The Boston Herald published this short article yesterday. I don’t know anything more:
Collapse scare stops traffic
By Herald staff
Friday, July 15, 2005
Traffic was gridlocked on Washington Street between Chinatown and Downtown Crossing yesterday when the dilapidated Modern Theatre building looked as if it might collapse into the street.
The building, which is being demolished, was acquired for $1.5 million in 2003 by the Sager Family Traveling Foundation, and then transferred to the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
The foundation, in turn, was given rights to redevelop the site.
Efforts are focused on preserving the building’s historic facade, which dates to 1913, while tearing away most of the crumbling structure behind it.
Yesterday, however, engineers spent considerable time studying the site while traffic was routed around it.
City Hall hopes to preserve the Modern in much the same way the nearby Paramount Theatre and the Opera House have been revitalized.
Yesterday’s Boston Globe North Weekly section has an article about the closing of the Warwick, and a nonprofit group called Marblehead Movies that is trying to bring movies back to the town:
Demolition is either at a crawl or a total standstill. There’s nothing left of the interior, but they have yet to even start removing the front (Washington Street) wall.
That I can’t really help you with, as I know nothing about the local or national market for such items. It’s possible that the Bostonian Society or the Boston Athenaeum would want them, but I don’t know what they would pay (if anything).
A few months ago, I added a page here for that Rialto Theatre. It was a pretty disreputable place by the time it closed, but probably a bit more classy back in 1934.
If this opened as a twin in 1964, it may well have been the first multi-screen theatre in the Boston area. I think Donald C. King’s book “The Theatres of Boston: A Stage and Screen History” very briefly mentioned this.
The Somerville is starting a midnight movie series later this month, on Friday and Saturday nights, sometimes with an additional show the following Monday at 7 pm:
July 22-23 and 25: Fight Club
July 29-30 only: The Princess Bride
August 5-6 and 8: Shaft (the original from 1971)
August 12-13 and 15: Dr. Strangelove
August 19-20 and 22: Office Space
August 26-29: Looney Tunes Festival (includes 11 am Sunday show)
(Now Ian, this should be put up on the official theatre web site so I can tell other folks about it!)
I was just downtown last night for an outdoor concert near the Loews, and I realized one odd thing about this theatre:
It has no sign or marquee outside, advertising which movies it is currently showing. There’s a nice vertical red LOEWS THEATRES sign, and another horizontal sign with the same words, above a large canopy or awning designed to keep the rain off people waiting outside. But to see what’s playing here, you have to walk into the lobby and look at a big electronic signboard. Which doesn’t do much to promote the movies to the large crowds who pass in front daily by foot, bus, and automobile.
Also, the theatre may be called ‘Boston Common’ in newspaper ads, but those words don’t appear anywhere on the theatre’s exterior. I think most people just call it “the Loews” or “the downtown Loews”.
Sack Theatres was the dominant chain in Boston in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They changed their name to USACinemas in December 1985. Over the following year, USACinemas bought three competing theatres, while two other competitors closed down. By the end of 1986, USACinemas had a total monopoly in central Boston and a near-monopoly in neighboring Cambridge.
Loews bought USACinemas in March 1988, giving Loews a presence in Boston for the first time since 1975. This was a full decade before Loews merged with Cineplex Odeon. Over the following 17 years, Loews proceeded to close almost every former Sack and USACinemas location.
For much more detailed discussion of this topic, see the Copley Place Cinemas page here at CinemaTreasures, and also the Old New England chains discussion at CinemaTour.
(My apologies if I’m hijacking your discussion of the E-Walk.)
The Barrington Stage Company, now a summer-only theatre based in Sheffield, purchased the Berkshire Music Hall and the adjoining Octagon House two days ago. The purchase cost $785,000. The company plans to continue renovations begun last year by the previous owner, Raymond Schilke.
Meanwhile, the no-longer-related Loews Corporation will live on as a collection of businesses that have no relationship whatsover to each other: hotels, cigarettes, insurance, oil and gas, and jewelry. They sold off the theatre chain in 1985.
