People forget that prior to video, the James Bond films were in constant re-issue as double features and we went to see them again and again. The Community Playhouse was certainly one of the places we went to see them. If I had a nickel for everytime I saw “Thunderball” / “You On ly Live Twice”…
Playhouse Saturday matinees were a haven for anyone who loved comedies, especially anything with Danny Kaye or Jerry Lewis.
The Charles was always a great place to see and hear BIG movies in the 70’s and 80’s. I have fond memories of seeing ALIEN, JAWS, THE LAST WALTZ, GLORY, the STAR WARS and BACK TO THE FUTURE trilogies… It was the only theatre in town that did justice to the restored LAWRENCE OF ARABIA in 1982.
After the Music Hall closed in the 70’s, the Charles was the one of the usual Sack houses for the Bond movies. I’m pretty sure I saw FOR YOUR EYES ONLY there.
Wasn’t there a smaller screen downstairs at the Charles too? Pretty sure that’s where I saw BLADE RUNNER.
So many memories of the Boston Cinerama Theater, but the one that still resonates is seeing WINDJAMMER there.
You may recall that the first 15-20 minutes of the film were shown on the central panel screen only,as the Christian Radich shoves off on her training voyage. Then there is a storm at sea, and the screen opened up all the way to expose the huge screen while the 7-channel surround sound really kicked in. I get goosebumps even now just thinking about it.
My family, friends and I used to see movies at both the Embassy and the Central. The Embassy was the “A” house where the big budget releases from MGM, Disney, Paramount and the other major studios played. I think the last thing I ever say there was either BUTCH CASSIDY, THE WILD BUNCH, or possibly DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER in 1971.
The Central tended towards “B” movies, exploitation films like TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE, and foreign films dubbed into English (i.e. early Bardot films, HERCULES, GODZILLA, etc.) They also specialized in American-International products like the Corman Poe/Price horror films.
My parents would often drop us off at the Embassy for their classier Saturday matinee – good cartoons and a big budget adventure, SF, or comedy film. We’d wait til the care drove away and then high-tail it to the Central to see The Three Stooges, and something like THE PREMATURE BURIAL. Ah, the good old days…!!
People forget that prior to video, the James Bond films were in constant re-issue as double features and we went to see them again and again. The Community Playhouse was certainly one of the places we went to see them. If I had a nickel for everytime I saw “Thunderball” / “You On ly Live Twice”…
Playhouse Saturday matinees were a haven for anyone who loved comedies, especially anything with Danny Kaye or Jerry Lewis.
The Charles was always a great place to see and hear BIG movies in the 70’s and 80’s. I have fond memories of seeing ALIEN, JAWS, THE LAST WALTZ, GLORY, the STAR WARS and BACK TO THE FUTURE trilogies… It was the only theatre in town that did justice to the restored LAWRENCE OF ARABIA in 1982.
After the Music Hall closed in the 70’s, the Charles was the one of the usual Sack houses for the Bond movies. I’m pretty sure I saw FOR YOUR EYES ONLY there.
Wasn’t there a smaller screen downstairs at the Charles too? Pretty sure that’s where I saw BLADE RUNNER.
So many memories of the Boston Cinerama Theater, but the one that still resonates is seeing WINDJAMMER there.
You may recall that the first 15-20 minutes of the film were shown on the central panel screen only,as the Christian Radich shoves off on her training voyage. Then there is a storm at sea, and the screen opened up all the way to expose the huge screen while the 7-channel surround sound really kicked in. I get goosebumps even now just thinking about it.
Don;t get me started on 2001…
My family, friends and I used to see movies at both the Embassy and the Central. The Embassy was the “A” house where the big budget releases from MGM, Disney, Paramount and the other major studios played. I think the last thing I ever say there was either BUTCH CASSIDY, THE WILD BUNCH, or possibly DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER in 1971.
The Central tended towards “B” movies, exploitation films like TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE, and foreign films dubbed into English (i.e. early Bardot films, HERCULES, GODZILLA, etc.) They also specialized in American-International products like the Corman Poe/Price horror films.
My parents would often drop us off at the Embassy for their classier Saturday matinee – good cartoons and a big budget adventure, SF, or comedy film. We’d wait til the care drove away and then high-tail it to the Central to see The Three Stooges, and something like THE PREMATURE BURIAL. Ah, the good old days…!!