Hello again. I am sorry it took so long to add this information to the Internet for you. Here are some ads for the Stoneham Theatre from November 3, 1917 when it was first opened. I have also added information about two other Movie Houses that were operating in Stoneham, the Old Armory was the first to show movies in 1906. Then came the Central Theatre in 1916. Stoneham Theatre opened in 1917. In 1917 all three Movie Houses were showing movies.
Hi Ron, I do not have much on the Stoneham Cinema. I will attempt to get more of a history and start a listing seperate from this one on the Cinema. This will be my last post re the Cinema. I have a lot of information on Stoneham Theatres to share, I just have to go through the garage. Warmer weather is back and I am beginning to look through some old trunks. I found this photo today of the Stoneham Cinema Marque I took in 1985. It must have closed shortly after this.
Now I am really curious.. I will look into it more. I joined the service in 1983 and came back home in 1993 so my history is a little weak during that time.
I did find a listing of General Cinemas from 1983 that does list is as active.. It may depend on finding out what year it became a Shaw’s Supermarket.
Does this look familiar? View link
Refreshments Anyone?
Not to take away from the Stoneham Theatre thread here.. To make up for this side bar discussion I will post some of the historical info and photos I have on the Stoneham Theatre from 1917, and the other two movie theatres that were already active in Stoneham at that time.
The Stoneham Cinema was originally a duck-pin bowling alley converted into a Cinema. I remember riding my StingRay bike there and bowling at 25 cents a string. It was priginally a single cinema, then split down the middle to create two movie areas.
I have to agree with Ron, I think the cinema was closed down by 1980. I am not sure, but it was not open into the 90’s. It would be interesting know now, it has been so many years.
I still have about 40 very large lobby cards (movie posters) from the 60’s that the manager gave me. He wouldn’t give me the “Girly” posters..lol. I was only about 14. But he did give me some real classics. Gone With The Wind (Re-Release), Dirty Dozen, The Detective, The Good The Bad & The Ugly, The Green Berets..
A little more history… “Background Music” as my Father used to say when he would tell a long story..lol.
From what I heard while I was away in the Military, Stoneham Theatre was saved by the Cummings Family. Owners of Cummings Park in Woburn. I can’t thank them enough.
In 1979 the town of Stoneham was applying for a Revitalization Grant. One day a draft plan was brought to a friend and I at the Stoneham Aquarium, he was the owner, showing plans to put parking all around the Theatre in the rear and tear down the Wheeler building near the fire station to replace the parking that would be lost due to the new parking ban removing street parking to improve traffic flow.
Having grown up in Stoneham and attending the Theatre every week as a child in the 50’s and 60’s, my first thought was the obvious. These changes placed the Theatre in the middle of the parking and could be what was needed for the theatre to come back as a focal point to the whole revitalization of Stoneham Square. I took it upon myself to lead that charge.
In order that my friend and I could have two votes,. I started a business and opened an office in Stoneham Square.
After working with business owners to form a Stoneham Business Association (SBA) to direct the business' input for the plan, these very same business people who had encouraged me all along, voted to tear down the main Theatre Building in the rear, leaving the office/apartment building in front standing and place a driveway to that parking through the opening under the marquee.
Mr. Zaltman, the owner may have something to do with that plan… (He writes with a smirk…)
I was able to stall the plans to demolish the theatre by nominating the Stoneham Theatre to the National Registry of Historic Places. This idea to save the Theatre came from a man who showed up at my front door one day out of nowhere. He had seen the news paper articles reporting my plan to save the theatre. He looked like Santa Clause with his white beard and was like an angel sent from God to save the Theatre..lol.
After all the paperwork was submitted, the “Revitalization” plans were stalled to a point the town might have lost their grant approval if they waited for the building to be rejected. (It was eventually rejected.) They had to come up with another building to demolish. They eventually went back to the Wheeler Building as the original plan had called for and the Theatre was saved.. for the time being from demolition.
I tell you this to fill in a gap in the history all of you are providing. This is to let you know how close the only Theatre north of Boston was almost lost.
P.S. to BCNet. I had heard that story about it being owned by Joseph Kennedy as well. I looked into it. He owned a film company that supplied films to the theatre, but he never owned the theatre.. I wish it was true.
