The Lyric’s marquee was purchased in the latter 1940’s, by Theresa Cantin, owner of the Concord Theatre in Concord, NH. It was slightly reconfigured for the Concord Theatre and graced the theater until its closing in September of 1994. The marquee was removed several years later after a piece of it fell.
Actually “Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?” didn’t bomb after it left Radio City because by the time it played Radio City in August of 1968, it had already played throughout most of the country. It opened in Boston and other major locations in late June of 1968 and played throughout July. It wasn’t a bomb nor was it a huge success. However, it did bring in more money than the combined grosses of Day’s two previous films – “Caprice” and “The Ballad of Josie”. “Eggroll” did even better, taking in about double the combined grosses of those same two titles.
Here is a fascinating short (about 9 minutes) history of the Concord Theatre and its transformation into a performing arts center. Some good old footage is included. https://youtu.be/GbPAO7S8Htc
This book will be available on May 9, 2019. It covers not only the history of the Concord Theatre but of the Capitol, Conn’s, Star and Cinema 93. It will be available on-line or at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.
The Star Theatre closed on December 1, 1951. The final double feature shown was Alfred Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train” and a second-run, “Trail’s End” starring Johnny Mack Brown.
There was never a balcony in the Concord Theatre. There were 499 seats and all seats were given out in June of 2018. Prior to that, no seats had been made available. A few years back, balcony seats from the former Capitol Theatre in Concord, now the Capitol Center for the Arts, were available and sold.
After closing as Conn’s Theatre, it was reopened on Thursday, September 16, 1920 as the Sterling Theater and continued showing movies as well as some stage presentations until December of 1922.
The neon marquee that remained until 1966, two years after the theater closed, was put up in 1948, so this picture would have had to be prior to that date.
The Star Theatre opened on November 24, 1915 having been built “at a cost of nearly $ 50,000…..” They called themselves in their ad, “The Photo Playhouse De-Luxe of New Hampshire”.
The Wonderland Theatre was located in Penacook, as correctly noted on the top of the page. The picture, however, is of Main Street in Concord and at this location, there was never a theater.
My mother, who grew up in Pampa and is still alive at 93, remembers seeing this film at the La Nora. She has wonderful memories of the theater and the many films she enjoyed there.
Joe – Thanks for providing these recent photos. Seeing it like that, after having walking down that corridor hundreds of times when arriving for work, is a bit sad. However, the new proposal, should the pieces come together, would be amazing. Thanks again.
It appears the Concord Theatre is about to be saved. It has been purchased with a plan toward restoring it and reopening it as a smaller performance venue as part of the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord. Here is my blog from February 23rd, discussing this plan: patch.com/new-hampshire/concord-nh/not-last-picture-show
This link to a story I did on the theatre in 2014, includes some pictures taken of it after it closed but around 200 or 2001. Feel free to contact me at: http://www.concordmonitor.com/community/town-by-town/concord/10414424-95/my-turn-lets-bring-the-concord-theatre-back-to-life
Maurice Cantin was the younger brother of Theresa Cantin who, along with her sisters Rene and Laurie, ran the theatre. Maurice was a spare projectionist along with Mert Tolman, Ernie Mayo and Mr. Bunker (never knew his first name). I used to take my life in my hands each time I climbed the ladder to change the marquee since I swear the ladder had been there since the theatre opened in 1934.
As I recall, “The Master Gunfighter” was what they called, at the time, a “four-wall deal”. The releasing company bought the theatre for the run – paying all advertising and giving the theatre a flat rate and taking all box-office income. For a while these types of films did very well and you made a killing in concession income. The releasing company would send a “checker” who stood next to Theresa as she sold tickets and clicked for each sold to make sure his total matched her ticket numbers sold for the evening. I remember wondering whether “checkers” ever smiled or laughed because they always seemed a dour, unhappy group.
The picture above was taken in the fall of 1975 and the theatre’s attraction was “The Master Gunfighter” The second line reads – Billy Jack Presents.
The theatre is still standing and looking in the front door, the original box-office is clearly visible as is the long lobby leading up to the upper lobby. The current owners will not allow the theatre to be viewed although I know of at least 2 people interested in buying it and reopening it as some kind of theatre.
As an aside, the side of the building was also plastered at one point with a poster for “Some Like it Hot”, “Around the World in 80 Days” and “Cleopatra” with Taylor/Burton/Harrison.
The last time they did the enormous poster on the building’s side was for “Hawaii” which played in late summer of 1967 – touted as “Direct from it’s Roadshow Engagement – First time at Popular Prices!”
Cinema 93 opened in the summer of 1967. It ran first-run films for many years, competing with the other two first-run theatres in Concord. Barry was an exceptionally knowledgeable film buff and after a four-plex cinema opened in Concord in the late 70’s and it became harder to obtain films, he played some classics from the 30’s and 40’s as well as a great many “art” films. He was extremely successful, running “La Cage Aux Folles” for many weeks. He found patrons in Concord that were very loyal. He also was innovative in selling videos in the theatre lobby to great success. By the late 90’s the strip mall in which his theatre was situated underwent changes and he was pushed out. He moved his video business to downtown Concord occupying half of the former Star Theatre on Pleasant Street. Unfortunately his tireless efforts to relocate the theatre were not successful although there was talk of him taking over the former Concord Theatre at 18 ½ South Main Street. Fortunately he found a place at the Red River Theatres in Concord where his familiar visage and amazing knowledge of films is appreciated and well-utilized.
The Lyric’s marquee was purchased in the latter 1940’s, by Theresa Cantin, owner of the Concord Theatre in Concord, NH. It was slightly reconfigured for the Concord Theatre and graced the theater until its closing in September of 1994. The marquee was removed several years later after a piece of it fell.
