John Berry at the St. George Theatre
A Framingham legend passed away today, and here’s a reprint of the short article I wrote about him last winter.
Pictured here as an usher in 1951, standing proudly at the ticket chopper inside the St. George Theatre downtown, John Berry probably didn’t expect that a few years later, he would become the Manager. John would take over the theatre from Jim Collins, eventually seeing the St. George close in 1967. From there he became the Manager of the Natick Drive In, and eventually the Cinema in Shoppers World in 1983, until he retired in 1994.
Those were the years when movie theatres were a gathering spot for hundreds of people every weekend. Ushers wore military style uniforms, and were proud to be working what lots of kids thought were the best jobs in town. Where else could you get free movies, popcorn, and girlfriends too?
Back then, people went to the movies every single week. And there were ushers showing you to your seat, patrolling the aisles, and generally making sure the audience behaved. They even guarded the exit doors, from kids sneaking in.
Downtown Framingham was an exciting destination, with three theatres, and lots of department stores. Most of what it once was, is just a memory, and as the years go by, fewer remember how glamorous it all was back then.
dee sheehan said,
February 28, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Should meet John Berry today. He’s just as cute as ever and as personable as ever.
A darling husband, dad and grandpy. Stay well and happy, John.
Dave said,
February 28, 2007 at 9:48 pm
Thank you for commenting on the various pictures here. When you see John, show him this site. I think he’ll enjoy it. Dee, do you have any stories you can tell the readers about the movie theatres downtown?
Lauren said,
March 5, 2007 at 7:00 pm
This is the theatre I was at with my Mom and my siblings when JFK was shot. I don’t remember much about that day since I was so young, (3) but I do remember my Mom crying while the funeral was on TV.
Jim Rizoli said,
March 8, 2007 at 4:21 am
I remember being dismissed early from Lincoln Elementary school that day.
I believe I was in 5th grade, if my memory is working right.
Dave said,
March 11, 2007 at 11:01 pm
The St. George had a kiddie matinee that Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, a movie called Santa Claus.
Phil Dincecco said,
January 2, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Sad to think that John is gone he was a good guy. I can picture him and Izzy handling crowd control at the Pearly Gates!
Bob Haggerty said,
January 13, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Those were the glory days and carefree. Everyone wanted to be an usher to watch all those movies — on the “big screen. ” I was an usher at the St. George Theatre and remember John Berry as an assistant manager under Jim Collins. Can’t tell you how many times I watch the great musical Annie Get Your Gun!
author said,
January 13, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Nice to hear from you, any other memories you have would be appreciated. Downtown Framingham was a great place to visit. Usually we’d stop in Joe Browns before or after the movie to look at model kits. A visit to Woolworths where they had bins of metal toy soldiers for a dime each. Or Bonds to buy a few Monster magazines or comic books.
dee said,
February 21, 2008 at 3:50 am
Can remember meeting my Mom at the St. George Theater after school to see “Gone With The Wind”. I was about 9. The next day, Sister asked who in the class attended and most of us stood up. We stayed after school for one month, cause we saw an immoral movie. Phew, how the world has changed.
CatherineR said,
March 5, 2008 at 2:17 am
I saw “A Hard Day’s Night” at the St. George–must have been shortly before it closed. I also remember the Kendall theatre–but what was the third one?
I grew up in Framingham in the ’50s and ’60s. My mom and I used to shop at Alpen’s and the New York Store and Gilchrist’s. We used to eat at the Newberry’s lunch counter and I’d get peanut butter sandwiches. Later, my friends and I used to go to the Beach Blanket movies at the St George.
Does anyone remember Kennedy’s Butter and Eggs shop? We used to buy white eggs there to color at Easter time–regular eggs were always brown. They also used to sell little May baskets decorated with crepe paper. We’d buy them and put candy in them and leave them on neighbors’ doorsteps on May Day. Does anyone do that anymore?
dave said,
March 5, 2008 at 2:42 am
I almost forgot May baskets! We’d make them, and swap with the neighbors. I think they were made with cupcake cups.
The third theatre downtown was the Hollis, which closed in 1954. It later became a ski school. The building’s still there, used as a Church.
Gilchrists was all chrome and glass, and Newberrys had a great rack of comic books on the wall near the door going out. The St. George played all the AIP horror films with Vincent Price, like Tales of Terror. I remember watching Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. They had some great double features and me and my friends would go to the show nearly every Saturday afternoon in the early and mid 1960s.
lynn said,
May 28, 2008 at 2:42 am
this was my grampa. i miss him so much and i would do anything to have him back. R.I.P we love and miss you so much <3 everyday that passes i miss you even more.
Ben said,
June 2, 2008 at 1:13 am
Sad to hear that Izzy is gone as well.
2 “old time” theatre managers that I enjoyed working with very much.
Dave said,
June 4, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Thanks for posting a message, Ben. Those General Cinema years were the best.
Ted Nault said,
October 5, 2008 at 2:43 am
I was the first usher hired by Mr Mills for the new Cinema Theater in shoppers world. I was fourteen and lied about my age. The first day of work I unloaded all the candy that went into the candy room along with the huge bags of pre-popped pop corn. We never popped our own pop corn just warmed it in the display case.
I worked at the Cinema for five years filling in for managers while they were on vacation. I knew John Berry very well he was the manager at the St George and the Gorman as far as I remember. The two of us were almost over come by carbon tetracracloride (sp?) fumes while we were removing rubber tile behind the candy counter at the Gorman. John was older than me by about five years I think and was really a very, very nice man to work with.
Catherine above (#10) asked if anyone remembers “Kennedy’s Butter and egg store”
Of course I do. But I bet you never stood out front of Kennedy’s in a long line to get butter with “war Stamps” during WWII. We all had plenty of stamps but there was only butter available once in a while. I was very young of course but I stood with my Grand father and each of us got a pound, or was it a half pound? But the best thing about Kennedy’s was the fresh made peanut butter they sold in waxed-paper containers.
Where Gilchrist opened there store (at least where there rear parking lot was) I remember going with my grandfather and buying coal to heat our home (when we had coupons). We had to bring our own burlap bags or baskets.
Yes it was hard times during the war but I still loved it.
Ted Nault
Sarah said,
November 11, 2008 at 1:47 am
John Berry was one of the greatest men to ever live. Miss you more and more everyday.
Catherine R. said,
March 14, 2009 at 1:31 am
The Gorman! That was the third theater I remember. I wouldn’t remember the Hollis if it closed in ‘54.
You’re right, Ted, I wouldn’t have stood in line at Kennedy’s during WWII–my dad served in the Army during that war, before my parents were married. We moved to Framingham in ‘52 when I was just a baby, and they lived there until they moved into assisted living in 2003. But I’m so glad somebody else remembers that store! I remember the peanut butter. My mom loved it, but I always preferred Skippy.