Suffolk University’s C. Walsh Theatre – a short history
The C. Walsh Theatre closed in May 2016. Located at 55 Temple Street on Beacon Hill, the theatre was Suffolk University’s primary performance and presentation venue.
Suffolk University founder Gleason Archer built the theatre in the early 1920s to accommodate large gatherings of Suffolk Law School students. Revenues from its daytime use as a movie theatre financed Law School operations. The building’s marquee boasted of having the “largest pipe organ in New England.”
In its most recent renovation in 2006-2007, the theatre’s color and design elements reflected the warm intimacy of the original venue, location in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, and the youthful energy of the University and its students.
Many esteemed guests appeared at the C. Walsh Theatre during its 90+ year history, including:
Nobel Prize winners Shirin Ebadi (Peace) and Derek Walcott (Poetry)
Congressional candidate John F. Kennedy
Supreme Court Chief Justices William O. Douglas and Clarence Thomas
Scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Director of Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute
Robert Brustein, scholar, playwright, and founder of the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard
Human rights activists Coretta Scott King and Samantha Power
National Book Critic’s Circle Award winner Maxine Hong-Kingston
Pulitzer Prize winning composer John Harbison, pianists Russell Sherman and Robert Levin, and opera director Sarah Caldwell
Academy Award winning actor Jane Wyman and nominees Greer Garson and Felicity Huffman; novelist and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter John Irving; actors Ed Begley, Jr., Christopher McCann, Jennifer Westfeldt, and Paul Guilfoyle; and filmmakers Frederick Wiseman and Tamara Jenkins
Tony Award winning composers William Finn and Jeanine Tesori
The C. Walsh Theatre has hosted visiting professional performing artists and arts organizations, including:
Hagoromo – “The Feather Robe” – presented by the Kanze School of Noh Theatre, Japan
Classical ensemble Emmanuel Music presenting the work of Franz Schubert
Me Am I – presented by the Milwaukee Dance Theatre
Requiem for Srebrenica, a production of the French director Olivier Py and Centre Dramatique National
Moll presented by OPENINGS Theatre Company of Dublin
Collage New Music’s presentation of cutting-edge modern classical music
United States premiere presentation of the Daita International Nagauta Music Ensemble of Tokyo
The American Repertory Theatre’s Obie-award winning production of The Cryptogram
Someone needs to scan the photos. If you don’t have a photo scanner, find a friend who does? or maybe Staples? once on your computer or device, easy to upload here via the photo function.
I linked your article to Friends of the Boyd page at Facebook. Not sure that Stanley Warner is part of Time Warner. The studio production facilities, ok, but the historic theaters I think went in another direction to other entities over time.
Big plans for an 11-acre parcel on the Schuylkill River in Bala Cynwyd
Quote from Philadelphia Business Journal-April 14, 2017-
Sean McCloskey’s Penn Real Estate Group………. recently bought the United Artists movie theater and its associated shopping center from Bart Blatstein’s Tower Investments for $5.6 million. It was one of Blatstein’s first projects and was built more than 20 years ago. “Time to transition it,” Blatstein said about the sale.
The theater will get more than $1 million in renovations. New plush seating will halve its 1,500 seats and new food and beverage offerings will be provided.
from Philly, I’m not about to attend evening screenings but I’d seriously consider a weekend matinee here of a film, regardless of whether or not it starts half hour late. Kudos to the Kings for honoring their movie palace existence with such events!
I just googled & found that Barry Lyndon (2 k) was screened with live music. I only found it at this theater. http://www.kingstheatre.com/shows/stanley-kubrick’s-barry-lyndon-live-orchestra-performance
Thanks Ron for the description. As to theatrefan’s point, though at least sometimes simply in the main lobby, some regular mainstream multiplexes like AMC also have bars now, not only the movie theater chains that began with bars.
