Cinema Shoppers World
Opened October 4, 1951, the Framingham Cinema in Shoppers World was considered the very first theatre in a shopping center on the east coast. It would’ve been the first one, except that a theatre in Washington State opened a few months before it.
Here’s the cover of Boxoffice Magazine from 1952.
The entrance to the theatre was on the side facing the shopping center, across from Brockelman’s Market and the Carousel Lounge. Here’s a view looking at the candy stand and boxoffice. When they added Cinema II in 1964, this area was renovated with vending machines behind white formica doors, and an outside smoking area. 
Here is a view of the auditorium with balcony. There were 1432 seats here, often sold out on the weekends.
In 1963, the original maroon backed seats with velvet covered cushions were removed and replaced with white backed, red vinyl seats. I guess they thought bright seatbacks were more modern looking. This auditorium was split in half in the mid 1970’s, with a wall running down the middle. In case you’re wondering where they popped corn, looking at the picture, at the back right of the balcony, next to the exit door, was another door that led to the “popcorn room”. Sorry, but I don’t have a picture of it.
Ted Nault said,
October 5, 2008 at 2:59 am
My name is Ted Nault. I was the first usher hired by Mr L.Mills when the Cinema was opened in 1951. I worked for the theater chain for five years, and worked at the St George and Gorman theaters in the chain replacing managers on vacation or out ill.
I don’t know what anyone is talking about with the “pop corn room” business. The pop corn was always bought pre-popped and came in large lined paper bags more or less 30 gallons in size. For all kinds of practical reasons we didn’t pop corn, but rather warmed it in the show case. The door mentioned above went to the projectionist booth as long as I worked there. I left in 1956 or 1957.
Ted Nault
Ted Nault said,
October 5, 2008 at 3:06 am
The picture of the balcony above reminded me of two famous people I helped there. One was Ted Willams he came a few times with one or two children and sat in the balcony because it was closed and he wouldn’t be bothered. He must have lived in the area.
The second person was top ten singer Vaughn Monroe, owner of a well known Framingham resturant. the Meadows (close ti Ken’s Steak House).
Ted Nault
Author said,
October 5, 2008 at 3:43 am
The popcorn room I mentioned, was built in 1963 when they added Cinema II. You guys must have been getting it from Theatre Merchandising in Boston. When I was an usher, 1966-1969, we popped our own. The bags of seed weighed 50 pounds each, and we would bring them up the stairs every Tuesday night, along with 50 lb cans of canola oil.
Ted, I’d enjoy reading more about your days at the Cinema. Did the ushers wear orange jackets and bow ties back then? We did!
Steve said,
December 10, 2008 at 10:36 pm
I worked at the cinema in 1987 with a bunch of friends. Most of them were from Natick. One day a week I would pull a shift up in the popcorn room and smoke bud all day and pop corn. It was awesome.
Sometimes we would o over to Papa Gino’s and drink beer on our break. The manager there did not like us so much.
The usher crew was a great group of people. We would hang out a bunch and have fun. Sometimes we would go stack the picnic tables at Lake Cochichuate into a pyramid, late at night after work.
Scott said,
January 1, 2009 at 1:57 am
I remember taking my first girlfriend to the Framingham Cinema to see American Graffiti in the fall of 1973. Her name was Allyson and she was the prettiest girl at South High. I do remember the split, but what year did that occur?