Paramount Theatre

Actually, I read that the studio (Paramount) had built that theater and I don’t belive it was built before the mid 20s. At the time Haverhill also had the Colonial, the Lafayette and the Strand. Mayer had left Haverhill by 1916 and as of 1920 the Colonial, Majestic, Strand, Orpheum and Academy of Music. Those I believe may have been the five he had owned there, with the Orpheum being his first.

As I recall, the Paramount was built by Louis B. Mayer, of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), who was from Haverhill, MA. The theatre was the best in town, with large pink marble columns, marble floors, lots of shiny brass stanchions. I saw Elvis Presley’s first movie, “Love Me Tender”, seated in the balcony when I was 13 yrs. old. (‘56) Sadly, Haverhill came down with a horrible case of “urban renewal” and totally destroyed some wonderful landmarks in town.

There is a MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Paramount in Haverhill, with an exterior photo dated Aoril 1941. The theatre entrance was in the right half of a 3-story building. There was a fancy rectangular marquee. The left half of the building front was occupied by Goodrich Silvertown Store. The Report states that the Paramount is at 31 Main St., that it has been a MGM customer for over 10 years; that it’s over 15 years old, in Good condition, and has 1295 seats on the main floor and 443 balcony seats; total: 1,738 seats. In the 1942-43 Motion Picture Almanac, the Paramount is listed as part of M&P Theatres of Boston.