Boston cinema professional and historian Joe Cifre wrote that the Eagle Theatre was one of Boston’s first purpose-built movie theaters in the post-1906 era.
The Dudley Street Opera House, which is mentioned in the posting above of May 28, 2008, was located at 111-113 Dudley Street. It was on the southeast corner of Dudley and Washington streets, just south of the Dudley elevated railway station. It was apparently built in the 1870s and had 700-800 seats. I believe that it was an “upstairs house”, with the auditorium one flight above the street. It lasted to the 1950s and maybe past 1960. But by that time, it had been a meeting hall and dance hall for many years, and no longer a theater.
Bill Leach, who grew up in Roxbury, went to the movies at the Eagle a few times. He says that it was not a large theater and that it was located just to the north of Dudley Station, on the left (west) side of Washington Street as one faced north toward downtown Boston.
I have been told by Bill Leach, who grew up in Roxbury in the 1940s and 1950s, that the Dudley Theatre was located at about 2220 Washington Street, just north of the Dudley Station. It was on the right side of the street as you faced north toward downtown Boston.
Someone who grew up in Roxbury years ago, Bill Leach,says that the Rivoli Theatre was not located at 125 Dudley Street; it was on Washington Street near the corner of St. James St., to the south of the Dudley Station area. His wife lived very close to the Rivoli. They both attended movies many times at the Rivoli and other theaters in Roxbury. He’s not sure of the address on Washington St. but thinks it might be about # 2470.
According to today’s Boston Herald, the 5th-term inauguration of Boston Mayor Tom “Mumbles” Menino took place Monday in the Paramount. Prior to the event, there was a reception next door in the Grand Lobby of the Opera House. This seems to imply that there wasn’t a space large enough in the Paramount to host the reception, or perhaps such a space, if it exists, was not ready for use.
Regarding ballet in cinemas- those cinemas in the USA which are part of the Opera in Cinema network (operas from various European theaters) have the option to present “The Nutcracker” full-length ballet from the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. During the past 2 Christmas seasons, this ballet high-def performance has been presented up to 6 times each season at the Loring Hall, Hingham MA.
Tinseltoes' photo of the old Globe in burlesque days is a good one! However, the date of it should be “circa-1945” not “1955”. By 1955 its burlesque days were over and it had been renamed the Center Theater and was under management of E.M. Loew.
High winds yesterday in Boston blew an ancient black iron shutter off of the rear stage wall of the former Center Theater yesterday, injuring a passerby down below on Knapp Street.
Bob- the photo of the Premier Performance Theater which was posted above last June 11th is dated in 1983, so it would have been closed sometime after that, if the date on the photo is accurate. I’m not from Hyde Park so I didn’t know about the bridge closing for repairs.
to Bob La Sala- do you recall approximately when you closed down your Premier Performance operation? Also, what are you referring to when you say “…and then the bridge closed..” ?
Since they reopened as a cinema I had not seen any movie ads in the Boston Herald until today, Dec. 11. They ran a fairly large display ad for the movie “Irene in Time”. I was surprised to see that they have afternoon screenings on weekdays as well as weekends.
A persistent old legend is that the Haskell Opera House in Derby Line VT/ Stanstead PQ is a one-sixth -size replica of the Boston Opera House. This is preposterous. I have seen photos of both the exterior and the interior of the Haskell and there is absolutely no resemblance at all. Moreover, the Haskell opened in 1904, 5 years before the Boston Opera House, so it could not possibly have been influenced by the latter. The Haskell also contains a public library and straddles the international boundary between Vermont and Quebec. It’s a very interesting building but it has no relationship with the old Boston Opera House.
There was a feature article “Ghost Opera” about the Boston Opera House in the Boston Sunday Globe, Nov. 8th. The occasion was the 100th birthday of the theater, which opened in November 1909. There were 2 photos of the auditorium, one with a full house present, even standees high up on the sides; and the other a demolition photo taken in January 1958.
The souvenir book for the 1983 Boston convention of the Theatre Historical Society contained some old company photos made by the New England Theatres Operating Company (NETOCO). All were Boston neighborhood theatres from the 1910s and 1920s. One was a “Crown” theatre. I couldn’t figure out what this was or where in Boston it was located until Someone Who Was There told me that there was only one Crown and it was in Lowell. Comparing the Netoco facade photo with the MGM Report photo for the Allen/Crown leads me to think that they are one in the same. The Allen’s front seems to be one story higher and lacking some of the detail, but it is otherwise very similar. The old building to the left seems to have the same curved window-tops in both photos. The interior shots show a fairly ornate auditorium with unique fancy staircases from the balcony front comng down to the sides of the stage. There was a 2-manual organ in the small orchestra pit. The exterior shot shows trolley tracks in the street out front.
This morning at 11 AM the Liberty was open so that prospective buyers could view the property. The City of Boston is now apparently the owner. The address they used is “724”. I get the impression that the place is all still intact. I am hoping to hear from someone who went to the showing. I have heard that it closed to movies way back in 1954, but I’m not sure of that.
I contrasted Dave C’s color photo of the Strand facade with the 1950 photo on the MGM Report. In 1950, the building to the left was 2 stories high and the large arch above the Strand’s entrance was not covered over. The theater had a triangular marquee of typical 1940s appearance.
The new owner of the Casino is considering selling it. It’s in good condition. The wood flooring in the auditoriums needs to be replaced to conply with code. Also it needs new roofing. Inquiries to
Where was it located? Somewhere on Route 1 ?
Boston cinema professional and historian Joe Cifre wrote that the Eagle Theatre was one of Boston’s first purpose-built movie theaters in the post-1906 era.
