Further to the above, in the mid-1950s the Majestic was closed most of the time; occasionally a movie played there briefly. However, it was kept neat and clean on the outside. I don’t recall that it was boarded up at all, and it did not look abandoned and neglected. It was a Shubert house.
“Signs of the Times” Magazine was a trade publication for the outdoor advertising industry. A 1939 issue (I don’t know which one) has a small item about a new billboard for the Keith Memorial Theatre in Boston. The billboard belonged to Donnelly Advertising. I don’t know if there was just one billboard, or several. It was illuminated at night, including neon in the theater name. The photo shows a billboard out somewhere with no buildings, only trees in the background. The sign reads “Keith Memorial Theatre – First in Boston for Generations”. Under “Now” is a poster for a movie whose title looks like “In Name Only”. It’s interesting that there is no “RKO” in the theater name. Also, it’s called “Keith Memorial”, not “Keith’s Memorial” (I never, ever, heard it called that). Of course, by 1939, it had only been “First in Boston” for half a generation, but Keith entertainment had been present in Boston since the 1880s.
There is an “Opera House” listed under Bethlehem in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Although the heading says just plain “Opera House”, the text listss the full name as “Fountain Hill Opera House”. The seating capacity is given as 1,118. L.F. Walters was the Mgr. Ticket prices ranged from 25 cents to 75 cents. There was both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 35 feet wide X 48 feet high, and the stage was 30 feet deep. The auditorium was on the first floor and there were 6 in the house orchestra. There were 3 daily newspapers and one weekly; hotels for show folk were the Wyandotte, Sun and Pacific. The 1897 population of Bethlehem was 25,000.
According to articles in recent Quincy Patriot-Ledger newspapers, demolition work started in mid-July. They started at the rear of the complex, where the Registry of Motor Vehicles office was located, and are moving forward toward Hancock Street. Should be finished by mid-August, 2010.
It’s located close to the east side of Route 3A, just south of the bridge from North Weymouth. Nearby is the ferryboat terminal for commuter ferries to and from Boston.
The people in the postcard are not dressed for the 1920s; they are wearing clothing from the 1900 – 1910 era. The Relay was probably a summer movie theater.
The Grand Opera House is listed in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. It had 1,900 seats: orchestra-650; Balcony- 450; Gallery-800. The auditorium was on the ground floor and had both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 34 feet wide X 29 feet high, and the stage was 39 feet deep. The Managers were Dickson & Talbot. Other theaters in Indianapolis at that time were the English Opera House, the Empire and the Park. The 1897 population was 125,000.
In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the Casino in Ware is listed as part of Ralph E. Snider theaters of Boston. Ralph Snider also operated the Bijou Theatre in Ware at that time.
Boxoffice Magazine for April 28, 1958 has a feature article on Ben Sack and the Sack theater circuit. In it, Sack says that he got his start in movie theaters with the Allen (Crown) Theatre in Lowell in 1950, and a year later he and his 2 partners got involved with the Lyric in Fitchburg, which they renamed “Saxon”.
Boxoffice Magazine for April 28, 1958 has a feature article about Ben Sack and the Sack theater chain of Boston. Sack says that he got his start in movie theaters in Lowell. In 1950, with partners Irving Sisson and Joe Cohen, he began operating the Allen Theatre. A year later, the 3 moved to Fitchburg and after getting established there, they closed the Allen in Lowell, which Sack called a “dog”.
One point that I might take issue with in the Sack Theatres article in Boxoffice Magazine, April 28, 1958,(posted above by Gerry DeLuca) is the description by Ben Sack that the Majestic in 1956 was “abandoned” and “boarded up”. And that he had to peer between the boards to look into the lobby. I don’t remember it that way at all.
There was a Grand Opera House listed under Augusta GA in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Unfortunately, there are no street addresses in this Guide. The seating capacity was 1,650 and Sanford Cohen was the Mgr. Ticket prices ranged from 25 cents to $1.; the house had electric illumination, was on the ground floor and had 8 members of the pit orchestra. The proscenium opening was 34 feet wide and the stage was 36 feeet deep. There were 4 daily newspapers and one weekly. Hotels for show folk were the Arlington, Planter, Continental, and Virginia House. The 1897 population of Augusta was 45,000.
