Boulevard Theatre

The Boulevard Theatre was in its day where the “class” audiences went to the movies. It’s very close to the stylish Guilford and Peabody Heights/Charles Village neighborhoods.It opened on October 8, 1921 with seating for 1,625 and equipped with a 3 manual 20 ranks Skinner organ. The Boulevard Theatre was often considered the “higher style movie house” compared to the Waverly Theatre one block south on Greenmount Avenue. The Boulevard Theatre had quite a run, running through to 1989 when theatre finally closed down.

The building has been gutted, and various shops are now located inside. The front entrance has not been changed however, and even the massive marquee (installed in spring of 1948) was still attached to the front of the building until it was removed in fall of 2022. The area is undergoing some changes, and it will be interesting to see how the theatre survives if the area makes a come back.

The front of the theatre was rather ornate with “dancing ladies” in stone that have started to crumble over the past years but are still visible from the street. The theatre was split down the middle and twinned in 1984. During its run as a movie theatre the massive marquee lit up the entire block of Greenmount Avenue.

Recent comments (view all 13 comments)

kencmcintyre on April 6, 2010 at 4:50 pm

Here is a 1988 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/ygbvxry

kencmcintyre on April 17, 2010 at 12:27 pm

I guess Ewald G. Blank should be listed as the architect, according to the post of 2/7/08. Here is another photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y6aqp6l

rivest266 on January 31, 2017 at 4:19 pm

Opening article

Found on Newspapers.com powered by Newspapers.com

also grand opening ad in the photo section.

rivest266 on January 31, 2017 at 4:23 pm

Major scandal involving this theatre.

Found on Newspapers.com powered by Newspapers.com

DavidZornig on June 1, 2018 at 8:12 pm

1950 photo added courtesy of William T. Hill.

Darren_Snow on October 30, 2022 at 1:35 pm

The marquee is gone now, but strangely enough more “dancing ladies” friezes have been added to the facade since the ‘80s!

Norman Plant on November 1, 2022 at 8:15 am

Sorry to see the marquee is gone. I loved seeing it on Greenmount before turning at 33rd street heading to Memorial Stadium to see the O’s.

jwmovies on January 15, 2023 at 3:30 am

Per overview and photo above, this theatre had 2 screens not 1.when it closed.

Please update.

jwmovies on January 15, 2023 at 3:30 am

Per overview and photo above, this theatre had 2 screens not 1.when it closed.

Please update.

JHicks6061 on December 4, 2023 at 11:44 am

I’m not sure where people got the idea the marquee is gone. I live a few blocks from this old theater and I can say for certain it is still there. It boasts “Waverly Main Street” across it. The theater was purchased by a non-profit organization acouple years ago and hope lives on it can be re-purposed as a theatre. I’m told if you poke your head above the dropped ceiling in the stores that have been carved into the old auditorium, one can still see the theater’s ceiling.