The Auburn Th. in Auburn Maine is listed as part of the Maine @ New Hampshire Theatre Co. of Boston in the 1942-43 edition of the Motion Picture Almanac.
The old photo which Panzer65 linked to was taken some time in 1919. At the top center is an ad for “Monte Cristo Jr.” at the Winter Garden. It opened in Feb. 1919 and ran for 254 performances, a “hit” in those days. At the Knickerbocker, on the right side of the photo, “Listen Lester” was playing. It opened in Dec. 1918 and ran into the Fall of 1919. Source: “American Musical Theatre” by Gerald Bordman. Both were musicals. The Knickerbocker and the Casino were both located across Broadway from the old Metropolitan Opera House which was in use prior to the opening of the present Met at Lincoln Center.
Nice old photo, Panzer65. The Knickerbocker and Casino theates were both legit houses specializing in musicals. Maxine Elliot’s was also legit, with mostly regular plays. They were not Vaude houses, and apparently never showed movies, so that’s why they are not listed here in CT.
The location of this cinema at the Hanover Mall is not readily apparent. It’s way down in back, tucked into the far north rear corner of the mall property. But it does have signage out front at the edge of the street (Route 53).
I went to a store in Legacy Place this morning so afterward I went looking for this cinema. The mall has 2 quads or squares and the cinema is located at a rear corner of the second quad, way down in back. There is a large Showcase sign up on the exterior wall. It’s in a corner location in a non-descript modern building which could double for a dept. store or a supermarket. In the front window next to the doors there were a couple of small posters, but there is very little signage. The place has Zero cinema atmosphere, on the exterior at least. There also seems to be nothing on the outside which lists what’s playing inside.
In the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide, under N.Y. theaters, is listed the Olympia Theatre, Oscar Hammerstein, Mgr., Arthur Hammerstein, Business Mgr. Admission prices ranged from 50 cents to $1.50. The proscenium opening was 31 feet wide X 34 feeet high, and the stage was 34 feet deep. The auditorium was on the ground floor. The seating capacity is given as 1,850 but the breakdown does not add up: Orchestra 400, Balcony 150. Gallery 300, Boxes 78, total: 928. Under N.Y. Variety Theaters is listed the Olympia Music Hall, Oscar Hammerstein Mgr, Arthur Hammerstein Bus. Mgr. Ticket prices ranged from 50 cents to $1.50, with boxes priced at $3 to $10 each. The proscenium was 35.5 feet wide X 38 feet high, and the stage was 46 feet deep. The auditorium was on the ground floor. The seating capacity was given as 3,815 but the breakdown doesn’t add to that. Orchestra 509, Dress Circle 115, Balcony 191, Gallery 500, Boxes 120, total: 1,435. The Music Hall had so many boxes that they must have contained many more than 120 chairs. Both theaters are listed as being lit by electricity only, no gas.
The marquee which forms a rain canopy over the sidewalk has been redecorated. As posted above, there is a large electronic marquee above it, perpendicular to the facade. There are similar new electronic marquees next door at the Wilbur Theatre and across the street on the Shubert.
The facade of the new building on the site has now reached 5 or 6 stories in height and is of cinderblock at the top. The scaffolding down below is heavily shrouded in black cloth so you can’t see what is going on in there! I hope that the original facade is being reassembled behind the cloth.
The marquee and the verticle cloth banner above it have now been changed to read “Boston Opera House” instead of just plain “Opera House”. Most TV and newspaper ads for shows at this venue now have “Boston Opera House” as the theater name instead of “Opera House”.
tisloews – you have sharp eyesight to spot the “E.M.Loews Theatres” sign in ken mc’s 1980 Savoy photo, posted on 4-21-09. I didn’t notice it. The EML offices had been located in the Publix Theatre bulding on Washington Street. That theater closed in Spring 1983 and the offices were moved out. I didn’t really pay much attention to where they moved. The company didn’t last too much longer after that.
The MGM reports were apparently written up hastily and there are many careless errors in them. But, on the other hand, I would not go so far as to state that they have no value at all.