Boxoffice Magazine of Aug. 14, 1948 reports that the Rialto, not used regularly for several years, was being considered for purchase by the Leominster Recreation Center.
Note that the renovation of the Middleboro Th. described in the Boxoffice Magazine article, Aug. 1948, which Gerry has posted, was total. The theater was closed for 3 months and stripped to the 4 walls. The theater at that time was also an “Indie” and not part of a chain.
I talked to a friend who is in theaters yesterday and he was the one who told me that the Little Art had recently opened for the season; he even gave me the name of the movie, which I promptly forgot.
I went to the Publix many times and never felt any danger in there. But I stopped going around 1968 and am not familiar with it after that. It wasn’t that grungy then. There were fairly large audiences, mostly all male. I never went there at night; always during the day. There were 2 feature films, fairly recent, plus shorts. And the price was well under $1. I don’t think that the area was called the “Combat Zone” until the 1970s when Billinuk was a patron.
In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the Graphic Theatre in Bangor is listed under Mullin & Pinanski of Boston, an affiliate of Paramount theaters. Other movie theaters in Bangor run by M&P were the Bijou, Opera House and Park.
Yes, there already is a page here in CT for the Bijou in Bangor. It’s Theater # 20143. It was on Exchange Street and was operated by Paramount (Mullins & Pinanski) circa-1940s.
The Casino is now in the process of being sold. The new owner has been operating a twin-cinema. He plans some refurbishments for the Casino and would like a partner or two to assist him.
In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the Empire, along with the Music Hall,Strand and Priscilla in Lewiston, was being operated by John Ford, an affiliate of Paramount Theatres.
The Chevrolet dealer on the site of the Quintree today still uses the same street address that was on the 1949 application for the permit to construct the drive-in: 444 Quincy Avenue.
Further to the above, in the mid-1950s the Majestic was closed most of the time; occasionally a movie played there briefly. However, it was kept neat and clean on the outside. I don’t recall that it was boarded up at all, and it did not look abandoned and neglected. It was a Shubert house.
“Signs of the Times” Magazine was a trade publication for the outdoor advertising industry. A 1939 issue (I don’t know which one) has a small item about a new billboard for the Keith Memorial Theatre in Boston. The billboard belonged to Donnelly Advertising. I don’t know if there was just one billboard, or several. It was illuminated at night, including neon in the theater name. The photo shows a billboard out somewhere with no buildings, only trees in the background. The sign reads “Keith Memorial Theatre – First in Boston for Generations”. Under “Now” is a poster for a movie whose title looks like “In Name Only”. It’s interesting that there is no “RKO” in the theater name. Also, it’s called “Keith Memorial”, not “Keith’s Memorial” (I never, ever, heard it called that). Of course, by 1939, it had only been “First in Boston” for half a generation, but Keith entertainment had been present in Boston since the 1880s.
There is an “Opera House” listed under Bethlehem in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Although the heading says just plain “Opera House”, the text listss the full name as “Fountain Hill Opera House”. The seating capacity is given as 1,118. L.F. Walters was the Mgr. Ticket prices ranged from 25 cents to 75 cents. There was both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 35 feet wide X 48 feet high, and the stage was 30 feet deep. The auditorium was on the first floor and there were 6 in the house orchestra. There were 3 daily newspapers and one weekly; hotels for show folk were the Wyandotte, Sun and Pacific. The 1897 population of Bethlehem was 25,000.
According to articles in recent Quincy Patriot-Ledger newspapers, demolition work started in mid-July. They started at the rear of the complex, where the Registry of Motor Vehicles office was located, and are moving forward toward Hancock Street. Should be finished by mid-August, 2010.
It’s located close to the east side of Route 3A, just south of the bridge from North Weymouth. Nearby is the ferryboat terminal for commuter ferries to and from Boston.
The people in the postcard are not dressed for the 1920s; they are wearing clothing from the 1900 – 1910 era. The Relay was probably a summer movie theater.
