Framingham Views

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.

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.

The Natick Collection opened yesterday, and the excitement almost matches what happened in Framingham 56 years ago. Shoppers World was the first shopping center on the East Coast, opening October 4, 1951. Those who are visiting the spectacle in Natick, will probably feel a bit of the same excitement. Here’s the front cover of an advertising supplement which was mailed to households all over the Framingham Natick area by Jordan Marsh to celebrate their opening.

Here’s a Kodachrome color slide I found a few years ago at an estate sale, showing the blossoming trees in front of Conrad Chandler at Shoppers World in the Spring of 1963. 

If any readers have other photos of Shoppers World, I’d love to publish them here. Just send me an email.

Here’s another view of Shoppers World, taken the day before it opened.

This postcard view is one of several published by Fitts Photo Shop. I’ve seen only 2 other views, but have a feeling there were more in the series. I wonder whatever happened to them?

When Shoppers World opened, the spot across from what was then the Main entrance to the Cinema was occupied by a bar called the Carousel.
It was to change hands in 1965, and became a restaurant called the Roundup.
The Roundup Restaurant became the spot where Cinema crew took their “break”. It had wide booths, lots of wood and western decor, and great hamburgers, steaks, and french fries.
The Roundup’s official opening was on November 9, 1965 and was memorable because it was the night of the famous east coast blackout. Over 500 people were served sizzling steaks by candlelight, lanterns, and oil lamps, hurredly pressed into service because not only the general public had been invited, but also the press, town officials, and Roundup executive staff.
Since then, the Roundup continued to be a popular lunch and dinner spot, possibly the best restaurant in the Mall in the years before Joan and Ed’s Deli opened. The food was grilled in front of the line of patrons, served cafeteria style. All the staff were dressed in western costume, right down to the 10 gallon hats.
The Manager of the Restaurant in 1967 was Michael Ojerholm. His Assistant was Paul O’Hanlon, with staff Veronica (Ronnie) Kenney, Christine (Tina) Kenney, Claire Morrisey, Debbie Goss, and a Cinema Usher who was often seen cooking the steaks, Lynn Anderson.
The Roundup was a franchise, with plans to open on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston and Canton. I don’t know what happened, but it closed in the early 1970’s and the restaurant at Shoppers World became a Papa Ginos.

Here’s the Roundup Crew in 1967. And here’s what the place looked like inside.

Here’s an aerial view of the Stop & Shop at Shoppers World, taken just before Christmas in 1964. You can see the playground area to the left. This store was later the Toy’s R Us. When I began working as an usher at the Cinema in 1966, we would go to this store every Friday night to buy butter for the buttermat at the candy stand. By 1968, the real butter was replaced with butter flavoring, ordered from Theatre Merchandising in Boston, and delivered every Tuesday night with the “candy shipment”. The flavoring was a product made with butterfat, which didn’t need refrigeration.

This photo was taken by Ken McGagh for the MetroWest Daily News in 1994.

The paper was so proud of their headline. Shoppers World became a strip mall. Congratulations.

Early 1951, Shoppers World under construction. When I managed the Cinema you see in the background, there was an Anniversary event, and after the the promotion was over, one of the publicity folks gave me this picture as a souvenir. The view here is standing nearly to the beginning of the dome, in what was to become Jordan Marsh, looking toward the theatre.

In the early 1950’s Clayton Moore, the Lone Ranger, made a personal appearance at Shoppers World. Here’s a photo of his arrival.  Thousands of families lined the walkways on both sides. That looks like an Oldsmobile convertible he’s getting out of.