Magic Lantern Theater
9 Depot Street,
Bridgton,
ME
04009
9 Depot Street,
Bridgton,
ME
04009
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My Great-Grandfather Claude Pitman Meserve built,owned, and operated the original Magic Lantern Theater. I was present for the last showing in the original theater, it was the rather insipid film “Just Like Heaven”. Still, it was fun and a bit melancholy to say goodbye to the old theater.
The Magic Lantern Theatre is no longer in the same building that was described in the 1941 MGM report. The history section of the theater’s web site says that the original building was demolished in February, 2007, and the last movies had been shown on October 8, 2005, ending 75 years of operation (actually 76 years, the house having opened as the Meserve Theatre on June 5, 1929.) The history page has a small vintage photo, probably dating from the 1930s.
The modern theater uses the address 9 Depot Street, but the original Theatre fronted on Main Street. Depot Street intersects Main Street twice, and the theater is on the southwest corner of the westernmost of those intersections. The original theater’s entrance was probably just about directly across the street from the end of Nulty Street, which is between addresses 132 and 140 Main Street. I would expect the theater’s historic address to have been approximately 135 Main, but Google street view fetches the address 79 US-302 for the location.
The Theatre Historical Society on-line archive has the MGM Theatre Report for this theater when it was the Mayfair; it’s Card # 348. Address is “Main St.” There is an exterior photo taken April 18, 1941. Condition is Fair. Report says it opened about 1925 and shows MGM films. 425 seats. 1940 populatin was 3,000.