The Dudley Street Opera House, which is mentioned in the posting above of May 28, 2008, was located at 111-113 Dudley Street. It was on the southeast corner of Dudley and Washington streets, just south of the Dudley elevated railway station. It was apparently built in the 1870s and had 700-800 seats. I believe that it was an “upstairs house”, with the auditorium one flight above the street. It lasted to the 1950s and maybe past 1960. But by that time, it had been a meeting hall and dance hall for many years, and no longer a theater.
It is thought that the Eagle closed sometime in the early-1950s.
Bill Leach, who grew up in Roxbury, went to the movies at the Eagle a few times. He says that it was not a large theater and that it was located just to the north of Dudley Station, on the left (west) side of Washington Street as one faced north toward downtown Boston.
I have been told by Bill Leach, who grew up in Roxbury in the 1940s and 1950s, that the Dudley Theatre was located at about 2220 Washington Street, just north of the Dudley Station. It was on the right side of the street as you faced north toward downtown Boston.
The Rivoli was on the left side of Washington Street as you headed south from Dudley Station to Egleston Square.
Someone who grew up in Roxbury years ago, Bill Leach,says that the Rivoli Theatre was not located at 125 Dudley Street; it was on Washington Street near the corner of St. James St., to the south of the Dudley Station area. His wife lived very close to the Rivoli. They both attended movies many times at the Rivoli and other theaters in Roxbury. He’s not sure of the address on Washington St. but thinks it might be about # 2470.
Sounds interesting..on which side is this door and hallway located?
According to today’s Boston Herald, the 5th-term inauguration of Boston Mayor Tom “Mumbles” Menino took place Monday in the Paramount. Prior to the event, there was a reception next door in the Grand Lobby of the Opera House. This seems to imply that there wasn’t a space large enough in the Paramount to host the reception, or perhaps such a space, if it exists, was not ready for use.
Regarding ballet in cinemas- those cinemas in the USA which are part of the Opera in Cinema network (operas from various European theaters) have the option to present “The Nutcracker” full-length ballet from the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. During the past 2 Christmas seasons, this ballet high-def performance has been presented up to 6 times each season at the Loring Hall, Hingham MA.
Tinseltoes' photo of the old Globe in burlesque days is a good one! However, the date of it should be “circa-1945” not “1955”. By 1955 its burlesque days were over and it had been renamed the Center Theater and was under management of E.M. Loew.
High winds yesterday in Boston blew an ancient black iron shutter off of the rear stage wall of the former Center Theater yesterday, injuring a passerby down below on Knapp Street.
Nice set of photos, Zach.
I think that an intersection near the theater is/was called “Everett Square”.
Bob- the photo of the Premier Performance Theater which was posted above last June 11th is dated in 1983, so it would have been closed sometime after that, if the date on the photo is accurate. I’m not from Hyde Park so I didn’t know about the bridge closing for repairs.
to Bob La Sala- do you recall approximately when you closed down your Premier Performance operation? Also, what are you referring to when you say “…and then the bridge closed..” ?
Since they reopened as a cinema I had not seen any movie ads in the Boston Herald until today, Dec. 11. They ran a fairly large display ad for the movie “Irene in Time”. I was surprised to see that they have afternoon screenings on weekdays as well as weekends.
A persistent old legend is that the Haskell Opera House in Derby Line VT/ Stanstead PQ is a one-sixth -size replica of the Boston Opera House. This is preposterous. I have seen photos of both the exterior and the interior of the Haskell and there is absolutely no resemblance at all. Moreover, the Haskell opened in 1904, 5 years before the Boston Opera House, so it could not possibly have been influenced by the latter. The Haskell also contains a public library and straddles the international boundary between Vermont and Quebec. It’s a very interesting building but it has no relationship with the old Boston Opera House.
There was a feature article “Ghost Opera” about the Boston Opera House in the Boston Sunday Globe, Nov. 8th. The occasion was the 100th birthday of the theater, which opened in November 1909. There were 2 photos of the auditorium, one with a full house present, even standees high up on the sides; and the other a demolition photo taken in January 1958.
The souvenir book for the 1983 Boston convention of the Theatre Historical Society contained some old company photos made by the New England Theatres Operating Company (NETOCO). All were Boston neighborhood theatres from the 1910s and 1920s. One was a “Crown” theatre. I couldn’t figure out what this was or where in Boston it was located until Someone Who Was There told me that there was only one Crown and it was in Lowell. Comparing the Netoco facade photo with the MGM Report photo for the Allen/Crown leads me to think that they are one in the same. The Allen’s front seems to be one story higher and lacking some of the detail, but it is otherwise very similar. The old building to the left seems to have the same curved window-tops in both photos. The interior shots show a fairly ornate auditorium with unique fancy staircases from the balcony front comng down to the sides of the stage. There was a 2-manual organ in the small orchestra pit. The exterior shot shows trolley tracks in the street out front.
This morning at 11 AM the Liberty was open so that prospective buyers could view the property. The City of Boston is now apparently the owner. The address they used is “724”. I get the impression that the place is all still intact. I am hoping to hear from someone who went to the showing. I have heard that it closed to movies way back in 1954, but I’m not sure of that.
I contrasted Dave C’s color photo of the Strand facade with the 1950 photo on the MGM Report. In 1950, the building to the left was 2 stories high and the large arch above the Strand’s entrance was not covered over. The theater had a triangular marquee of typical 1940s appearance.
The new owner of the Casino is considering selling it. It’s in good condition. The wood flooring in the auditoriums needs to be replaced to conply with code. Also it needs new roofing. Inquiries to
The street number on Dudley St. was “530”.