A 1950 photo (described here), showing part of the RKO Keith’s vertical sign, marquee, and entrance on Tremont Street. The marquee advertises a premiere of Walt Disney’s “Cinderella”.
This entrance no longer exists, having been demolished in the 1980s to make way for condominiums.
I just today posted a photo of the Olympia’s demolition — take a look and see if it seems familiar.
You might also have watched demolition of the Casino (by then renamed ‘Old Howard Casino’) on Hanover Sreet.
In this 1957 photo (described here), the Saxon Theatre marquee advertises Michael Todd’s “Around the World in 80 Days” in Todd-AO, with reserved seats.
The theatre’s marquee says “MET” and advertises “John Paul Jones”. Next door at the Wilbur Theatre, a live stage, is “A New Comedy” called “Golden Fleecing”.
Another photo of the National, this one from 1946, described here. The marquee advertises a double feature of Kay Kyser in “My Favorite Spy”, and “Powder Town”
Here’s a 1970 photo of the Astor, described here. The marquee advertises “The Molly Maguires” with Sean Connery and Samantha Eggar.
Further down the street you can see a vertical sign for the Savoy. That theatre is now the Opera House, which no longer has an entrance or sign on Tremont Street.
A winter 1934 nighttime photo of this part of Washington Street, showing the Normandie, Bijou, RKO Keith’s, and Modern theatres all lit. The photo is described here.
The Gayety Theatre vertical sign and marquee are visible on the right side of the street. On the left, you can just barely see part of a vertical sign that says OLYMPIA. That sign belongs to what was later renamed the Pilgrim Theatre.
The telephone company building still stands, as does the Custom House tower, but I think just about everything else in this photo has been obliterated.
From the Bostonian Society Library, here’s a 1953 nighttime photo of the Old Howard. A sign appears to read “GALA REOPENING SAT. MAY. 23”. The photo is described here. This is just a few months before the city censors closed it forever.
The Publix Theatre marquee is visible in this July 1972 photo from the Bostonian Society Library, described here. The marquee advertises a double feature of “Pretty Maids All In A Row” and “Sweet Nov”. In the top background, the word “GAYETY” is faintly visible, painted on an exposed brick wall.
To the left of the Publix, a storefront appears to have been crudely converted into the “Cinema X Twin”, with “Cinema 1” and “Cinema 2” marquees.
Here’s a second photo, taken at the same time from a different angle. (Description here.) This one shows more of the faded painted signs on the theatre’s side wall. You can see the words GAYETY, BURLESQUE, TWICE DAILY 2:10 and 8:10, and even COLUMBIA — not sure what that’s doing here.
The Modern Theatre, with a large vertical sign, is visible in this 1943 photo from the Bostonian Society Library, described here. The marquee advertises a double-feature of Ida Lupino in “In Our Time” and Joel McCrea in “Buffalo Bill”.
In this photo, the theatre is called RKO Keith’s, and its marquee advertises Ginger Rogers in “Tender Comrade”. Just beyond the Keith’s is the Modern Theatre, advertising a double-feature of Ida Lupino in “In Our Time” and Joel McCrea in “Buffalo Bill”. Across the street is the R.H. White department store (later demolished and replaced by a parking lot).
A banner hanging over the street advertises “COMING IN PERSON / TARS AND SPARS / VICTOR MATURE / CAST OF 50 / RKO BOSTON JUNE 1”. You cannot see the RKO Boston theatre in this photo, because it is behind and to the right of the camera position.
Oops, my link to “larger 1916 photo of the Scollay Square Olympia” above goes to the wrong place. Here’s the correct link to that photo. Besides “The Strange Case of Mary Page”, a sign also advertises “Fighting Blood” with William Farnum.
The Pilgrim’s marquee advertises INDISCREET, with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. A sign painted high on the theatre’s side wall says AMERICAN THEATRES CORPORATION.
