RKO Boston Theatre explained

The RKO Boston Theatre was a movie theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, located at 616 Washington Street, near Essex Street in the Boston Theater District. It opened as the Keith-Albee Boston Theatre on October 5, 1925.

History

The building had originally housed the Henry Siegel Co. department store. The theater section was designed by Thomas W. Lamb^[1] as part the Keith-Albee-Orpheum chain of vaudeville theatres.^[2] Keith-Albee-Orpheum became part of RKO Pictures in 1928, leading to the theater's renaming.

During this time it featured film, big band concerts, and variety theatre performances. Musicians Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller and others frequently played the theater. A typical show would be preceded by a Class B movie, newsreel and coming attractions.^[3] Later, it was used for major event pictures using the latest technologies, such as Cinerama.^[4] By the 1970s the theatre was multiplexed, and was called "The Essex", an exploitation movie house.^[5]

Further reading

• Andrea Shea and David Boeri. "Reclaiming The Glory Of Washington Street’s Past." WBUR, December 21, 2010 (interview with Fred Taylor, who frequented the RKO Theatre in the 1940s)

External links

• Flickr. Milton Berle, Jolly Gillette (Eileen Barton), Al Frazzini, Nat Madison, RKO-Boston Theatre, September 23, 1937.
• Library of Congress. Drawing of Keith Albee New Bijou Theatre, Washington and Essex Streets, Boston, Massachusetts, 1927 (later the RKO-Boston)
• Flickr. RKO Keith-Boston Theatre, Boston, MA - 1933
• Flickr. RKO Keith-Boston Theatre, Boston, MA - 1935
• Flickr. RKO Keith Boston, 614 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 1944
• Flickr. Cinerama matchbook, ca.1950s (formerly the RKO-Boston)
• Bostonian Society:
  • Postcard of Washington Street, ca. 1930-1945, showing sign "RKO Keith Boston"
  • Photo of 580-594 Washington Street, ca. 1958 (Cinerama at right; formerly the RKO-Boston)

42.3525°N -71.0626°W

Notes and References

1. Anthony J. Yudis. "Lafayette Place inspires revitalization; 5 old buildings in lower Washington Street marked for rehabilitation." Boston Globe, November 28, 1982
2. Book: Frank Cullen. Florence Hackman. Donald McNeilly. Vaudeville old & new: an encyclopedia of variety performances in America. 2004. Psychology Press. 978-0-415-93853-2. 17–.
3. Ernie Santosuosso. "Big bands then and now fans danced in the aisles." Boston Globe, November 22, 1987: 117
4. After the RKO-Boston closed, "Cinerama came in Christmas week of 1953 and stayed until around 1969." (CinemaTreasures.org. RKO Boston Theatre, 614 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111. Retrieved March 6, 2012)