The Somerville Theatre in Davis Square was included in the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project. There is an exterior photo dated “1941” (probably May.) A big banner is hanging from the marquee which says “Abbott & Costello – Buck Privates”. That movie is also posted on the marquee along with “Who Killed Aunt Maggie” – Wendy Barrie. The Report says that the Somerville has been playing MGM product for over 15 years; that it was built in 1900 (incorrect); that it is in Good condition, and has 700 seats on the main floor, and no balcony (incorrect). Competing theaters are listed as the Harvard in N. Cambridge and the Porter in Cambridge. The type of patronage is “Community” (whatever that means); and the 1940 population of Somerville was 102,100.
In the theater reports made in Somerville in May 1941 for MGM, the Broadway Theatre was listed as competition to the Strand Theatre on Union Square and to Peterson’s Orpheum on Cross Street, but the MGM agent did not fill out a seperate form for the Broadway Theatre itself.
The Strand in Somerville was included in the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project. There is an exterior photo dated May, 1941 showing an elaborate facade with an arch above the marquee. On the marquee is posted “Jackie Moran” and “Old Swimming Hole”. The marquee is the 2-sided triangle type. There appear to be trolley tracks in the street in front of the theater. The Report says that the Strand is at “3 Union Square”, that it’s a MGM customer and has been for over 10 years; that it’s over 15 years old and in “Fair” condition. It’s a “Neighborhood” house and has 650 seats on the main floor and 310 in the balcony. Competing theaters are listed as the Orpheum and the Broadway. The 1940 population of Somerville was 102,100.
The original entrance was in front; it was converted a long time ago into retail space. The exit doors off of the inner foyer were then converted into an entrance. So, you go down the alley along the right side of the building to enter.
I participated in many THSA conclaves from the early 1980s into the 2000s. In all that span of time I can recall stopping at a Drive-in theater just once, a 2-screener somewhere in Mississipi on a tour out of New Orleans. There may have been other drive-in stops, but I can’t recall any. We had 2, 3 or 4 busses and the schedules are very tight. It’s a constant battle to stay on-time. So you can’t make quick stops for photo-ops. The THSA conclaves are somewhat expensive, but great fun for those who love theaters.
to LMD- “Morriscope” were the movie shorts shown at the Orpheum when William Morris was the Mgr. See comment above on Dec 14, 2005 where there is a description of a 1909 program at the Orpheum. Since these movies were silient, I assume that “Morriscope Music” were short films of some sort which had a musical accompaniement by the pit orchestra. These movies in vaudeville houses of that era were used as “chasers” at the end of the program to encourage people to leave.
By the early 1970s when Cleara attended the Stuart, the washrooms must have been relocated to the rear. When I went there, 10 – 15 years earlier, they were located down front, on each side of the screen. Older movies were the fare, with the emphasis on cowboy/westerns, adventure, mystery, war movies, etc. My memory is that the projection booth up back was completely enclosed at that time.
As the Fisher Opera House, this theater is listed under San Diego in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. John C. Fisher was the Mgr. Seating is listed as 1,400 and tickets range from 25 cents to $2. The house, which was on the ground floor, had both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 38 feet wide X 39 feet high, and the stage was 47 feet deep. There were 10 members of the house orchestra. There were 4 daily newspapers and 3 hotels for show folk. The 1897 population of San Diego was 20,000.
Prov. and J.V. Roy- for some discussion about the Hathaway’s Theatre in Lowell, see the Page here in CT for the Hathaway’s Theatre in New Bedford MA. The Hathaway’s in Lowell was part of the Keith vaudeville circuit as of 1909. There was also a Hathaway’s Theatre in Brockton MA. Apparently, the 3 theaters were related.
I just noticed Cy Berman’s post above. Does it mean that the bowling alley was at street level, and the theater’s auditorium was up on the second floor? If you walked into the main theater entrance from the sidewalk and purchased a ticket, you then had to climb a flight of stairs to get to the auditorium?? I didn’t realize that.
The Odd Fellows was a social organization with chapters in various cities and towns. They were active at least into the 1950s and maybe later. The club name was certainly “odd” !
I looked for the circa-1890 Columbia Theatre in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. But the only theater listed under Bowling Green KY was Potter’s Opera House, no street address given, managed by J.M. Robertson and having 950 seats.
