Holyoke Memories: Globe Theater (Pt.2- 1928-1951)

Film jams in projectors caused fires in many theaters. The fire that destroyed the Empire Theater on High Street starkly illustrated the havoc it could wreak. In December 1929, 200 patrons exited safely when friction from a gear wheel set the film on fire. The fire was confined to that area.

In late 1930, the era of "the talkies" began at the Globe. Engineers at the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) wired the theater to accommodate RCA Photopone equipment. Sound and voices matched pictures, a process that took years to develop and release.

On September 1, 1934, Kraig O. Yoerg sold the theater building to Frank H. Wotton and Dennis M. Reardon for $105,000. Mr. Wotton died in 1938 and Mr. Reardon in 1942. Their wives, Marion (Sullivan) Wotting and Josephine (Danehy) Reardon, continued to operate the business.

On December 13, 1942, a two-alarm fire caused $30,000 in damage. The stage section and the first 20 rows of seating burned completely. Scorching and blistering rendered the remaining seats unusable. The sound equipment was irreparable and needed to be replaced. Smoke and heat blackened the entire theater.

On March 26, 1943, prominent Holyoke contractor P. J. Kennedy was hired to restore the theater. The theater was renovated, with a new RCA sound system, all-new seats, and an upgraded ventilation system. The opening attractions included Dorothy Lamour in "Beyond the Blue Horizon" and Jean Parker in "I Live for Danger." Before the main attraction, the program included a Popeye cartoon and a Paramount newsreel.

1943 matinee prices were 15¢ for adults and 11¢ for children, tax included. Evening shows charged adults 25¢ and children 11¢.

In May 1951, the theater shut down. Three weeks later, Marion Wooten wouldn't reveal why the theater closed, but hoped it would reopen soon. The theater did not reopen. Louis Scheffer of Allyn Street, who previously managed the Victory Theater, expressed interest in leasing the Globe to present high-quality domestic and foreign productions. He abandoned the idea, citing high costs and likely a limited appeal.

On December 29, 1952, the foreclosed building was sold at a public auction. A group led by George Sweeney of Gleason's Rathskellar, across the street from the theater, was expected to purchase the building. At the time, Edna Williams was operating a restaurant in the Globe building. She would later be remembered as the long-time owner of the famed Log Cabin Restaurant.

In December 1954, the Board of Aldermen approved a request for the Department of Public Works to initiate eminent domain proceedings to acquire the Globe building. The plan was to raze the building and several others on Suffolk, Railroad, and Division Streets. On the open space, the city would construct a new 77-car metered parking lot, which High Street merchants had long sought.

Pasquini Construction Co. was awarded the $3,686 demolition contract in late January 1955, with work to be completed in 50 days, around mid-March 1956. The 41-year run of the Globe Theater was permanently over.

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

Theatre History Society of America, www.historictheatres.org