Hi Robert,
From what I know of the name Hathaway, according to the city directories it was located up the block and around the corner from Rogers Pool, on Shattuck at the corner of Market (or Market at the corner of Shattuck). I’m betting it was where the parking lot to the Athenian Corner is now.
It started sometime before 1896 as the Savoy until 1902, then the Casto Theatre from 1903 to 1905, Hathaway’s Theatre from 1906 to 1912 and finally the Playhouse Theatre from 1913 to 1918.
It’s a strange name, but evidently a popular organization. There wee also Odd Fellow buildings in both Lawrence and Haverhill.
This was the one in Lawrence, near the Opera House there. http://www.pbase.com/jroy/image/122772181
This was the second Palace Theater in Lowell. The first was at 312 Middlesex St. in 1906 which opened as the Parlor Theatre in 1899.
The Palace at 49 E. Merrimack St. opened as the Victory in 1928, became the Tower Theater in 1939, the L.G.M. Memorial in 1945 and finally the Palace in 1948. It operated until 1953. According to Nancy Tuttle of the Lowell Sun, it was owned by Norman Glassman and, for some of that period, was managed by Mr. Sokolowski. The theater’s marquee wound up over the vacant former showroom of Gervais Buick.
The Opera House was built in 1887. Located in an area of Lowell called back Central street, its original address was 347 Central Street and 12 Gorham Street, straddling the fork between the two.
By 1913 it was licensed to and operated by Julius Cahn himself. Moving Picture World magazine stated that “Feature pictures, illustrated songs and no vaudeville is the policy of Julius Cahn’s Opera House, Lowell, Mass.”
In 1914 it was licensed to the Great Eastern Amusement Company, John L. Shea Pres., from 1915 to 1918 Charles H. Emerson’s Sites Emerson Company, and in 1919 and 1920 Buckley & Shaake.
It became the Gates Theater in 1934 and then finally the State Theater in 1943.
Here are a few location shots but none of the actual building unfortunately: http://www.pbase.com/jroy/low_operahouse
The theater was opened as a movie house at 488 Merrimack in 1911 by Charles Harfort as the Jewel Theater. In 1913 he purchased property across the street at 507 Merrimack and built a new 1200 seat theater he called “The New Jewel.” Though he had planned to close the original, it operated as the Royal as early as 1914 until 1964.
Here are some exterior shots of it today. http://www.pbase.com/jroy/low_royal
It was a great lecture Ron and it was nice meeting you. I wish we had had more time to talk though since many of the topix you covered reminded me of other things from the days I worked in the theater and drives-ins. One thing you covered which a lot of people don’t/didn’t realize was that significance of concessions. The theaters essentially were in business to sell people popcorn and candy since the film companies usually took 90% of the admissions for their feature. Depending on the deal the percentages would change the longer the film played so in effect the theater earned more from the film as less people went to see it. Sometimes, to get the film the exhibitor had to guarantee x amount of $ up front and often play other films to get it. We used to have two different payrolls, one for theater help and one for concession attendants. The money was also deposited into two different accounts.
Anyway, thanks for the presentation. Well done.
Jim
This used to be just a parking lot, additional parking for the original theater across the street. For years the pavement was in horrible shape and the entrance was a little hill on the side of the Stadium Lanes bowling alley that was there before the current strip mall (out of frame to the left of photo). We used to have to push the cars to help them get out in the winter.
The owners of the Bowling alley were always at war with the ownership of the theater, some form of bad blood from the sixties. We used to have to keep attendants in the lot to make sure none of the patrons parked in their lot or else they’d have them towed.
Years later they sold some of the property and built a Denny’s restaurant. Since the foundation was basically wetlands they used a pile driver daily to pound telephone sized stakes into the ground for reinforcement of the foundation. In so doing we’d hear the noise and feel the vibrations all day across the street in the theater (1-4). Not long after we started noticing a lot of mice and rats in the theater that we believe were driven across the street from the construction.
When they opened the new theater across the Street, Bill Hurston, who had been managing 1-4, became the district manager of both. I’m not sure but I believe he was at least with the company until recently.
Hi Robert,
From what I know of the name Hathaway, according to the city directories it was located up the block and around the corner from Rogers Pool, on Shattuck at the corner of Market (or Market at the corner of Shattuck). I’m betting it was where the parking lot to the Athenian Corner is now.
It started sometime before 1896 as the Savoy until 1902, then the Casto Theatre from 1903 to 1905, Hathaway’s Theatre from 1906 to 1912 and finally the Playhouse Theatre from 1913 to 1918.