The Auburn Th. in Auburn Maine is listed as part of the Maine @ New Hampshire Theatre Co. of Boston in the 1942-43 edition of the Motion Picture Almanac.
The old photo which Panzer65 linked to was taken some time in 1919. At the top center is an ad for “Monte Cristo Jr.” at the Winter Garden. It opened in Feb. 1919 and ran for 254 performances, a “hit” in those days. At the Knickerbocker, on the right side of the photo, “Listen Lester” was playing. It opened in Dec. 1918 and ran into the Fall of 1919. Source: “American Musical Theatre” by Gerald Bordman. Both were musicals. The Knickerbocker and the Casino were both located across Broadway from the old Metropolitan Opera House which was in use prior to the opening of the present Met at Lincoln Center.
Nice old photo, Panzer65. The Knickerbocker and Casino theates were both legit houses specializing in musicals. Maxine Elliot’s was also legit, with mostly regular plays. They were not Vaude houses, and apparently never showed movies, so that’s why they are not listed here in CT.
The location of this cinema at the Hanover Mall is not readily apparent. It’s way down in back, tucked into the far north rear corner of the mall property. But it does have signage out front at the edge of the street (Route 53).
I went to a store in Legacy Place this morning so afterward I went looking for this cinema. The mall has 2 quads or squares and the cinema is located at a rear corner of the second quad, way down in back. There is a large Showcase sign up on the exterior wall. It’s in a corner location in a non-descript modern building which could double for a dept. store or a supermarket. In the front window next to the doors there were a couple of small posters, but there is very little signage. The place has Zero cinema atmosphere, on the exterior at least. There also seems to be nothing on the outside which lists what’s playing inside.
In the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide, under N.Y. theaters, is listed the Olympia Theatre, Oscar Hammerstein, Mgr., Arthur Hammerstein, Business Mgr. Admission prices ranged from 50 cents to $1.50. The proscenium opening was 31 feet wide X 34 feeet high, and the stage was 34 feet deep. The auditorium was on the ground floor. The seating capacity is given as 1,850 but the breakdown does not add up: Orchestra 400, Balcony 150. Gallery 300, Boxes 78, total: 928. Under N.Y. Variety Theaters is listed the Olympia Music Hall, Oscar Hammerstein Mgr, Arthur Hammerstein Bus. Mgr. Ticket prices ranged from 50 cents to $1.50, with boxes priced at $3 to $10 each. The proscenium was 35.5 feet wide X 38 feet high, and the stage was 46 feet deep. The auditorium was on the ground floor. The seating capacity was given as 3,815 but the breakdown doesn’t add to that. Orchestra 509, Dress Circle 115, Balcony 191, Gallery 500, Boxes 120, total: 1,435. The Music Hall had so many boxes that they must have contained many more than 120 chairs. Both theaters are listed as being lit by electricity only, no gas.
The marquee which forms a rain canopy over the sidewalk has been redecorated. As posted above, there is a large electronic marquee above it, perpendicular to the facade. There are similar new electronic marquees next door at the Wilbur Theatre and across the street on the Shubert.
The facade of the new building on the site has now reached 5 or 6 stories in height and is of cinderblock at the top. The scaffolding down below is heavily shrouded in black cloth so you can’t see what is going on in there! I hope that the original facade is being reassembled behind the cloth.
The building is still standing as of May 21.
The marquee and the verticle cloth banner above it have now been changed to read “Boston Opera House” instead of just plain “Opera House”. Most TV and newspaper ads for shows at this venue now have “Boston Opera House” as the theater name instead of “Opera House”.
tisloews – you have sharp eyesight to spot the “E.M.Loews Theatres” sign in ken mc’s 1980 Savoy photo, posted on 4-21-09. I didn’t notice it. The EML offices had been located in the Publix Theatre bulding on Washington Street. That theater closed in Spring 1983 and the offices were moved out. I didn’t really pay much attention to where they moved. The company didn’t last too much longer after that.
The MGM reports were apparently written up hastily and there are many careless errors in them. But, on the other hand, I would not go so far as to state that they have no value at all.
OK, done. There was no Report for the Broadway, although it’s alluded to in other Somerville Reports.