Further down the street is the marquee of the Center Theatre, but it’s too small and dark to read. Across the street you can barely see part of the Publix Theatre’s vertical sign.
The marquee reads “AND GOD CREATED WOMAN / THE DEVIL IS IN / BRIGITTE BARDOT”. The “1-2-3” sign next door refers not to multiple screens, but rather to the address of a neighboring barroom.
I could not attend yesterday’s hearing, but I’ve posted articles about it here, from today’s Boston Globe and Boston Herald. I expect to see another article in tomorrow’s weekly Boston Phoenix.
Within the next day or two I expect to also see an article in the weekly Boston Phoenix, as well as another press release or e-mail from Lee Eiseman. I’ll keep you all posted.
By Madison Park, Globe Correspondent  | March 30, 2005
About 40 community members confronted officials at City Hall in a last-ditch effort to save Gaiety Theatre from demolition yesterday.
The activists initially demanded a hearing before the Zoning Board of Appeal but were rejected.
‘'We were told they weren’t going to hear us. They said that the lawyer of the city had told them not to,“ said Councilor at Large Felix D. Arroyo, who accompanied the group.
The decision angered the group, and tensions escalated.
‘'There were several members of the antidevelopment group that were shouting, and security had been called,“ said Councilor James Kelly, who has favored development on the land where the theater is. ’‘They came close to making an arrest. They were being unruly, shouting, and being disruptive. The chair was asking them to be respectful.”
The activists, joined by four city councilors, marched to the city’s Corporation Counsel office, demanding an explanation for not being allowed to appear before the zoning board. They stood outside the office door until the chief of staff and corporation counsel, Marita Hopkins, met with them.
Hopkins said the activists were initially not allowed to speak because of legal issues. ‘'They had no standing to be before the board. This has gone before the courts; they [the board members] were being guided by the court decision,“ she said.
After Hopkins convened with zoning board members, the board permitted presentations from four city councilors, two speakers from the opposition, and a representative of Kensington Investment Co.
Kensington wants to raze the 97-year-old theater and construct a 346-unit apartment building near the corner of Washington and LaGrange streets in Chinatown. Opponents say the Gaiety is a historic landmark.
‘'It was really infuriating, and it was disappointing,“ said Ching-In Chen, director of the Asian American Resource Workshop, referring to the initial decision not to hear activists.
The zoning board gave no indication when it would make a final decision
Theater demo issue spurs ire at City Hall
By Kimberly Atkins
Wednesday, March 30, 2005 – Updated: 04:51 AM EST
A scheduled hearing on the demolition of the Gaiety Theatre in Chinatown turned into a protest rally yesterday after residents who came to testify were told the board would not address the issue.
Dozens of residents, joined by city councilors Maura Hennigan, Chuck Turner and Felix Arroyo, came to urge the Zoning Board of Appeals to revoke a permit allowing developers to demolish the historic theater to make way for a housing complex.
But when ZBA member Robert Shortsleeve said the issue would not be heard because the board did not have jurisdiction, the residents marched down to the city’s legal department for an explanation.
“We were locked out” of the corporate counsel’s office, said Hennigan, a candidate for mayor. “Security guards were there. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
After the residents went back to the zoning board hearing room, city officials told councilors that the hearing would go on, but the board would not vote on the matter.
Instead, members would take it under advisement and refer it to the legal department to determine the board’s standing.
A 1950 photo (described here), showing part of the RKO Keith’s vertical sign, marquee, and entrance on Tremont Street. The marquee advertises a premiere of Walt Disney’s “Cinderella”.
This entrance no longer exists, having been demolished in the 1980s to make way for condominiums.
I just today posted a photo of the Olympia’s demolition — take a look and see if it seems familiar.
You might also have watched demolition of the Casino (by then renamed ‘Old Howard Casino’) on Hanover Sreet.
In this 1957 photo (described here), the Saxon Theatre marquee advertises Michael Todd’s “Around the World in 80 Days” in Todd-AO, with reserved seats.
