This theatre was previously known as the Strand before it opened as E.M. Loew’s Center on October 6, 1950…according to an article in the New Bedford Standard-Times from that month.
According to a New York Times article on the day of the theatre’s opening, one of the founders of the cinema was Ilene Kristen, then 25 years old, who played Delia Ryan on the soap opera “Ryan’s Hope.” Others were Ray Blanco, then the owner of Brauer International, a distributor of art films, and Nancy Newhall, one of the first women ever admitted to the Projectionists Guild.
Astyanax: The excellent Spanish film “La Tia Tula” with Aurora Bautista played here in an exclusive run in 1965. To my knowledge it was not acquired for general U.S. distribution and was exhibited virtually nowhere else, not even in big cities, despite very good reviews.
The place was probably doomed from the time it started with the art house policy in 1958. It was a bit out-of-the way and could not attract much of the neighborhood audience since those folks were not interested in those kinds of films. I do believe the Ingmar Bergman series shown in the early 1960s, at the time of the director’s great popularity, attracted some sizeable audiences. I remember a guy in the audience saying out loud during “The Seventh Seal,” “Is this supposed to be symbolic?” and then going to sleep. Russ Meyer’s “Lorna” may have done well during the cinema’s soft-core period. When they first started the art house policy, I believe they served free espresso in the little lobby. FREE espresso, like some of the Manhattan art houses of the time where it was a trend. Can you imagine any movie theatres serving you free espresso today? Yeah, right.
A case can be made for listing Symphony Hall as a “cinema treasure” since, especially during the silent era, a goodly number of movies had showings here, with live orchestral accompaniment. There is a display panel in the first floor rear hallway on this topic, complete with memorabilia, programs, titles of the films. I believe “Salome'” was one of then, Eisenstein’s “Ten Days that Shook the World” another (but I’m operating on faulty memory here.) More recently Seiji Ozawa played the Prokofiev score to Eisenstein’s sound-era “Alexander Nevsky” with the movie being shown. It all becomes an interesting, perhaps academic, question. In New York would you list Avery Fisher Hall and Alice Tully Hall as “cinema treasures?” They are the home of the annual New York Film Festival, after all. The rest of the time, of course, they are purely concert halls.
This 1973 photo shows the Royal in the distance as well as a view of the Texaco station that featured prominently in the film “The Last Picture Show." View link
This postcard, probably from the 1930s, shows Tremont Street with the Tremont (Astor) Theatre and, beyond, B.F. Keith’s Tremont Street entrance. View link
This was taken a couple of years ago. I’m not sure that the theatre is still an antique store. When it was, though, actor Anthony Quinn, who live in nearby Bristol during his last years, used to visit to browse and make purchases. View link
Brian Michela,
Here is one of those films you refer to that got a “C-Condemned” rating by the Catholic Legion of Decency. It was shown at the Art in June, 1962 as part of a double bill. View link
The address was 1418 Acushnet Avenue, according to the New Bedford City Directory of 1952.
The address was 43 Weld Street, not Wild.
The address was actually 1777 Acushnet Avenue, not 177.
This theatre was previously known as the Strand before it opened as E.M. Loew’s Center on October 6, 1950…according to an article in the New Bedford Standard-Times from that month.
Yes, I saw that, but in Boston at the Fine Arts.
According to a New York Times article on the day of the theatre’s opening, one of the founders of the cinema was Ilene Kristen, then 25 years old, who played Delia Ryan on the soap opera “Ryan’s Hope.” Others were Ray Blanco, then the owner of Brauer International, a distributor of art films, and Nancy Newhall, one of the first women ever admitted to the Projectionists Guild.
Astyanax: The excellent Spanish film “La Tia Tula” with Aurora Bautista played here in an exclusive run in 1965. To my knowledge it was not acquired for general U.S. distribution and was exhibited virtually nowhere else, not even in big cities, despite very good reviews.
The place was probably doomed from the time it started with the art house policy in 1958. It was a bit out-of-the way and could not attract much of the neighborhood audience since those folks were not interested in those kinds of films. I do believe the Ingmar Bergman series shown in the early 1960s, at the time of the director’s great popularity, attracted some sizeable audiences. I remember a guy in the audience saying out loud during “The Seventh Seal,” “Is this supposed to be symbolic?” and then going to sleep. Russ Meyer’s “Lorna” may have done well during the cinema’s soft-core period. When they first started the art house policy, I believe they served free espresso in the little lobby. FREE espresso, like some of the Manhattan art houses of the time where it was a trend. Can you imagine any movie theatres serving you free espresso today? Yeah, right.
A 2002 photo of the Castle:
View link
A case can be made for listing Symphony Hall as a “cinema treasure” since, especially during the silent era, a goodly number of movies had showings here, with live orchestral accompaniment. There is a display panel in the first floor rear hallway on this topic, complete with memorabilia, programs, titles of the films. I believe “Salome'” was one of then, Eisenstein’s “Ten Days that Shook the World” another (but I’m operating on faulty memory here.) More recently Seiji Ozawa played the Prokofiev score to Eisenstein’s sound-era “Alexander Nevsky” with the movie being shown. It all becomes an interesting, perhaps academic, question. In New York would you list Avery Fisher Hall and Alice Tully Hall as “cinema treasures?” They are the home of the annual New York Film Festival, after all. The rest of the time, of course, they are purely concert halls.
Michael, I agree that this is a place well worth a trip. Here is a photo I took when I went a while back.
View link
Another photo of the former Eastwood Theatre, with a view of the business block:
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Here is a photo of the Union Theatre.
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A photo from early 2004:
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A couple of photos from October, 2002:
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A photo from January, 2004:
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This 1973 photo shows the Royal in the distance as well as a view of the Texaco station that featured prominently in the film “The Last Picture Show."
View link
Marialivia, the Lafayette is listed under the name Holiday Cinema.
Hardbop, that was the Murray Hill Cinema. (q.v.)
A photo of the King from 2003:
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Here is a photo of the former Island Theatre:
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This postcard, probably from the 1930s, shows Tremont Street with the Tremont (Astor) Theatre and, beyond, B.F. Keith’s Tremont Street entrance.
View link
This was taken a couple of years ago. I’m not sure that the theatre is still an antique store. When it was, though, actor Anthony Quinn, who live in nearby Bristol during his last years, used to visit to browse and make purchases.
View link
Brian Michela,
Here is one of those films you refer to that got a “C-Condemned” rating by the Catholic Legion of Decency. It was shown at the Art in June, 1962 as part of a double bill.
View link
And a photo I took a couple of years ago.
View link