The chandelier didn’t exactly match the decor of the 1960s-era Cheri Theatre either. (Not that the Cheri, or any of Sack’s other 1960s and 70s theatres, had much in the way of decor.)
Sundance originally wanted to build on Lansdowne Street in Boston, across from Fenway Park. It would have been a great contribution to our city’s culture. Unfortunately, after their project failed I believe another developer took over that site, and it will no longer be available to them.
I do very much hope they can try again in Boston, as the city definitely needs an art house.
If you look around in Google, you’ll see that both Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon, ended up with unfinished Sundance Cinemas that sat vacant for a long time before they eventually became part of other chains.
The last time they proposed this, they left behind a lot of unstarted or unfinished projects. Boston was supposed to get a Sundance Cinema; it never happened. I hope they know what they’re doing this time.
I biked over to 23 South Street, or more accurately to where 23 South Street would be today if it still existed. The lowest odd street number now is 85 South Street. It looks to me like 23 South Street was demolished and replaced with part of the 125 Summer Street building, completed in 1990.
Since this new development incorporates the old façades of four buildings it replaced, it’s possible that the former South Station Cinema’s front entrance is still recognizable. But I don’t remember any more what it looked like. Perhaps someone else can help here.
John Mitzel now runs the Calamus Bookstore, at 92B South Street, just a block from the former site of the South Station Cinema. I e-mailed him months ago asking for his help with this page, but got no answer. Maybe I’ll drop in there some time.
The ad says the theatre was “OPPOSITE TRACK 27”. This track number no longer exists, so I suspect that the theatre was located in a part of the station that was demolished in the 1970s or earlier. The History of South Station website is worth visiting, as is the station itself.
Was it once common for major train stations to have newsreel and short-subject cinemas like this one? I see at least three others listed here at CinemaTreasures:
To clarify, the Shawmut Inn opened in 1994, but the building is much older, probably dating back to the late 19th century.
This whole ‘Bulfinch Triangle’ district was quite run-down and isolated for many years, being surrounded on one side by the huge and ugly Government Center Garage and on two others by elevated train tracks and the elevated Central Artery (I-93). The garage is unfortunately still standing, but the elevated rails and highways were torn down last year.
I never attended this or any other adult theatre, but after taking a walk there this morning, I have a vague memory that two other North Station Cinema screens had an entrance halfway around the block on Portland Street. Eventually I’ll try to verify this from old newspapers or phone books.
I walked by this address today. It was most recently occupied by Cafe Mosaic, a small restaurant, but is currently vacant. The storefront is part of a building that also contains a small hotel, the Shawmut Inn, which opened in 1994.
Last night, Radley Metzger’s “Score” was screened at the prestigious Harvard Film Archive in the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard University. The sexually complex, gender-questioning classic is a mainstay of the continuing Queer Fest, guest-curated by the equally reknowned George Mansour. Twenty-five years ago, Mansour was booking the XXX-rated North Station Cinema, a long-shuttered porn house in the shadow of Boston Garden. Then, his main feature, “Score,” was just a sleazy bit of junk for the raincoat brigade. “I got paid then, I got paid now,” said Mansour — succinct as ever.
It may have been built as a twin, but it didn’t open as one. As I mentioned earlier, newspaper ads in September 1966 showed only one screen. And by then, the Symphony 1&2 already existed.
The major north-south street in downtown Columbus is High Street. The major east-west street is Broad Street. (Actually, both are slightly offset from the compass points.)
This particular theatre isn’t anywhere anymore, having been demolished 55 years ago. But the RKO Palace is on Broad Street. The other two downtown theatres that still exist, the Ohio and the Southern, are on other, smaller downtown streets.
The Columbus Metropolitan Library has an online collection of historic photos with several pictures of this and other theatres. Enter the word Majestic into the search box.
On the same day that the Cutler Majestic reopened in 2003, Emerson College also opened its first-ever new building, the 11-story Tufte Performance and Production Center.
This building is physically connected to the Majestic, contains two new live stages, and occupies at least some of the footprint of the demolished Gary (Plymouth) theatre.
If the chandelier were brought to “the nation’s capitol”, it would be in the big building with the dome. They meant “the nation’s capital”. Brian’s right and Loews is wrong.
The chandelier didn’t exactly match the decor of the 1960s-era Cheri Theatre either. (Not that the Cheri, or any of Sack’s other 1960s and 70s theatres, had much in the way of decor.)
Sundance originally wanted to build on Lansdowne Street in Boston, across from Fenway Park. It would have been a great contribution to our city’s culture. Unfortunately, after their project failed I believe another developer took over that site, and it will no longer be available to them.
I do very much hope they can try again in Boston, as the city definitely needs an art house.
From the LA Times, January 15, 2004:
Redford’s Sundance success clouded by failed ventures. This article discusses the Portland and Philadelphia projects, and other problems that Sundance ran into.
If you look around in Google, you’ll see that both Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon, ended up with unfinished Sundance Cinemas that sat vacant for a long time before they eventually became part of other chains.
The last time they proposed this, they left behind a lot of unstarted or unfinished projects. Boston was supposed to get a Sundance Cinema; it never happened. I hope they know what they’re doing this time.
