Loew's-Poli Theatre

196 Worthington Street,
Springfield, MA 01103

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Patsy
Patsy on June 2, 2024 at 8:38 am

What happened to the organ?

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on June 1, 2024 at 11:11 pm

Loews left the Poli behind on June 30, 1964. It was taken on for a one year lease as the Poli Theatre closing June 30, 1965. It went dark for nearly one year before operators C&F Theatres took it on and renamed it the Poli Cinema April 7, 1966. At that time, they also had the Bijou operating in downtown. The theatre didn’t attract audiences and was closed permanently five months later on September 7, 1966 with “Cat on a Hot Time Roof” and “Butterfield 8.”

Associated Building Wreckers tore the building down in the 1980s. (And the address was 194 Worthington (on the opposite side of the street.)

Brad Smith
Brad Smith on May 5, 2012 at 6:26 pm

Click here for an exterior view of the Fox-Poli Theatre in 1929.

rivest266
rivest266 on September 10, 2011 at 8:11 pm

This opened on December 22nd, 1913. An grand opening ad has been posted.

rsalters (Ron Salters)
rsalters (Ron Salters) on November 17, 2010 at 2:15 pm

The Poli Palace is listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook as having 2500 seats and open daily.

Patsy
Patsy on September 1, 2010 at 1:16 pm

If anyone receives Reminisce magazine, in the April/May issue on page 24 there is an article that shows the main street in Springfield MA circa 1962. I can’t tell if there is a theatre at the end of main street. And if there is what is or what was the name as the town had many theatres according to CT….most were demolished, but a few do remain. It’s a shame that the community lost this Thomas Lamb beauty!

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on July 15, 2010 at 1:55 pm

Great postcard veiw Don Lewis.

Don Lewis
Don Lewis on July 15, 2010 at 2:24 am

From the 1920s a postcard view of Poli’s Theatre in Springfield.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on December 14, 2009 at 7:43 pm

Great 1958 Color Photo Ken MC

rsalters (Ron Salters)
rsalters (Ron Salters) on November 6, 2009 at 2:29 pm

tisloews- No, E.M. and Marcus were not related to one another.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on November 6, 2009 at 1:59 pm

Thanks for the info Ron. I know who Marcus Loews was I worked for Loews Theaters in Nashville ,Tennessee from 1973 to 1980. I was just wondering if they were related somehow. I knew Marcus died in 1927.Check out C.T.s site of the Loews Crescent Loews Madsion and Loews Melrose if you have not seen them.I work at all of them ay some time.

rsalters (Ron Salters)
rsalters (Ron Salters) on November 6, 2009 at 1:31 pm

E.M. Loew was a prominent operator of movie theaters, mostly in New England, starting in the 1930s. He was headquartered in Boston MA. He is not to be confused with Marcus Loew, who was older, and who operated a large theater circuit, headquartered in New York, which operated this theater in Springfield.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on November 6, 2009 at 1:05 pm

Very nice color shot from 1958. Who was E.M.Loews?

spectrum
spectrum on September 8, 2007 at 12:19 am

The Poli Palace was designed by Thomas W. Lamb

rsalters (Ron Salters)
rsalters (Ron Salters) on November 22, 2006 at 10:47 am

The MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for this theatre calls it the “Poli Palace”. There is a photo of the entrance taken in 1941. There was a boxy marquee with “Loew’s Poli” in big letters at the top-front. There were 4 lines of white letters on a black background. Movies were “The Great American Broadcast” and “The Trial of Mary Dugan”. The Report states that the theatre is on Worthington St. It has been a MGM customer for over 15 years. It is in Good condition, and has 1466 seats on the main floor, 840 balcony seats, and 144 Loge seats; total: 2,450 seats.

AlLarkin
AlLarkin on April 30, 2005 at 12:00 pm

Adding to Mr. Shear’s post, sometime in the 1940’s the loges were covered over with beige and red draperies. The stage and prosenium were totally gutted in order to increase the seating capacity. The screen appeared to be mounted against what was once the back stage wall, listed in another post above.

A postcard from the Roger Katz collection at another site shows the Poli, but it isn’t the one I recall on Worthington St. I believe the postcard is a view of the original Poli located on Dwight St. From the limited information I was able to receive at the Connecticut Valley Historical Society, the original was destroyed by a fire during the early 1900’s. Interestingly, there was an add for the new Poli’s opening which indicated that it is totally fireproof.

IanJudge
IanJudge on December 3, 2004 at 8:58 pm

This theater was controlled by Loew’s Theatres of New York City, not E.M. Loew’s Theatres of Boston.

EdwardShear
EdwardShear on December 3, 2004 at 8:18 pm

This magnificent theater opened as the Poli Palace in Dec. 1913, the same year as the Broadway. It was named after Sylvester Poli and later renamed Loew’s Palace when E.M. Loew bought it. In 1921, it became Loew’s Poli Theater. It’s transistion from playhouse to movie theater took place in the 1930’s.
The Poli had a balcony and loges on both sides. A prosenuim arch stood above the stage/screen. It’s ceiling was designed in square blocks with frescos inside. The entrance vestibule was lined on both sides with large mirrors leading up to the lobby, grand staircase and refreshment stand. An upstairs lounge stood at the top of the stairs.The exterior front had a good sized marquee that could be read from the corner on Main St. Above the marquee was a marble prosenium arch similar to the Capitol’s. Two stone lion heads with stone chains coming from their mouths attached themselves to either side of the marquee.
The Poli closed in 1966. In a public auction, the lion heads and chains were sold along with many items.
In July/Aug, 1967, the Poli was demolished.

William
William on November 20, 2003 at 6:12 pm

The Loew’s Poli Theatre is located at 195 Worthington Street and it seated 2610 people as of 1955.

richarddziadzio
richarddziadzio on December 26, 2002 at 1:28 pm

This was the first house in Spfld. to have Cinemascope. The backstage wall still exists on the Taylor St. side