Lee Theatre
101 Main Street,
Lee,
MA
01238
101 Main Street,
Lee,
MA
01238
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Boxoffice, May 4, 1940: “Elizabeth Formento, operator of the Park, has opened her new Lee Theatre.”
Boxoffice, July 27, 1964: “Ned Cristiano has relighted Lee Theatre at Lee, Mass., which is owned by his aunt Elizabeth Sarra. He operated the 400-seat house (with murals in the lobby, French provincial paintings and fine carpets) for a time before 1959.”
A photo of the rather restrained auditorium of the Lee Theatre illustrates an ad for the Celotex Corporation on this page of the May 31, 1941, issue of Motion Picture Herald The caption says that the Lee Theatre was designed by a Pittsfield, Massachusetts, architectural firm, the J. P. Hampson Co.
Anyone know what year the Lee was demolished? I used to go by there every year on the way to Tanglewood Music Center beginning in 1962.
I lived in Lee during the 50’s. Went there just about every week. One screen only. Capacity was about 500 people. For a small movie house we had a lot of first run movies. I remember they put in a wide screen. Wide is nothing compared to today. My Buddie and I were walking by and the owner ask us if we would like to come in and review the new screen. Which we did. The Movie was The War Of The Worlds with Gene Barry. We thought it was the greatest thing since slice bread. I was like 13 or 14 at the time. I think the owners last name was Sierra, not sure but close.
The theatre was across from the library. It was demolished. It was wider than the apartment building that is now there,
There is one film venue listed under Lee MA in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook, the Memorial Theatre (or Memorial Hall), with 300 seats.
On 1/16/56, the Lee was showing a double feature, “The Big Knife” and “The Whitetail Buck” (Thrills of the Deer Trails!).
There is a MGM Theatre Photograph and Report form for the Lee Theatre in Lee, MA. It has a very poor quality facade photo taken in April 1941. There was a small triangular marquee with the theatre name on top and 2 lines for attractions. Movie playing is “Western Union”. The Report states that the Lee has been a MGM customer for “15 years”, but then says it was built in 1940. (This is typical of the careless info which sometimes appears in these reports.) The date built is 1940. The condition is “New – Good”. The seating is 520, all on one floor. The type of patronage is listed as “Rural & Summer trade”. There is a further note, “New theatre built from former Town Hall.” The address is simply “Main Street”. The 1940 population of Lee is given as 4,222.
The library is on the right heading north toward Lenox. I believe the theatre was on the left, judging by its street number. I never saw the actual theatre. So this is guesswork.
Is the library on the left heading north through town? Somehow, I remember the Lee Theater being on the right up a little from The Morgan House Inn and restaurant. This goes back to the 60’s.
The building at the address now appears to be a subsidized housing unit. I could not tell whether the theatre building was gutted and converted or whether it was torn down and a new one put up. Some of the building’s features and the foundation suggest it could have been the Lee Theatre at one time. The site is located across from the beautiful old public library.