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{{Short description|Former theater in Boston, Massachusetts (1922–1968)}} {{coord|42.34517|-71.08702|display=title}} {{About | the former Boston theater | the former New York theater | Loew's State Theatre (New York City)}} '''Loew's State Theatre''' was a [[theatre (building)|theater]] in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], United States. Originally opened in 1922, it was later renamed the '''Donnelly Memorial Theatre''' in 1959 and the '''Back Bay Theatre''' in 1964. Designed by [[Thomas W. Lamb]], the theater was located at 205 [[Massachusetts Avenue (metropolitan Boston)|Massachusetts Avenue]]. The theater was closed in May, 1968 and demolished. ==History== [[File:Marcus Lowe, 5-10-22 LCCN2016846305.jpg|thumb|Marcus Loew in 1922]] ===Loew's State Theatre=== [[Marcus Loew]]'s State Theatre Company separately acquired adjoining properties totaling 55,091 square feet along Massachusetts Avenue between Norway and Astor (now Burbank) streets in 1919 and 1920.<ref>{{citation | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/428532647 | work=The Boston Globe | title=Back Bay Land Sold for New Theatre | page=14 |date= September 19, 1919 | via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{citation | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/428527141 | work=The Boston Globe | title=BACK BAY–OTHER SALES | page=34 |date= March 21, 1920 | via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Architect Lamb designed the theater in [[Adam style]] and the final cost exceeded $2 million dollars.<ref name="BG-31322">{{citation | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/430597075 | work=The Boston Globe | title=LOEW'S $2,000,000 STATE THEATRE TO OPEN TONIGHT | page=5 |date= March 13, 1922 | via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=CT>{{cite web | url=https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1938 | title=Loew's State Theatre in Boston, MA - Cinema Treasures | website=Cinema Treasures | access-date=September 20, 2025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250315070934/https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1938 | archive-date=March 15, 2025 | url-status=live }}</ref> The venue seated 3,700 and was the second largest theater in the United States, the first being the other [[Loew's State Theatre (New York City)|Loew's State in New York City]]<ref name="BG-31222">{{citation | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/430596978 | work=The Boston Globe | title=NEW BOSTON TEMPLE OF THE MOVIES | page=78 |date= March 12, 1922 | via=newspapers.com}}</ref>{{Ref label|Note1|a|a}} A smaller, connected building named ''Fine Arts Theatre'' was also built and leased, which had a separate entrance on Norway Street.<ref>{{citation | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/72165404 | work=The Boston Globe | title=Special Offering of High Grade Securities (advertisement) | page=17 |date= August 4, 1920 | via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Opening night was March 13, 1922. In the morning, dozens of actors arrived at [[South Station]] at 10:00 A.M. and afterward received at the [[Massachusetts State House]] and [[Boston City Hall]] in the afternoon prior to the screenings. A motorcade parade extended though the city proper and into [[South Boston]].<ref name="BG-31422" /> In the evening the pictures shown were ''[[The World's Champion]]'' starring [[Wallace Reid]], comedy ''The Rainmaker'', and ''And Women Must Weep''. [[Ethel Clayton]]'s ''[[The Cradle (film)|The Cradle]]'' was scheduled to be shown but cut due to the lengthy opening ceremonies.<ref name="BG-31422">{{citation | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/430597389 | work=The Boston Globe | title=OVATION FOR MOVIE STARS | page=1 |date= March 14, 1922 | via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Guests of honor [[Governor of Massachusetts|governor]] [[Channing H. Cox]] and [[Mayor of Boston|mayor]] [[James Michael Curley]] gave speeches. Described as "the largest aggregation of movie stars ever assembled in one city", actors that participated in the festivities and the premier included: [[Diana Allen]], [[Mary Anderson (actress, born 1897)|Mary Anderson]], [[Florence Avery]], [[Theda Bara]], [[Nora Bayes]], [[Al Bedell]], [[Monte Blue]], [[Charles Brabin]], [[Betty Browne]], [[Marguerite Clayton]], [[William Collier Jr.]], [[Miriam Cooper]], [[Viola Dana]], [[Singin' Sam#Career|Helene "Smiles" Davis]], [[Rubye De Remer]], [[Doraldina]], [[Billie Dove]], [[Jeanne Eagels]], [[Edward Earle]], [[Frank Fay (comedian)|Frank Fay]], [[Louise Fazenda]], [[Ann Forrest]], [[Pauline Garon]], [[Edward Golden]], [[Bernard Granville]], [[Creighton Hale]], [[Johnny Hines]], [[Zena Keefe]], [[Crauford Kent|Crawford Kent]], [[James Kirkwood Sr.|James Kirkwood]], [[Robert Z. Leonard]], [[Sheldon Lewis]], [[Montagu Love]], [[Bert Lytell]], [[Mae Marsh]], [[Billy Mason]], [[Long Live the King (1923 film)|Loretta McDermott]], [[His Lordship (1932 film)|Janet McGrew]], [[Mae Murray]], [[Virginia Pearson]], [[Harry Pilcer]], [[Teddy Sampson]], [[The Family Upstairs|Hermine Shone]], [[Edith Stockton]], [[Blanche Sweet]], [[Conway Tearle]], [[Grace Valentine]], [[Nina Whitmore]] and [[Betty Woodmore]]. Thousands that could not get tickets jammed the streets in order to catch glimpses of the movie stars.<ref name="BG-31222" /><ref name="BG-31422" /> [[The Royal Ballet]] had a five day performance at the theater in 1957.