Franklin Park Theatre
616 Blue Hill Avenue,
Dorchester,
MA
02124
616 Blue Hill Avenue,
Dorchester,
MA
02124
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: M & P Theaters
Firms: Funk and Wilcox
Functions: Church
Styles: Neo-Classical
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Feb 25, 2009 — Blaze rips Dorchester church
Another of the 30+ theatres operated by Boston movie pioneer Jacob Lourie and his partners, including Sam Pinanski (later to head ATC Theatres). Opened in pre-1920s. Currently is a church on Blue Hill Avenue at Ellington Street. This was originally built as a Yiddish theatre. Lourie was the original president of New England Theatres Operating Company (NETOCO).
Contributed by
John Toto
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Recent comments (view all 33 comments)
This theater is currently classified as Gothic Revival in style, but the round arch, dentilated cornice, fanlights in the doors and all are Classical elements. Was the interior Gothic? Funk & Wilcox usually favored the Adamesque or Italian Renaissance styles for theater interiors during this period.
The Franklin Park’s facade is very similar to that of the Strand Theatre in Columbia Street, which was also designed by Funk & Wilcox, and has the same sort of “triumphal arch” entrance. In fact, of the five Funk & Wilcox houses for which Cinema Treasures has either photos or street views available, all have designs firmly rooted in Classicism.
I was just talking with a friend about the Franklin Park a couple of days ago. It was two blocks from our home on Walcott St. I started going to Saturday matinees with my friends when I was almost 7. Films I saw there: “Invaders From Mars,” “The Mysterians,” “Not of This Earth,” “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad,” “It Came from Beneath the Sea,” “Old Yeller,” “The Ten Commandments,” “Tammy and the Bachelor.” It’s also where I was introduced to Jujubes.
The Boston Archives has a terrific photograph of the Franklin Park theater and Blue Hill Avenue, during the late 1940’s uploaded on their flickr page.
PS-Be sure to check out that cupola on the theater!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofbostonarchives/6082769116/sizes/o/in/set-72157623424559329/
The photo (quick link) jacobschen found gives a clue as to why someone might have misremembered the Franklin Park Theatre as having been Gothic in style. The building next door, where Park Playland was located, had loads of Gothic ornament, and the open cupola that once graced the theater, though entirely Classical in detail, had all those finials that echoed the Gothic finials on the neighboring building. It’s too bad that the cupola has been truncated. It added a bit of playful spectacle to the block.
Thank you jaboschen & Joe Vogel for that great picture. I didn’t remember the Playland next door, but do remember it later as a lighting/electrical store.
I recently photographed the Franklin Park Theatre – Check out the post at: After the Final Curtain
Matt: Please post an exterior photo.
Such a shame the boxes were removed by the church.
The Franklin Park is one of the 24 theaters in my new book, “After the Final Curtain: The Fall of the American Movie Theater,” which is available on Amazon or your local bookstore
The FCC paid the theater a visit the other day; seems it had been serving as the transmitter site for a pirate radio station.