As its attraction during Christmas week of 1921, the Casino presented the revue “Hello 1922” on stage. Their ad in the Boston Globe is headed “Waldron’s Casino” with “Waldron’s” in large letters. Their motto was “The House of Big Shows”. There was a note that on New Year’s Eve there would be performances at 7PM and 930PM. In my office in Boston in the 1970s there was an elderly man who worked part-time as an engineering ass’t. He was a show buff and as a youth he had known Charlie Waldron and had attended shows at the Casino many times.
The Christmas week attraction at the Gayety in Dec. 1921 was the revue “Maids of America” with Bobby Barry on stage. Performances at 210PM and 810PM. On Sat. Dec. 31st, New Years Eve, there were 3 shows at 2PM, 7PM and 930PM.
Correction- Dec. 24th was a Sat. in 1921. The Somerville Theatre’s ad in the newspaper was unusual in that it was printed on its side, with the top of the ad to the right and the bottom to the left; one had to pivot the page in order to read it. Perhaps this was an attention-getting device.
There was a movie show at the Wang last night – the new comedy film “Get Smart” was shown one day prior to its general release. The showing was a benefit for a medical charity.
The play ran the entire week. However, it’s not clear if the twice-daily performance was just on Christmas day, or every day during the week. I’m not sure, but I think that Dec. 24th was a Sunday in 1921.
Although Warren’s photo was taken in 1943, the area was little changed in 1948-50 when I first remember it. It was sort of honky-tonk, but not dangerous. Full of sailors on weekends. Also lots of “wise guys” from the North End and West End. You expected to see the cast of “Guys and Dolls” out on the sidewalk. That kind of place.
The Christmas week attraction in Dec. 1921 at the Boston Opera House was the Shubert Mammoth Mid-Winter Indoor Circus starring the noted clown Poodles Hannaford. There were 2 shows daily with admission prices ranging from 25 cents to $1. Doors opened 1 hour before performances because there were a large number of various entertainments under way in the lobby and corridors; these may have included comedy shorts on screen. This show was undoubtedly a good draw during the holiday week.
For its Christmas week attraction in December 1921, Gordon’s Strand Theatre in Uphams Corner featured the movie “Enchantment” with Marion Davies, plus “Love Never Dies”. Arthur Martel was the featured organist. There is a notation in their Boston Globe ad that vaudeville is presented on Saturdays and Sundays, and that there are Sunday concerts at 3PM and 8PM, all seats reserved.
For its Christmas week attraction in December 1921, the Somerville Theatre presented the Somerville Players, “New England’s Finest Stock Company”, in the play “The Night Cap”, direct from the Wilbur Theatre in Boston. Performances at 215PM and 8PM. They ran a fairly large ad in the Boston Globe on Dec. 24, 1921.
For Christmas week of 1921, the theater presented the movie “Lucky Carson”, plus on stage “The Spirit of Mardi Gras” musical revue, plus vaudeville acts. Their ad in the Boston Globe is headed “Gordon’s Scollay Square Olympia” and their motto was “Shows You Talk About”. There is a Christmas greeting from Nathan Gordon, and a note that on Sundays there are “concerts” running from 3PM to 1030PM. The vaudeville shows were called “concerts” to circumvent Sunday “Blue Laws”.
For Christmas week of 1921, the Pilgrim presented the movie “Tol'able David”, plus a show on stage which included “Not Yet, Marie”, a “miniature musical comedy” plus vaudeville acts. The theatre is listed in its Boston Globe ad as “Gordon’s Olympia Washington Street”, and not the usual “Washington Street Olympia”. Their motto was “The Theatre You Go To First”. The ad has a Christmas greeting from Nathan Gordon, plus the note that on Sundays there is a concert running from 3PM to 1030PM. (This was a way to present vaudeville and circumvent “blue laws” by calling it a “concert”.)
I think you’re correct. Part of Stuart St. was called Eliot St. many years ago; in fact, I seem to recall that the name of the parking garage located a few doors down from the Plymouth/Gary Theatre entrance was the Eliot Street Garage. The Washington Theatre was on Washington St. at the corner of Kneeland St., and would have been opposite the east end of Eliot St.
The attraction at the Loew’s Orpheum during Christmas week of 1921 was the movie “The Little Minister” plus News and Comedy Shorts; while there was a vaudeville program on stage. Their ad reads “Continuous 915AM – 1030PM.”
During Christmas week of 1921, the National was featuring the Italian actor Giovanni Grasso and a company of 30 on stage in a repertoire of Italian plays. No movies.
