The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Union Theatre. Says it’s on Dunham St., is in Good condition, and has been showing MGM product for 6 years. There were 788 orchestra seats and 313 balcony seats, total: 1,101. There is an exterior photo dated April 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in Illinois has the MGM Theatre Report for the Bates Theatre. It gives the address as 4 Park Street. The theatre was in Fair condition and had been showing MGM product for 6 years (from 1935). There were 621 orchestra seats and 358 balcony seats, total: 979. Competing theaters were the Union in Attleboro, and the Darlton in Pawtucket RI. There is an exterior photo taken in May 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in Illinois has the MGM Theatre Report for the Community Theatre. Located in “Dedhan Square”, built around 1925, 994 seats, in Good condition; showing MGM product for over 10 years. There is an exterior photo taken in March 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Buzzards Bay Theatre. Located on Main St., 693 seats, Excellent condition. It says it was built about 1938. There is an exterior photo taken in July 1950.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in Illinois has the MGM Theatre Report for the Wernick Theatre at 24 Broadway. It had 1044 seats, was in Fair condition and had been showing MGM product for 1 year. There is an exterior photo taken in May 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in IL has the MGM Theatre Report for the Rivoli. Located on Springfield St., Good condition, 1261 seats; has been showing MGM Product for 10 years. There is an exterior photo taken in May 1941. Competing theater is the Victoria.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in IL has the MGM Theatre Report for the Victoria Th. in Chicopee. Located at 79 Cabot St. 792 seats, Fair condition. There is an exterior photo taken April 1941. There is a notation “Closed”, but in the photo, the poster cases are full; it doesn’t look Closed.
The Theatre Historical Society arvhive in Illinois has the MGM Theatre Report for the Darlton. But no one filled it out, so there is no info. There is an undated photo, very similar to the one above, and on it is written “Darlton Theatre in Darlington, Massachusetts, 3 miles east of Pawtucket”. So they got the location wrong. However, the MGM Report for the Bates Theatre in Attleboro lists the Darlton as a competing theater and correctly states that it is in Pawtucket.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in IL has the MGM Theatre Report for the Braintree Theatre, made in 1941. Address is 381 Washington St., The theater is in Good condition and has 630 seats. There is an exterior photo taken in April 1941 and the facade looks the way I remember it from the 1950s.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in Illinois has a MGM Theatre Report for a “College Theatre, Ayer,Mass.” No one filled out the report, so there is no info. Probably dates from the 1940s. There is a photo marked “War Department Theatre, Fort Devens.” The rather nice theater in this photo does not look anything like the Liberty Theatre photo from the Billy Holcomb collection, and it doesn’t look anything like the post theater I recall from 1957-1966. So it’s a mystery. Why would the Army call it the “College Theatre” ? There were military schools for soldiers at Fort Devens, but they were not known as “colleges”.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Report for the Regent Theatre, made in 1941. The theater was on Medford St., was in Poor condition; had been showing MGM product for over 10 years; and had 735 orchestra seats and 297 balcony seats; total: 1,032 seats. There is an exterior photo taken in May 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in Illinois has the MGM Theatre Report for the Capitol. Listed at 204 Mass. Avenue. It was in “Good” condition; had been showing MGM product for over 10 years, and had 1107 orchestra seats and 520 balcony seats; total: 1,627. There is an exterior photo taken in April 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Amherst Theatre. There is an exterior photo taken in May 1941 on Main St. The theater was in Good condition, and had been showing MGM product for over 10 years. There were 844 orchestra seats and 300 balcony seats, total: 1,144 seats.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the National Theatre. Exterior photo taken in May 1941 on Tremont St. The condition is “Poor”. There are 1000 orchestra seats, 950 balcony seats and 50 seats in the loges (boxes); total: 2,000 seats. No mention of the second balcony which may have been out of use in 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Larcom Theatre. Exterior photo taken in May 1941 on Wallis Street. It says that the theater is in Good condition and has been playing MGM product for over 10 years. 435 orchestra seats and 309 balcony seats; total: 744 seats. Competing theaters are the Ware Theatre and the Strand Theatre.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the (then) “RKO Memorial” Theatre. The condition of the theater was “Deluxe”; there were 1641 orchestra seats and 1266 balcony seats; total: 2907. There is an exterior photo of the Washington Street entrance taken in 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the (then) Metropolitan Theatre at 268 Washington St., Boston. The theater’s condition was rated “Excellent”. There were 2239 orchestra seats, 1788 balcony seats, and 222 seats in the loges; total: 4,249. There is an exterior photo taken in April 1941. The “Met” had a huge, long marquee which ran almost the entire width of the building,but it was rather narrow,not very high.
