Jacob Lourie (1874-1940) owned the Modern Theatre when it opened in 1914. He was an innovator who was the first in Boston to introduce sound with movies.
Years of neglect left the interior of the Modern Theatre in ruins. Yet a hint of the refined colors and the elegant Florentine-Renaissance décor remained. These elements inform the interior design for the new Modern Theatre.
Modern Theatre owner Jacob Lourie built a theater empire as owner of New England Theatres Operating Company, or NETOCO, which at its height operated 35 theaters. The company was affiliated with the Paramount studio until antitrust action broke up…
Mayer began his movie career in Haverhill, Massachusetts, by converting a burlesque house into a movie theater. Eventually he was to lead the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio.
A furniture warehouse designed by Levi Newcomb & Son was built at 323 Washington St. In 1876. Later it became a carpet warehouse and later still was converted into the Modern Theatre.