Coolidge Corner Theatre facts for kids
Coolidge Corner Theatre marquee
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| Address | 290 Harvard Street Brookline, Massachusetts United States |
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| Coordinates | 42°20′33″N 71°07′21″W / 42.34250°N 71.12250°W |
| Operator | Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Current use | In Operation |
| Opened | 30 December 1933 |
Coolidge Corner Theatre is an independent cinema in the Coolidge Corner section of Brookline, Massachusetts specializing in international, documentary, animated, and independent film selections and series.
History
Coolidge Corner Theatre was originally built as a Universalist church in 1906 and was redesigned as an Art Deco movie palace in 1933 as the community's first movie theatre. The theatre opened on December 30, 1933 with its first film being a Disney short film. Originally the theatre only had one screen but was later divided into two and then four.
In the 1980s, owner and operator Justin Freed thought that he could no longer compete with rising video sales and competition from other art houses. In 1986, the theatre was sold to a developer due to financial trouble and planned to be torn down or converted to commercial business. Harold Brown, a Boston real estate magnate living in Brookline, bought the whole building and leased the theatre to the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation in November 1989 for 99 years.
Comedian and Brookline, Massachusetts native John Hodgman worked at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in his youth.
Coolidge Award
The Coolidge Award annually recognizes a film artist who “advances the spirit of original and challenging cinema.’’ Among recipients of this venue's annual Coolidge Award are include:
- Vittorio Storaro (2005)
- Meryl Streep (2006)
- Jonathan Demme (2010)
- Viggo Mortensen (2012)
- Thelma Schoonmaker (2013)
- Jane Fonda (2016)
- Werner Herzog (2017)
- Michael Douglas (2018)
- Julianne Moore (2019).
Images for kids
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Coolidge Award recipient Jonathan Demme at Coolidge Corner Theatre in 2010
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Popcorn being served in Coolidge Corner Theatre lobby
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Robyn Hitchcock at Coolidge Corner Theatre in 2010