In this newsletter, Mitzel says he ran “the fabulous South Station Cinema” from 1972 to 1983.
Some other newsreel and short subject cinemas located in train stations:
Grand Central Theatre, New York
South Station Theatre, Boston
Newsreel Theatre, Cincinnati
Some other newsreel and short subject cinemas located in train stations:
Grand Central Theatre, New York
South Station Theatre, Boston
Victoria Station News Theatre, London
Some other newsreel and short subject cinemas located in train stations:
South Station Theatre, Boston
Newsreel Theatre, Cincinnati
Victoria Station News Theatre, London
I biked over to 23 South Street, or more accurately to where 23 South Street would be today if it still existed. The lowest odd street number now is 85 South Street. It looks to me like 23 South Street was demolished and replaced with part of the 125 Summer Street building, completed in 1990.
Since this new development incorporates the old façades of four buildings it replaced, it’s possible that the former South Station Cinema’s front entrance is still recognizable. But I don’t remember any more what it looked like. Perhaps someone else can help here.
John Mitzel now runs the Calamus Bookstore, at 92B South Street, just a block from the former site of the South Station Cinema. I e-mailed him months ago asking for his help with this page, but got no answer. Maybe I’ll drop in there some time.
The ad says the theatre was “OPPOSITE TRACK 27”. This track number no longer exists, so I suspect that the theatre was located in a part of the station that was demolished in the 1970s or earlier. The History of South Station website is worth visiting, as is the station itself.
Was it once common for major train stations to have newsreel and short-subject cinemas like this one? I see at least three others listed here at CinemaTreasures:
Grand Central Theatre, New York
Newsreel Theatre, Cincinnati
Victoria Station News Theatre, London
To clarify, the Shawmut Inn opened in 1994, but the building is much older, probably dating back to the late 19th century.
This whole ‘Bulfinch Triangle’ district was quite run-down and isolated for many years, being surrounded on one side by the huge and ugly Government Center Garage and on two others by elevated train tracks and the elevated Central Artery (I-93). The garage is unfortunately still standing, but the elevated rails and highways were torn down last year.
I never attended this or any other adult theatre, but after taking a walk there this morning, I have a vague memory that two other North Station Cinema screens had an entrance halfway around the block on Portland Street. Eventually I’ll try to verify this from old newspapers or phone books.
This history page briefly mentions the theatre. Here’s an advertisement for the theatre.
I walked by this address today. It was most recently occupied by Cafe Mosaic, a small restaurant, but is currently vacant. The storefront is part of a building that also contains a small hotel, the Shawmut Inn, which opened in 1994.
The status should be changed to “Closed”.
From the Boston Globe, June 8, 1998:
Last night, Radley Metzger’s “Score” was screened at the prestigious Harvard Film Archive in the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard University. The sexually complex, gender-questioning classic is a mainstay of the continuing Queer Fest, guest-curated by the equally reknowned George Mansour. Twenty-five years ago, Mansour was booking the XXX-rated North Station Cinema, a long-shuttered porn house in the shadow of Boston Garden. Then, his main feature, “Score,” was just a sleazy bit of junk for the raincoat brigade. “I got paid then, I got paid now,” said Mansour — succinct as ever.
An elegy for the Gaiety
Yet more demolition photos. I don’t know anything about the person who posted these. He’s continuing to add more.
And even more photos.
Listing this as “North Station Cinema I” suggests that there were other screens, maybe at different addresses?
It may have been built as a twin, but it didn’t open as one. As I mentioned earlier, newspaper ads in September 1966 showed only one screen. And by then, the Symphony 1&2 already existed.
A couple more demo photos from last Saturday. Scroll down to “Posted: Sat May 14, 2005”.
They sure are taking their time. Demolition began four weeks ago, and they still haven’t touched the Washington Street front facade.
The major north-south street in downtown Columbus is High Street. The major east-west street is Broad Street. (Actually, both are slightly offset from the compass points.)
This particular theatre isn’t anywhere anymore, having been demolished 55 years ago. But the RKO Palace is on Broad Street. The other two downtown theatres that still exist, the Ohio and the Southern, are on other, smaller downtown streets.
The Columbus Metropolitan Library has an online collection of historic photos with several pictures of this and other theatres. Enter the word Majestic into the search box.
This theatre is described in an article by Melissa Starker in the weekly newspaper Columbus Alive, October 4, 2001:
A Theater Near You: The Arena Grand revives the tradition of downtown movie palaces
Scroll down to “THE MAJESTIC: The first movie palace resists progress”.
(By the way, the author of this article once managed the Somerville Theatre near Boston.)
Perhaps the Cheri was built as a multiplex all along, but one screen opened earlier than the others?
On the same day that the Cutler Majestic reopened in 2003, Emerson College also opened its first-ever new building, the 11-story Tufte Performance and Production Center.
This building is physically connected to the Majestic, contains two new live stages, and occupies at least some of the footprint of the demolished Gary (Plymouth) theatre.
If the chandelier were brought to “the nation’s capitol”, it would be in the big building with the dome. They meant “the nation’s capital”. Brian’s right and Loews is wrong.