The objects you are looking for are called poster frames, or poster cases, or poster boards. The “marquee” is the big contraption outside and above the entrance which usually has the cinema’s name on it in lights.
I heard over a year ago that the design in the new auditorium would be influenced by the original design. I have not seen any photos, but someone I know was inside the Paramount very recently and was very impressed and happy about what he saw. The main auditorium is a good deal smaller than the original. It’s due to open during the upcoming 2009 – 2010 season.
In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the State in Milford is listed as being run by Interstate Theatres of Boston. Interstate also ran the Opera House in Milford at that time.
A couple of times recently I have seen the architect of the Wollaston listed as one “James Tuck” or “James Tucker”. Whereas the architect listed at Theatre Historical Society and on the national register is Edwin McEwan. Who is James Tucker?? Some theaters had 2 architects- one who designed the building, and the other who designed the theatre inside. Perhaps that was the case here.
The Fenway apparently did not actually open until December 19, 1915, so the October estimate in the article above proved unrealistic. And it had 1,373 seats originally.
That is definitely the Fairmount Th.; the marquee in 1983 was actually wider than the one on the theater in 1941. I never heard of the “Premier Performance Theatre” or its usage in 1983— I wonder if this was a short-lived endeavor?
ken mc’s CVS store photo shows the facade looking something like it did in the Chatham Theatre’s May 1941 photo on the MGM Theatre Report, complete with the row of large “X” shapes along the upper part of the facade. In the 1983 theater photo, the facade is much modernized compared to its more traditonal appearance in 1941. The theatre had a peaked roof and shingled sides, fronted by a big rectangular false front.
The Quincy Patriot Ledger of July 1st covered this story. The developer working in Quincy Center, Street-Works LLC, set up an entity called Wollaston Theatre Development Associates to purchase the theater. The deal apparently went through because this info was gleaned from the Norfolk Country Registry of Deeds. The article says that “The overall plan is to revive the theater as a place that can host movie screenings, concerts and stage performances.” The new Wollaston Theatre Foundation will lead the restoration effort. The purchase price, down payment and mortgage amount are also listed at the Registry.
I looked at the Google Street View for 45 Millbury St. in Worcester, as mentioned above. I compared the building to the 1941 photo of the Rialto on the MGM Theatre Report. I am 99% certain that it is the same. The Rialto entrance and marquee were in the center of the building, under the big arched window. It’s where the “Video” sign is located today.
The photo posted by ken mc on April 17, plus the circa-1953 and 1955 photos posted by michelle66 are definitely the same as the Reading Theatre in the 1941 photo on the MGM Report. The Reading Theatre in the 1914 and 1915 photos posted by michelle66 are definitely a different building. The 1924 picture isn’t quite the same as the 1950s photos, but it is only one story high, so I guess it’s the newer Reading Th. The MGM Report says that the Reading was “over 10 years old” in 1941 which implies that it was constructed in the 1920s. I don’t know when it closed, but it could well have been out of operation by the late-1950s or early-60’s.
A small fire in the Regal Fenway a couple of days ago resulted in the sprinklers activating. Then no one could figure out how to turn them off. There was flooding and water damage to the complex which houses the cinema.
ken mc- your photo posted on May 1 above is of the Norwood Theater and not the Southern Th. Look at the color photo which is posted on the Norwood’s page and you can see that it is the same facade.
I don’t know— it seems unlikely that they would have constructed a projection booth in the balcony or at rear of the main floor. But it’s possible. I’m guessing that the original auditorium had a projection booth at the center-rear of the balcony.
The Columbia is listed under Washington DC in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Its Directors were Nixon and Zimmerman and F. Metzerott was the Mgr. Ticket prices ranged from 25 cents to $1.50. There were 600 orchestra seats, 450 balcony seats and 950 gallery seats, total 2,000. The theater was on the ground floor, had 10 musicians in the house orchestra, and the Edison system of electric lighting. The proscenium opening was 35 feet wide X 33 feet high, and the stage was 40 feet deep. Other Washington theaters listed in this Cahn guide were the Academy of Music, Bijou Family Theatre, Grand Opera House, Lafayette Square Opera House and New National Theatre. The 1897 population was 300,000.