Diversifying from theatres into hotels and real estate makes some sense to me, but I don’t understand the logic of the company’s subsequent acquisitions.
Is it possible that an outside organization is leasing screens at this theatre to show Bollywood films, and doing their own publicity?
That’s how Indian films are exhibited in the Boston area — the [url]www.BombayCinema.com[/url] folks rent out screens at the Somerville, the Capitol in Arlington, or the Regent in Arlington.
I was surprised to see the Orpheum reappear in today’s Boston Globe movie listings, after many years' absence. Turns out they are having a festival of recent documentaries each weekend in July.
It also appears that they are now using the name ‘Orpheum Theatre’, not ‘Foxborough Regional Center for the Performing Arts’.
If you’re curious to see more Loew’s annual reports, I have compiled links to all of them from 1965 to 1985 inclusive. Loews Corporation sold off the theatre division in 1985 and then became primarily a tobacco and hotel company.
The Boston Herald published this short article yesterday. I don’t know anything more:
Collapse scare stops traffic
By Herald staff
Friday, July 15, 2005
Traffic was gridlocked on Washington Street between Chinatown and Downtown Crossing yesterday when the dilapidated Modern Theatre building looked as if it might collapse into the street.
The building, which is being demolished, was acquired for $1.5 million in 2003 by the Sager Family Traveling Foundation, and then transferred to the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
The foundation, in turn, was given rights to redevelop the site.
Efforts are focused on preserving the building’s historic facade, which dates to 1913, while tearing away most of the crumbling structure behind it.
Yesterday, however, engineers spent considerable time studying the site while traffic was routed around it.
City Hall hopes to preserve the Modern in much the same way the nearby Paramount Theatre and the Opera House have been revitalized.
Yesterday’s Boston Globe North Weekly section has an article about the closing of the Warwick, and a nonprofit group called Marblehead Movies that is trying to bring movies back to the town:
Cinema communite: Group inspired to save local movie tradition
It’s possible that the Warwick could become available again once the YMCA moves out next year.
Demolition is either at a crawl or a total standstill. There’s nothing left of the interior, but they have yet to even start removing the front (Washington Street) wall.
That I can’t really help you with, as I know nothing about the local or national market for such items. It’s possible that the Bostonian Society or the Boston Athenaeum would want them, but I don’t know what they would pay (if anything).
A few months ago, I added a page here for that Rialto Theatre. It was a pretty disreputable place by the time it closed, but probably a bit more classy back in 1934.
Based on the titles and actors you listed, I’m strongly inclined to believe that these posters advertised movies, not live stage shows.
What dates are on those posters?
This theatre definitely had live stage plays at times, but I thought that was only under its previous names, Chickering Hall and [Loew’s] St. James.
This site has a few other trainâ€"station newsreel and short-subject theatres listed:
Grand Central Theatre, New York
South Station Theatre, Boston
Newsreel Theatre, Cincinnati
Victoria Station News Theatre, London
Cineac Montparnasse, Paris
Cineac Saint Lazare, Paris
And yet you called it “a fairly luxurious ambience” in your description above…
Is that the front door?
If so, it is absolutely the ugliest cinema building façade that I have ever seen. I’m glad this blight is not in my neighborhood.
If CMCI was a ‘Boston theatre chain’, it’s not one I’ve ever heard of. What else did they operate in or near Boston?
If this opened as a twin in 1964, it may well have been the first multi-screen theatre in the Boston area. I think Donald C. King’s book “The Theatres of Boston: A Stage and Screen History” very briefly mentioned this.
The Somerville is starting a midnight movie series later this month, on Friday and Saturday nights, sometimes with an additional show the following Monday at 7 pm:
July 22-23 and 25: Fight Club
July 29-30 only: The Princess Bride
August 5-6 and 8: Shaft (the original from 1971)
August 12-13 and 15: Dr. Strangelove
August 19-20 and 22: Office Space
August 26-29: Looney Tunes Festival (includes 11 am Sunday show)
(Now Ian, this should be put up on the official theatre web site so I can tell other folks about it!)
