What a shame to let this place rot…was in the store a few years ago and you can see how in the outer lobby they just cut the brass poles out of the floor leaving an inch or two sticking up and cracked tiles. You would think with Newarks “renaissance” the Bears stadium, NJPAC,Pru arena that a million would have brought the Paramount back as some sort of entertainment venue. Any takers? call me.
The Paramount was part of the M&P chain. When they diversed after the war to American Theatres Corp.(ATC) and New England Theatres Corp. (NETCO) Netco took the Paramount and ATC took the West Newton theatre.
Was there Sat. to take some new pic’s, sat for awhile just wondering “what if”? Even at $20 the worker would not open the booth for me to take some pic’s, but he thinks the projection equipment is still there? Is this placed sold or leased to TSA ? anyway that evening on TCM I watched “Sweet Smell of Success” the first 10 minutes of the film has lot’s of footage from Times Sq. all B&W you see the Embassy ‘News Reel'marquee flashing quite a few times also there are shots of the Trans-Lux and the Warner with the marquees flashing!A scene in the movie takes place in a theatre were Burt Lancaster as JJ Hunsucker did his tv show.to me this was a 1940’s Majestic to CT lovers!
The ‘Central" as everybody called it was run by ATC as Ron stated, Harold Gordon was the manager up to it’s closing.Not as classy as the Embassy they ran alot of horror flicks, they wired the seats for the 'Tingler’.the cool thing about ATC theatre marquees was the ATC logo of the eagle, also in neon!
The Pilgrim Theatre was the main office for American Theatres Corp.
as in some of the post above if you were looking at the theatre from the front, the store on the left(under the marquee) between the theatre and the former ‘Down Town" lounge was the original entry to the offices,(you could also access the offices from inside the theatre) after converted to a “junk store” that had knifes, pot pipes, and other bizare things for sale in the front, as you walked to the dirty book store part in the back the floor had a sloping angle as this was the screening room that the ATC brass viewed previews and you could see the projection ports on the wall. I regret I was in Fla. when they tore the place down because at the entrance way to the offices out side was black granite tile with American Theatres Corporation embedded in silver deco letters would have made a nice souveneir!
My father Richard Edmunds began work as an usher at the Embassy in 1939,went off to war in Europe after 4 years he returned and worked his way to head doorman till 1967. I loved his uniform so military like. he, like the other doormen wore a hat! I remember him checking the ushers out before a show uniforms, shoes, haircuts etc. to see that they were ready for the public! not like todays teen’s that run theatres. My uncle Jim Tully was also the stage manager at the theatre, he opended the curtains and dimmed the houselights in the grand way of yesteryear,his career covered vaudville at the Waltham and Waldorf theatres in Waltham and he was also the president of the local I.A.T.S.E for projectionist, which helped me later on. My brother David and I would go to the theatre every Sat.with my dad(to stay out of my mothers hair)at 10:30 am to get ready for the matinee and of course we knew evry inch of that theatre back stage, booth,old dressing rooms, ‘letter’ room for the marquee, candy room!! and we would bring friends with us to see behind the scenes at the movies I really miss those days. As I got older I would go with my dad at times to other ATC theatres, West Newton Theatre/John Hogan Mgr., Central Sq. Theatre Waltham/Harold Gordon Mgr. Rialto Theatre in Matterpan/Eddie Cantor Mgr.,Oriental Theatre/Mr. Wasserman Mgr. and the main office for ATC was at the Pilgrim Theatre in Boston when I saw that place wow! escalters(wooden steps) and it was huge! I later went to work at the West Newton`Theatre for Mr. Hogan and learned alot from him about mgmt. on his nights off as the closing mgr. I would get a call from the Embassy with the daily fiqure and I would then call the Village Cinema, West Roxbury for the fiqure, then I would call the Pilgim to report all 3 numbers.
I had the pleasure to work at the theater in 1966,It was owned by M&P under the name American Theaters Corp. which also owned the Embassy & Central theaters in Waltham, Now long gone. I saw many of the great palaces because my dad, having worked for ATC and he went around the chain a lot they owned the Pilgrim, Mayflower,Oriental,West Roxbury,and many other’s in the Boston Area.
The Paramount in Newton Corner was also once part of the big chain but was split off when the government made M&P and it’s partners split the theaters they owned, over 125! thus the formation of American Theater Corp. and New England Theaters Corp.