I’ve added one from 1941 couresty Ron Salters
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/image/123593223
I’ve added a couple of shots from 1941 and 1949 courtesy Ron Salters
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/image/123593124
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/image/123593102
Here is a shot from 1941 courtesy Ron Salters
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/image/123593267
Here is a the photo courtesy Ron Salters
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/image/123593268
Here is the photo courtesy Ron Salters that he mentioned above.
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/image/123593260
The Jane Powell movie he mentions on the Marquee is “Nancy goes to Rio”
here is a contemporary aerial view of the site
http://www.pbase.com/image/123361037
It’s a strange name, but evidently a popular organization. There wee also Odd Fellow buildings in both Lawrence and Haverhill.
This was the one in Lawrence, near the Opera House there. http://www.pbase.com/jroy/image/122772181
I can’t honestly say. I found nothing in the city directories that listed a Bijou Theater in Lowell.
This was the second Palace Theater in Lowell. The first was at 312 Middlesex St. in 1906 which opened as the Parlor Theatre in 1899.
The Palace at 49 E. Merrimack St. opened as the Victory in 1928, became the Tower Theater in 1939, the L.G.M. Memorial in 1945 and finally the Palace in 1948. It operated until 1953. According to Nancy Tuttle of the Lowell Sun, it was owned by Norman Glassman and, for some of that period, was managed by Mr. Sokolowski. The theater’s marquee wound up over the vacant former showroom of Gervais Buick.
here are some shots:
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/low_colonial
here are some shots
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/low_alhambra
Here are some area shots
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/low_wolf
here are some area shots:
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/low_wolf
this is a shot of the site today
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/image/123300330
Here are some area photos
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/voyons
Here are some area photos:
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/voyons
The Opera House was built in 1887. Located in an area of Lowell called back Central street, its original address was 347 Central Street and 12 Gorham Street, straddling the fork between the two.
By 1913 it was licensed to and operated by Julius Cahn himself. Moving Picture World magazine stated that “Feature pictures, illustrated songs and no vaudeville is the policy of Julius Cahn’s Opera House, Lowell, Mass.”
In 1914 it was licensed to the Great Eastern Amusement Company, John L. Shea Pres., from 1915 to 1918 Charles H. Emerson’s Sites Emerson Company, and in 1919 and 1920 Buckley & Shaake.
It became the Gates Theater in 1934 and then finally the State Theater in 1943.
Here are a few location shots but none of the actual building unfortunately:
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/low_operahouse
I’ve added a few photos here
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/low_rialto
B. F. Keith also funded two Catholic High Schools in Lowell: Keith Academy for boys and Keith Hall for girls.
Here are a few then and now shots of the theater
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/low_keith
Sorry, that should be “Charles Harpoot”
The theater was opened as a movie house at 488 Merrimack in 1911 by Charles Harfort as the Jewel Theater. In 1913 he purchased property across the street at 507 Merrimack and built a new 1200 seat theater he called “The New Jewel.” Though he had planned to close the original, it operated as the Royal as early as 1914 until 1964.
Here are some exterior shots of it today.
http://www.pbase.com/jroy/low_royal
Here is a picture of the site today
http://www.pbase.com/image/123298812
It was a great lecture Ron and it was nice meeting you. I wish we had had more time to talk though since many of the topix you covered reminded me of other things from the days I worked in the theater and drives-ins. One thing you covered which a lot of people don’t/didn’t realize was that significance of concessions. The theaters essentially were in business to sell people popcorn and candy since the film companies usually took 90% of the admissions for their feature. Depending on the deal the percentages would change the longer the film played so in effect the theater earned more from the film as less people went to see it. Sometimes, to get the film the exhibitor had to guarantee x amount of $ up front and often play other films to get it. We used to have two different payrolls, one for theater help and one for concession attendants. The money was also deposited into two different accounts.
Anyway, thanks for the presentation. Well done.
Jim
This used to be just a parking lot, additional parking for the original theater across the street. For years the pavement was in horrible shape and the entrance was a little hill on the side of the Stadium Lanes bowling alley that was there before the current strip mall (out of frame to the left of photo). We used to have to push the cars to help them get out in the winter.
The owners of the Bowling alley were always at war with the ownership of the theater, some form of bad blood from the sixties. We used to have to keep attendants in the lot to make sure none of the patrons parked in their lot or else they’d have them towed.
Years later they sold some of the property and built a Denny’s restaurant. Since the foundation was basically wetlands they used a pile driver daily to pound telephone sized stakes into the ground for reinforcement of the foundation. In so doing we’d hear the noise and feel the vibrations all day across the street in the theater (1-4). Not long after we started noticing a lot of mice and rats in the theater that we believe were driven across the street from the construction.
When they opened the new theater across the Street, Bill Hurston, who had been managing 1-4, became the district manager of both. I’m not sure but I believe he was at least with the company until recently.