Without looking back at this blog's Index, this may be the first post relating to a theater in Holyoke. There were quite a few, and I hope to write a weekly story about each of these entertainment spots that brought joy to many generations of viewers. The weekly series begins with the Majestic Theater, Holyoke's theater with the largest seating capacity in 1913.
On October 2, 1912, Springfield resident John T. Moriarty signed a lease for 205, 207, and 209 Main Street, where he planned to construct a motion picture and vaudeville theater. William J. Howes, architect, drew the plans for the theater, which would be 100 feet deep by 50 feet along Main Street. Its height was 25 feet. The initial plan called for seating about 900 people on the main floor and no balcony.
The theater was to open on Easter Sunday, March 24, 1913. However, the mayor's office filed an order affecting the city's 4 Main Street theaters. After deliberation, the city decided that the Wonderland and Palace Theaters and the Bijou and Majestic would alternate Sunday openings. The Majestic opened for vaudeville and pictorial representations. The following three nights featured The Great Irving, billed as The World's Most Mystifying Magician.
In October 1913, Charles Higginbottom, who owned the newly built Suffolk and Globe Theaters, bought the theater. Two years later, the Majestic acquired sole rights to present Paramount pictures, which were highly regarded for their quality and content. This allowed the Majestic to charge higher admission prices than other local theaters.
On January 14, 1925, the theater presented the Knights of Columbus production entitled America. The auditorium was filled to capacity for the 2 matinee and 2 evening shows.
The city engineer approved plans for a major restoration project on February 24, 1926. George G. P. Alderman drew the plans on behalf of C. W. Rackliffe, the theater's owner at the time. The project was expected to cost $25,000.
The building's height was increased from 25 feet to 40 feet. The building's interior had to be strengthened and reinforced to support the added load. This increased height made it a 3-story building and allowed construction of a balcony to seat an additional 400 patrons. As steel girders supported the balcony, no obstructive columns were needed for the main floor.
The stage area was greatly enlarged, and 2 seating boxes were installed on either side of the stage to increase capacity.
The entryway was widened to accommodate two ticket booths, and the front of the building was now entirely brick and stone.
In 1936, C. W. Rackliffe Inc. leased the theater operation to Holyoke Enterprises Inc. for two years at $10,000 per year. Hermann Rifkin, principal of Holyoke Enterprises Inc., operated the Suffolk Theater in Holyoke and the Academy of Music in Northampton. He was honored in Boston on the 25th anniversary of his independent film distribution company.
The second half of the Majestic Theater's life follows in the concluding chapter.
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
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