Somerville Theatre
55 Davis Square,
Somerville,
MA
02144
55 Davis Square,
Somerville,
MA
02144
27 people
favorited this theater
Showing 151 - 163 of 163 comments
That’s great news about Garen Daly. I’m glad to hear it!
On a regular basis, this theatre has live shows in the main auditorium while showing movies in the other four. Movie patrons and concert attendees share the same lobby, restrooms, and concession stand. If this is done anywhere else, I’m curious to hear about it.
I certainly remember the FISST movement in the late 80’s (I was a kid) because there was a lot of local press about it. Now that I work here and have seen files, blueprints, etc., it really shows me how one-sided the press was back then, so eager to paint the owners as bad people wanting to destroy the theater. That is certainly not the case. The idea of multiplexing the building back then was the same plan that came to fruition in the 90’s – using abandoned space in the building rather than splitting up the original theater. I have seen architectural plans dated in the late 80’s that are almost identical to the current layout, all of which kept the main theater intact. It was great to get historical landmark status – but I should point out that this status only covers the EXTERIOR and not the interior. It was the owners who decided to keep the theater whole.
Sorry if I sound reactionary, but I have heard so many people badmouth the owners in regard to the period of the late 80’s/early 90’s and they have little knowledge of the facts. Nobody is perfect, but these people are very proud to own the theater and to have kept it open, even when it has lost money. Everybody always assumes that landlords and property owners are some kinds of villains, twirling their mustache while demanding ransom. That is just not the case and is a stereotype. So many so-called community activists jump to conclusions and rely on rumors and bad local press without talking to the sources themselves.
That said, I am not badmouthing FISST (as I too signed their petitions back in the day) and certainly not Ron, who is a very nice guy, and always a welcome patron at the Somerville, I just want people to know that there are definitely two sides to this story.
And everything has surely worked out for the best in the end: in fact, Garen Daly is bringing the Sci-Fi marathon back to Somerville this February, something we are all very excited about.
I look forward to ten years of preparing the theater for it’s hundreth birthday – we are always pushing forward with little improvements, bit by bit, and I hope to see Ron there!
-Ian Judge
General Manager
Somerville Theatre
For its first year, the Somerville featured vaudeville and silent films. But in 1915, it became a live stage house, home to the resident Somerville Players stock company, who performed a different play each week. Tallulah Bankhead and Francis X. Bushman were among the future film stars who performed on the Somerville’s stage. Busby Berkeley directed live shows here in the 1920s.
The Depression forced an end to live stage productions in 1932, and for the next fifty years, the Somerville became strictly a movie house. By the 1970s, it was a second-run house which usually shared its bookings with the Broadway Theatre in East Somerville.
In the early 1980s, Garen Daly leased the theater and began presenting a published monthly schedule of daily-changing double features, a mixture of recent second runs, independent films, foreign films, and Hollywood classics. The schedules were colorful and graphic, and resembled those published by the Fox Venice, Nuart, UC, and other Landmark theaters of the time.
Daly also brought live performance back to the Somerville stage, presenting an increasing number of Celtic, world, and folk music concerts. He also made the theatre the centerpiece of the Somerville Arts Council’s annual ArtBeat festival.
A dispute over unpaid rent and deteriorating building conditions briefly shuttered the theater at the end of 1988, and many people in the community feared that it would close for good or be subdivided into a multiplex. In the end, Daly was allowed to continue operating it for one more year. A community group, Friends In Support of the Somerville Theatre (FISST, later renaming itself Friends of the Somerville Theatre) mobilized to secure historic landmark status for the theatre. FISST also advocated keeping the theatre operating and in one piece. I was part of this group.
When Daly’s lease ended, the current owners took over operation of the theatre. The double-feature and repertory programming ended, and the theatre once again became a second-run house, this time with some leaning towards art and foreign films. Concert programming continued and expanded. The theatre is frequently used by World Music, Songstreet, and other local concert promoters.
In the late 1990s, the owners added four additional screens, carving them out of old storefronts and abandoned sections of the building. The main auditorium remains intact and undivided, complete with balcony.
I look forward to attending the theatre’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2014!
The architects of the Somerville Theatre were Funk & Wilcox. The opening programme on 11th May 1914 was; “The Inventor’s Wife” on the screen with Vaudeville acts on stage.
Turning 90!
The official seating capacity at the Somerville was, for many years, 1000. Seating was reduced in 1990 when a newer projection booth was installed in front of the old one at the back of the balcony, removing 5 rows of seats. Seating was reduced again in 1998 when new and more spacious seats were installed in the Orchestra. Today, there are 891 fixed seats and 14 ‘wheelchair accesible’ seats. The balcony, where the chairs are from 1914, holds more than the orchestra.
I just wannted to say this is a very attractive theater. Im interesting in purchasing a theater. Would you happen to know any good sites to go to for this. Please help. I currently own a theater in northern pa, Im selling it though and relocating.. If you could halp me in anyway that would be great …
The Somerville Theatre was listed during the mid 50’s as to seating 1040 people.
There used to be many other movie theaters in Somerville. This is the only one still operating.
To learn about the others, visit the “Lost Theatres of Somerville” exhibit at the Somerville Museum, or the exhibit’s web site at http://www.losttheatres.org/ .
Hi,
I am the General Manager of the Somerville Theatre. It is owned by FEI Theatres. They have a website www.feitheatres.com with info on the Somerville and the Capitol.
I welcome any inquiries about the building.
The theatre was not ‘saved’ by any community support. The long time owners of the building decided to spend millions of their own dollars on expanding and renovating it. The community expressed a desire to see the original auditorium saved from any possible alterations (i.e. divided into smaller cinemas) but it was never the desire of the owners to do that. The community may love the theatre, but they didn’t contribute to its renovation except through years of ponying up their admission and concessions money!
We do our best to keep the theatre a vital part of the city. If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them.
Thanks,
Ian Judge,
General Manager
Somerville Theatre
ron what same people as the capital in east Arlington
You list seating as 700. In fact, The main (classical) theatre seats 900, not even counting the 4 new, smaller screens.
This theater was saved after a large outpouring of community support in the late 1980s-early 1990s.
The four additional screens were added in the 1990s, not the 1980s.
The same folks own the nearby Capitol Theater in East Arlington.