I looked at the MGM Card with its old photo of the Anchor in the THS on-line archive, and it appears to me that the building which Joe Vogel located may have been suggested by the original (lots of peaked gables!) by it’s not the same. So it’s apparently a new building.
I went to the THS site and looked again at the 1941 photo of the Lyric and it most definitely is the same building as the one found by Joe Vogel. So the building is still standing.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Alhambra; it’s Card # 463. Address is Main St. There is an exterior photo dated Feb. 5, 1941. Condition is Poor. The report says it opened in 1923, was showing MGM films, and had 240 seats. The 1940 population was 800.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the State; it’s Card # 434. But no one filled the form out, so there is no information, only an undated exterior photo (probably taken in the mid- to late-1940s). The CinemaData project has some info about the State. I have also seen information that the old Perry’s Opera House (aka Dreamland Theatre (a common movie house name in the 1910-era), Perry Theatre) may have been named “State Theatre” during its final years. But I’m not sure of that.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Sokokis; it’s Card # 400. Address is “Sokokis Avenue” in “Liverick”. There is an exterior photo taken April 17, 1941. Condition is Poor. The report says it opened in 1928, was showing MGM films and had 350 seats. The 1940 population was 1,000.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Opera House in Millbridge; it’s Card # 408. Address is Main St. There is an exterior photo taken Feb. 5, 1941. Condition is Poor. The report says it opened in 1918, was not showing MGM films, and had 400 seats. A competing theater was the Colonial.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Lyric; it’s Card # 387. Address is “Main St.” There is an exterior photo dated June 11, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says it opened in 1919, was showing MGM films, had 350 seats and was a Summer operation. 1940 population was 3,700.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Anchor Theatre; it’s Card # 386. But no one filled out the report so there is no data, only an exterior photo with no date on it (but probably taken sometime after 1944). The CinemaData project file for this house states that it was opened in 1912 as the Acme Theatre, name changed to Anchor Theatre in 1944, with 350 seats. It lasted until 1959/ 1961 period, then was converted into a store.
The Theatre Historical Society has the MGM Theatre Report for the Municipal Th.; it’s Card #367. Address is Main St. There is an exterior photo taken March 23, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says that it opened in 1936, was showing MGM films, and had 400 seats, 250 on the main floor and 150 in the balcony. The building in the photo looks like some sort of municipal building. The 1940 population of East Millinocket was 1,600.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Palace; it’s Card # 420. Address is “Main St.” (incorrect). There is an exterior photo dated March 30, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says it opened in 1926, was not showing MGM films, and had 850 seats.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the New Theatre; it’s Card # 419. Address is “Main St.” (incorrect). There is an exterior photo taken May 21, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says that the theater opened in 1929, was showing MGM films, and had 700 seats. Competing theaters were the Pier Theatre and the Palace Theatre.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Pier Theatre; it'c Card # 421. Address is “Pier Block”. There is an exterior photo taken March 30, 1941. Condition is Poor. The report says that it opened in 1916 (perhaps that’s when movies started, but it actually opened in 1898.) It was showing MGM product, and was a summer operation, with movies and dancing. There were 1,000 seats on the main floor and 300 in the balcony, but I think the main floor held 300-400 seats. The 1940 winter population was 2,500.
It would make a nice opera theater, although perhaps not for the big productions like “Aida” and “Turandot”. In recent years there have been a few musical productions there, even including, I think, a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta.
This unsettling story has been developing over the past few weeks. There are certain problems with the Colonial: it’s not a free-standing theater, but is part of an office building. (As J.J. Shubert pointed out to this son in the mid-1950s when his son wanted to sell the theater but keep the office building: How in hell are you going to do that, you moron- the theater is INSIDE the office building!!!) Another problem is the current lack of “product” -commercial touring shows. The stage is an old-fashioned “hemp” stage with rope lines and sandbags instead of the counterweight lines that young theater people are used to working with. But even with these problems, one would think that there was some imagination and responsibility at the college. Turning the Colonial into a student dining hall, with a black-box theater on stage, is like a pig in a poke.
Northeastern Univ did tear down the wonderful old Boston Opera House on Huntington Avenue (halfway between Symphony Hall and the MFA, but not for a parking lot. Some sort of building went on the site. At the time, it was said that the opera house had developed structural problems and needed to go, but I think that was a “crock”.
Boston University plans to put the theater up for sale very soon. Only stipulation is that the new owner must agree to house the Huntington Theatre Company through June 2017. They say it now has 890 seats, and the sale includes two adjoining buildings. BU wants to build a new theater on or near their main campus on Commonwealth Avenue.