In the Theatre Historical Society archive there is a MGM Theatre Report for the Modern Theatre, 523 Washington St., Boston. The Report says that the theater is in Fair condition, and has 361 seats on the main floor and 339 balcony seats, total: 700. There is an exterior photo taken April 1941. The Modern had a very unusual rectangular marquee with lighted panels for the attractions, rather than lines of letters.
Communications media people teach that a TV commercial has failed when viewers cannot figure out what is being advertised by whom. Last night (Sat.) on the 11PM local news on WBZ-TV there was a commercial about 30 seconds or more long. There were at least two exterior views of the Norwood Theatre and several very nice interior shots. This was the first and only time that I have seen this commercial. I don’t have the slightest idea what was being advertised or who was behind it, but the pictures were great!
The Elm Theatre in North Attleboro is listed under Massachusetts in the theater directory in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook (FDY). It had 800 seats and was open 6 days per week. The 1927 population of N. Attleboro was 9,200.
The area was stilled referred to as the “West End” after the widespread demolition and the construction of Charles River Park by the people who used to live there (patrons of the Lancaster) and others familiar with the area. Needless to say, plans to bulldoze the area created a firestorm back circa-1959 among the residents, who had no say in the matter. Caused a lot of lingering bitterness. For someone like E.M.Loew who had ties to the older Boston, it would have been natural to call the theater the “West End”. He also at the time of opening was under the impression that the elevated trolley structure in front of the new facade of the theater was to be shortly demolished, but that didn’t happen for a long while.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Union Theatre. Says it’s on Dunham St., is in Good condition, and has been showing MGM product for 6 years. There were 788 orchestra seats and 313 balcony seats, total: 1,101. There is an exterior photo dated April 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in Illinois has the MGM Theatre Report for the Bates Theatre. It gives the address as 4 Park Street. The theatre was in Fair condition and had been showing MGM product for 6 years (from 1935). There were 621 orchestra seats and 358 balcony seats, total: 979. Competing theaters were the Union in Attleboro, and the Darlton in Pawtucket RI. There is an exterior photo taken in May 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in Illinois has the MGM Theatre Report for the Community Theatre. Located in “Dedhan Square”, built around 1925, 994 seats, in Good condition; showing MGM product for over 10 years. There is an exterior photo taken in March 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Buzzards Bay Theatre. Located on Main St., 693 seats, Excellent condition. It says it was built about 1938. There is an exterior photo taken in July 1950.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in Illinois has the MGM Theatre Report for the Wernick Theatre at 24 Broadway. It had 1044 seats, was in Fair condition and had been showing MGM product for 1 year. There is an exterior photo taken in May 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in IL has the MGM Theatre Report for the Rivoli. Located on Springfield St., Good condition, 1261 seats; has been showing MGM Product for 10 years. There is an exterior photo taken in May 1941. Competing theater is the Victoria.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in IL has the MGM Theatre Report for the Victoria Th. in Chicopee. Located at 79 Cabot St. 792 seats, Fair condition. There is an exterior photo taken April 1941. There is a notation “Closed”, but in the photo, the poster cases are full; it doesn’t look Closed.