JodarMovieFan, A friend told me. I have many friends in the film community. And, from those friends, I know how expensive digital projectors are to acquire, to replace, and how impossible it can be to repair them, whereas it was easier to repair 35mm projectors. Movie theater operators, whether indie or chain, didn’t cry out that they needed digital projectors or couldn’t afford projectionists & shipping costs of film. Hollywood studios decided it would be easier to provide films on digital format. However, classic films don’t look the same on DCP as they do on 35mm or 70mm, the formats they were meant to be seen! (and that’s also why in recent years, we’ve got a few more new 70mm films) And all classic films aren’t available on DCP. This year, I saw more Oscar nominated films before the Oscars were announced than I normally see even afterwards. Of all Best Picture, Director, and acting nominations, I saw all films but Nocturnal Affairs (which now I would like to see). My favorites that were nominated are Hacksaw Ridge, Fences, Hidden Figures, and Lion.
Sadly, I found out why the website doesn’t list any classic films in film. The theater is NOT showing any 35mm or 70mm film. The theater is not paying film projectionist to show real film. This would be tragic, as the AFI has always prided itself on its classic film program. DCPs & lesser are not the same.
Anyone know how large the screen actually is here? I’ve only visited 2ce, both “flat” movies. There’s photos here of the screen set to flat. Maybe at a “scope” movie, someone can photo?
If the website goes away, here’s copied, the “About the Allen” section-
by Natalie Hope McDonald
After three years of total renovation, the Allen Theatre opened its doors in Annville on September 21, 1995.
Located in the heart of the downtown at 36 E. Main Street in Annville, PA 17003, about three and a half miles west of Lebanon and six miles east of Hershey, the Allen Theatre is one of the few single screen movie theatres in Central Pennsylvania specializing in first-run main line as well as art, and foreign films. And while this 322 seat theatre dates back to the early part of the century, little is actually known about the history of the theatre.
A Rich and Varied History
In the early 1900s, local deeds suggest that the theatre had been called the “Hippodrome” and later the “Astor,” which carried on well into more recent decades. It was while the theatre was named the Astor in the 1930s that the space was expanded to constitute what is now the present auditorium, with its expanded stage and seating area.
While the Astor had shown popular feature films of the period, establishing itself as a second-run movie house, the theatre later exchanged hands and resorted to reeling X-rated films by the 1970s. Eventually, the Astor closed in the mid 1980s after poor maintenance and a brief stint with religious productions under the guise of the “Trinity.”
From second-runs, to adult films, to religious entertainment, the theatre had garnered a diverse reputation which the present owner of the Allen Theatre had set out to combat. The first aspect targeted with change was the name of the theatre which had been jaded by illicit films and the installation of a club where live bands and audiences demolished the decor of the Astor.
And what may have seemed like an unreasonable extent of renovation and contrary to the advice not to embrace the effort, the theatre has since become a neon emblem of the community.
Audio Excellence
The theatre audio is Dolby Digital EX and has been installed by Clair Brothers Audio Systems, Inc. of Lititz, PA and RMS Service and Electronics Inc. of New York City —t wo of the most reputable leaders in the world of sound — ensuring an outstanding sound performance for all Allen Theatre screenings. Further, RMS in New York City also provided the theatrical sound technicians for director George Lucas’s New York City premier presentation of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
Crystal Clear Projection
The Allen Theatre more recently installed a new projection system, including state of the art lenses for your viewing pleasure, with installation by Cardinal Sound and Motion Picture Systems of Beltsville Maryland, providing a bright sharp image for all Allen Theatre features.
Stylish Design
The Art Deco style suggests that the theatre has had a renaissance of taste popularized in the 1920’s and 1930’s. With total renovation complete, the Allen is essentially a new theatre on the site of an old one.
A Community Institution
With a staff of about twenty employees and a full-time projectionist, this family-operated establishment has drawn crowds from outlying regions of the community, including a four-county area. The intimate environment is a particularly important feature of the Allen Theatre, breaking away from contemporary trends toward major cineplexes that have sprung up alongside malls in the outskirts of suburbia. The Allen Theatre is instead a return to the downtown.