The CinemaData project file on the Community states that the building was actually a convent, and that a commercial movie venue operated on the lower level, at 14 East Main St., until at least 1952. The space later became a senior center.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Opera House; it’s Card # 410. Address is Penobscot Avenue. There is an exterior photo taken March 23, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says it opened in 1933, was showing MGM films and had 840 seats.
The Theatre Historical Society on-line archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Millinocket Theatre; it’s Card # 409. Address is Penobscot Avenue. There is an exterior photo dated March 23, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says it opened in 1938, was not showing MGM product, and had 750 seats. A competing theater was the Opera House. The 1940 population was 6,200.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Savoy, it’s Card # 372. Address is Pine Street. There is an exterior photo dated April 9, 1941. Condition is Good. The report says it opened in 1918 and was showing MGM movies. It had 398 main floor seats and 155 balcony seats, total 553.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Community; it’s Card # 371. Address is Main Street. There is an exterior photo taken April 9, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says that it opened in 1915, was showing MGM films, and had 325 seats. The 1940 population was 5,600.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Paramount; it’s Card # 360. Address is “Main St.” (but the CinemaData project file says it was on Depot St.) There is an exterior photo dated March 8, 1941. Condition is Poor. The report says it opened in 1918, was showing MGM films, and had 400 seats. The 1940 population was 1,300.
In addition to 13 Hall St., I have also seen 8 Hall and 10 Hall St. CinemaTour says that the Century is the old Savoy Theatre. But CinemaData says that the old Savoy was demolished and the Century build later, apparently on the same site. (But I have Pine Street as the address for the Savoy, and there is a Pine Street downtown). The Savoy was a wood-frame 2-story building with a peak roof and a one-story addition in front; the Century looks similar but it’s masonry construction, 2-stories, with a rounded roof and a 2-story addition in front. Although they have the same general size and shape, it seems unlikely that the Savoy and Century are the same building.
Someone wrote on Facebook page something like “The theater looks beautiful. I’m so glad we have a movie theater in Ft. Kent.” I don’t know what the seating capacity is but I will guess that it’s about 400 ? They have a website: fortkentcenturytheatre.com , but it’s just a simple site with not much info, and no contact box.
I looked at the MGM Card with its old photo of the Anchor in the THS on-line archive, and it appears to me that the building which Joe Vogel located may have been suggested by the original (lots of peaked gables!) by it’s not the same. So it’s apparently a new building.
I went to the THS site and looked again at the 1941 photo of the Lyric and it most definitely is the same building as the one found by Joe Vogel. So the building is still standing.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Alhambra; it’s Card # 463. Address is Main St. There is an exterior photo dated Feb. 5, 1941. Condition is Poor. The report says it opened in 1923, was showing MGM films, and had 240 seats. The 1940 population was 800.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the State; it’s Card # 434. But no one filled the form out, so there is no information, only an undated exterior photo (probably taken in the mid- to late-1940s). The CinemaData project has some info about the State. I have also seen information that the old Perry’s Opera House (aka Dreamland Theatre (a common movie house name in the 1910-era), Perry Theatre) may have been named “State Theatre” during its final years. But I’m not sure of that.
The town name is Milbridge, not “Millbridge” as spelled on the MGM theater reports.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Sokokis; it’s Card # 400. Address is “Sokokis Avenue” in “Liverick”. There is an exterior photo taken April 17, 1941. Condition is Poor. The report says it opened in 1928, was showing MGM films and had 350 seats. The 1940 population was 1,000.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Opera House in Millbridge; it’s Card # 408. Address is Main St. There is an exterior photo taken Feb. 5, 1941. Condition is Poor. The report says it opened in 1918, was not showing MGM films, and had 400 seats. A competing theater was the Colonial.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Lyric; it’s Card # 387. Address is “Main St.” There is an exterior photo dated June 11, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says it opened in 1919, was showing MGM films, had 350 seats and was a Summer operation. 1940 population was 3,700.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Anchor Theatre; it’s Card # 386. But no one filled out the report so there is no data, only an exterior photo with no date on it (but probably taken sometime after 1944). The CinemaData project file for this house states that it was opened in 1912 as the Acme Theatre, name changed to Anchor Theatre in 1944, with 350 seats. It lasted until 1959/ 1961 period, then was converted into a store.