<ref>{{citation | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/433229263 | work=The Boston Globe | title=The Royal Ballet | page=76 |date= September 15, 1957 | via=newspapers.com}}</ref> ===Donnelly Memorial Theatre=== In 1959, the theater was purchased for an undisclosed amount by the [[Boston Archdiocese]]. [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|Cardinal]] [[Richard Cushing]] acquired the property for the stated purpose of holding conventions, lectures, meetings and the showing of religious motion pictures. The cardinal also planned to use the theater as an instrument to warn [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] in [[South America]] against the "false prophets of [[communism]]".<ref>{{citation | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/838135880 | work=The Boston Globe | title=Theatre that Archdiocese Bought Will Finance an Anti-Red Drive | page=14 | date= August 14, 1959 | via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Christened the ''Donnelly Memorial Theatre'' in memory of Edward Calvin Donnelly, Sr., Catherine Donnelly, and John Donnelly for their long involvement and contributions to the Catholic Church. The Donnelly family business was in the outdoor advertising industry in Boston from 1850–1978.<ref>{{citation | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/433012907 | work=The Boston Globe | title=Boston Archdiocesan Theater Made a Memorial | page=7 | date= September 11, 1959 | via=newspapers.com}}</ref> The archdiocese later sold the theater to the [[The First Church of Christ, Scientist|Christian Science Church]] in 1963.<ref name="BG-123163">{{citation | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/428194789 | work=The Boston Globe | title=Donnelly Theatre Sold to Christian Scientists | page=1 |date= December 31, 1963 | via=newspapers.com}}</ref> ===Back Bay Theatre=== Located across the street on Mass Ave, the First Church of Christ planned a future demolition of the building and expansion of their campus upon acquiring more area properties.<ref name="BG-123163"/> In the interim, the building was renamed the ''Back Bay Theatre'' and rented as a live performance and concert hall. [[Pete Seeger]], [[Al Hirt]], [[Peter, Paul and Mary]], [[Ray Charles]], [[The Lovin' Spoonful]], [[Cream]], [[The Mothers of Invention]], [[Jefferson Airplane]], [[The Beach Boys]] and [[The Doors]] all performed at the venue. [[Jimi Hendrix]] also possibly played here in [[Little Richard]]'s band in 1965.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.earlyhendrix.com/richard-menu-live | title=EarlyHendrix - Little Richard - The Live Tape |access-date= September 18, 2025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250620134354/http://www.earlyhendrix.com/richard-menu-live | archive-date=June 20, 2025 | url-status=live }}</ref> ==Theatre organ== During the [[silent film]] era, live background music accompanied the running of films. The State had a 3/13 [[Wurlitzer]] 235 Special, Opus 1349 [[theatre organ]] installed, which was removed from the theater shortly before demolition in 1968. The organ survives today, installed at [[Babson College]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wurlitzerpops.org/babson-college | title=Babson College WurlitzerPops | website=WurlitzerPops | access-date=September 20, 2025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250620080548/https://www.wurlitzerpops.org/babson-college | archive-date=June 20, 2025 | url-status=live }}</ref> ==Closing and demolition== The theater was closed in May, 1968 with a sold out final performance by [[The Four Seasons (band)|The Four Seasons]].<ref>{{citation | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/434570026 | work=The Boston Globe | title=Full House Bids Goodby to Back Bay Theatre | page=34 |date= May 27, 1968 | via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Razed during the summer of 1968, Symphony Community Park and Church Park Apartments now take up part of the former theater's footprint. ==See also== * [[Orpheum Theatre (Boston)]] * [[Marcus Loew]] == Notes == {{refbegin}} * {{note label|Note1|a|a}}Despite Loew intimating the Boston venue was smaller, the seating in Boston outnumbered the New York building (3,700 to 3,200)<ref>{{cite book |last=Balio |first=Tino |date=March 14, 2018 |title=MGM |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2GJRDwAAQBAJ&q=loew%27s+state&pg=PP21 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-3174-2967-8 |access-date=August 29, 2019}}</ref> {{refend}} ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== * [http://cinematreasures.org/theater/1789/ Orpheum Theatre at Cinema Treasures] {{DEFAULTSORT:Theatres In Boston, Massachusetts}} {{Boston theatres}} {{Music venues of Massachusetts}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:1922 establishments in Massachusetts]] [[Category:1968 disestablishments in Massachusetts]] [[Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1922]] [[Category:Concert halls in Massachusetts]] [[Category:Music venues in Boston]] [[Category:Movie palaces]] [[Category:Back Bay, Boston]] [[Category:Loew's Theatres buildings and structures]] [[Category:Thomas W. Lamb buildings]] [[Category:Theatres in Boston]] [[Category:Former theatres in Boston]] [[Category:Cultural history of Boston]] [[Category:Former cinemas and movie theaters in Boston]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Boston]] [[Category:Former music venues in the United States]] [[Category:Rock music venues]] [[Category:Demolished music venues in the United States]]