Not only does the Allen Theatre share its locale with small town eateries, but Annville is home to Lebanon Valley College, a liberal arts school with an enrollment of over 1,000. The theatre, as a result of its proximity to campus, has virtually become an off-shoot of campus life, mingling students with community patrons. The Allen has been host to the college’s Sundays at the Allen film series, as well as numerous other college-sponsored events.
Since its debut and formal dedication by Hollywood director Randal Kleiser (with credits including Grease and It’s My Party), the theatre and coffeehouse have become a premier venue for film and live entertainment.
This Lebanon County landmark, central to entertainment in the region, suggests that rather than tearing down the facade of years passed, character can be preserved and restored – flourishing with a new generation of patrons along the way.
Newer theaters & remodels by Regal (such as the Majestic Silver Spring) lack masking for all screens, a deliberate, stupid policy that ruins the moviegoing experience! Cinemark is also doing so at some or all of their theaters nationwide. No curtains, bad. Digital projection, not as beautiful as 35 or 70mm. Lack of masking, though- unacceptable. I am patronizing movie theaters that use masking, for now.
today’s Inquirer article on 2 hotels opening in Upper Darby has the following paragraph:
In 2015, Studio Movie Grill opened a $6 million state-of-the-art digital theater complex with nine theaters and 900 reclining seats. H&M, Gap, Old Navy, Fresh Grocer, Ross, and Burlington Coat Factory also have opened in the 69th Street area in recent years.
for when this link breaks:
Suffolk University’s C. Walsh Theatre – a short history The C. Walsh Theatre closed in May 2016. Located at 55 Temple Street on Beacon Hill, the theatre was Suffolk University’s primary performance and presentation venue. Suffolk University founder Gleason Archer built the theatre in the early 1920s to accommodate large gatherings of Suffolk Law School students. Revenues from its daytime use as a movie theatre financed Law School operations. The building’s marquee boasted of having the “largest pipe organ in New England.” In its most recent renovation in 2006-2007, the theatre’s color and design elements reflected the warm intimacy of the original venue, location in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, and the youthful energy of the University and its students. Many esteemed guests appeared at the C. Walsh Theatre during its 90+ year history, including: Nobel Prize winners Shirin Ebadi (Peace) and Derek Walcott (Poetry) Congressional candidate John F. Kennedy Supreme Court Chief Justices William O. Douglas and Clarence Thomas Scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Director of Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute Robert Brustein, scholar, playwright, and founder of the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard Human rights activists Coretta Scott King and Samantha Power National Book Critic’s Circle Award winner Maxine Hong-Kingston Pulitzer Prize winning composer John Harbison, pianists Russell Sherman and Robert Levin, and opera director Sarah Caldwell Academy Award winning actor Jane Wyman and nominees Greer Garson and Felicity Huffman; novelist and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter John Irving; actors Ed Begley, Jr., Christopher McCann, Jennifer Westfeldt, and Paul Guilfoyle; and filmmakers Frederick Wiseman and Tamara Jenkins Tony Award winning composers William Finn and Jeanine Tesori The C. Walsh Theatre has hosted visiting professional performing artists and arts organizations, including: Hagoromo – “The Feather Robe” – presented by the Kanze School of Noh Theatre, Japan Classical ensemble Emmanuel Music presenting the work of Franz Schubert Me Am I – presented by the Milwaukee Dance Theatre Requiem for Srebrenica, a production of the French director Olivier Py and Centre Dramatique National Moll presented by OPENINGS Theatre Company of Dublin Collage New Music’s presentation of cutting-edge modern classical music United States premiere presentation of the Daita International Nagauta Music Ensemble of Tokyo The American Repertory Theatre’s Obie-award winning production of The Cryptogram
When I was there Sunday, a LCB (Liquor Control Board) notice was on the front door. An employee replied to me that yes, a bar will be installed.
