Framingham Cinema Shoppers' World
1 Worcester Road,
Framingham,
MA
01701
1 Worcester Road,
Framingham,
MA
01701
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Showing 26 - 50 of 74 comments
My father, Stanley Werthman was VP in charge concessions at General Cinema during the late 1960s when he came home one night and was working on the name of the new lemon drink at GCC. I blurted out out “Lotta Lemon”, and that was that.
An article in the October 13, 1951, issue of Boxoffice said that the Cinema in Framingham had opened on October 4. The building was designed by Ketchum, Gina & Sharp, architects of the shopping center, and the theater architect was Benjamin Schlanger. An additional article about the theater, with two small photos, appeared in the October 4, 1952, issue of Boxoffice.
Some background information about the Shoppers World Cinema that (on a quick glance) has gone unlinked here (save for a couple photos):
http://generalcinematheatres.com/
Click on the “Shoppers World/Where it All Began” logo.
I remember the strict hierarchy of theatres in that part of the greater Boston area in the ‘60s and '70s. First-run would always be at a single downtown theatre (generally, the most prestigious pictures opened at one of the Cheris, even though those theatres were pretty small and unimpressive). Second-run would be here at Shopper’s World, along with other mall theatres north and south. Third-run would go to the Wellesley Community Theatre and lots of other, similar small movie houses in suburban towns. I always knew a film was “big” in my parents’ minds when we took it in at the Cinemas, rather than waiting until it got to Wellesley.
There is an interior photo on this site:
http://tinyurl.com/l6wl9w
I was an usher at the St. George around 1957-8. The major picture I can remember playing there was the French film, Diabolique.—-Jim Mills
In 1953, the Cinema ran summer stock plays, and was called the County Playhouse for the summer. Maybe you remember Nick Lavidor who managed the Cinema around 1959 or so. I remember going to the movies as a kid, seeing The D.I. with Jack Webb, and Carousel. Do you have any memories of the St. George or Gorman downtown Framingham?
Dwodeyla… My father,Lloyd Mills, became the manager of the Cinema in 1953. Since the Cinema was in buisness for several years before that, he wouldn’t have been the first manager. He had been a theater manager going back at least until 1937 when he managed a theater in London, Ontario. Following that he was a manager in Ottawa, Kitchener and Toronto. We moved to the US in 1947 and he ran theaters in Buffalo and Louiville, KY. In 1953 he joined Smith Management, initially running Drive in theaters in Pittsburg and Cleveland and then becoming Framingham District Manager with responsibility over the Cinema, St. George, Gorman, and the Natick Drive In. In 1958 following a theft of $3,000 by the assistant manager, my father lost his position at the Cinema. He ran the St. George for a couple of years and then started a Letter Service buisness and eventually worked as a supervisor in the Post Office. I worked for many years as an usher at the Cinema and have strong personal memories of virtually every film that we played during that period. The first pre-Cinemascope picture that I remember is Botany Bay probably in late Nov of 1953. ….Jim Mills
Jim, your Father was probably the first Manager of the Cinema. How did he arrive in Framingham Massachusetts, managing Phil Smith’s first shopping center theatre?
Jim, your Father was probably the first Manager of the Cinema. How did he arrive in Framingham Massachusetts, managing Phil Smith’s first shoppinng center theatre?
My father, Lloyd M. Mills, was the Cinema theater manager and district manager (St. George, Gorman, Natick drive-in) from 1953 to 1958. During this period, I was an usher and usually changed the marquees (3).By the time we arrived in the late fall of 1953, the large Cinemascope Screen had been installed. Our first Cinemascope film was the Robe, followed by How to Marry a Millionaire and Beneath the 12 Mile reef. I remember in 1954 helping to clear out the Hollis Theater when it closed. We played some great movies during those years and I have many fond memories of that time the last few years at Framingham High and first few years at Northeastern Univ.
Not to nit pick, but supposedly the Ridgeway Theater in Stamford, CT opened in the summer of 1951 as also one of the very first shopping center theaters.
Sorry I never got to visit it or Cinema Shoppers. Both appear to have been wonderful places.
It was great to find a link to this wonderful site through the Recent Past Preservation Network, and I was excited to see a page for this theater and all the great photos that were posted. I grew up in Holliston and can remember seeing films here and shopping at the old Shoppers World with my parents. My how things have changed in the Golden Triangle just in my short lifetime of 22 years. At least the General Cinemas that built on Flutie Pass wasn’t a total big boring box with an attempt at a sort of Art Deco or Moderne revival facade.