That LED sign is still operating, but I found it nearly impossible to read when I looked at it last night.
The Back Lot is still sitting there empty. I don’t know why.
I was just downtown last night for an outdoor concert near the Loews, and I realized one odd thing about this theatre:
It has no sign or marquee outside, advertising which movies it is currently showing. There’s a nice vertical red LOEWS THEATRES sign, and another horizontal sign with the same words, above a large canopy or awning designed to keep the rain off people waiting outside. But to see what’s playing here, you have to walk into the lobby and look at a big electronic signboard. Which doesn’t do much to promote the movies to the large crowds who pass in front daily by foot, bus, and automobile.
Also, the theatre may be called ‘Boston Common’ in newspaper ads, but those words don’t appear anywhere on the theatre’s exterior. I think most people just call it “the Loews” or “the downtown Loews”.
From 1998 onward, some Loew’s annual reports and other documents are available on the web site of the Securities & Exchange Commission:
Companies with names matching ‘Loews’
Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corp
Unfortunately, they appear to be in text and HTML format only — no pictures.
If you have an old PDF, please post it somewhere and link to it here.
Sack Theatres was the dominant chain in Boston in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They changed their name to USACinemas in December 1985. Over the following year, USACinemas bought three competing theatres, while two other competitors closed down. By the end of 1986, USACinemas had a total monopoly in central Boston and a near-monopoly in neighboring Cambridge.
Loews bought USACinemas in March 1988, giving Loews a presence in Boston for the first time since 1975. This was a full decade before Loews merged with Cineplex Odeon. Over the following 17 years, Loews proceeded to close almost every former Sack and USACinemas location.
For much more detailed discussion of this topic, see the Copley Place Cinemas page here at CinemaTreasures, and also the Old New England chains discussion at CinemaTour.
(My apologies if I’m hijacking your discussion of the E-Walk.)
The Barrington Stage Company, now a summer-only theatre based in Sheffield, purchased the Berkshire Music Hall and the adjoining Octagon House two days ago. The purchase cost $785,000. The company plans to continue renovations begun last year by the previous owner, Raymond Schilke.
Story in today’s Berkshire Eagle
Story in today’s Boston Globe
The status should be changed to “Open/Renovating”, as the theatre is currently in use.
Meanwhile, the no-longer-related Loews Corporation will live on as a collection of businesses that have no relationship whatsover to each other: hotels, cigarettes, insurance, oil and gas, and jewelry. They sold off the theatre chain in 1985.
Here’s a list of online Loew’s annual reports, from 1965 to 1985 inclusive. They make interesting, though somewhat saddening, reading.
Diversifying from theatres into hotels and real estate makes some sense to me, but I don’t understand the logic of the company’s subsequent acquisitions.
And when the Loew’s name disappears, it will join such other proud chain names as RKO (Keith-Albee) and Walter Reade.
Fox, Warner, and Paramount at least live on as active studio names….
Is it possible that an outside organization is leasing screens at this theatre to show Bollywood films, and doing their own publicity?
That’s how Indian films are exhibited in the Boston area — the [url]www.BombayCinema.com[/url] folks rent out screens at the Somerville, the Capitol in Arlington, or the Regent in Arlington.
I was surprised to see the Orpheum reappear in today’s Boston Globe movie listings, after many years' absence. Turns out they are having a festival of recent documentaries each weekend in July.
It also appears that they are now using the name ‘Orpheum Theatre’, not ‘Foxborough Regional Center for the Performing Arts’.
If you’re curious to see more Loew’s annual reports, I have compiled links to all of them from 1965 to 1985 inclusive. Loews Corporation sold off the theatre division in 1985 and then became primarily a tobacco and hotel company.
List of Loew’s annual reports, from TobaccoDocuments.com
I’ve never been to this part of Florida. Is it called ‘Lauderhill’ because it’s on a high hill or bluff above Ft. Lauderdale? (‘dale’ == valley)
Edward Jay Epstein has a piece in yesterday’s Slate on this subject:
The Vanishing Box Office: A terminal condition