Here’s a 1959 photo of what was then the Metropolitan Theatre. The photo is described here.
The theatre’s marquee says “MET” and advertises “John Paul Jones”. Next door at the Wilbur Theatre, a live stage, is “A New Comedy” called “Golden Fleecing”.
Another photo of the National, this one from 1946, described here. The marquee advertises a double feature of Kay Kyser in “My Favorite Spy”, and “Powder Town”
A 1956 photo of the Loew’s State, described here.
Here’s a 1970 photo of the Astor, described here. The marquee advertises “The Molly Maguires” with Sean Connery and Samantha Eggar.
Further down the street you can see a vertical sign for the Savoy. That theatre is now the Opera House, which no longer has an entrance or sign on Tremont Street.
A winter 1934 nighttime photo of this part of Washington Street, showing the Normandie, Bijou, RKO Keith’s, and Modern theatres all lit. The photo is described here.
And here’s anothr photo of Washington Street, looking south from Boylston, taken June 3, 1934 and described here.
The Gayety Theatre vertical sign and marquee are visible on the right side of the street. On the left, you can just barely see part of a vertical sign that says OLYMPIA. That sign belongs to what was later renamed the Pilgrim Theatre.
From the Bostonian Society Library, here’s a 1933 photo of Bowdoin Square, including the theatre. The photo is described here.
The telephone company building still stands, as does the Custom House tower, but I think just about everything else in this photo has been obliterated.
Another Orpheum photo on Hamilton Place, this one from 1934. Description here.
And here’s a 1960 photo of the theatre interior being demolished. (Description here.) You can see the word “OLYMPIA” on the stage curtain.
From the Bostonian Society Library, here’s a 1953 nighttime photo of the Old Howard. A sign appears to read “GALA REOPENING SAT. MAY. 23”. The photo is described here. This is just a few months before the city censors closed it forever.
The Publix Theatre marquee is visible in this July 1972 photo from the Bostonian Society Library, described here. The marquee advertises a double feature of “Pretty Maids All In A Row” and “Sweet Nov”. In the top background, the word “GAYETY” is faintly visible, painted on an exposed brick wall.
To the left of the Publix, a storefront appears to have been crudely converted into the “Cinema X Twin”, with “Cinema 1” and “Cinema 2” marquees.
Here’s a second photo, taken at the same time from a different angle. (Description here.) This one shows more of the faded painted signs on the theatre’s side wall. You can see the words GAYETY, BURLESQUE, TWICE DAILY 2:10 and 8:10, and even COLUMBIA — not sure what that’s doing here.
The Modern Theatre, with a large vertical sign, is visible in this 1943 photo from the Bostonian Society Library, described here. The marquee advertises a double-feature of Ida Lupino in “In Our Time” and Joel McCrea in “Buffalo Bill”.
From the Bostonian Society Library, here’s a 1943 photo of the theatre, along with the accompanying description.
In this photo, the theatre is called RKO Keith’s, and its marquee advertises Ginger Rogers in “Tender Comrade”. Just beyond the Keith’s is the Modern Theatre, advertising a double-feature of Ida Lupino in “In Our Time” and Joel McCrea in “Buffalo Bill”. Across the street is the R.H. White department store (later demolished and replaced by a parking lot).
A banner hanging over the street advertises “COMING IN PERSON / TARS AND SPARS / VICTOR MATURE / CAST OF 50 / RKO BOSTON JUNE 1”. You cannot see the RKO Boston theatre in this photo, because it is behind and to the right of the camera position.
From the Bostonian Society Library, here’s a 1931 photo of the National Theatre, along with the accompanying description. This record gives the address as 535 Tremont Street.
Oops, my link to “larger 1916 photo of the Scollay Square Olympia” above goes to the wrong place. Here’s the correct link to that photo. Besides “The Strange Case of Mary Page”, a sign also advertises “Fighting Blood” with William Farnum.
