You said “Christian Scientology sect”. Do you mean Christian Science (a fairly respectable group based in Boston, which has lots of Reading Rooms around the country) or Scientology (a wacky and sinister cult described in great detail at www.xenu.net)? Given that this is Hollywood, I suspect the latter.
The Nickelodeon closed on Monday, February 19, 2001, according to several newspaper articles published at the time. Loews had declared bankruptcy four days earlier, on Feburary 15, and this closure was an immediate result.
The Orson Welles was destroyed by fire on Saturday, May 24, 1986. The fire started when cooking oil in a popcorn machine ignited around 2 pm.
According to a Boston Globe article published the next day, about 50 movie patrons were evacuated from the theatre unharmed, along with about 35 people in the adjoining Chi-Chi’s restaurant and 10 in the basement Videosmith video-rental store.
The previous November, 200 people had demonstrated in front of the theatre to protest its showing of Jean-Luc Godard’s Hail Mary. The film was booked into the Welles after Sack Theatres suddenly cancelled its plans to premiere it at the Paris Cinema in Boston.
“the Metcalf [Science] Center was a comprehensive renovation of three industrial buildings owned by Sonny Monosson. One of them had the former Nickelodeon Theatre in it, and we had to build a new building for the theater, which was also used as a classroom building, in order to persuade Monosson to sell us the building he had because he had a lease with the Nickelodeon. We did that, and then we — and that enabled us to build the Metcalf Center. Now, after two decades of dual use, [the second Nickelodeon has] been demolished in order to provide the ground space for the new Life Science Building which is going up on that site."
“the Metcalf [Science] Center was a comprehensive renovation of three industrial buildings owned by Sonny Monosson. One of them had the former Nickelodeon Theatre in it, and we had to build a new building for the theater, which was also used as a classroom building, in order to persuade Monosson to sell us the building he had because he had a lease with the Nickelodeon. We did that, and then we — and that enabled us to build the Metcalf Center. Now, after two decades of dual use, [the second Nickelodeon has] been demolished in order to provide the ground space for the new Life Science Building which is going up on that site."
This page has a photo of the second Nickelodeon being demolished.
Yep, I walked through this building a few months after it closed as a Loews theatre, and saw whiteboards or blackboards in front of all the movie screens.
But I’m curious whether BU ever used the projection booths and screens for its classes or other purposes after it was no longer a Loews theatre.
Advertising for this theatre always gave its address as “Dalton St. Opp. Sheraton Boston”. Dalton Street is an obscure side street, but the Sheraton Boston hotel is a well-known local landmark on the city skyline.
Although this cinema was located on obscure Cummington Street, its publicly advertised address was 606 Commonwealth Avenue. A free-standing marquee was located there, advertising the current shows. A short walkway connected this sign to the actual theatre building.
The back of the theatre building faced the Massachusetts Turnpike, and was used as a billboard to advertise its location. No movie names on this sign, just the name Nickelodeon Cinemas.
I’m curious which of these are open and which are closed. To my knowledge, the Nuart, NuWilshire, Fox Village, and Laemmle Monica 4 are all very much alive. The Aero just reopened last month. I’m less familiar with the others.
The usual rule here is to list the theatre under the last name it had while open for any entertainment purpose (live or movie). But someone should add “Variety Arts Theatre” to the “Also known as” list.
I consider these to be comparable to Radio City — in each case, they are the most ornate and largest theatres in their cities, which once showed movies all the time but now do so only on rare occasions. All of them have organs, too.
My initial preference would be not to list venues that were used -only- as porn houses during their entire lives.
But then you’d have to take the O'Farrell off this site, despite its colorful history (at least one book and one movie have been made about it). And you’d have to remove the South Station, where Pink Flamingos premiered in Boston and legendary art-film booker George Mansour got his start.
The West Wing, which contains Remis Auditorium, opened in 1981. However, the museum’s film program goes back to the late 1950s. Where did they show films before Remis opened?