The Grand Opera House is listed in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. It had 1,900 seats: orchestra-650; Balcony- 450; Gallery-800. The auditorium was on the ground floor and had both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 34 feet wide X 29 feet high, and the stage was 39 feet deep. The Managers were Dickson & Talbot. Other theaters in Indianapolis at that time were the English Opera House, the Empire and the Park. The 1897 population was 125,000.
In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the Casino in Ware is listed as part of Ralph E. Snider theaters of Boston. Ralph Snider also operated the Bijou Theatre in Ware at that time.
Boxoffice Magazine for April 28, 1958 has a feature article on Ben Sack and the Sack theater circuit. In it, Sack says that he got his start in movie theaters with the Allen (Crown) Theatre in Lowell in 1950, and a year later he and his 2 partners got involved with the Lyric in Fitchburg, which they renamed “Saxon”.
Boxoffice Magazine for April 28, 1958 has a feature article about Ben Sack and the Sack theater chain of Boston. Sack says that he got his start in movie theaters in Lowell. In 1950, with partners Irving Sisson and Joe Cohen, he began operating the Allen Theatre. A year later, the 3 moved to Fitchburg and after getting established there, they closed the Allen in Lowell, which Sack called a “dog”.
One point that I might take issue with in the Sack Theatres article in Boxoffice Magazine, April 28, 1958,(posted above by Gerry DeLuca) is the description by Ben Sack that the Majestic in 1956 was “abandoned” and “boarded up”. And that he had to peer between the boards to look into the lobby. I don’t remember it that way at all.
There was a Grand Opera House listed under Augusta GA in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Unfortunately, there are no street addresses in this Guide. The seating capacity was 1,650 and Sanford Cohen was the Mgr. Ticket prices ranged from 25 cents to $1.; the house had electric illumination, was on the ground floor and had 8 members of the pit orchestra. The proscenium opening was 34 feet wide and the stage was 36 feeet deep. There were 4 daily newspapers and one weekly. Hotels for show folk were the Arlington, Planter, Continental, and Virginia House. The 1897 population of Augusta was 45,000.
Boxoffice Magazine for Aug. 14, 1948 reports that a live band concert was presented at the Sundown prior to the start of the movie.
Boxoffice Magazine of Aug. 14, 1948 reports that the Rialto, not used regularly for several years, was being considered for purchase by the Leominster Recreation Center.
Note that the renovation of the Middleboro Th. described in the Boxoffice Magazine article, Aug. 1948, which Gerry has posted, was total. The theater was closed for 3 months and stripped to the 4 walls. The theater at that time was also an “Indie” and not part of a chain.
I talked to a friend who is in theaters yesterday and he was the one who told me that the Little Art had recently opened for the season; he even gave me the name of the movie, which I promptly forgot.
I went to the Publix many times and never felt any danger in there. But I stopped going around 1968 and am not familiar with it after that. It wasn’t that grungy then. There were fairly large audiences, mostly all male. I never went there at night; always during the day. There were 2 feature films, fairly recent, plus shorts. And the price was well under $1. I don’t think that the area was called the “Combat Zone” until the 1970s when Billinuk was a patron.
In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the Graphic Theatre in Bangor is listed under Mullin & Pinanski of Boston, an affiliate of Paramount theaters. Other movie theaters in Bangor run by M&P were the Bijou, Opera House and Park.
Yes, the Graphic is Theater # 15886.
Yes, there already is a page here in CT for the Bijou in Bangor. It’s Theater # 20143. It was on Exchange Street and was operated by Paramount (Mullins & Pinanski) circa-1940s.
I have heard that the Little Art has reopened for the summer season.
The Casino is now in the process of being sold. The new owner has been operating a twin-cinema. He plans some refurbishments for the Casino and would like a partner or two to assist him.
“Someone Who Was There” tells me that he has heard that the interior of the Art has recently been gutted out.
In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the Empire, along with the Music Hall,Strand and Priscilla in Lewiston, was being operated by John Ford, an affiliate of Paramount Theatres.
The Chevrolet dealer on the site of the Quintree today still uses the same street address that was on the 1949 application for the permit to construct the drive-in: 444 Quincy Avenue.