The Garden Theatre on Arlington Street definitely operated into the mid-late 1970s, but I’m not sure exactly when it closed.
The Park Cinema, in Fields Corner, was NOT also known as the Hyde Park Theatre.
I think the Puritan Mall Cinema in Dorchester was also still operating in 1977.
The Fairmount in Hyde Park may have been operating as the New Pixie or Nu-Pixie.
The theatre you label “South St. Theatre” was actually South Station Theatre. I recall it being south of the Central Artery, not north of it as shown on your map.
I think the theatre you label Brookline Village was called either Cinema Brookline or the Plaza in 1977, but I’m not positive.
One theatre that’s missing from your 1977 map: the Village Cinema in West Roxbury.
West End Pussycat was on the south side of Causeway, not the north side as shown on the Google map.
Please do post links, though they may be more appropriate if posted on pages of theatres that were still operating in those years. You may want to consider submitting your maps and essay to CinemaTreasures as a news article.
Here in Boston, we have listings for two theatres that (to my knowledge) showed only X-rated movies: North Station Cinema and South Station Cinema. We don’t have listings for the Twin-X or for the ‘Art Cinema’ that was across Tremont Street the Saxon/Majestic. If anyone knows more about either of these, please add them.
I suspect any movie theatre at 701 Washington was fairly short-lived, and probably was little more than a storefront.
USACinemas did eventually buy the Nickelodeon, but not until 1986. By that time, the Nick had moved out of this location and into a new building a block away. See the Nickelodeon page for more information.
Corporate support for restoring and reopening an old movie palace is great.
Corporate “support' for an already fully functional theatre is something else, especially when the theatre’s programming and management has fallen into decline right after the "support” arrived. Which is the case here.
The Ford Hall Forum lecture series is now affiliated with Suffolk University. Many of this fall’s lectures will take place in the C. Walsh Theatre.
Also worth checking – were any of the following still open in May 1977?
Fresh Pond Cinema (General Cinema, Cambridge)
Fresh Pond Drive-In (Cambridge)
Neponset Drive-In (Dorchester)
Good stuff! I look forward to the essay.
The Garden Theatre on Arlington Street definitely operated into the mid-late 1970s, but I’m not sure exactly when it closed.
The Park Cinema, in Fields Corner, was NOT also known as the Hyde Park Theatre.
I think the Puritan Mall Cinema in Dorchester was also still operating in 1977.
The Fairmount in Hyde Park may have been operating as the New Pixie or Nu-Pixie.
The theatre you label “South St. Theatre” was actually South Station Theatre. I recall it being south of the Central Artery, not north of it as shown on your map.
I think the theatre you label Brookline Village was called either Cinema Brookline or the Plaza in 1977, but I’m not positive.
One theatre that’s missing from your 1977 map: the Village Cinema in West Roxbury.
West End Pussycat was on the south side of Causeway, not the north side as shown on the Google map.
Please do post links, though they may be more appropriate if posted on pages of theatres that were still operating in those years. You may want to consider submitting your maps and essay to CinemaTreasures as a news article.
And the answer is yes, since we have a number of such listings already (especially in NYC).
Here in Boston, we have listings for two theatres that (to my knowledge) showed only X-rated movies: North Station Cinema and South Station Cinema. We don’t have listings for the Twin-X or for the ‘Art Cinema’ that was across Tremont Street the Saxon/Majestic. If anyone knows more about either of these, please add them.
I suspect any movie theatre at 701 Washington was fairly short-lived, and probably was little more than a storefront.
Why was Live Nation unable to continue this work?
I suspect you are thinking of the later Kenmore Square Cinema, rather than this one which was torn down when you were still pretty young.
USACinemas did eventually buy the Nickelodeon, but not until 1986. By that time, the Nick had moved out of this location and into a new building a block away. See the Nickelodeon page for more information.
Thank you. Do you know when and why it closed and was torn down?
It doesn’t make sense to tear down a taxpaying commercial property to build a road. I’d like to learn more about this project.
What else is in the mall and closing?
No, that’s the former Pi Alley theatre.
IMDB lists 1987 as the release year for both The Principal and Dirty Dancing. Was this a first- or second-run theatre when it closed?
I’ve gotten a bunch of e-mail notices today.
Since the policy is rather long, can you summarize the changes here?
Interesting. Any idea why the city would buy it? Does it make sense for them to flip it to a cinema operator (chain or independent)?
Thank you for posting this! I am continually surprised by the long-forgotten movie theatre locations that you and others turn up.
Corporate support for restoring and reopening an old movie palace is great.
Corporate “support' for an already fully functional theatre is something else, especially when the theatre’s programming and management has fallen into decline right after the "support” arrived. Which is the case here.
I never knew this was once a cinema. Do you know for how long it showed movies?
I’ve been wondering how the Paramount construction is going to accommodate the Opera House’s loading needs. Surely this situation is temporary?
A related question: is there really anything left of it now?
The photo also shows the Rialto’s marquee, next to (closer to the camera than) the Olympia’s.
If you have that ad, I’m curious: did the show run on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day?
Opposite Eliot, maybe? Streets in this area have been moved around a lot in the last few decades, but I think there used to be an Eliot Street.