The Gay Theater is listed under Wayne NE in the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac. It and the Crystal Theater in Wayne were run by Marschoene Theatres Inc., Philip L. March, General Mgr. Marschoene Theatres was part of March Brothers Theatres Inc. of Vermillion, South Dakota. Chuck1231, I agree that as long as Cinema Treasures has the electonic capacity then the more theaters listed, the better. And when posters make mistakes, there is a proper way to post a correction without being insulting and nasty about it.
As the “Spence (probably a typo) Opera House”, this theater is listed under Kendallville in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. A.M. Boyer was the Mgr., the seating was 800, and the house had both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 30 feet wide X 40 feet high, and the stage was 38 feet deep. There were 5 members of the house orchestra. Local newspapers were the Sun, News and Standard. Hotels for show folk were the Reyher and the Kelly House. The 1897 population of Kendallville was 4,000.
The Quincy Patriot Ledger had a short item yesterday about the application for a permit to demolish. It says that the Buzzards Bay Theater dates from the 1920s, was closed as a Hoyts Cinema in 2001, and that a new operator, Jeff Avery, spent $165,000 in improvements in 2006-07 in an ill-fated attempt to reestablish it as a cinema. The news item says that the owners want to put a parking lot on the site. The theater has been closed for well over a year now.
In the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook, there are 2 movie venues listed for Shelburne Falls- the Mills Theater with 300 seats and the Opera House with 536 seats.
How long has it been in operation? The website has a 2007 date on it. I gather that it’s in a strip-mall -type location.
The objects you are looking for are called poster frames, or poster cases, or poster boards. The “marquee” is the big contraption outside and above the entrance which usually has the cinema’s name on it in lights.
I heard over a year ago that the design in the new auditorium would be influenced by the original design. I have not seen any photos, but someone I know was inside the Paramount very recently and was very impressed and happy about what he saw. The main auditorium is a good deal smaller than the original. It’s due to open during the upcoming 2009 – 2010 season.
In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the State in Milford is listed as being run by Interstate Theatres of Boston. Interstate also ran the Opera House in Milford at that time.
A couple of times recently I have seen the architect of the Wollaston listed as one “James Tuck” or “James Tucker”. Whereas the architect listed at Theatre Historical Society and on the national register is Edwin McEwan. Who is James Tucker?? Some theaters had 2 architects- one who designed the building, and the other who designed the theatre inside. Perhaps that was the case here.
Unlike some old closed theaters which are in a near-hopeless state, the Wollaston is not so far gone that it cannot be restored.
The Fenway apparently did not actually open until December 19, 1915, so the October estimate in the article above proved unrealistic. And it had 1,373 seats originally.
That is definitely the Fairmount Th.; the marquee in 1983 was actually wider than the one on the theater in 1941. I never heard of the “Premier Performance Theatre” or its usage in 1983— I wonder if this was a short-lived endeavor?
ken mc’s CVS store photo shows the facade looking something like it did in the Chatham Theatre’s May 1941 photo on the MGM Theatre Report, complete with the row of large “X” shapes along the upper part of the facade. In the 1983 theater photo, the facade is much modernized compared to its more traditonal appearance in 1941. The theatre had a peaked roof and shingled sides, fronted by a big rectangular false front.
The marquee shown in ken mc’s 1986 photo is the same one that was on the Capitol in the May 1941 photo on the MGM Theatre Report.
Yes, Chuck1231’s photo is of the grand staircase in the lobby of the RKO Keith Memorial/Opera House.
The Quincy Patriot Ledger of July 1st covered this story. The developer working in Quincy Center, Street-Works LLC, set up an entity called Wollaston Theatre Development Associates to purchase the theater. The deal apparently went through because this info was gleaned from the Norfolk Country Registry of Deeds. The article says that “The overall plan is to revive the theater as a place that can host movie screenings, concerts and stage performances.” The new Wollaston Theatre Foundation will lead the restoration effort. The purchase price, down payment and mortgage amount are also listed at the Registry.
