Park Theatre
28 Chelsea Street,
Everett,
MA
02149
28 Chelsea Street,
Everett,
MA
02149
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previous Names: Crown Theatre, Olympia Theatre, New Strand Theatre, Strand Theatre
Nearby Theaters
Opened as the Crown Theatre in 1914. It became the Olympia Theatre in 1919. It was the New Strand Theatre by April 1925. It was renamed Park Theatre on November 22, 1929. It stopped showing films in 1983 and then had a brief life as a live theatre, closing in May 1985 with a production of “Cabaret”. It was demolished in July 1987 and a large modern apartment complex is at this address.
Contributed by
br91975
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Recent comments (view all 32 comments)
To Sam S and anyone else- There are now “pages” here in Cinema Treasures for the other two theatres in Everett, the Capitol and the Rialto. Please post any comments you care to make on those two pages; there is almost nothing posted there so far. Thanks.
PopcorNRoses is correct that there was (and maybe still is?) a marquee-type sign with large vertical numbers on the outer wall of McKinnon’s. It certainly did look theatrical, but as Sam S says, there never was a cinema there.
The Park Theatre was advertised in the local evening paper as the New Strand on April 3, 1925 and later as the Park on November 22, 1929. In that advertsiement the Rialto, also in Everett, was playing the same show.
Here is a quote from a brochure found in the historical archives at the Parlin Memorial Library in Everett: “The Park Theatre opened its doors in 1914. First known as the Crown Theater, it was one of three in the city. It probably featured vaudeville shows and "electric pictures,” as early movies were called. Over the years, its name was changed to the Olympia Theatre (circa 1919-21), the Strand (mid-1920s) and, by 1930, the Park Theatre."
Please note Barry Goodkin’s specific dates two comments back.
It is definitely not the Park you are thinking of—there were never any porn houses in the city of Everett. You may be thinking of the Parkway Plaza Theater, which was located in the Parkway Plaza Shopping Center in Chelsea—opposite Bradlees and some other stores, between Webster Ave and Revere Beach Parkway. That theater showed porn in the late 1970s-1980s. That theater building was demolished years ago and that site is now the back of the parking lot of a relatively new Home Depot store.
Here is a 1980 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dk2uqz
If you look at the comment on June 14, 2005, it is mentioned that the Park may have been demolished for apartments. The current view on Google shows no building like the Park but does show a very large apartment building at that address. Any local confirmation would be helpful.
The Park Theatre closed in May,1985, with a local production of “Cabaret”. It had stopped running films a couple of years previously, and was running concerts and community theatre. It was demolished in July,1987. The high rise Park Plaza Condominiums were built on the site. Most of the old Rialto Theatre building was demolished 2-3 years ago. The part of the building still standing is now a restaurant. The Capitol Theatre housed for many years the Glad Tidings Tabernacle. They moved out about a decade ago, and the new owners gutted the theatre and built apartments and offices.
There is a Strand Theatre listed for Everett in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook with 800 seats. From info posted above, the Strand was an earlier name for the Park.
The last time I was at the PARK THEATRE was in 1955 or so when I moved rom 39 Chelsea street ( which is now torn down)
PARK THEATRE- EVERETT
I can remember the people as it was yesterday:
Leo Brotman and his wife Edith, Alan his girl friend at the time Beverly Tunkel, Paula and her husband Sam Spivek,the rest of the crew:
Dad Cooper at the door, Mrs Cavanaugh and May Trunfio in the ticket booth, Mary Seward at the candy counter, Art Carlton and Randy Goodwin (Shorty) in the booth, Ushers: Elmer Bagno, Jimmy Laterralie, Frank Lo Presti, my self Dick Alsterberg, Ed Guarino Cleaned up with the blower, I can’t remember the fireman’s name but I can see his face and that of his wifes. Of course, Irving Green and his stamp collection and his son Ed, who I understand ran the booth in the Park’s final years Another regular was the potato hip man Charlie as I recall.
If I left anyone out or spelled names wrong it was not intentional I can’t recall when I statred working there but it was many wonderful years
Dick Alsterberg- New Hampshire