Lexington Venue
1794 Massachusetts Avenue,
Lexington,
MA
02420
1794 Massachusetts Avenue,
Lexington,
MA
02420
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This started life as the Lexington Theatre. It opened in 1915 and did receive damage from a January 1923 fire.
The Lexington Theatre ran first-run features for decades and still retained its first-run mainstream policy when the nearby and short-lived Mews Art Cinema opened on September 29, 1973 on 10 Muzzy.
Both theaters merged into a twin-screen theater and became the Lexington Cinema 1 & 2 on November 15, 1974. A third screen was added on June 10, 1981 when one of its auditoriums split that caused a two-month closure to one of its screens. The film policy did had a little bit of an difference later on. As of the 1980s, it primarily ran selections of first-run and second-run features but it did added a small selection of independent features in rare occasions. Even at times, people who wanted to see a first-run feature must head to Burlington or Woburn to see it. At the time, the Lexington 1-2-3 was operated by Sack Theatres. This was followed by USA Cinemas in January 1986 and then Loews in March 1989. It was renamed the Lexington Flick in June 1990.
Along with the Capitol in Arlington, the Somerville Theatre, the Coolidge Corner in Brookline, and the IMAX screens at the Aquarium and Jordan’s Furniture, this is one of the very few theatres that continue to advertise in the Boston Globe Movie Directory.
Some info. The 2nd screen opened on September 29th, 1973 as the Mews Art cinema. Its entrance was at 10 Muzzy. In 1974 the Muzzy entrance was renamed The Flick. On November 15th, 1974 it became the Lexington Cinema 1 & 2 with the 3rd screen opening in 1981. Closed in 1989 and reopened on June 1st, 1990 as the Lexington Flick with two screens.
Ron.
Luckily the note I listed theatres on above is still good. All of the theatres I listed are still active and have been converted to digital.The only theatre I know that has shut down recently is the Studio in Belmont. They are trying to raise money to convert and reopen. Good luck.
The Capitol and Somerville are both converting to digital (while retaining the ability to project 35mm), but I don’t know what’s happening with the Lexington Venue and the other theatres you listed here.
The Lexington Venue is mostly a FIRST RUN theatre. It runs day and date with Landmark in Cambridge,Lowes Harvard Square, Landmark Waltham, Hollywood, Danvers and some of the other Art/Independant theatres in the area. It does not book first run blockbusters like Avatar and the like. We have many independant single or twin theatres in the Boston area. Some new and some old 1930’s houses like the Cameo in S. Weymouth(1st run) The Loring in Hingham(Art/Independant) house, The West Newton in W. Newton. The Milkl Wharf cinema in Scituate, The Capitol in Arlington and the Somerville in Somerville plus many more in other areas. This may not be the case by the end of 2013 because of the demise of film and complete advent of Digital. This is a shame because not too many independant operators can afford the 50 -75 thouand dollars to convert each screen to digital. What a pity. The movie companies are forcing thousands of small operators to wave a white flag and abandon there operations. I don’t know what can be done to stop this. Any one have any solutions or ideas?
There’s a larger, even better photograph over at View link
Fairly recent, since GREENBURG was playing…
There are some recent photos on this website: View link
Does anyone know if they have a website? If they don’t they’re the only theatre in the Metro Boston area that does NOT have one…
The Lexington Th. is listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook as having 500 seats. It’s the only movie theater listed for Lexington MA.
It was just listed as ‘Lexington’ in Loews (and before that, USACinemas and Sack) advertisements.
What was this theatre called when it was a LOEWS house?
The Lexington Theatre was also a nice little theatre. Growing up in a town that abutted Lexington, this was yet another theatre that my sister and I would occasionally attend. However, it was small enough so that if people failed to arrive early enough, they’d end up getting shut out of the movie they’d wanted to see. I do remember seeing the movie “Saturday Night Fever” at that theatre, roughly 30 years ago when it first came out, and enjoying it.
When a film adds screens during its initial release, it’s referred to as an expanded first-run or something of the sort. At least in the Boston area (with the Arlington Capitol, Studio Cinema in Belmont, and Lexington Flick – and, to a degree, the Somerville Theatre, now that the majority of films they show are double-booked with the AMC Harvard Square 5), some distributors are most likely allowing former second-run-only theatres to book their films first-run in order to generate better box office grosses.
I agree with you- I think the traditional “first run/second run” model probably still stands for major motion pictures which open on thousands of screens, then taper off over a few months. JUNO and ATONEMENT’s nationwide screen counts have been going up every week since they opened.
The line between first- and second-run is getting very blurred lately. If a movie opens here a few weeks into its first run elsewhere (which I think is the case here), is that a first run or a second?
UPDATE: The Lexington Flick is currently showing FIRST-run movies, not second-run. This week it’s JUNO and ATONEMENT. Both are in the Top 10 box office this week.
When it was a triplex it used to be sort of an art house (showing different films each day) mostly 2nd and 3rd run films. Have great memories going there as a kid.
There is a MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Lexington Theatre with an exterior photo dated 1941. The building is most definitely the same structure as shown in the color photo above posted by Lost on Oct. 1, 2006. In 1941, the theatre had a small vertical blade sign above the entrance. Above the doors was a flat panel on which attractions were posted. The blade sign says “Viano’s Lexington” which means that it was run by the Vianno family who controlled the Somerville Theatre and others at that time. The Report says that the Lexington Theatre is on Mass. Ave. in Lexington, that there are no competing theatres there; that the theatre has been a MGM customer for 10 years; that it was built about 1915 and is in Good condition; and has 330 seats on the main floor and 120 balcony seats, total: 450 seats.
I was wondering if anybody knew when the Lexington Flick first opened?
I used to work at the Natick Flick. “Route 9’s quality discount theater” as I used to say on the answering machine that gave the movies titles and times. It was the best time of my life. The owner, Andy, was an amazing boss and a great man. At the ripe old age of 15 I was the office manager and learned many of the skills I still hold dear today. I worked there until the summer before my freshman year in college. I moved to Michigan in the summer of 88 and when I came home and saw it was a drug store…I wanted to cry. But..life goes on. Andy..if you read this…HI!! Thanks for everything!
Sue (Kabler) Rowland
It’s great to hear from you. Do you happen to know what the theatre’s original name was, before Sack owned it? Or when the main auditorium was split into separate upstairs and downstairs screens?
I ran this theatre for a few years in the late 80’s. It was one of the best theatres I’ve ever run in my 15+ year career. The third theatre was located in a separate building behind the main theatre. It was a bit of a pain to move a print intact through the small alleyway. The building is now known as the “Muzzey Mall” and contains a number of small retail shops.
I believe the third house was separate cinder block
structure built in back with a separate entrance.
The current existing Theatre was twinned upstairs/downstairs
with the original screen end intact, similiar to to Coolidge Corner
and Harvard Sq.
I remember the Lexington Flick being a triplex through sometime around the late ‘80s – I think through the time it was a Loews property – but have no knowledge of what became of the third auditorium; perhaps it became retail?
Sometimes theatres put more then one number on the marquee for when they run split screens.