Hello again. I am sorry it took so long to add this information to the Internet for you. Here are some ads for the Stoneham Theatre from November 3, 1917 when it was first opened. I have also added information about two other Movie Houses that were operating in Stoneham, the Old Armory was the first to show movies in 1906. Then came the Central Theatre in 1916. Stoneham Theatre opened in 1917. In 1917 all three Movie Houses were showing movies.
I hope you enjoy this information.
Here is the web page: View link
Stoneham Cinema Marque
Hi Ron, I do not have much on the Stoneham Cinema. I will attempt to get more of a history and start a listing seperate from this one on the Cinema. This will be my last post re the Cinema. I have a lot of information on Stoneham Theatres to share, I just have to go through the garage. Warmer weather is back and I am beginning to look through some old trunks. I found this photo today of the Stoneham Cinema Marque I took in 1985. It must have closed shortly after this.
Stoneham Cinema Marque
Now I am really curious.. I will look into it more. I joined the service in 1983 and came back home in 1993 so my history is a little weak during that time.
I did find a listing of General Cinemas from 1983 that does list is as active.. It may depend on finding out what year it became a Shaw’s Supermarket.
Does this look familiar?
View link
Refreshments Anyone?
Not to take away from the Stoneham Theatre thread here.. To make up for this side bar discussion I will post some of the historical info and photos I have on the Stoneham Theatre from 1917, and the other two movie theatres that were already active in Stoneham at that time.
The Stoneham Cinema was originally a duck-pin bowling alley converted into a Cinema. I remember riding my StingRay bike there and bowling at 25 cents a string. It was priginally a single cinema, then split down the middle to create two movie areas.
I have to agree with Ron, I think the cinema was closed down by 1980. I am not sure, but it was not open into the 90’s. It would be interesting know now, it has been so many years.
I still have about 40 very large lobby cards (movie posters) from the 60’s that the manager gave me. He wouldn’t give me the “Girly” posters..lol. I was only about 14. But he did give me some real classics. Gone With The Wind (Re-Release), Dirty Dozen, The Detective, The Good The Bad & The Ugly, The Green Berets..
A little more history… “Background Music” as my Father used to say when he would tell a long story..lol.
From what I heard while I was away in the Military, Stoneham Theatre was saved by the Cummings Family. Owners of Cummings Park in Woburn. I can’t thank them enough.
In 1979 the town of Stoneham was applying for a Revitalization Grant. One day a draft plan was brought to a friend and I at the Stoneham Aquarium, he was the owner, showing plans to put parking all around the Theatre in the rear and tear down the Wheeler building near the fire station to replace the parking that would be lost due to the new parking ban removing street parking to improve traffic flow.
Having grown up in Stoneham and attending the Theatre every week as a child in the 50’s and 60’s, my first thought was the obvious. These changes placed the Theatre in the middle of the parking and could be what was needed for the theatre to come back as a focal point to the whole revitalization of Stoneham Square. I took it upon myself to lead that charge.
In order that my friend and I could have two votes,. I started a business and opened an office in Stoneham Square.
After working with business owners to form a Stoneham Business Association (SBA) to direct the business' input for the plan, these very same business people who had encouraged me all along, voted to tear down the main Theatre Building in the rear, leaving the office/apartment building in front standing and place a driveway to that parking through the opening under the marquee.
Mr. Zaltman, the owner may have something to do with that plan… (He writes with a smirk…)
I was able to stall the plans to demolish the theatre by nominating the Stoneham Theatre to the National Registry of Historic Places. This idea to save the Theatre came from a man who showed up at my front door one day out of nowhere. He had seen the news paper articles reporting my plan to save the theatre. He looked like Santa Clause with his white beard and was like an angel sent from God to save the Theatre..lol.
After all the paperwork was submitted, the “Revitalization” plans were stalled to a point the town might have lost their grant approval if they waited for the building to be rejected. (It was eventually rejected.) They had to come up with another building to demolish. They eventually went back to the Wheeler Building as the original plan had called for and the Theatre was saved.. for the time being from demolition.
I tell you this to fill in a gap in the history all of you are providing. This is to let you know how close the only Theatre north of Boston was almost lost.
P.S. to BCNet. I had heard that story about it being owned by Joseph Kennedy as well. I looked into it. He owned a film company that supplied films to the theatre, but he never owned the theatre.. I wish it was true.
Long live Stoneham Theatre