“The Impossible Years”, the Christmas, 1968 attraction.
Actually “Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?” didn’t bomb after it left Radio City because by the time it played Radio City in August of 1968, it had already played throughout most of the country. It opened in Boston and other major locations in late June of 1968 and played throughout July. It wasn’t a bomb nor was it a huge success. However, it did bring in more money than the combined grosses of Day’s two previous films – “Caprice” and “The Ballad of Josie”. “Eggroll” did even better, taking in about double the combined grosses of those same two titles.
Here is a fascinating short (about 9 minutes) history of the Concord Theatre and its transformation into a performing arts center. Some good old footage is included. https://youtu.be/GbPAO7S8Htc
Although I’d have to confirm by going back through my copies of Variety, I believe “Charade” broke the $ 250,000 mark which was a record in 1963.
This book will be available on May 9, 2019. It covers not only the history of the Concord Theatre but of the Capitol, Conn’s, Star and Cinema 93. It will be available on-line or at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.
The Star Theatre closed on December 1, 1951. The final double feature shown was Alfred Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train” and a second-run, “Trail’s End” starring Johnny Mack Brown.
There was never a balcony in the Concord Theatre. There were 499 seats and all seats were given out in June of 2018. Prior to that, no seats had been made available. A few years back, balcony seats from the former Capitol Theatre in Concord, now the Capitol Center for the Arts, were available and sold.
After closing as Conn’s Theatre, it was reopened on Thursday, September 16, 1920 as the Sterling Theater and continued showing movies as well as some stage presentations until December of 1922.
The neon marquee that remained until 1966, two years after the theater closed, was put up in 1948, so this picture would have had to be prior to that date.
The Star Theatre opened on November 24, 1915 having been built “at a cost of nearly $ 50,000…..” They called themselves in their ad, “The Photo Playhouse De-Luxe of New Hampshire”.
The Wonderland Theatre was located in Penacook, as correctly noted on the top of the page. The picture, however, is of Main Street in Concord and at this location, there was never a theater.
My mother, who grew up in Pampa and is still alive at 93, remembers seeing this film at the La Nora. She has wonderful memories of the theater and the many films she enjoyed there.
Joe – Thanks for providing these recent photos. Seeing it like that, after having walking down that corridor hundreds of times when arriving for work, is a bit sad. However, the new proposal, should the pieces come together, would be amazing. Thanks again.
It appears the Concord Theatre is about to be saved. It has been purchased with a plan toward restoring it and reopening it as a smaller performance venue as part of the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord. Here is my blog from February 23rd, discussing this plan: patch.com/new-hampshire/concord-nh/not-last-picture-show
This link to a story I did on the theatre in 2014, includes some pictures taken of it after it closed but around 200 or 2001. Feel free to contact me at: http://www.concordmonitor.com/community/town-by-town/concord/10414424-95/my-turn-lets-bring-the-concord-theatre-back-to-life
Maurice Cantin was the younger brother of Theresa Cantin who, along with her sisters Rene and Laurie, ran the theatre. Maurice was a spare projectionist along with Mert Tolman, Ernie Mayo and Mr. Bunker (never knew his first name). I used to take my life in my hands each time I climbed the ladder to change the marquee since I swear the ladder had been there since the theatre opened in 1934.
As I recall, “The Master Gunfighter” was what they called, at the time, a “four-wall deal”. The releasing company bought the theatre for the run – paying all advertising and giving the theatre a flat rate and taking all box-office income. For a while these types of films did very well and you made a killing in concession income. The releasing company would send a “checker” who stood next to Theresa as she sold tickets and clicked for each sold to make sure his total matched her ticket numbers sold for the evening. I remember wondering whether “checkers” ever smiled or laughed because they always seemed a dour, unhappy group.
The picture above was taken in the fall of 1975 and the theatre’s attraction was “The Master Gunfighter” The second line reads – Billy Jack Presents.
The theatre is still standing and looking in the front door, the original box-office is clearly visible as is the long lobby leading up to the upper lobby. The current owners will not allow the theatre to be viewed although I know of at least 2 people interested in buying it and reopening it as some kind of theatre.
As an aside, the side of the building was also plastered at one point with a poster for “Some Like it Hot”, “Around the World in 80 Days” and “Cleopatra” with Taylor/Burton/Harrison.
The last time they did the enormous poster on the building’s side was for “Hawaii” which played in late summer of 1967 – touted as “Direct from it’s Roadshow Engagement – First time at Popular Prices!”
http://concord-nh.patch.com/blog_posts/the-truth-behind-the-concord-theatre
Cinema 93 opened in the summer of 1967. It ran first-run films for many years, competing with the other two first-run theatres in Concord. Barry was an exceptionally knowledgeable film buff and after a four-plex cinema opened in Concord in the late 70’s and it became harder to obtain films, he played some classics from the 30’s and 40’s as well as a great many “art” films. He was extremely successful, running “La Cage Aux Folles” for many weeks. He found patrons in Concord that were very loyal. He also was innovative in selling videos in the theatre lobby to great success. By the late 90’s the strip mall in which his theatre was situated underwent changes and he was pushed out. He moved his video business to downtown Concord occupying half of the former Star Theatre on Pleasant Street. Unfortunately his tireless efforts to relocate the theatre were not successful although there was talk of him taking over the former Concord Theatre at 18 ½ South Main Street. Fortunately he found a place at the Red River Theatres in Concord where his familiar visage and amazing knowledge of films is appreciated and well-utilized.