Uptown Theatre
239 Huntington Avenue,
Boston,
MA
02115
239 Huntington Avenue,
Boston,
MA
02115
3 people
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Showing 26 - 50 of 71 comments
Thanks, dwodeyla, for trying to pin down the demolition period. I had an idea that it could not have happened prior to May 1968. The Uptown was a favorite theatre of mine.
How many ways can I send the same message?
It would have been August of ‘68. I don’t remember noticing the Capri at the time. General Cinema had taken over the Uptown before it closed, but I never went inside. Izzy Strier remembers they sold hots dogs at the refreshment stand.
It was probably August of ‘68. I didn’t notice what was happening to the Capri. Wish I had paid more attention. I think the Uptown had been taken over by General Cinema before it closed. Izzy Strier remembers they sold hot dogs at the refreshment stand.
to dwodeyla- do you recall when in 1968 the demolition occured? I suspect that it was in the second half of the year. Also, do you recall seeing demolition work underway at the Capri/ Strand nearby on Huntington Avenue ?
The Uptown was demolished in 1968. I used to walk past it on my way to my concession job at the Cheri that summer.
The ST. JAMES THEATRE is quite prominently visible near the bottom of this 1928 map.
It is on the left side of wide Huntington Avenue, just above Horticultural Hall.
Ron Newman – I was attending movies at the Uptown in 1962 and 1963! It was not demolished until the late-1960s. Work on the Pru tower was stopped for a long while, due to, I think, money problems. Its construction was very slow. The date may be wrong, but it’s a good photo.
A photo of the Uptown Theatre being demolished. The photo is described here, but I don’t trust the description, since it says the photo is from 1962 or 1963. From other information posted here, the theatre was demolished considerably later. I also don’t think the Prudential Tower, also shown here, was in a finished condition in 1963.
For an explanation of the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project, see under Warner Theatre, Worcester MA .
Where does someone find the MGM Theatre Photo and Report Card?
I went to movies at the Uptown occasionally in 1950s and 1960s. It was a beautiful theatre, kept in very fine condition. There were good houses there on weekday matinees. I saw films like “Topkapi” and “Ocean’s Eleven” there. Walking down the street in back which ran out to Mass. Ave. you could get a good view of the right side of the auditorium and stagehouse. Although the theatre entrance is thru the center bay of the old Chickering bldg on Huntington Ave., I think that whatever was in back was probably demolished in 1912 because the structure in back (auditorium & stage) did not look like an adaptation of an existing building. The scene door was on the rear stage wall on the sidewalk, while the stage door and dressing room windows were at stage-left. The architects for the St. James Theatre were Peabody & Stearns. It opened as a playhouse on August 30, 1912. The MGM Theatre Photo and Report card for this theatre has a photo dated simply “1941”.“The Lady Eve” and “Sea Wolf” are the attractions . In front of the theatre is the construction for the extension of the trolley subway from Copley to Northeastern Univ. The Report states that the house is not a MGM customer; The condition is Good; and the seating is: 854 orchestra; 812 balcony; total: 1666 seats.
The Little Building at 80 Boylston Street, now an Emerson College dormitory, displays at its front entrance some panels detailing the college’s history. One of them says that Emerson College occupied Chickering Hall from 1901 to 1911, with offices and a library on the first floor, nine classrooms on the second floor, and morning use of the (then) 800-seat auditorium.
By 1911, the college could no longer afford to remain here, and it relocated to smaller and less luxurious quarters in Copley Square.
(Of course, Emerson is much richer and larger these days. It now owns the beautifully restored Majestic Theatre and has announced plans to renovate the Paramount as well.)
No. Marcus Loew was the founder of Loew’s (which dropped its apostrophe some time in the late 1960s).
Interesting! Was Marcus Loew’s theaters a chain in addition to E.M. Loews and Loews?
King’s book says the St. James Theatre was Marcus Loew’s, not E.M. Loew’s.
I believe that Ron Newman’s account of the E.M.Loew’s St. James preceeding the Loew’s State is accurate. But, comparing the two theaters would lead one to believe they were of the same ownership, which they were not. The former was part of the E.M. Loew’s chain based in Boston. The latter was part of the New York based Loew’s Corporation of New York.
thannks again—-at least i have some dircetion i may follow
That I can’t really help you with, as I know nothing about the local or national market for such items. It’s possible that the Bostonian Society or the Boston Athenaeum would want them, but I don’t know what they would pay (if anything).
that;s what i’m think too now reading history based on this site,,would they be worth trying to get something for them for my father and if so where? thanks for all you help
A few months ago, I added a page here for that Rialto Theatre. It was a pretty disreputable place by the time it closed, but probably a bit more classy back in 1934.
Based on the titles and actors you listed, I’m strongly inclined to believe that these posters advertised movies, not live stage shows.
if it helps to i have one for the rialto theatre that use to be where goverment center is today that showed william powwell and bette davis in fashion follies 1934—————-maybe all these are old movie poster board ads?
the admission was also 30 cents at the time too
sorry most say also “ a $1,000,000 show”—-and it gives the adress as “cor. mass and hunington aves”—-then will give the weeks starting