The huge crowd shown in that photo was for a ‘secret’ hour-long U2 concert on Wednesday, March 11. No tickets were sold. The only people admitted to the theatre were winners of radio station giveaways, and they were all bused into Davis Square from elsewhere.
I never had trouble parking at Century City when I used to live in Santa Monica. I’d just walk over to the cinema from the mall garage. This cinema was also easy to reach by bicycle from Santa Monica.
From yesterday’s Fields Corner Main Streets newsletter:
Further up Dot Ave., on the western side of the intersection of Adams Street, stood the Fields Corner Theatre. Opened on April 28, 1924, it was quite large, with over 1,500 seats. A historic house at 215 Adams Street owned by Benjamin Clapp was either torn down or moved when the theatre was built. The theatre’s 1923 building permit lists the architects as Funk & Wilcox, who also designed the Strand Theatre in Upham’s Corner and the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square. We have no photos of this building… Surprisingly, this large, brick and stone building had a very short life and seems to have been torn down in the early 1950s. Its site is now occupied by the Citizens Bank building and a parking lot.
From yesterday’s e-mail newsletter of Fields Corner Main Streets:
Many people may remember the Dorchester Theatre on Dorchester Ave. at Park Street. Opened in about 1915, this theatre originally had 850 seats. By the 1960s it had become the Park Cinema, and then the Park Cinema 1 & 2, after it was “twinned” and divided into two theatres. The lobby entrance was at the corner in the location of the current Radio Shack and was marked by a variety of signs and marquees over the years, as can be seen in the accompanying photo. The Park Cinema was open until the early 1980s, and the theatre auditorium still exists, although divided into two stories of commercial space. The large upper floor is vacant, and the original pressed metal ceiling and much colorful, Art Deco stenciled painting still survives, some of it shown here.
If I go to this location in Google Street View, I see a large red-brick building with the sign “Kathy’s Place” on it. Feeding “Kathy’s Place, Winthrop MA” back into Google yields this page, which suggests it is now a youth center.
I walked by this theatre yesterday. The marquee is blank, and the lobby is full of trash and debris. Whether that indicates an active construction project, I don’t know. A policeman standing nearby said the theatre was recently sold, but he didn’t know any more details.
The adjoining storefront to the right of the theatre entrance is vacant and appears to be undergoing construction.
One of the newspaper articles said that this was first called the Pilgrim Theatre, something I’d never heard anywhere else. Does anyone know if this is accurate?
I never saw The Seduction of Mimi, but I vaguely recall it and other Lina Wertmuller films playing at the Exeter Street Theatre in Boston, which was also part of the Sonny & Eddy’s chain.
The article says that in the 1960s, the theatre was called the Robert Gould Shaw House, “hosting theater productions and big name performers such as Ike and Tina Turner.”
Photo is several years old, as the ‘High Voltage’ store is no longer in the Bijou building, and the Bijou facade itself is now largely hidden by construction work.
Good article, though I wish they’d thrown in a few other locsl independents: Somerville Theatre, Capitol Theatre in Arlington, Studio Cinema in Belmont, Lexington Flick.
The huge crowd shown in that photo was for a ‘secret’ hour-long U2 concert on Wednesday, March 11. No tickets were sold. The only people admitted to the theatre were winners of radio station giveaways, and they were all bused into Davis Square from elsewhere.
View link lists scheduled concerts. The venue review at the bottom of the page is fun.
Who says Live Nation has pulled out of the Orpheum? They have a Hall & Oates concert scheduled there tonight.
I never had trouble parking at Century City when I used to live in Santa Monica. I’d just walk over to the cinema from the mall garage. This cinema was also easy to reach by bicycle from Santa Monica.
The phone number on the marquee, [614] 645-5464 , belongs to the nearby King Arts Complex.
The marquee advertises a gospel show running March 23 to April 8. So I guess construction is finished? Has there been a grand opening ceremony yet?
From yesterday’s Fields Corner Main Streets newsletter:
Further up Dot Ave., on the western side of the intersection of Adams Street, stood the Fields Corner Theatre. Opened on April 28, 1924, it was quite large, with over 1,500 seats. A historic house at 215 Adams Street owned by Benjamin Clapp was either torn down or moved when the theatre was built. The theatre’s 1923 building permit lists the architects as Funk & Wilcox, who also designed the Strand Theatre in Upham’s Corner and the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square. We have no photos of this building… Surprisingly, this large, brick and stone building had a very short life and seems to have been torn down in the early 1950s. Its site is now occupied by the Citizens Bank building and a parking lot.
From yesterday’s e-mail newsletter of Fields Corner Main Streets:
Many people may remember the Dorchester Theatre on Dorchester Ave. at Park Street. Opened in about 1915, this theatre originally had 850 seats. By the 1960s it had become the Park Cinema, and then the Park Cinema 1 & 2, after it was “twinned” and divided into two theatres. The lobby entrance was at the corner in the location of the current Radio Shack and was marked by a variety of signs and marquees over the years, as can be seen in the accompanying photo. The Park Cinema was open until the early 1980s, and the theatre auditorium still exists, although divided into two stories of commercial space. The large upper floor is vacant, and the original pressed metal ceiling and much colorful, Art Deco stenciled painting still survives, some of it shown here.
If I go to this location in Google Street View, I see a large red-brick building with the sign “Kathy’s Place” on it. Feeding “Kathy’s Place, Winthrop MA” back into Google yields this page, which suggests it is now a youth center.
The most upsetting thing about this is that someone did it on purpose.
I walked by this theatre yesterday. The marquee is blank, and the lobby is full of trash and debris. Whether that indicates an active construction project, I don’t know. A policeman standing nearby said the theatre was recently sold, but he didn’t know any more details.
The adjoining storefront to the right of the theatre entrance is vacant and appears to be undergoing construction.
One of the newspaper articles said that this was first called the Pilgrim Theatre, something I’d never heard anywhere else. Does anyone know if this is accurate?
I never saw The Seduction of Mimi, but I vaguely recall it and other Lina Wertmuller films playing at the Exeter Street Theatre in Boston, which was also part of the Sonny & Eddy’s chain.
Whoops, I linked to the wrong theatre with that name. Here’s the proper link to the former Academy Twin Cinemas in Newton Centre.
That would be the Academy Twin Cinemas.
The Boston Fire Department now says this fire started in multiple locations and was deliberately set.
That’s very sad. Do you know why the landlord evicted the medical clinic?
Loews Boston Common opened in 2001, so if you saw this movie here, it was more recently than ten years ago.
A longer Boston Globe article on the fire. $250,000 in damage, ouch.
The article says that in the 1960s, the theatre was called the Robert Gould Shaw House, “hosting theater productions and big name performers such as Ike and Tina Turner.”
Photo is several years old, as the ‘High Voltage’ store is no longer in the Bijou building, and the Bijou facade itself is now largely hidden by construction work.
The former Franklin Park Theatre, now home to New Fellowship Baptist Church, was seriously damaged in a 5-alarm fire early this morning.
> Well, don’t most theater balconies have stadium seating by default?
No. For instance, I don’t think either the Somerville’s or the Brattle’s balconies would be considered ‘stadium seating’.
Also, I believe there will be no seats on the main floor of House of Blues, only standing/dancing area.
Good article, though I wish they’d thrown in a few other locsl independents: Somerville Theatre, Capitol Theatre in Arlington, Studio Cinema in Belmont, Lexington Flick.
So what is the city doing with it, and what did the Jewish Foundation use it for?
The theatre you are thinking of was the Cinema 733, which indeed shared a building with Paul’s Mall and the Jazz Workshop.