Someone needs to scan the photos. If you don’t have a photo scanner, find a friend who does? or maybe Staples? once on your computer or device, easy to upload here via the photo function.
I linked your article to Friends of the Boyd page at Facebook. Not sure that Stanley Warner is part of Time Warner. The studio production facilities, ok, but the historic theaters I think went in another direction to other entities over time.
Big plans for an 11-acre parcel on the Schuylkill River in Bala Cynwyd
Quote from Philadelphia Business Journal-April 14, 2017- Sean McCloskey’s Penn Real Estate Group………. recently bought the United Artists movie theater and its associated shopping center from Bart Blatstein’s Tower Investments for $5.6 million. It was one of Blatstein’s first projects and was built more than 20 years ago. “Time to transition it,” Blatstein said about the sale.
The theater will get more than $1 million in renovations. New plush seating will halve its 1,500 seats and new food and beverage offerings will be provided.
from Philly, I’m not about to attend evening screenings but I’d seriously consider a weekend matinee here of a film, regardless of whether or not it starts half hour late. Kudos to the Kings for honoring their movie palace existence with such events!
I just googled & found that Barry Lyndon (2 k) was screened with live music. I only found it at this theater. http://www.kingstheatre.com/shows/stanley-kubrick’s-barry-lyndon-live-orchestra-performance
What new Landmark megaplex? are you referring to the 8 screener they announced? A megaplex meant many more screens.
We here at the site fixed the google street view which hadn’t shown downtown Boston. Thanks to Ken Roe for his diligence.
Thanks Ron for the description. As to theatrefan’s point, though at least sometimes simply in the main lobby, some regular mainstream multiplexes like AMC also have bars now, not only the movie theater chains that began with bars.
What was the Back Lot? I can’t find a reference even by googling.
JodarMovieFan, A friend told me. I have many friends in the film community. And, from those friends, I know how expensive digital projectors are to acquire, to replace, and how impossible it can be to repair them, whereas it was easier to repair 35mm projectors. Movie theater operators, whether indie or chain, didn’t cry out that they needed digital projectors or couldn’t afford projectionists & shipping costs of film. Hollywood studios decided it would be easier to provide films on digital format. However, classic films don’t look the same on DCP as they do on 35mm or 70mm, the formats they were meant to be seen! (and that’s also why in recent years, we’ve got a few more new 70mm films) And all classic films aren’t available on DCP. This year, I saw more Oscar nominated films before the Oscars were announced than I normally see even afterwards. Of all Best Picture, Director, and acting nominations, I saw all films but Nocturnal Affairs (which now I would like to see). My favorites that were nominated are Hacksaw Ridge, Fences, Hidden Figures, and Lion.
Thanks Michael Coate for that wonderful compilation!
The movie “Lion” opened late November at the Paris & is still being showcased here! Paris website lists a new movie opening April 7, “Their Finest”
by accident, unsubscribed so reversing that now.
Sadly, I found out why the website doesn’t list any classic films in film. The theater is NOT showing any 35mm or 70mm film. The theater is not paying film projectionist to show real film. This would be tragic, as the AFI has always prided itself on its classic film program. DCPs & lesser are not the same.
Anyone know how large the screen actually is here? I’ve only visited 2ce, both “flat” movies. There’s photos here of the screen set to flat. Maybe at a “scope” movie, someone can photo?
NO, the Boyd was the only 3 projector true Cinerama venue in the Phila area.
I don’t get it. That link doesn’t refer to any particular city. What city is the real laser IMAX? Why write in code & mystery?
If the website goes away, here’s copied, the “About the Allen” section- by Natalie Hope McDonald
After three years of total renovation, the Allen Theatre opened its doors in Annville on September 21, 1995.
Located in the heart of the downtown at 36 E. Main Street in Annville, PA 17003, about three and a half miles west of Lebanon and six miles east of Hershey, the Allen Theatre is one of the few single screen movie theatres in Central Pennsylvania specializing in first-run main line as well as art, and foreign films. And while this 322 seat theatre dates back to the early part of the century, little is actually known about the history of the theatre.
