont. I mention some sights above as well
GEo
The 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac lists the Latchis circuit as being run by Peter D. Latchis at Flat St. in Brattleboro. The Latchis theatres are: VERMONT: Brattleboro: Auditorium, Latchis; Windsor: Strand, Windsor; Woodstock: Community, Woodstock. NEW HAMPSHIRE: Claremont: Latchis; Keene: Colonial, Latchis; Milford: Latchis, Strand. MASS.: Greenfield: Lawler; Leominster: Plymouth, Rialto. Total: 14 theatres in 1941.
Hello ROLLINRCK
The theatre you are referring to is the Hooker-Dunham Theatre. It is in what I would consider a very bad spot. It is all the way done the block and under the Hooker-Dunham building. An out of towner would have a difficult time finding this theatre if they didn’t ask. I did want to check this theatre out, but it was not open upon my arrival. It supposed to have about 100 seats and a very small stage. The nice thing is that is has a lobby just as big as the theatre itself and art work is usually presented on this side. There is some sort of deck area right outside the door of the theatre and it does offer really nice views of the river and mountain running right to the east of the town.
Another impressive theatre to check out is the Memorial Hall in Wilmington. It has huge church like windows and the interior is all white. It is very bright inside. VERY elegant. BIG stage. There is a balcony as well, but as the name suggests, it is a HALL and therefore doesn’t have raked or permanent seating. There are risers though for regular chairs and they handle the building’s needs nicely.
I can go on and on about Vermont theatres as there are many in the state. But if you are ever in Brattleboro the Latchis is a MUST see. Word of advice though…Brattleboro is NOT a very car friendly town. Parking and traffic does get nutty, especially just south of Flat street where the New Hampshire bridge is. Park your car outside of town and walk in or take the MOOver bus into town. You will thank yourself later and enjoy the town much much more. BTW, there is no free parking in Brattleboro, everything is metered or has three hour limits.
Oh! Speaking of the New Hampshire bridge. Just at the foot of the bridge there is a restaurant called the Riverview Cafe. Go there and eat. If it is a nice day, request the roof. The view is to die for. Food is good too!
JG
Oh, I took loads of pictures of the Latchis. If anyone wants to see them, just give me your Email address and I will send you a picture package :).
JG
Hello ALL
A couple weeks ago I planned a trip to Vermont and I had the very rare opportunity to have a guided tour of the Latchis Theatre. It is a very impressive theatre and unique in many ways. First it is a dual style theatre being Art Deco on the outside and Greek on the inside. There are many depictions of Greek history and mythology all over. The theatre has asymetric walls and murals. The theatre IS an atmospheric and the ceiling is a play on the ‘normal’ night sky used in atmospherics. This theatre has Greek inspired constellations (referred to earlier). Upon talking with the theatre tech, he said DID light up at one time. They no longer do now. The Latchis family owned the Hotel/theater until 2003. They cared very much for their theatre and it is in remarkable shape for it’s age. It is in need of restoration and there are visible areas in need of attention, but again it is in excellent shape. The Latchis family loved this theatre and it shows. While they must have felt the pinch as any other single screen theatre has, they didn’t fully give into the idea of just ramming a wall down the middle of the theatre and/or dividing off the balcony as most other theatres would have done. Instead the theatre was carefully divided UNDERNEATH the balcony thus leaving the entire auditorium still original and for the most part intact. The theatre still maintains its grandeur. The division looks very much intentional and as it was always a part of the theatre. It is VERY tastefully done. While I am not one to be in favor of dividing a theatre, this is without a doubt the best way to do it. So where is the third theatre? Well, the Latchis was fortunate enough to have an unused ballroom opposite the upper level entrance to the balcony. This was converted to the third theatre. The level of artwork in this theatre is a must see. There are plans to convert a rented space to a fourth theatre and the main theatre will be expanded and renovated for the main purpose of showcasing live acts. The seats that were not redone have a really nice pattern to them and I do hope that the owners of the theatre manage to find that same pattern. The balcony is huge and has stadium seating. The orchestra section has regular raked seating. At one time it looked to be that there was an orchestra pit, but now the stage has been increased in size and built out. I could easily tell where the original stage ended and where the new section was built. The original stage had a very nice rounded shape to it. The projection booth does still have most of it’s original equipment, but it is pulled out of service and the projectors are a converted platter system. The main projection booth is pretty big. Roland L above shows the pictures of the lobby and front entrance. Most of which is intact. The theatre still has it’s outside box office too. There are also plans to build a ‘nicer’ marquee as well. The tour of the theatre was fantastic and there will be great things to come for this theatre’s future. So it looks like there will be a very happy future in the life of this theatre and it will be very much saved.
JG
Does anyone remember the name of the theatre up the block, at the intersection of Main and High street?
Wow, I just happen to be traveling through Brattleboro today and came across this theater. I took a few pictures so I hope they are appreciated.
A comment in general about Brattleboro; historic eye candy all over the place!
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After viewing the unpretentious exterior photo of the Latchis I was surprised to read that it is an atmospheric theatre!
This is a terrific theater! It is, of course, a shame that the main auditorium has been divided up into additional theaters, but the lobby (and building) are still vintage art deco. The terrazzo floor and stairs are beautifully crafted and look brand-new. Last time I was there, the theater sold real butter for the popcorn. When in Vermont, check this out!
Some information I have found includes that it opened in 1938,the architect was S.W.Haynes,and the auditorium had constellations painted on the ceiling.
atmos
The theatre/hotel building is at the corner of Main and Flat Streets, so both addresses make sense.
The Colonial theatre in Keene, N.H. is a Latchis theatre. I saw “Return of The Black Stallion” when it was first released along with maybe 25 other people. I'ts a beautiful theatre and I only hope it’s drawing more people today. I saw your remaining portion of the theatre just two years ago. Judging from the size of the parking lot, the auditorium must have huge. I believe there is a bicycle store in the remaining portion. If you get to Keene, I know there’s another theatre just a block from the Colonial which has been converted into apartments. I believe a local resident told me it was a Latchis' also.
Hi, I just bought an old latchis theatre building in claremont new hampshire, although the theatre has been demolished the main building still remains. There were about 15 latchis theatres in the connecticut river valley, does anyone know where they were?
Where can i get theater material to restore the old lobby?