Local newspapers don’t agree on what town this theatre is located in. The Boston Globe movie directory lists it under Newton, but the Boston Phoenix says it’s in Brookline. Perhaps both are right, and the town line passes through the property?
(“Chestnut Hill” is not a town, just a zip code and neighborhood name that takes in adjoining parts of Brookline, Newton, and the Brighton neighborhood in Boston.)
This is one of very few movie theatres in the Boston area that still has a balcony (albeit a very small one).
I suggest changing the “Function:” field to indicate more clearly that movies are the primary use of this theatre. Foreign films, independent films, classic films, film festivals, and revival films all apply better than “Concerts” or “Special Events”.
Tom, this site is a compilation of information provided by volunteers, working from their own memories, newspaper ads, archives, and so on.
Some of the information may turn out to be inaccurate, in which case the proper response is to simply post better information. If the inaccurate information is in the theatre description, then submit the “Contact Us” form specifying a Correction.
In any event, there is no need to insult other participants in these discussions.
And if, when you add a theatre, you don’t know how many screens it once had (for instance, because it’s been closed for years), it’s better to enter “Unknown” than a possibly inaccurate “1 screen”.
If you see wrong information here or anywhere else on the site, it’s best to simply post a comment with the correct information. If the wrong information is in the theatre description, you should also fill out the Contact Us form specifying a Correction.
In any case, there is absolutely no need to insult someone who made a mistake or whose memory may be faulty.
You said “Christian Scientology sect”. Do you mean Christian Science (a fairly respectable group based in Boston, which has lots of Reading Rooms around the country) or Scientology (a wacky and sinister cult described in great detail at www.xenu.net)? Given that this is Hollywood, I suspect the latter.
What is a ‘DIY’ ?
The Nickelodeon closed on Monday, February 19, 2001, according to several newspaper articles published at the time. Loews had declared bankruptcy four days earlier, on Feburary 15, and this closure was an immediate result.
The Orson Welles was destroyed by fire on Saturday, May 24, 1986. The fire started when cooking oil in a popcorn machine ignited around 2 pm.
According to a Boston Globe article published the next day, about 50 movie patrons were evacuated from the theatre unharmed, along with about 35 people in the adjoining Chi-Chi’s restaurant and 10 in the basement Videosmith video-rental store.
The previous November, 200 people had demonstrated in front of the theatre to protest its showing of Jean-Luc Godard’s Hail Mary. The film was booked into the Welles after Sack Theatres suddenly cancelled its plans to premiere it at the Paris Cinema in Boston.
But USC isn’t anywhere near West 4th and Hill.
From an interview with former BU president John Silber, published in the BU student newspaper Daily Free Press on October 27, 2003:
“the Metcalf [Science] Center was a comprehensive renovation of three industrial buildings owned by Sonny Monosson. One of them had the former Nickelodeon Theatre in it, and we had to build a new building for the theater, which was also used as a classroom building, in order to persuade Monosson to sell us the building he had because he had a lease with the Nickelodeon. We did that, and then we — and that enabled us to build the Metcalf Center. Now, after two decades of dual use, [the second Nickelodeon has] been demolished in order to provide the ground space for the new Life Science Building which is going up on that site."
From an interview with former BU president John Silber, published in the BU student newspaper Daily Free Press on October 27, 2003:
“the Metcalf [Science] Center was a comprehensive renovation of three industrial buildings owned by Sonny Monosson. One of them had the former Nickelodeon Theatre in it, and we had to build a new building for the theater, which was also used as a classroom building, in order to persuade Monosson to sell us the building he had because he had a lease with the Nickelodeon. We did that, and then we — and that enabled us to build the Metcalf Center. Now, after two decades of dual use, [the second Nickelodeon has] been demolished in order to provide the ground space for the new Life Science Building which is going up on that site."
This page has a photo of the second Nickelodeon being demolished.
Yep, I walked through this building a few months after it closed as a Loews theatre, and saw whiteboards or blackboards in front of all the movie screens.
