Then and Now - Braintree Theatre - Braintree, MA

The Braintree Theatre opened on October 19,1930 in Braintree, Massachusetts. It was built on the site of the Lyric Theatre, which was largely gutted to make way for the new theater. The only things remaining from the Lyric were the projectors, the sound equipment, and some seats. The renovation also removed the two retail spaces in the building’s front and replaced them with a men’s smoking room and a women’s lounge. These were common in larger theaters‌ but not in smaller neighborhood ones.

Opening night at the Braintree comprised a double feature of “Bachelor Mother” starring Ginger Rogers and David Niven and “Susannah of the Mounties” starring Shirley Temple. The seating capacity at the renovated theater was 760. 

In 1954, the theater was renovated and CinemaScope, a wide-screen format, was installed. During a blizzard in March 1956, the theater suspended all movies, but stayed open so that the theater could be a place for stranded travelers to rest. They had a live band play and provided coffee to about 75 tired travelers. The Braintree Theatre closed in 1961 after the building was purchased by Barile Plumbing. Barile had the place completely gutted, and the interior turned to office space, with their warehouse at the back of the building. 

There is no sign that the building was ever a theater.