The Washington’s ad in the Boston Globe during Christmas week of 1921 has the address, 720 Washington St., and then what looks like “Opp. Elio” (Opposite Elio ?? Don’t know what that means.) It says Continuous from 3 PM to 10 PM, there were 2 feature films playing Mon-Wed, and another pair Thurs-Sat. The house was apparently closed on Sundays.
During Christmas week, 1921, this theater’s ad in the Boston Globe was headed “B.F. Keith’s – Amusement Center of Boston”. There was a vaudeville program headed by Irene Castle, plus on screen Pathe News and “Topics of the Day”. No feature movie.
There were a number of roadshow presentations of feature films at the Majestic in the period 1915-20, although supposedly a projection booth was not constructed until 1921. Possibly they used a make-shift booth of some kind. In the 1950s and later, the projection booth was located at the center-rear of the first balcony.
As of December 1921, the Majestic was being used as the Boston outlet for Shubert Vaudeville. The Shuberts did not stay in the Vaudeville business for very long.
During Christmas week 1921, “Jack and the Beanstalk” was playing on stage as a holiday-week attraction for children. The theatre was called the Arlington at the time.
The architectural historian, Douglass Shand Tucci, in his noted book about Boston-area architecture “Built in Boston, City and Suburb”, mistakenly refers on page 216 to the Granada in Malden as the “Alhambra” Theatre.
Anyone know how this theatre has fared in the terrible flooding of downtown Cedar Rapids? I visited the Iowa with a Theatre Historical Society group around 1985/6. It had been converted into a live house, and I seem to recall that they had remounted the famous ear-of-corn vertical blade sign outside.
I also remember Duggan Hill and his “City Lights” troupe in the early 1980s. He was a “dreamer” ! He wanted to convert the Paramount into a venue for Modern Dance, similar to the Joyce Theatre in New York City. He spent several years trying to push the right buttons to make the dream a reality, but it was hopeless.
I have a copy of Douglass Shand-Tucci’s book “Built in Boston- City & Suburb” (1978). The error appears in the last paragraph on page 216. He obviously is discussing the Granada Theatre in Malden, but he calls it the “Alhambra”. There were a number of movie theaters in Malden in the “old days”, but there probably wasn’t business enough for two large Moorish-style atmospherics downtown, especially with evocative and similar names !
Graeme- are you thinking of the Granada Theatre in Malden? It was the largest theater there and was an “Atmospheric”. It’s already listed here in Cinema Treasures.
As its attraction during Christmas week of 1921, the Casino presented the revue “Hello 1922” on stage. Their ad in the Boston Globe is headed “Waldron’s Casino” with “Waldron’s” in large letters. Their motto was “The House of Big Shows”. There was a note that on New Year’s Eve there would be performances at 7PM and 930PM. In my office in Boston in the 1970s there was an elderly man who worked part-time as an engineering ass’t. He was a show buff and as a youth he had known Charlie Waldron and had attended shows at the Casino many times.
The Christmas week attraction at the Gayety in Dec. 1921 was the revue “Maids of America” with Bobby Barry on stage. Performances at 210PM and 810PM. On Sat. Dec. 31st, New Years Eve, there were 3 shows at 2PM, 7PM and 930PM.
Correction- Dec. 24th was a Sat. in 1921. The Somerville Theatre’s ad in the newspaper was unusual in that it was printed on its side, with the top of the ad to the right and the bottom to the left; one had to pivot the page in order to read it. Perhaps this was an attention-getting device.
There was a movie show at the Wang last night – the new comedy film “Get Smart” was shown one day prior to its general release. The showing was a benefit for a medical charity.
The play ran the entire week. However, it’s not clear if the twice-daily performance was just on Christmas day, or every day during the week. I’m not sure, but I think that Dec. 24th was a Sunday in 1921.
Although Warren’s photo was taken in 1943, the area was little changed in 1948-50 when I first remember it. It was sort of honky-tonk, but not dangerous. Full of sailors on weekends. Also lots of “wise guys” from the North End and West End. You expected to see the cast of “Guys and Dolls” out on the sidewalk. That kind of place.
The Christmas week attraction in Dec. 1921 at the Boston Opera House was the Shubert Mammoth Mid-Winter Indoor Circus starring the noted clown Poodles Hannaford. There were 2 shows daily with admission prices ranging from 25 cents to $1. Doors opened 1 hour before performances because there were a large number of various entertainments under way in the lobby and corridors; these may have included comedy shorts on screen. This show was undoubtedly a good draw during the holiday week.
For its Christmas week attraction in December 1921, Gordon’s Strand Theatre in Uphams Corner featured the movie “Enchantment” with Marion Davies, plus “Love Never Dies”. Arthur Martel was the featured organist. There is a notation in their Boston Globe ad that vaudeville is presented on Saturdays and Sundays, and that there are Sunday concerts at 3PM and 8PM, all seats reserved.
