Brattle Theatre facts for kids
Brattle Hall. The theatre entrance is at the bottom of the stairs on the left
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| Address | 40 Brattle Street Cambridge, MA 02138 USA |
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| Owner | Brattle Film Foundation |
| Type | Movie theater |
| Opened | 1953 |
The Brattle Theatre is a special movie theater located inside Brattle Hall. You can find it at 40 Brattle Street, close to Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It's a small movie house with just one screen. What makes it really unique is that it's one of the only movie theaters left that uses a "rear-projection system." This means the projector is behind the screen, not behind the audience!
The Brattle Theatre mostly shows a cool mix of movies. These include films from other countries, independent movies (made outside big studios), and classic films from the past. It started showing these kinds of movies in February 1953. Even though many small, independent movie theaters in America have closed, the Brattle has kept its loyal fans. It's still run independently, which is pretty amazing!
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History of the Brattle Theatre
The Brattle Theatre's story began with the Cambridge Social Union. This group was started in January 1871 by Reverend Samuel Longfellow. He was the brother of the famous poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
In 1889, the union bought the land on Brattle Street. They paid $9,000 for it. Then, they hired a local architecture firm led by Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow Jr. to design Brattle Hall. The grand opening happened on January 27, 1890.
Early Days and Important Shows
In its early years, the hall was used for many things. Local and traveling drama groups performed there. It also had a ballet school, hosted lectures, and even police exercise classes!
Sometimes, the theater had disagreements with the city. For example, in 1928, the city tried to stop a play called Fiesta. This play, put on by the Harvard Dramatic Club, was seen as politically sensitive. But the city couldn't close the show.
In 1942, a famous play called Othello was performed. It starred the African-American actor Paul Robeson. This performance helped the Brattle become known as a place that supported new and important ideas.
The Brattle Theatre Company
In 1948, a group of World War II veterans from Harvard University started the Brattle Theatre Company. This company put on classic and modern serious plays. They had a team of actors and directors. Some famous people who started their careers here include Jerome Kilty and Hermione Gingold.
The actor Zero Mostel also made his first big stage appearance here. He had faced difficulties because of his beliefs. He performed in a play called The Imaginary Invalid.
Becoming an Art House Cinema
In the 1950s, two Harvard graduates, Cyrus Harvey Jr. and Bryant Haliday, turned the Brattle into one of the first "art house" movie theaters. They brought back forgotten American classic films. They also showed new foreign films. Many of these foreign films later became classics. These included movies by directors like Akira Kurosura, Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, and François Truffaut.
Harvey and Haliday later used their ideas from the Brattle to create Janus Films. This company bought and shared movies from all over the world. Their work even influenced how The Criterion Collection works today.
The "Bogie Cult" Tradition
Starting in the late 1950s, the Brattle began a fun tradition. They would show Humphrey Bogart films during the week of final exams at Harvard University. Movies like Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon were watched again and again. This led to the creation of the "Bogie Cult" at the Brattle!
It was common for fans to come to these movies dressed up like the characters. They would even say the movie lines along with the actors! Even today, many people still come to see a Bogart film. A popular tradition is the Valentine's Day showing of Casablanca, which always draws a big crowd.
The Brattle Today
Today, the Brattle is run by the Brattle Film Foundation. It operates as a non-profit organization. This means it uses its money to support its mission, not to make a profit. It is currently the only independent movie theater in Cambridge.
The Brattle continues to show a wide variety of films. These include foreign movies, "arthouse" films, and popular new movies. They also have ongoing events like the "Schlock Around the Clock" series, the "Bugs Bunny Film Festival," and an "Oscar Party."
In October 2005, the Brattle announced a big fundraising goal. They aimed to raise $500,000 over two years. This money would help pay off old rent and strengthen their community programs.
On February 16, 2008, the Brattle Theatre celebrated its 55th anniversary as a movie theater in Harvard Square. In early 2013, the Brattle Theatre successfully raised money through a Kickstarter campaign. This helped them get a new digital projection system and upgrade their heating and cooling system.
See also