What a shame to let this place rot…was in the store a few years ago and you can see how in the outer lobby they just cut the brass poles out of the floor leaving an inch or two sticking up and cracked tiles. You would think with Newarks “renaissance” the Bears stadium, NJPAC,Pru arena that a million would have brought the Paramount back as some sort of entertainment venue. Any takers? call me.
The Paramount was part of the M&P chain. When they diversed after the war to American Theatres Corp.(ATC) and New England Theatres Corp. (NETCO) Netco took the Paramount and ATC took the West Newton theatre.
Does anyone know the name of the theatre that now serves as Gray Line Tour center on 8th ?
Was there Sat. to take some new pic’s, sat for awhile just wondering “what if”? Even at $20 the worker would not open the booth for me to take some pic’s, but he thinks the projection equipment is still there? Is this placed sold or leased to TSA ? anyway that evening on TCM I watched “Sweet Smell of Success” the first 10 minutes of the film has lot’s of footage from Times Sq. all B&W you see the Embassy ‘News Reel'marquee flashing quite a few times also there are shots of the Trans-Lux and the Warner with the marquees flashing!A scene in the movie takes place in a theatre were Burt Lancaster as JJ Hunsucker did his tv show.to me this was a 1940’s Majestic to CT lovers!
The ‘Central" as everybody called it was run by ATC as Ron stated, Harold Gordon was the manager up to it’s closing.Not as classy as the Embassy they ran alot of horror flicks, they wired the seats for the 'Tingler’.the cool thing about ATC theatre marquees was the ATC logo of the eagle, also in neon!
The Pilgrim Theatre was the main office for American Theatres Corp.
as in some of the post above if you were looking at the theatre from the front, the store on the left(under the marquee) between the theatre and the former ‘Down Town" lounge was the original entry to the offices,(you could also access the offices from inside the theatre) after converted to a “junk store” that had knifes, pot pipes, and other bizare things for sale in the front, as you walked to the dirty book store part in the back the floor had a sloping angle as this was the screening room that the ATC brass viewed previews and you could see the projection ports on the wall. I regret I was in Fla. when they tore the place down because at the entrance way to the offices out side was black granite tile with American Theatres Corporation embedded in silver deco letters would have made a nice souveneir!
My father Richard Edmunds began work as an usher at the Embassy in 1939,went off to war in Europe after 4 years he returned and worked his way to head doorman till 1967. I loved his uniform so military like. he, like the other doormen wore a hat! I remember him checking the ushers out before a show uniforms, shoes, haircuts etc. to see that they were ready for the public! not like todays teen’s that run theatres. My uncle Jim Tully was also the stage manager at the theatre, he opended the curtains and dimmed the houselights in the grand way of yesteryear,his career covered vaudville at the Waltham and Waldorf theatres in Waltham and he was also the president of the local I.A.T.S.E for projectionist, which helped me later on. My brother David and I would go to the theatre every Sat.with my dad(to stay out of my mothers hair)at 10:30 am to get ready for the matinee and of course we knew evry inch of that theatre back stage, booth,old dressing rooms, ‘letter’ room for the marquee, candy room!! and we would bring friends with us to see behind the scenes at the movies I really miss those days. As I got older I would go with my dad at times to other ATC theatres, West Newton Theatre/John Hogan Mgr., Central Sq. Theatre Waltham/Harold Gordon Mgr. Rialto Theatre in Matterpan/Eddie Cantor Mgr.,Oriental Theatre/Mr. Wasserman Mgr. and the main office for ATC was at the Pilgrim Theatre in Boston when I saw that place wow! escalters(wooden steps) and it was huge! I later went to work at the West Newton`Theatre for Mr. Hogan and learned alot from him about mgmt. on his nights off as the closing mgr. I would get a call from the Embassy with the daily fiqure and I would then call the Village Cinema, West Roxbury for the fiqure, then I would call the Pilgim to report all 3 numbers.
I had the pleasure to work at the theater in 1966,It was owned by M&P under the name American Theaters Corp. which also owned the Embassy & Central theaters in Waltham, Now long gone. I saw many of the great palaces because my dad, having worked for ATC and he went around the chain a lot they owned the Pilgrim, Mayflower,Oriental,West Roxbury,and many other’s in the Boston Area.
The Paramount in Newton Corner was also once part of the big chain but was split off when the government made M&P and it’s partners split the theaters they owned, over 125! thus the formation of American Theater Corp. and New England Theaters Corp.