Harvard Amusement Co. stock certificate circa 1933 (Boston Mass)

Uncommon movie theatre stock certificate! Vignette of eagle with wings spread.  Unissued and not cancelled. Dated 19__ but circa 1933 from incorporation records in Boston Massachusetts where their offices were established. Measures approximately 11 x 8.5 inches. Clean and crisp.

Harvard Amusement Co. owned the Harvard Theatre building in Cambridge Mass. The company was initially privately owned by Phil Smith of Syracuse NY from 1927 until 1933 when they were incorporated to be able to sell shares. The company also built and owned the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, Mass in 1933, which “provided, for only 33 cents, the opportunity to escape the Depression and feel, for a few hours, as rich as a Rockefeller.”

The “art deco” Coolidge echoed several fashionable trends in the interwar years. It made use of Egyptian motifs, popular ever since the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922, and it had touches of Buck Rogers, particularly in the Saturn lighting fixtures. And like larger movie palaces, it was designed to dazzle. Luxurious materials abounded: walnut and ebony graced the foyer; gold sparkled from the bas-relief classical figures above the proscenium and from the curtain; the movie seats were pigskin, with plush backs. Some seats were even equipped with audiophones, so that the hard of hearing could enjoy the talkies.

The Harvard Theatre was an old neighborhood cinema located on Massachusetts Avenue in North Cambridge. It was built in 1915 and was once operated by M & P Theatres, a Paramount affiliate. The Cambridge Historical Commission lists the period of existence for the Harvard Theatre as 1914 – 1955. It was leased out over the years to theatre management companies like MGM, Loews, and Paramount which added franchise naming and reputation to local theatres.

In the MGM Theatre Photograph and Report project, there was an exterior photo dated May 1941. The buildings then were all on the edge of the street. The theatre had a fancily-decorated facade 2 stories high. There was a rectangular marquee with “Harvard” across the top front. Attractions were “Western Union” and “She Couldn’t Say No”. The report stated states that the theatre has been an MGM customer for over 10 years; that it’s over 15 years old; that it’s in Fair condition and has 1,052 seats. It’s described as a “Neighborhood” theatre. The 1927 Film Daily yearbook lists the Harvard with 1200 seats and open 7 days per week.

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