It is in the Waterville section of Waterbury. There is no such town as Westbury, although it was the name Watertown was known by a couple hundred years ago.
I’d be shocked if this ad were for the Majestic in Bridgeport. Bridgeport is too far awaway from Hartford, especially in 1921, for a Hartford paper to run an ad for a Bridgeport theatre. Maybe the ad was for the Majestic on Asylum Avenue in Hartford?
C.M. Brown: As a born and raised West Hartford citizen (lived there from 1976 through 1997) who still lives within a 40 minute drive I would like to help save the Elm. How do I join your campaign?
The only interior shots that I know of that may exist are owned by the Perakos family which had promised to send them to me, but never did.
Walgreens wants to use the existing building, but I think the town wants them to demolish it and build new so that they can realign a tricky intersection. Currently everything is being held up in planning and zoning I believe. I love the Elm since it was the only movie theatre in West Hartford, the town in which I grew up. After it closed I contacted a representative of the owner to ask for permission to take interior photos to preserve the building’s history. The owners refused. I asked if I could buy any memoribilia from the theatre. Nothing is for sale. The Perakos family who owned this theatre, along with the Southington Drive-In, are apparently money-grubbing leeches who have a bad reputation among theatre people here in CT. Anyway, more of my photos of the Elm can be found at http://www.cinematour.com/tour_us.php?id=496 . I especially like the photo of the marquee all lit up at night.
As can be seen in the photo above the Elm is in a strip. I think it may have been able to succeed as an art house, but could'ves and maybes are irrelevant now that Walgreen’s owns it and has gutted it in preparation for turning it into a pharmacy.
I’m surprised to see the Castle is having trouble. I thought the cinema cafe concept was a good one, even though Providence also has the Cable Car Cinema & Cafe. The Castle NEVER should have stopped showing the Rocky Horror Picture Show which they dropped last year after a long run.
This should be listed as the State Cinema, not the State Theater.
The theatre’s second screen just opened last week in it’s former stagehouse. The new auditorium seats 97 people and has stadium seating. A hallway had to be cut through the main auditorium to allow access. Seats were removed for this hallway and because the city will not allow the State Cinema to add any more seats. Total seating capacity is 500.
The other two screens that were to have been built in the basement have been delayed due to difficulties, and may never actually be constructed. So, this theatre should be listed as a twin rather than a fourplex.
When the Colonial reopens seating capacity will actually be about 950 since they are removing the wooden benches from the balcony and putting in real theatre seats.
Robert, it has been abandoned for nearly 30 years, so restoration would cost many millions of dollars. Also, the problem would be in finding a niche for it. To use as a cinema it would have to be carved up as one large auditorium is not feasible these days. It could not make it as a performing arts center because the renovated Garde Theatre a couple of blocks away has already fulfilled that need in downtown New London. Also, some genius decided to build directly behind the theatre’s stage area leaving no room to expand the stage which is too small for modern productions.
Bantam is a borough within the town of Litchfield.
You are correct. It is on the National Register.
It was actually the Shelton Fine Arts
It is in the Waterville section of Waterbury. There is no such town as Westbury, although it was the name Watertown was known by a couple hundred years ago.
I’d be shocked if this ad were for the Majestic in Bridgeport. Bridgeport is too far awaway from Hartford, especially in 1921, for a Hartford paper to run an ad for a Bridgeport theatre. Maybe the ad was for the Majestic on Asylum Avenue in Hartford?
NINETEEN MILLION DOLLARS???????????????????????? That is INSANE!
It changed its name to Victory after the US victory in World War 2.
This should be listed as the Palace Theater. Its official website is http://palacetheaterct.org/
C.M. Brown: As a born and raised West Hartford citizen (lived there from 1976 through 1997) who still lives within a 40 minute drive I would like to help save the Elm. How do I join your campaign?
The only interior shots that I know of that may exist are owned by the Perakos family which had promised to send them to me, but never did.
Walgreens wants to use the existing building, but I think the town wants them to demolish it and build new so that they can realign a tricky intersection. Currently everything is being held up in planning and zoning I believe. I love the Elm since it was the only movie theatre in West Hartford, the town in which I grew up. After it closed I contacted a representative of the owner to ask for permission to take interior photos to preserve the building’s history. The owners refused. I asked if I could buy any memoribilia from the theatre. Nothing is for sale. The Perakos family who owned this theatre, along with the Southington Drive-In, are apparently money-grubbing leeches who have a bad reputation among theatre people here in CT. Anyway, more of my photos of the Elm can be found at http://www.cinematour.com/tour_us.php?id=496 . I especially like the photo of the marquee all lit up at night.
As can be seen in the photo above the Elm is in a strip. I think it may have been able to succeed as an art house, but could'ves and maybes are irrelevant now that Walgreen’s owns it and has gutted it in preparation for turning it into a pharmacy.
Actually, Warren, this theatre is Proctors, not Proctor’s.
The former Falcon Theatre is now used as athe Arkadia nightclub. Their website is at http://www.clubarkadia.com/ .
This should be listed as OPEN as the Stage East Cafe nightclub.
This theatre in the Thompsonville section of Enfield is already listed on Cinema Treasures. It is at /theaters/3070/
The former Brandt Theatre is demolished.
Philip Kuchma of Kuchma Corp. os working to save this theatre according to a recent Connecticut Post article. Try giving him a call.
The lobby building still stands, and in the parking lot behind the lobby you can see a small part of the remains of one of the theatre walls.
I’m surprised to see the Castle is having trouble. I thought the cinema cafe concept was a good one, even though Providence also has the Cable Car Cinema & Cafe. The Castle NEVER should have stopped showing the Rocky Horror Picture Show which they dropped last year after a long run.
Also, that date up top that says it opened in 1927 is the date it started showing movies, but it was around as a legitimate theatre before that.
This should be listed as the State Cinema, not the State Theater.
The theatre’s second screen just opened last week in it’s former stagehouse. The new auditorium seats 97 people and has stadium seating. A hallway had to be cut through the main auditorium to allow access. Seats were removed for this hallway and because the city will not allow the State Cinema to add any more seats. Total seating capacity is 500.
The other two screens that were to have been built in the basement have been delayed due to difficulties, and may never actually be constructed. So, this theatre should be listed as a twin rather than a fourplex.
The official website listed above no longer works.
When the Colonial reopens seating capacity will actually be about 950 since they are removing the wooden benches from the balcony and putting in real theatre seats.
The Johnston Cinema is still open with the Amazing Express showing porno movies in the auditorium, isn’t it?
Robert, it has been abandoned for nearly 30 years, so restoration would cost many millions of dollars. Also, the problem would be in finding a niche for it. To use as a cinema it would have to be carved up as one large auditorium is not feasible these days. It could not make it as a performing arts center because the renovated Garde Theatre a couple of blocks away has already fulfilled that need in downtown New London. Also, some genius decided to build directly behind the theatre’s stage area leaving no room to expand the stage which is too small for modern productions.