But I’m curious whether BU ever used the projection booths and screens for its classes or other purposes after it was no longer a Loews theatre.
For some reason, when Kings moved into this building, they changed the address from Dalton Street to the even more obscure 10 Scotia Street.
Advertising for this theatre always gave its address as “Dalton St. Opp. Sheraton Boston”. Dalton Street is an obscure side street, but the Sheraton Boston hotel is a well-known local landmark on the city skyline.
Although this cinema was located on obscure Cummington Street, its publicly advertised address was 606 Commonwealth Avenue. A free-standing marquee was located there, advertising the current shows. A short walkway connected this sign to the actual theatre building.
The back of the theatre building faced the Massachusetts Turnpike, and was used as a billboard to advertise its location. No movie names on this sign, just the name Nickelodeon Cinemas.
I’m curious which of these are open and which are closed. To my knowledge, the Nuart, NuWilshire, Fox Village, and Laemmle Monica 4 are all very much alive. The Aero just reopened last month. I’m less familiar with the others.
The usual rule here is to list the theatre under the last name it had while open for any entertainment purpose (live or movie). But someone should add “Variety Arts Theatre” to the “Also known as” list.
Erwin’s link for the organ concert is not correct. It should be www.nytos.org
In Boston, the Wang Center’s occasional films are free. They are shown on Mondays when the house would otherwise be dark.
In Columbus, the Ohio Theatre’s summer film series has a $3.50 admission. Here is last summer’s schedule.
I consider these to be comparable to Radio City — in each case, they are the most ornate and largest theatres in their cities, which once showed movies all the time but now do so only on rare occasions. All of them have organs, too.
My initial preference would be not to list venues that were used -only- as porn houses during their entire lives.
But then you’d have to take the O'Farrell off this site, despite its colorful history (at least one book and one movie have been made about it). And you’d have to remove the South Station, where Pink Flamingos premiered in Boston and legendary art-film booker George Mansour got his start.
The West Wing, which contains Remis Auditorium, opened in 1981. However, the museum’s film program goes back to the late 1950s. Where did they show films before Remis opened?
Did Boston University continue to project film in these theatres for film classes after Loews closed it as a commercial cinema?
Local newspapers don’t agree on what town this theatre is located in. The Boston Globe movie directory lists it under Newton, but the Boston Phoenix says it’s in Brookline. Perhaps both are right, and the town line passes through the property?
(“Chestnut Hill” is not a town, just a zip code and neighborhood name that takes in adjoining parts of Brookline, Newton, and the Brighton neighborhood in Boston.)
This is one of very few movie theatres in the Boston area that still has a balcony (albeit a very small one).
I suggest changing the “Function:” field to indicate more clearly that movies are the primary use of this theatre. Foreign films, independent films, classic films, film festivals, and revival films all apply better than “Concerts” or “Special Events”.
Re: “a format it has maintained to this day, with one exception.”
What was the one exception?
The “Related websites” link is now broken. It should be changed to
http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9
All of the venues that these folks run look fascinating! I wish we had them in New England.
Tom, this site is a compilation of information provided by volunteers, working from their own memories, newspaper ads, archives, and so on.
Some of the information may turn out to be inaccurate, in which case the proper response is to simply post better information. If the inaccurate information is in the theatre description, then submit the “Contact Us” form specifying a Correction.
In any event, there is no need to insult other participants in these discussions.
And if, when you add a theatre, you don’t know how many screens it once had (for instance, because it’s been closed for years), it’s better to enter “Unknown” than a possibly inaccurate “1 screen”.
Was there ever a college near this theatre? How did it get its name?
Besides being the last neighborhood theatre in Boston to close, this was also the last of the former Sonny & Eddy’s Theatres to close.
If you see wrong information here or anywhere else on the site, it’s best to simply post a comment with the correct information. If the wrong information is in the theatre description, you should also fill out the Contact Us form specifying a Correction.
In any case, there is absolutely no need to insult someone who made a mistake or whose memory may be faulty.