Elm Theatre
924 Quaker Lane South,
West Hartford,
CT
06110
924 Quaker Lane South,
West Hartford,
CT
06110
8 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 62 comments
This Walgreens is closing November 13, 2023. I wonder if there’s any chance this building could become a theatre again or if it was gutted too much.
Still a Walgreens.
Grand opening ad for April 7th, 1978 as a twin cinema.
This opened on November 10th, 1948. Its grand opening ad can be found in the photo section.
Saw Sound of Music at this theatre. I also use to live on Grove St. in 1980’s and could walk to the theatre. I think it was only 99 cents to see a movie after it was twinned.
I took my girlfriend there to see Sound of Music. We had reserved seats, as I recall. Liked the movie, the theater, and the girl.
I worked here as a teen in the early 1960s. Only one screen when I was there. We played Lawrence of Arabia in 70mm twice a day, every day for months.
The Perokas theater chain had 13 theaters and the chain was headquartered at the Palace theater in New Britain.
I remember going to see Close Encounters of the Third Kind when it first came out in the 1970’s there. That was my first time there, unfortunately. While the movie was great, what I mainly think of is the theater. I’ve seen alot of films in theaters in the past 30 or so years, but this one sticks with me. I managed to see a few more films there in the subsequent years, but I didn’t live in the area so it was hard.
An ad for Anemostat air diffusers in Boxoffice of May 7, 1949, featured a picture of the Elm’s auditorium. The caption says the theater was designed by New York City architect E.C. Bullock.
I am looking for information on who might have owned the Elm Theatre around 1955-1960. When I was a kid during that period I had a friend (Maureen) whose family (an uncle perhaps) was connected with the theatre. She and I would go to the saturday mats. free. It was a huge treat for me since that was the only chance I got to go to the movies. I’m trying to reconnect with Maureen. Does anyone know who might have owned the Elm during this period.?
The projection equipment from the Elm is now located in the Belding Theatre two of the Bushnell Performing Arts Centre Theatre. ED Glazer
Here is another photo of the Walgreens:
http://tinyurl.com/ko7a55
Jamie, don’t go inside the Walgreens, you’ll be sad. Dropped ceilings, florescent lighting, vinyl tile floors – nothing left of the theatre interior. The Elm sign and a few other bits of memorabilia are just inside the vestibule. Like stuffing and mounting one’s kill after a hunt. Creepy.
I just ate at a new trendy restaurant called Elements, right accross from the old Elm theater. Why! Walgreens Why! The new Blue back section is such a cluster you know what, that the old cool is now the new cool. I see excellent growth and a bright future for the Elmwood section. If only this theater could have held out a little longer.
tom
Wow, great to see this stuff – I have fond memories of clutching a dollar and going to see the (almost) latest movie.
Who doesn’t remember the Snack Valley trailer with the penguins? I’ll take a Sprite please! If anyone knows of video or stills from it PLEASE contact me!
I’m glad to see the frontage is still there but I haven’t been able to bring myself to go inside when I visit WH.
As I wrote above, it closed in September 2002. I was there the final weekend.
This photo may have been taken after the theater closed for good:
http://tinyurl.com/2exfln
Worked there Sunday nights as projectionist. I relieved the long time projectionist, Bill Martus (Hartford) so he could go to Showcase at night for his 2nd shift.
Bill trained me (300 hours) at the Elm. I worked there 1975~1981. Long time manager’s name was Murray Lipson, who left in a scanndal over ticket revenue.
The projection booth originally had two CENTURY projectors with Peerless Magnarc Carbon Arc Lamps, and a water cooling system for the “jaws” that held the carbon rods in the lamps because they got so hot. At the time, “Sound of Music was the longest running movie, (296 days I think) followed by "The Sting”. Theater has a working curtain with a working motorized masking system for regular(Flat) or Wide Screen features.
Wood paneling in the lobby, a coat room, a large room (phone booth) with a windowed door with smoking fan. Ushers in uniform. Large Altec Lansing speakers behind the screen and RCA tube amps. I also worked there when we installed “Sensurround” ..large woofers that shook the seats… “Earthquake” or one of those movies.We miss her.
Roger, you’ve been tireless in documenting, encouraging and assisting in the effort to save the theater. Glad it was you that gave the pictures. I understand and agree why you did it.
I just wish it weren’t pictures and memories, but a vibrant and vital part of the community fabric. We lost something good here, folks, and added to the drive-up, drive-by atmosphere of our neighborhood.
CM: Those photos in the vestibule were taken by me. When Walgreens asked to use them I was tempted to say no in spite, but then decided that it is better they have those there than have no memory of the theatre at all.
If you really want to wallow in “what coulda/shoulda,” just go inside as far the entry vestibule to see the “shrine” Walgreens has created with the lit neon Elm sign and other bits of our demolished gem.
Behind Plexiglas.
When one of our town councilors saw it she gushed about how sensitive Walgreens was to the neighborhood and its past.
Ah, me.
Walgreens and CVS have become the new McDonalds Burger King one-two punch.
Seeing Roger Katz’s images brought back a flood of emotions. Like Shelly, I too worked at the Elm theater. I was their relief projectionist from 1989 to 2000 when I moved to the west coast. Although I’d heard the theater had closed, I couldn’t bring myself to see it whenever I came back to CT.
I remember helping Shelly (and many others) with the cast metal letters for the marquee. I remember fidgeting with all five of those platters to keep a movie on-screen. I remember the anger and disgust of our ‘regular’ patrons when ticket prices were raised above 99¢ too! Mostly I remember the good friends I made over those years. It really was a fun place to work.
I have nothing [specific] against Walgreen’s. I’m not opposed to progress either. It just saddens me that it’s at the expense of a piece of history like the Elm Theater.
I have no idea why it is listed as demolished. I have repeatedly tried to get its designation changed, but to no avail.
It is the same building that the Elm was in. The building has been gutted, but the exterior remains.