Patriot Cinemas The Hanover Mall
1775 Washington Street,
Hanover,
MA
02339
1775 Washington Street,
Hanover,
MA
02339
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It was unclear why the 1973-built General Cinema Hanover Mall Cinema closed in September 1998 though. However, by newspapers from the Boston Globe, says that there was a massive error for more than a year saying that the theater was still operating under the GCC banner but there were no advertisements being displayed due to the theater’s closure.
This theater started life as the GCC Hanover Mall Cinema Centre in September 1973 with four screens and was first operated by General Cinema. It was later renamed the GCC Hanover Mall Cinemas. For the first 25 years of operation, it was a four-screen General Cinema until ultimately closing its doors in September 1998.
Sitting abandoned for three years in total, Patriot Cinemas decided to reopen the theater (expecting in August but it was pushed forward few months ahead), added two more screens, and reopened the Hanover Mall theater as the Patriot Cinemas 1-6 on December 28, 2001. Around a couple of years later, it became the Patriot Cinemas 1-10 after four more screens were added.
It closed on March 6, 2020 due to the pandemic, and its closure was announced permanent later that September. And lastly in mid-2021, the Patriot Cinemas itself was demolished.
As of Oct 10 the cinema’s sign out on Route 53 was still standing, with no movies posted on it. I was unable to see if the building was still intact, but probably not, because there has been so much demo in that area during the past few months.
The theater is now closed: Hanover, MA: Patriot Cinemas – Hanover Mall Cinemas 10 Closed [Sep 17, 2020]
At an undetermined date, the Patriot Cinemas at Hanover Mall will close, to be sold to the Hanover Company, which whill construct four 4-story apartment buildngs on the site. The Hanover Mall itself (a classic indoor mall) is to be demolished and replaced with an outdoor mall, “Hanover Crossing”. Among the new tenants will be Showcase Cinemas which will feature 10 screens, 1,000 seats and a bar in a 42,500 square-foot complex. Opening sometime after 2021. This news was reported today in the Quincy Patriot Ledger.
The 1927 Film Daily Yearbook lists one film venue for Hanover: the IOOF Hall (“Odd Fellows”), with 250 seats, open 2 days per week.
The location of this cinema at the Hanover Mall is not readily apparent. It’s way down in back, tucked into the far north rear corner of the mall property. But it does have signage out front at the edge of the street (Route 53).
An article in the Boston Globe says the cinema is on track to bring in 500,000 customers this year and offers $5 tickes on “Economic Recovery Tuesdays.”
According to Patriot’s web site, this theatre is temporarily closed because of construction. Here is a whole page of construction photos. Looks like they’re adding on a new front.
Answering my own question … apparently it is. I found a Boston Globe article from June 10, 2001, that says:
Darkened for three years, the Hanover Mall Cinema is expected to reopen in August, under the banner of Patriot Cinemas, headquartered in Rockland. General Cinema had been the previous operator.
I happen to have kept a July 1998 Boston Globe, and it lists a 4-screen General Cinema at “Rte. 53 and Rte. 3”. Is this the same theatre?