Unlike today's theaters, some early Holyoke theaters relocated to other sites. Changes in ownership, rental arrangements, or the need for larger venues spurred these moves. During its run in Holyoke, the Bijou Theater operated at 3 different sites, with 4 different theaters consecutively, so it provides an interesting look at its history.
The New Electric Vaudeville Theater opened on February 21, 1907, at 413 High Street, with a performance described as "Electric Vaudeville" or moving pictures. Adult admission was 10¢, and children paid 5¢. There were 3 hours of afternoon and evening performances
In April 1907, the theater was renamed the Bijou Theater and continued to run movies and live musical entertainment, including performances by the theater's pianist. It screened films for entertainment and education. In the latter category, the theater presented Pearl Fishing, an underwater exploration film.
An obstacle in attracting talented artists to the theater was its small seating capacity. Numbers were not shown; however, a news article described the venue as a well-decorated little theater.
In March 1908, W. H. Cooley, the building's owner, replaced H. C. Hardy, the theater's operator. The theater was located between the Hotel Leon and Empire Theater. Mr. Cooley indicated he would continue presenting quality features, as shown in the photo below.
In June 1908, theater attendance was underwhelming, and Mark French wanted to lease the theater space at 413 High Street if he could secure a liquor license. Ware Savings Bank, which held the mortgage, protested the decision to grant a license. Mr. French could not follow through with his plans and sought another location for his saloon.
The Bijou Theater remained in its location for two more years. In September 1910, the Bijou relocated to 319 High Street, the site of the short-lived Lyric Motion Picture House. The National Amusement Co. managed the theater. The theater opened on September 15, 1910. Management spent money to bring in more popular movies featuring well-known actors and live performers.
Management's investment in securing entertainment paid off, as the theater filled for performances. However, as with its previous location, the "storefront" theater did not have enough seats to accommodate a large audience.
The theater went into hiatus in 1911 as management searched for a new location to move or build a theater.
In the next chapter, the story of the Bijou continues as management found a suitable location to build a new theater, which opened in 1913.
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript -Telegram; publication dates and pages shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Genealogy Records and Price & Lee, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
1911 Richards Atlas of Holyoke, Massachusetts
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