For its Christmas week attraction in December 1921, the Somerville Theatre presented the Somerville Players, “New England’s Finest Stock Company”, in the play “The Night Cap”, direct from the Wilbur Theatre in Boston. Performances at 215PM and 8PM. They ran a fairly large ad in the Boston Globe on Dec. 24, 1921.
For Christmas week of 1921, the theater presented the movie “Lucky Carson”, plus on stage “The Spirit of Mardi Gras” musical revue, plus vaudeville acts. Their ad in the Boston Globe is headed “Gordon’s Scollay Square Olympia” and their motto was “Shows You Talk About”. There is a Christmas greeting from Nathan Gordon, and a note that on Sundays there are “concerts” running from 3PM to 1030PM. The vaudeville shows were called “concerts” to circumvent Sunday “Blue Laws”.
For Christmas week of 1921, the Pilgrim presented the movie “Tol'able David”, plus a show on stage which included “Not Yet, Marie”, a “miniature musical comedy” plus vaudeville acts. The theatre is listed in its Boston Globe ad as “Gordon’s Olympia Washington Street”, and not the usual “Washington Street Olympia”. Their motto was “The Theatre You Go To First”. The ad has a Christmas greeting from Nathan Gordon, plus the note that on Sundays there is a concert running from 3PM to 1030PM. (This was a way to present vaudeville and circumvent “blue laws” by calling it a “concert”.)
I think you’re correct. Part of Stuart St. was called Eliot St. many years ago; in fact, I seem to recall that the name of the parking garage located a few doors down from the Plymouth/Gary Theatre entrance was the Eliot Street Garage. The Washington Theatre was on Washington St. at the corner of Kneeland St., and would have been opposite the east end of Eliot St.
The attraction at the Loew’s Orpheum during Christmas week of 1921 was the movie “The Little Minister” plus News and Comedy Shorts; while there was a vaudeville program on stage. Their ad reads “Continuous 915AM – 1030PM.”
During Christmas week of 1921, the National was featuring the Italian actor Giovanni Grasso and a company of 30 on stage in a repertoire of Italian plays. No movies.
The Washington’s ad in the Boston Globe during Christmas week of 1921 has the address, 720 Washington St., and then what looks like “Opp. Elio” (Opposite Elio ?? Don’t know what that means.) It says Continuous from 3 PM to 10 PM, there were 2 feature films playing Mon-Wed, and another pair Thurs-Sat. The house was apparently closed on Sundays.
During Christmas week, 1921, this theater’s ad in the Boston Globe was headed “B.F. Keith’s – Amusement Center of Boston”. There was a vaudeville program headed by Irene Castle, plus on screen Pathe News and “Topics of the Day”. No feature movie.
There were a number of roadshow presentations of feature films at the Majestic in the period 1915-20, although supposedly a projection booth was not constructed until 1921. Possibly they used a make-shift booth of some kind. In the 1950s and later, the projection booth was located at the center-rear of the first balcony.
As of December 1921, the Majestic was being used as the Boston outlet for Shubert Vaudeville. The Shuberts did not stay in the Vaudeville business for very long.
During Christmas week 1921, “Jack and the Beanstalk” was playing on stage as a holiday-week attraction for children. The theatre was called the Arlington at the time.
During Christmas week of 1921, the movie “The Iron Trail” plus News, plus Vaudeville acts on stage, was playing at the Boston Theatre.
The architectural historian, Douglass Shand Tucci, in his noted book about Boston-area architecture “Built in Boston, City and Suburb”, mistakenly refers on page 216 to the Granada in Malden as the “Alhambra” Theatre.
Anyone know how this theatre has fared in the terrible flooding of downtown Cedar Rapids? I visited the Iowa with a Theatre Historical Society group around 1985/6. It had been converted into a live house, and I seem to recall that they had remounted the famous ear-of-corn vertical blade sign outside.
I also remember Duggan Hill and his “City Lights” troupe in the early 1980s. He was a “dreamer” ! He wanted to convert the Paramount into a venue for Modern Dance, similar to the Joyce Theatre in New York City. He spent several years trying to push the right buttons to make the dream a reality, but it was hopeless.
I have a copy of Douglass Shand-Tucci’s book “Built in Boston- City & Suburb” (1978). The error appears in the last paragraph on page 216. He obviously is discussing the Granada Theatre in Malden, but he calls it the “Alhambra”. There were a number of movie theaters in Malden in the “old days”, but there probably wasn’t business enough for two large Moorish-style atmospherics downtown, especially with evocative and similar names !
Graeme- are you thinking of the Granada Theatre in Malden? It was the largest theater there and was an “Atmospheric”. It’s already listed here in Cinema Treasures.