From the Bostonian Society Library, here’s a 1958 photo of the Pilgrim Theatre, as well as the accompanying description.
The Pilgrim’s marquee advertises INDISCREET, with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. A sign painted high on the theatre’s side wall says AMERICAN THEATRES CORPORATION.
Further down the street is the marquee of the Center Theatre, but it’s too small and dark to read. Across the street you can barely see part of the Publix Theatre’s vertical sign.
From the Bostonian Society Library, here’s a 1958 photo of the Gary Theatre, along with the accompanying description.
The marquee reads “AND GOD CREATED WOMAN / THE DEVIL IS IN / BRIGITTE BARDOT”. The “1-2-3” sign next door refers not to multiple screens, but rather to the address of a neighboring barroom.
I could not attend yesterday’s hearing, but I’ve posted articles about it here, from today’s Boston Globe and Boston Herald. I expect to see another article in tomorrow’s weekly Boston Phoenix.
Within the next day or two I expect to also see an article in the weekly Boston Phoenix, as well as another press release or e-mail from Lee Eiseman. I’ll keep you all posted.
From today’s Boston Globe:
Tensions flare over bid to save theater
By Madison Park, Globe Correspondent  | March 30, 2005
About 40 community members confronted officials at City Hall in a last-ditch effort to save Gaiety Theatre from demolition yesterday.
The activists initially demanded a hearing before the Zoning Board of Appeal but were rejected.
‘'We were told they weren’t going to hear us. They said that the lawyer of the city had told them not to,“ said Councilor at Large Felix D. Arroyo, who accompanied the group.
The decision angered the group, and tensions escalated.
‘'There were several members of the antidevelopment group that were shouting, and security had been called,“ said Councilor James Kelly, who has favored development on the land where the theater is. ’‘They came close to making an arrest. They were being unruly, shouting, and being disruptive. The chair was asking them to be respectful.”
The activists, joined by four city councilors, marched to the city’s Corporation Counsel office, demanding an explanation for not being allowed to appear before the zoning board. They stood outside the office door until the chief of staff and corporation counsel, Marita Hopkins, met with them.
Hopkins said the activists were initially not allowed to speak because of legal issues. ‘'They had no standing to be before the board. This has gone before the courts; they [the board members] were being guided by the court decision,“ she said.
After Hopkins convened with zoning board members, the board permitted presentations from four city councilors, two speakers from the opposition, and a representative of Kensington Investment Co.
Kensington wants to raze the 97-year-old theater and construct a 346-unit apartment building near the corner of Washington and LaGrange streets in Chinatown. Opponents say the Gaiety is a historic landmark.
‘'It was really infuriating, and it was disappointing,“ said Ching-In Chen, director of the Asian American Resource Workshop, referring to the initial decision not to hear activists.
The zoning board gave no indication when it would make a final decision
From today’s Boston Herald:
Theater demo issue spurs ire at City Hall
By Kimberly Atkins
Wednesday, March 30, 2005 – Updated: 04:51 AM EST
A scheduled hearing on the demolition of the Gaiety Theatre in Chinatown turned into a protest rally yesterday after residents who came to testify were told the board would not address the issue.
Dozens of residents, joined by city councilors Maura Hennigan, Chuck Turner and Felix Arroyo, came to urge the Zoning Board of Appeals to revoke a permit allowing developers to demolish the historic theater to make way for a housing complex.
But when ZBA member Robert Shortsleeve said the issue would not be heard because the board did not have jurisdiction, the residents marched down to the city’s legal department for an explanation.
“We were locked out” of the corporate counsel’s office, said Hennigan, a candidate for mayor. “Security guards were there. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
After the residents went back to the zoning board hearing room, city officials told councilors that the hearing would go on, but the board would not vote on the matter.
Instead, members would take it under advisement and refer it to the legal department to determine the board’s standing.
It is still standing though I’m told there has been considerable interior demolition.