A Rich and Varied History
In the early 1900s, local deeds suggest that the theatre had been called the “Hippodrome” and later the “Astor,” which carried on well into more recent decades. It was while the theatre was named the Astor in the 1930s that the space was expanded to constitute what is now the present auditorium, with its expanded stage and seating area.
While the Astor had shown popular feature films of the period, establishing itself as a second-run movie house, the theatre later exchanged hands and resorted to reeling X-rated films by the 1970s. Eventually, the Astor closed in the mid 1980s after poor maintenance and a brief stint with religious productions under the guise of the “Trinity.”
From second-runs, to adult films, to religious entertainment, the theatre had garnered a diverse reputation which the present owner of the Allen Theatre had set out to combat. The first aspect targeted with change was the name of the theatre which had been jaded by illicit films and the installation of a club where live bands and audiences demolished the decor of the Astor.
And what may have seemed like an unreasonable extent of renovation and contrary to the advice not to embrace the effort, the theatre has since become a neon emblem of the community.
Audio Excellence
The theatre audio is Dolby Digital EX and has been installed by Clair Brothers Audio Systems, Inc. of Lititz, PA and RMS Service and Electronics Inc. of New York City —t wo of the most reputable leaders in the world of sound — ensuring an outstanding sound performance for all Allen Theatre screenings. Further, RMS in New York City also provided the theatrical sound technicians for director George Lucas’s New York City premier presentation of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
Crystal Clear Projection
The Allen Theatre more recently installed a new projection system, including state of the art lenses for your viewing pleasure, with installation by Cardinal Sound and Motion Picture Systems of Beltsville Maryland, providing a bright sharp image for all Allen Theatre features.
Stylish Design
The Art Deco style suggests that the theatre has had a renaissance of taste popularized in the 1920’s and 1930’s. With total renovation complete, the Allen is essentially a new theatre on the site of an old one.
A Community Institution
With a staff of about twenty employees and a full-time projectionist, this family-operated establishment has drawn crowds from outlying regions of the community, including a four-county area. The intimate environment is a particularly important feature of the Allen Theatre, breaking away from contemporary trends toward major cineplexes that have sprung up alongside malls in the outskirts of suburbia. The Allen Theatre is instead a return to the downtown.
Not only does the Allen Theatre share its locale with small town eateries, but Annville is home to Lebanon Valley College, a liberal arts school with an enrollment of over 1,000. The theatre, as a result of its proximity to campus, has virtually become an off-shoot of campus life, mingling students with community patrons. The Allen has been host to the college’s Sundays at the Allen film series, as well as numerous other college-sponsored events.
Since its debut and formal dedication by Hollywood director Randal Kleiser (with credits including Grease and It’s My Party), the theatre and coffeehouse have become a premier venue for film and live entertainment.
This Lebanon County landmark, central to entertainment in the region, suggests that rather than tearing down the facade of years passed, character can be preserved and restored – flourishing with a new generation of patrons along the way.
Looking at the website today, it seems none of the classic movies list the format- 35mm or 70mm, DCP or lesser!
R.I.P. Mike Ilitch, who saved the Fox & restored it.
I hope dteklund can scan & share here that photo!
Newer theaters & remodels by Regal (such as the Majestic Silver Spring) lack masking for all screens, a deliberate, stupid policy that ruins the moviegoing experience! Cinemark is also doing so at some or all of their theaters nationwide. No curtains, bad. Digital projection, not as beautiful as 35 or 70mm. Lack of masking, though- unacceptable. I am patronizing movie theaters that use masking, for now.
today’s Inquirer article on 2 hotels opening in Upper Darby has the following paragraph: In 2015, Studio Movie Grill opened a $6 million state-of-the-art digital theater complex with nine theaters and 900 reclining seats. H&M, Gap, Old Navy, Fresh Grocer, Ross, and Burlington Coat Factory also have opened in the 69th Street area in recent years.