Loew-Poli Palace Theatre

rivest266 on November 20, 2020 at 9:44 am

opening night Poli’s Palace opening night Mon, Aug 11, 1924 – 2 · Record-Journal (Meriden, Connecticut) · Newspapers.com

dallasmovietheaters on September 13, 2020 at 7:29 pm

Built in 1921 as the new-build live venue known as the Community Playhouse, the operation failed and became the Meriden Palace Theatre on August 11, 1924 with the Gloria Swanson film, “Manhandled.” Next known as the Poli Palace Theatre, the theatre converted to sound, It then became a Loew’s property as The Loew-Poli Palace Theatre. Loews‘s closed the Loew-Poli Palace Theatre on June 5, 1960. The theatre had sporadic screenings and events under Loews returning briefly with a regular schedule in 1962 before giving up on the location altogether.

The Palace got one more chance at cinematic operation under the New Fine Arts management as the Fine Arts Theatre beginning December 4, 1963 with “8 ½.” The Fine Arts closed abruptly and unsuccessfully three months later on March 3, 1964 after a double feature of “Cry of Battle” and “Billy Budd” supported by shorts. The operators also stuck the city with a bad check for $200 and moved on to parts unknown. That was it for the former Palace which was demolished in 1967. The demolition led to a lawsuit and the proposed use of the site which led to the razing never transpired

ZARDOZ on March 8, 2007 at 12:50 pm

In response to the posting above from “ken mc,” I believe that view is of Meriden, CT, looking EAST on Main Street toward City Hall, and that the movie theater marquee is of the POLI Theater. My grandmother, who lived to be 101 years old and who passed away a few months before 9/11, told me she used to go to that theater when she was a kid, and saw vaudeville acts there. She said it had at least two balconies. For those who live in Meriden, the estimated former location of the POLI is directly across from the 1968/69 era former Central Bank for Savings, on what used to be known as “Parcel 8.” Unfortunate that Meriden, which was named as the nation’s “Ideal War Community” during WWII is now a location where everything USED to be. Very sad.