The Theatre Historical Society has the MGM Theatre Report for the Municipal Th.; it’s Card #367. Address is Main St. There is an exterior photo taken March 23, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says that it opened in 1936, was showing MGM films, and had 400 seats, 250 on the main floor and 150 in the balcony. The building in the photo looks like some sort of municipal building. The 1940 population of East Millinocket was 1,600.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Palace; it’s Card # 420. Address is “Main St.” (incorrect). There is an exterior photo dated March 30, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says it opened in 1926, was not showing MGM films, and had 850 seats.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the New Theatre; it’s Card # 419. Address is “Main St.” (incorrect). There is an exterior photo taken May 21, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says that the theater opened in 1929, was showing MGM films, and had 700 seats. Competing theaters were the Pier Theatre and the Palace Theatre.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Pier Theatre; it'c Card # 421. Address is “Pier Block”. There is an exterior photo taken March 30, 1941. Condition is Poor. The report says that it opened in 1916 (perhaps that’s when movies started, but it actually opened in 1898.) It was showing MGM product, and was a summer operation, with movies and dancing. There were 1,000 seats on the main floor and 300 in the balcony, but I think the main floor held 300-400 seats. The 1940 winter population was 2,500.
It would make a nice opera theater, although perhaps not for the big productions like “Aida” and “Turandot”. In recent years there have been a few musical productions there, even including, I think, a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta.
This unsettling story has been developing over the past few weeks. There are certain problems with the Colonial: it’s not a free-standing theater, but is part of an office building. (As J.J. Shubert pointed out to this son in the mid-1950s when his son wanted to sell the theater but keep the office building: How in hell are you going to do that, you moron- the theater is INSIDE the office building!!!) Another problem is the current lack of “product” -commercial touring shows. The stage is an old-fashioned “hemp” stage with rope lines and sandbags instead of the counterweight lines that young theater people are used to working with. But even with these problems, one would think that there was some imagination and responsibility at the college. Turning the Colonial into a student dining hall, with a black-box theater on stage, is like a pig in a poke. Northeastern Univ did tear down the wonderful old Boston Opera House on Huntington Avenue (halfway between Symphony Hall and the MFA, but not for a parking lot. Some sort of building went on the site. At the time, it was said that the opera house had developed structural problems and needed to go, but I think that was a “crock”.
Citigroup will end its relationship with the Wang Center in November 2016 not Nov. 2015. Reported in Boston Herald today, Oct. 8.
Boston University plans to put the theater up for sale very soon. Only stipulation is that the new owner must agree to house the Huntington Theatre Company through June 2017. They say it now has 890 seats, and the sale includes two adjoining buildings. BU wants to build a new theater on or near their main campus on Commonwealth Avenue.
The CinemaData project file on the Community states that the building was actually a convent, and that a commercial movie venue operated on the lower level, at 14 East Main St., until at least 1952. The space later became a senior center.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Opera House; it’s Card # 410. Address is Penobscot Avenue. There is an exterior photo taken March 23, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says it opened in 1933, was showing MGM films and had 840 seats.
The Theatre Historical Society on-line archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Millinocket Theatre; it’s Card # 409. Address is Penobscot Avenue. There is an exterior photo dated March 23, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says it opened in 1938, was not showing MGM product, and had 750 seats. A competing theater was the Opera House. The 1940 population was 6,200.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Savoy, it’s Card # 372. Address is Pine Street. There is an exterior photo dated April 9, 1941. Condition is Good. The report says it opened in 1918 and was showing MGM movies. It had 398 main floor seats and 155 balcony seats, total 553.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Community; it’s Card # 371. Address is Main Street. There is an exterior photo taken April 9, 1941. Condition is Fair. The report says that it opened in 1915, was showing MGM films, and had 325 seats. The 1940 population was 5,600.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Paramount; it’s Card # 360. Address is “Main St.” (but the CinemaData project file says it was on Depot St.) There is an exterior photo dated March 8, 1941. Condition is Poor. The report says it opened in 1918, was showing MGM films, and had 400 seats. The 1940 population was 1,300.
In addition to 13 Hall St., I have also seen 8 Hall and 10 Hall St. CinemaTour says that the Century is the old Savoy Theatre. But CinemaData says that the old Savoy was demolished and the Century build later, apparently on the same site. (But I have Pine Street as the address for the Savoy, and there is a Pine Street downtown). The Savoy was a wood-frame 2-story building with a peak roof and a one-story addition in front; the Century looks similar but it’s masonry construction, 2-stories, with a rounded roof and a 2-story addition in front. Although they have the same general size and shape, it seems unlikely that the Savoy and Century are the same building.
Someone wrote on Facebook page something like “The theater looks beautiful. I’m so glad we have a movie theater in Ft. Kent.” I don’t know what the seating capacity is but I will guess that it’s about 400 ? They have a website: fortkentcenturytheatre.com , but it’s just a simple site with not much info, and no contact box.