The Somerville Theatre in Davis Square was included in the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project. There is an exterior photo dated “1941” (probably May.) A big banner is hanging from the marquee which says “Abbott & Costello – Buck Privates”. That movie is also posted on the marquee along with “Who Killed Aunt Maggie” – Wendy Barrie. The Report says that the Somerville has been playing MGM product for over 15 years; that it was built in 1900 (incorrect); that it is in Good condition, and has 700 seats on the main floor, and no balcony (incorrect). Competing theaters are listed as the Harvard in N. Cambridge and the Porter in Cambridge. The type of patronage is “Community” (whatever that means); and the 1940 population of Somerville was 102,100.
In the theater reports made in Somerville in May 1941 for MGM, the Broadway Theatre was listed as competition to the Strand Theatre on Union Square and to Peterson’s Orpheum on Cross Street, but the MGM agent did not fill out a seperate form for the Broadway Theatre itself.
The Strand in Somerville was included in the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project. There is an exterior photo dated May, 1941 showing an elaborate facade with an arch above the marquee. On the marquee is posted “Jackie Moran” and “Old Swimming Hole”. The marquee is the 2-sided triangle type. There appear to be trolley tracks in the street in front of the theater. The Report says that the Strand is at “3 Union Square”, that it’s a MGM customer and has been for over 10 years; that it’s over 15 years old and in “Fair” condition. It’s a “Neighborhood” house and has 650 seats on the main floor and 310 in the balcony. Competing theaters are listed as the Orpheum and the Broadway. The 1940 population of Somerville was 102,100.
The original entrance was in front; it was converted a long time ago into retail space. The exit doors off of the inner foyer were then converted into an entrance. So, you go down the alley along the right side of the building to enter.
I participated in many THSA conclaves from the early 1980s into the 2000s. In all that span of time I can recall stopping at a Drive-in theater just once, a 2-screener somewhere in Mississipi on a tour out of New Orleans. There may have been other drive-in stops, but I can’t recall any. We had 2, 3 or 4 busses and the schedules are very tight. It’s a constant battle to stay on-time. So you can’t make quick stops for photo-ops. The THSA conclaves are somewhat expensive, but great fun for those who love theaters.
to LMD- “Morriscope” were the movie shorts shown at the Orpheum when William Morris was the Mgr. See comment above on Dec 14, 2005 where there is a description of a 1909 program at the Orpheum. Since these movies were silient, I assume that “Morriscope Music” were short films of some sort which had a musical accompaniement by the pit orchestra. These movies in vaudeville houses of that era were used as “chasers” at the end of the program to encourage people to leave.
By the early 1970s when Cleara attended the Stuart, the washrooms must have been relocated to the rear. When I went there, 10 – 15 years earlier, they were located down front, on each side of the screen. Older movies were the fare, with the emphasis on cowboy/westerns, adventure, mystery, war movies, etc. My memory is that the projection booth up back was completely enclosed at that time.
As the Fisher Opera House, this theater is listed under San Diego in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. John C. Fisher was the Mgr. Seating is listed as 1,400 and tickets range from 25 cents to $2. The house, which was on the ground floor, had both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 38 feet wide X 39 feet high, and the stage was 47 feet deep. There were 10 members of the house orchestra. There were 4 daily newspapers and 3 hotels for show folk. The 1897 population of San Diego was 20,000.
Prov. and J.V. Roy- for some discussion about the Hathaway’s Theatre in Lowell, see the Page here in CT for the Hathaway’s Theatre in New Bedford MA. The Hathaway’s in Lowell was part of the Keith vaudeville circuit as of 1909. There was also a Hathaway’s Theatre in Brockton MA. Apparently, the 3 theaters were related.
I just noticed Cy Berman’s post above. Does it mean that the bowling alley was at street level, and the theater’s auditorium was up on the second floor? If you walked into the main theater entrance from the sidewalk and purchased a ticket, you then had to climb a flight of stairs to get to the auditorium?? I didn’t realize that.
The Odd Fellows was a social organization with chapters in various cities and towns. They were active at least into the 1950s and maybe later. The club name was certainly “odd” !
I looked for the circa-1890 Columbia Theatre in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. But the only theater listed under Bowling Green KY was Potter’s Opera House, no street address given, managed by J.M. Robertson and having 950 seats.