I looked at the Google Street View for 45 Millbury St. in Worcester, as mentioned above. I compared the building to the 1941 photo of the Rialto on the MGM Theatre Report. I am 99% certain that it is the same. The Rialto entrance and marquee were in the center of the building, under the big arched window. It’s where the “Video” sign is located today.
The photo posted by ken mc on April 17, plus the circa-1953 and 1955 photos posted by michelle66 are definitely the same as the Reading Theatre in the 1941 photo on the MGM Report. The Reading Theatre in the 1914 and 1915 photos posted by michelle66 are definitely a different building. The 1924 picture isn’t quite the same as the 1950s photos, but it is only one story high, so I guess it’s the newer Reading Th. The MGM Report says that the Reading was “over 10 years old” in 1941 which implies that it was constructed in the 1920s. I don’t know when it closed, but it could well have been out of operation by the late-1950s or early-60’s.
A small fire in the Regal Fenway a couple of days ago resulted in the sprinklers activating. Then no one could figure out how to turn them off. There was flooding and water damage to the complex which houses the cinema.
ken mc- your photo posted on May 1 above is of the Norwood Theater and not the Southern Th. Look at the color photo which is posted on the Norwood’s page and you can see that it is the same facade.
I don’t know— it seems unlikely that they would have constructed a projection booth in the balcony or at rear of the main floor. But it’s possible. I’m guessing that the original auditorium had a projection booth at the center-rear of the balcony.
Which Roxy Theater is shown in the color photo above??
The Columbia is listed under Washington DC in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Its Directors were Nixon and Zimmerman and F. Metzerott was the Mgr. Ticket prices ranged from 25 cents to $1.50. There were 600 orchestra seats, 450 balcony seats and 950 gallery seats, total 2,000. The theater was on the ground floor, had 10 musicians in the house orchestra, and the Edison system of electric lighting. The proscenium opening was 35 feet wide X 33 feet high, and the stage was 40 feet deep. Other Washington theaters listed in this Cahn guide were the Academy of Music, Bijou Family Theatre, Grand Opera House, Lafayette Square Opera House and New National Theatre. The 1897 population was 300,000.
The Gay Theater is listed under Wayne NE in the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac. It and the Crystal Theater in Wayne were run by Marschoene Theatres Inc., Philip L. March, General Mgr. Marschoene Theatres was part of March Brothers Theatres Inc. of Vermillion, South Dakota. Chuck1231, I agree that as long as Cinema Treasures has the electonic capacity then the more theaters listed, the better. And when posters make mistakes, there is a proper way to post a correction without being insulting and nasty about it.
As the “Spence (probably a typo) Opera House”, this theater is listed under Kendallville in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. A.M. Boyer was the Mgr., the seating was 800, and the house had both gas and electric illumination. The proscenium opening was 30 feet wide X 40 feet high, and the stage was 38 feet deep. There were 5 members of the house orchestra. Local newspapers were the Sun, News and Standard. Hotels for show folk were the Reyher and the Kelly House. The 1897 population of Kendallville was 4,000.
The Quincy Patriot Ledger had a short item yesterday about the application for a permit to demolish. It says that the Buzzards Bay Theater dates from the 1920s, was closed as a Hoyts Cinema in 2001, and that a new operator, Jeff Avery, spent $165,000 in improvements in 2006-07 in an ill-fated attempt to reestablish it as a cinema. The news item says that the owners want to put a parking lot on the site. The theater has been closed for well over a year now.
The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook lists one movie venue for Provincetown, the Provincetown Theater with 700 seats, open 7 days per week.
The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook lists one movie venue for Rockport, the Town Hall with 800 seats.
In the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook, there are 2 movie venues listed for Shelburne Falls- the Mills Theater with 300 seats and the Opera House with 536 seats.