Theatre 1 & Space 57
200 Stuart Street,
Boston,
MA
02116
200 Stuart Street,
Boston,
MA
02116
7 people
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Showing 1 - 25 of 101 comments
Fifty years ago today THE EXORCIST opened here and was among only two dozen cinemas in twenty-one North American markets to play the film at release launch.
Does anyone know if this is still operational? I was checking links on my website today and their official link now goes to a generic page on how to use Instagram…
The Cinema 57’s 70mm engagements are noted in this new article on Boston’s large format and roadshow history.
Was also used as the room for exhibitor screenings where theater chains would put in their bid to play a film after seeing it since Boston had an anti blind bid film exhibition law.I recall seeing Raiders of The Lost Ark weeks before the public would see it. Even saw Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan in an incomplete version with The Enterprise attached to attached to a long rod so it could be moved onscreen
Wow! That takes me back Nat. I think it was a three track mag print, nothing recorded on the surround. If you recall, “The Sting” opened at the same time in Cinema 2 and nobody could get to it for a few days. I remember Dave Traister (spelling?)calling me to come down to help direct people traffic coming in to see “The Exorcist” and I think he was on crutches. The shows started later and later because we had so many people trying to get in. Just amazing. I think I remember you. If you get a chance, write me at
@David 192: You ran “The Exorcist” on its Christmas day screening? Nice to know. I was Sack’s publicist whop sat among the 15 or so reviewers there. Talk about a super private showing. We had no idea what was going to explode the next morning at 10 AM. Thank you for setting up a great show — the print was 35mm mono mag, if I recall. — Nat
Note new website addresses above.
First screen space is now called Theatre 1, (www.theatre1boston.com) and seats 208; very nicely renovated as a cinema, which is available for rental for screenings and meetings. They also have a once-a-month movie/dinner night “Reel Chefs” involving a classic movie and gourmet dinners.
Second screen space is now called “Space 57” (www.space57.com) and is available for rental as a flexible event room which can accommodate up to 900 patrons. This is also very nicely renovated, in a light hued well lit manner.
Their floor plan (http://space57.com/floorplans/) shows the layout for both screens. Interesting to see the overall layout. – it looks like you entered from the street and the two cinemas stretched off to the left and right of the lobby – the screens are 180 degrees opposed. Interesting layout. The building is associated with the Revere Hotel Boston Common which appears to be connected.
It’s great to see the entire facility is now renovated and open!
December 29th, 1971 grand opening ad uploaded here.
Ahh the good old days. I was in charge of the booth and operators at the “57” when the Exorcist" opened, which was on Christmas Day (of all things). We had to do the press screening for reviews on Christmas Morning (I had to screen it for them as my other operators refused to come in) and for the first few weeks the place was insane with people passing out and “heaving” during the show. It looked like every movie patron in the world wanted to attend, the crowds were massive which caused the shows to start late. Oh and “The Sting” (playing at the same time in cinema 2) did poorly as the folks that wanted to see it could never get close enough to the theater to purchase a ticket.
The crew did a terrific job keeping the place running and we all pitched in to help each other. Those were good days!
Reebok held a sales meeting in the theater very recently. It was mentioned in today’s Boston Herald which states that the meeting took place in “Theatre 1”, this theater’s new name.
I Remember standing in line on a cold night with about 10" of snow on the ground to see the Exorcist here. It was cold about 10 degrees and as the line started to move we got close to the front and they put up the SOLD OUT sign. We had to wait in line for the next show or go home. My wife and I stupidly waited in line for over 2 hours with hundreds of other people. We were all cursing ourselves. Once we got in I don’t think we ever warmed up But it was worth the wait. This Cinema duplex was a wonderful theatre. I was hoping they would remodel it back to a duplex. Now what I see is they are making it smaller. What a shame. That leaves no more cinemas left in Downtown except for the Lousy Lowes Common multiplex,. What a shame.
Today’s Boston Herald reports that the Stuart Street Playhouse is being extensively rebuilt and will be renamed “Theatre 1” when it reopens in April.
“The playhouse has been completely redesigned as a 225-seat theater for events ranging from movie screenings, acoustic music performances and short-run plays to corporate meetings.”
They expect it to hold corporate and sales meetings during the day, and to be an entertainment venue at night.
Cinema 57’s former second screen is being converted to a “blank canvas” room called Space 57 that can hold about 800 people for stand-up receptions or 300 for sit-down dinners.
The Radisson Hotel that contains both rooms is being renamed the Revere Hotel and is becoming a “boutique” hotel.
For the past week, the Stuart Street Playhouse has served as the venue for the 2011 Boston Film Festival.
I went there for “Jig” last week – the concession stand/box office (and piano) has basically been pulled out, with a bar in the spot where the concession stand was that looked sort of temporary (candy was sold in a different corner). I initially thought that the hotel had more or less absorbed it, as the people running those counters were wearing Radisson nametags.
I’m kind of surprised they held out this long – it was basically a second-run house with prices that weren’t much of a savings over seeing the same movies first-run, and what was playing often seemed decided so close to the last minute that you often wouldn’t see what was playing that day on their website on Friday morning. I wish they’d tried something a little more out of the box on occasion, whether it be theme days or booking some Chinese imports and advertising in nearby Chinatown.
Aw…that stinks. Maybe with the West Newton and the Studio Belmont it’s too much of a financial pull on them? Still, it sounds like there’s hope for the Boston Film Festival to be held there again, and that would be cool
I talked to David Bramante, who owns this theatre. He said that it is being converted into a ‘special events house’ which will still have film screenings and festivals from time to time, but will no longer be a regularly scheduled movie theatre. He’d love to get the second screen back, but there are no current plans to do so. He said that the building was recently sold.
http://stuartstreetplayhouse.com/ has a show listed for June 17-23: “JIG is the remarkable story of the fortieth Irish Dancing World Championships, held in March 2010 in Glasgow. Three thousand dancers, their families and teachers from around the globe descend upon Glasgow for one drama filled week.”
Can we hope that the construction might turn this back into a twin?
I walked by it a couple of weeks ago. No films were playing but I saw a lot of work activity in the lobby area. I don’t know what is going on. Perhaps some restructuring? Conversion to another use?
I’ve heard that the Stuart St. Playhouse closed about a month ago. Anyone know details?
We’d never been here until the Boston Film Festival in September, and I have to say my wife and I fell in love with this place – the seating is perfect, the sound excellent, the quality equally excellent and everyone at the festival were super nice. We’ll definitely be returning in the future for other films!
Ticket stub for the world premiere of Hitchcock’s Frenzy on June 20, 1972:
STUB.
Hitch introduced the film.
Clarifying a few previous posts (mine included): the Sack Cinema 57 opened in late December 1971 with the long-forgotten “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight” on one screen. The second screen opened about a month later with “The Hospital.” Source: back issues of Variety (now online).
I’ve been told that there is a display of old theater photos in the lobby. I don’t know if this is a temporary display, or semi-permanent.
The Stuart Street Playhouse will be home to the 26th annual Boston Film Festival, September 17-23. This festival started at the Sack Copley Place cinema, then moved to Loews Boston Common where it was increasingly neglected. I hope that bringing it to a true independent cinema will put it back into the limelight.
An article about the cinema and the challenges faced by its current owner: View link