The Theatre Historical Society arvhive in Illinois has the MGM Theatre Report for the Darlton. But no one filled it out, so there is no info. There is an undated photo, very similar to the one above, and on it is written “Darlton Theatre in Darlington, Massachusetts, 3 miles east of Pawtucket”. So they got the location wrong. However, the MGM Report for the Bates Theatre in Attleboro lists the Darlton as a competing theater and correctly states that it is in Pawtucket.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in IL has the MGM Theatre Report for the Braintree Theatre, made in 1941. Address is 381 Washington St., The theater is in Good condition and has 630 seats. There is an exterior photo taken in April 1941 and the facade looks the way I remember it from the 1950s.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in Illinois has a MGM Theatre Report for a “College Theatre, Ayer,Mass.” No one filled out the report, so there is no info. Probably dates from the 1940s. There is a photo marked “War Department Theatre, Fort Devens.” The rather nice theater in this photo does not look anything like the Liberty Theatre photo from the Billy Holcomb collection, and it doesn’t look anything like the post theater I recall from 1957-1966. So it’s a mystery. Why would the Army call it the “College Theatre” ? There were military schools for soldiers at Fort Devens, but they were not known as “colleges”.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Report for the Regent Theatre, made in 1941. The theater was on Medford St., was in Poor condition; had been showing MGM product for over 10 years; and had 735 orchestra seats and 297 balcony seats; total: 1,032 seats. There is an exterior photo taken in May 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive in Illinois has the MGM Theatre Report for the Capitol. Listed at 204 Mass. Avenue. It was in “Good” condition; had been showing MGM product for over 10 years, and had 1107 orchestra seats and 520 balcony seats; total: 1,627. There is an exterior photo taken in April 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Amherst Theatre. There is an exterior photo taken in May 1941 on Main St. The theater was in Good condition, and had been showing MGM product for over 10 years. There were 844 orchestra seats and 300 balcony seats, total: 1,144 seats.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the National Theatre. Exterior photo taken in May 1941 on Tremont St. The condition is “Poor”. There are 1000 orchestra seats, 950 balcony seats and 50 seats in the loges (boxes); total: 2,000 seats. No mention of the second balcony which may have been out of use in 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Larcom Theatre. Exterior photo taken in May 1941 on Wallis Street. It says that the theater is in Good condition and has been playing MGM product for over 10 years. 435 orchestra seats and 309 balcony seats; total: 744 seats. Competing theaters are the Ware Theatre and the Strand Theatre.
The street address on the MGM Report is 268 Tremont St., not Washington St.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the (then) “RKO Memorial” Theatre. The condition of the theater was “Deluxe”; there were 1641 orchestra seats and 1266 balcony seats; total: 2907. There is an exterior photo of the Washington Street entrance taken in 1941.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the (then) Metropolitan Theatre at 268 Washington St., Boston. The theater’s condition was rated “Excellent”. There were 2239 orchestra seats, 1788 balcony seats, and 222 seats in the loges; total: 4,249. There is an exterior photo taken in April 1941. The “Met” had a huge, long marquee which ran almost the entire width of the building,but it was rather narrow,not very high.
In the Theatre Historical Society archive there is a MGM Theatre Report for the Modern Theatre, 523 Washington St., Boston. The Report says that the theater is in Fair condition, and has 361 seats on the main floor and 339 balcony seats, total: 700. There is an exterior photo taken April 1941. The Modern had a very unusual rectangular marquee with lighted panels for the attractions, rather than lines of letters.
Communications media people teach that a TV commercial has failed when viewers cannot figure out what is being advertised by whom. Last night (Sat.) on the 11PM local news on WBZ-TV there was a commercial about 30 seconds or more long. There were at least two exterior views of the Norwood Theatre and several very nice interior shots. This was the first and only time that I have seen this commercial. I don’t have the slightest idea what was being advertised or who was behind it, but the pictures were great!
The Elm Theatre in North Attleboro is listed under Massachusetts in the theater directory in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook (FDY). It had 800 seats and was open 6 days per week. The 1927 population of N. Attleboro was 9,200.
The area was stilled referred to as the “West End” after the widespread demolition and the construction of Charles River Park by the people who used to live there (patrons of the Lancaster) and others familiar with the area. Needless to say, plans to bulldoze the area created a firestorm back circa-1959 among the residents, who had no say in the matter. Caused a lot of lingering bitterness. For someone like E.M.Loew who had ties to the older Boston, it would have been natural to call the theater the “West End”. He also at the time of opening was under the impression that the elevated trolley structure in front of the new facade of the theater was to be shortly demolished, but that didn’t happen for a long while.
Yeah, I attended a play there in 1953, and it was an old theater then, going back to the World War I era.
The 1948 opening was a name change, from Criterion Theatre to Plaza Theatre.
Yes, as the Gaiety (later, Gayety), it opened in November 1908.