By 1936, only 3 of the 10 theaters that had been operating in 1913, when the Majestic opened, were still in operation. Those in operation were the Globe Theater at 26 Suffolk Street, the Holyoke Theater at 461 Dwight Street, and the Majestic Theater at 205 Main Street. Over the years from 1912 to 1936, the Empire, Grand, Palace, Park, Star Hall, Three Star, and Wonderland Theaters all closed or burned.
There were 8 theaters in business in Holyoke during 1936. New to the scene, having opened during the preceding 23 years, were the Bijou on Main Street, Royal on High Street, Strand on Maple Street, and the Suffolk and Victory on Suffolk Street. I hope to provide a weekly installment for each of these theaters.
The theaters of the day also offered stage shows presented by traveling entertainers. As an example, the French-Canadian Nohcor-Tremblay troupe staged "Aurore L'Enfant Martyre," a dramatic 5-act play about a trial in Quebec some years prior.
In 1942, it was incorrectly announced that prominent Holyoke car dealership owner Max Krumpholz had purchased the theater. However, this was corrected to reflect that he loaned the theater $10,800.
In 1943, Albert Desautels, manager of the Majestic Theater, and Rene Joyal, manager of the Suffolk Theater, turned in $108,000 raised from patrons at both theaters and local churches in connection with the Franco-American Liberty Ship bond drive. The funds presentation meeting was held in Precious Blood Hall.
In September 1945, Herman Rifkin, who had been operating both the Suffolk and Majestic Theaters for 10 years under a lease arrangement, purchased both parcels of real estate for $250,000. C. W. Rackliffe Co. Inc. owned the Suffolk Theater building, which Mr. Rackliffe had built around 1913. The Majestic Theater property was owned by Majestic Inc., controlled by Mr. Rackliffe's estate. Albert Pinney of Hampden Street, the son-in-law of Mr. Rackliffe, was executor of the estate and controlled both properties.
The Majestic Theater underwent challenging times during the 1950s. Televisions were making inroads into households, giving people an alternative to going to the movies. The area bounded by Appleton, Dwight, High, and Maple Streets was firmly established as a hub for shopping, dining, and entertainment.
During the summer of 1953, the Majestic was closed for renovations.
The theater was closed from 1955 to 1958. On Wednesday, January 29, 1958, the theater reopened to a capacity crowd. There were renovations made then as well. A 28-foot Cinemascope screen was added. The balcony was no longer open for seating. The theater was running 1-A movies after shows completed their initial runs at other theaters. Henry Turcotte of South Hadley was the theater's owner and manager.
One year later, in July 1959, the theater underwent a complete renovation and was renamed the United Cinema on August 30, 1959. A new marquee was added over the front entryway, a new candy counter was placed, and a larger screen and RCA sound equipment were installed. The screen was moved to another area for better viewing. Smoking rooms and new restrooms were built.
The ribbon cutting was held on September 8, 1959. The announced attendance was 424 in the 507-seat theater. The theater operated on a 4-day schedule from Friday to Monday. There would be children's shows offered on weekends.
On Monday night, May 16, 1960, the theater was destroyed by fire. The loss was estimated at $75,000. Powerful deck guns and flexible hose guns were credited with pouring massive quantities of water to quell the blaze over a 7-hour period. A 16-inch firewall prevented the fire from spreading to adjoining buildings, which nonetheless experienced smoke and water damage. This fire occurred 5 days after the Valley Arena was destroyed by fire. The owner of United Cinema stated he would not rebuild, ending the theater's 47-year run on Main Street.
Epilogue:
In 1965, the city ordered Stanley Tobias, the owner, to remove the marquee. This came one year after an inspection of the building found the structure itself to be fundamentally sound.
In 1969, the Franco-American Association Inc., which had the option to purchase the property, was prevented from exercising that option when members took legal action against the club. The club had hoped to purchase and spend $20,000 to renovate the building for its use.
In April 1971, the Franco-American Association Inc. incorporated as a commercial club, the Holyoke Majestic Club Inc., and was awarded a liquor license at the old theater location. On July 21, 1971, the club filed an application to transfer the alcoholic commercial club license from 205-209 Main Street to 231 Main Street. The application was granted, and the business opened as the Holyoke Majestic Cafe & Lounge.
A legal notice entertaining bids to demolish the former movie house was published beginning on July 30, 1971. In August 1971, Lawler Construction of South Hadley was awarded the contract to demolish the Majestic Theater building.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Genealogy Records and Price & Lee, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