Drive-Ins.com has the theatre catalogs uploaded. The Cinema can be found in the 1953-1954 edition starting with Page 30.
We were issued a black clip on bow tie as part of the uniform. The company was supposed to provide the black tux pants that had a satin stripe down the side, but usually, the Manager told us to buy our own, as it would help him save on his uniform budget. Girls had the white blouse, with a fold across black tie that clipped in the front. Once in awhile, the head usher would be given some petty cash to walk over to Kennedy’s which was next to Jordan Marsh, to buy a few ties. (people sometimes lost them while on break.)
Upstairs in the usher’s room, which was above the balcony next to Booth I, there was a solitary military looking woolen top coat that had epaulets. On cold winter’s nights, if the line was long outside, the announcer would put on the coat to announce the line outside. I always thought that coat was the last remnant of a long-ago era. The coat disappeared at some point, it was that era when kids thought wearing old military-style clothing was the hippie thing to do.
Back in the day, at the Cinema where I ushered, they only had the females in the stand and the box office. The males ripped tickets and ushered. We went back there only to bring a case of soda cups from the stock room upstairs or to change a pepsi tank. It was a RARE occasion when they put one of us back there selling, and then we were there we were told to take off the blue jacket. If we slopped soda and butter on our white shirt, it was our problem. If it was super-busy, both sold out theatres coming in at the same time (total 2100 seats) there were 8 girls in there, plus they’d throw in a couple of ushers and the managers secretary. I think I still have a couple of those blue jackets in a closet in my mothers house in Ohio.
Not sure I agree, dw- The blue jackets got pretty nasty with soda and Lotta Lemon residue if you were working behind the counter. But the red vests came with the oh-so-appealing plaid shirt.
Mark Davis, did you get caught by Shoppers World security? To Jeff, the blue jackets were considered pretty nice looking, as they replaced bright orange which I wore when I was an usher there, 1966-1968.
You’re right, Gabby- nobody forgets their experience working at “The Cinema!”
Only thing I didn’t do at least once between 1985 & 1988 was run the projectors. Not sure which outfit was worse to wear- the blue polyester jacket or the red vest ensemble!
It’s interesting how many people never forget the details of their experiences working at “The Cinema”. Did you ever “do the marquee” or bring in the candy shipment?
In about 1972 at age 16, I worked as an usher/popcorn-maker at the General Cinema at Shoppers World. I worked there during the showing of The Godfather and Jeremiah Johnson. Let me tell you that the “oil” used to pop the corn was a vile substance. I would eat food during my breaks at the Roundup steak/burger place next door. I had a crush on a girl who worked behind the candy counter (cannot recall her name) whom I met a few times later at the Common in Framingham Center in 1973 (I think she lived near there). After I quit my job, I snuck into the thetaer w/ a few friends via that outdoor smoking area (encircled w/ concrete blocks). My former boss caught us and told me “You can never come back here again.” I wish I could remember his name. In 1974, at around the time I finished high school at Framingham North High, I streaked naked through Shoppers World. I moved to California in 1980 but my mom still lives in Framingham.
Before the split, Cinema I had a large curved screen with curtains that could be opened for the feature presentation. The wheels that the curtain rode on got so squeaky, that Joe DiCarlo arranged for our Projectionist/stagehand, Ralph Nugnes to climb to the top and oil them. That night, while standing in the back of the auditiorium, we noticed long shiny lines that looked like slash marks running down the screen. It was a reflection off the oil, which had run down the screen. The next morning, Ralph was back up on an A ladder brushing talcum powder on the oil. And Joe DiCarlo was on the phone with Joe Saunders. He told him that Mel Wintman had been to the movies the night before and made a derogatory comment on the condition of the screen. “I told Mel you had already ordered a new screen”. Saunders was relieved, and within a couple of days, the new screen was installed. Mel never found out. That was a lesson in how to head off a problem, and also that oil wasn’t a good idea for curtain runners.
My recollection is that the Cinema I screen (prior to twinning) was curved.
I saw two other Sensurround presentations at the GC Shoppers World in addition to “Earthquake”: “Midway” and “Rollercoaster.” The Sensurround equipment was relocated to Cinema II for those two films, which were released after Cinema I had been twinned.
As I said, it was a fun time, Dave <g>. You ought to write a book about your experiences in the New England Theatres. I enjoy reading what you have to say.
Phil, you rescued us many times when Mel Wintman would come to a show and notice an aperture plate misfiled, or a blurry picture, or a buzz in the soundtrack! I think the original Shoppers World screen was curved and may have contributed to touchy focus issues. Joe DiCarlo always relied on you to fix whatever problems we had.