Webster Square Cinemas
24 Mill Street,
Worcester,
MA
01603
24 Mill Street,
Worcester,
MA
01603
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: National Amusements
Architects: William C. Riseman
Functions: Auto Repair Shop
Previous Names: Park Theatre, Cinema 1
Nearby Theaters
A movie theatre on the outskirts of Worcester. The Park Theatre was opened February 10, 1938 with Katherine Hepburn in “Stage Door” & Jackie Cooper in “Boy of the Streets”. It was closed in April 1962.
It was taken over by Redstone and modernised to the plans of William C. Riseman & Associates, reopening As Cinema 1 on April 4, 1963 with John Wayne in “The Longest Day” and renamed Cinema 1. It was twinned and reopened on May 27, 1983 as the Webster Square Cinemas.
Contributed by
Gerald A. DeLuca
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
The Park was one of the few non-downtown cinemas in Worcester. It was badly flooded in the early 1950s, and the flood control drain now runs past the edge of the parking lot. Somewhere on the building there was a marker showing the height of the flood water. Cinema 1 was Worcester’s first “modern” theater. It opened with Lawrence of Arabia. I think it was renovated and operated by Redstone. There used to be a Park Theater on Front Street, near City Hall, about where Woolworth’s was. I don’t know if was related to the Park at Webseter Square.
This building is still standing, albeit repurposed.
If you plug the location address(24 Mill Street, Worcester, MA) in Google Maps, and look at the Street View, this building is clearly visible in the background. Move down the street in Street View: You’ll be in front of Sun'N'Sound, an auto detailing/car audio business now located in the former Webster Square Cinema.
I suspect the auditorium(s) were turned into the installation bays. But it is mostly definitely this building. However, if you didn’t know that it had been a theater, there is no way of telling from appearances.
Sure looks like a GCC to me.
This web page has a photo of the entrance of the Park Theatre taken around 1955. An earlier Park Theatre in downtown Worcester was probably gone by the time this house opened in 1937.
National Amusements (Redstone Theatres) took over this house and modernized it in the early 1960s. One source said that it was called Cinema One for a while before being twinned and renamed Webster Square Cinemas.
The Film Daily of Saturday, April 9, 1938, gave the opening date of the Park Theatre as February 10.
Previous name: CINEMA I.
Grand opening ad posted. More to come for this theatre.
Reopened as Park Arts on October 3rd, 1961. Grand opening ad posted.
Closed in April 1962 and rebuilt and reopened as the Cinema 1 as the first indoor theatre for Redstone theatres on April 4th. 1963. Grand opening ad posted.
Renamed Webster Square Cinemas on May 27th, 1983 with two screens.