Regent Theatre
Hancock Street,
Quincy,
MA
02171
Hancock Street,
Quincy,
MA
02171
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In the auction photos of the Regent, there is a shot of the inner foyer which shows a staircase at the end. Since the theater had no balcony, the staircase could have led up to, in addition to the projection booth, perhaps restrooms and lounge ??
Upcoming aution photos: http://tinyurl.com/68oezay
There was indeed a Norfolk Theatre in North Quincy. It was located at 17 Billings Road as of 1918.
dwodeyla says that in the 1934 FDY only the Regent is listed for Norfolk Downs, although there is a notation that it’s “closed”. 800 seats.
Knowing of the errors in the theater lists in the Film Daily yearbooks, I wonder if the Norfolk Theatre was actually in the town of Norfolk MA (near Walpole and Franklin) and not in the Norfolk Downs section of Quincy at all. The town of Norfolk MA is not listed in the 1927 FDY.
The Regent in the Norfolk Downs section of Quincy is listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook as being open 7 days per week, although they don’t list the seating capacity. They also show a Norfolk Theatre in that area with 400 seats, open 2 days per week (probably Fri-Sat)– that’s a new one to me, never heard of it before.
“Norfolk Downs” is just a name of a neighborhood, like “Flatbush” is part of Brooklyn. This theater was located in Quincy, MA.
The Regent in Norfolk Downs (Quincy) is listed in the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac as being part of M&P Theatres (Mullins & Pinanski), a Paramount affiliate.
I remember the Regent but never went into it, it was a bit too far out of my way. It was in the Norfolk Downs section of Quincy, on the east side of Hancock Street about halfway between Wollaston center and the North Quincy High School. It may or may not have had a balcony. It was a typical double-feature 2nd-run Nabe. It was included in the MGM 1941 Theatre Photograph and Report project. The data in these Reports is not always accurate! MGM lists the address as 440 Hancock St. They indicate that the Regent is an MGM customer.
They list 800 seats, all on one floor. The photo (mine is a Xerox copy, somewhat washed-out) was apparently taken in May 1941. The entrance was in the center of the brick facade, with a center box-office, and a double door on each side. Movies listed on the marquee are “Western Union” and “High Sierra”. My memory is that the Regent closed sometime in mid- or late-1950s. The building was still there the last time I drove by.
The Regent opened on December 14, 1925.