Brattle Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Brattle Theatre is a repertory movie theater located in Harvard Square
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
in the United States of America. The theatre is a small movie house with one screen. It is one of the few remaining movie theaters, if not the only one, that use a rear-projection system; the projector is located behind the screen rather than behind the audience. The Brattle Theatre mainly screens a mixture of foreign, independent, and classic films. It began showing repertory and foreign films in 1953. Despite the rapid disappearance of American arthouse theaters
, the Brattle has managed to maintain a loyal base of moviegoers while remaining independently operated.
, brother of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
. In 1889, the union purchased the lot on Brattle Street for $9,000, and hired the Cambridge architectural firm headed by Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr.
to draft plans for Brattle Hall. The gala opening occurred on January 27, 1890.
films during the week of final exams at Harvard University
. Films such as Casablanca
and The Maltese Falcon
were watched again and again and the "Bogie Cult" at the Brattle was formed. It was not uncommon for fans to attend these movies in costume and recite the dialogue word for word. Even to this day, there is always a packed crowd to see a Bogart film, such as the traditional Valentine's Day
showing of Casablanca.
On February 16, 2008, the Brattle Theatre celebrated its 55th anniversity as a movie theater in Harvard Square.
Harvard Square
Harvard Square is a large triangular area in the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. It is the historic center of Cambridge...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
in the United States of America. The theatre is a small movie house with one screen. It is one of the few remaining movie theaters, if not the only one, that use a rear-projection system; the projector is located behind the screen rather than behind the audience. The Brattle Theatre mainly screens a mixture of foreign, independent, and classic films. It began showing repertory and foreign films in 1953. Despite the rapid disappearance of American arthouse theaters
Art film
An art film is the result of filmmaking which is typically a serious, independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience...
, the Brattle has managed to maintain a loyal base of moviegoers while remaining independently operated.
History
The theatre was started by the Cambridge Social Union, cofounded in January 1871 by the Reverend Samuel LongfellowSamuel Longfellow
Samuel Longfellow was an American clergyman and hymn writer.-Biography:Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine to Stephen and Zilpah Longfellow; he is the younger brother of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
, brother of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
. In 1889, the union purchased the lot on Brattle Street for $9,000, and hired the Cambridge architectural firm headed by Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr.
Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr.
Alexander Wadsworth Longfellow, Jr. was an American architect and nephew of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.-Biography:...
to draft plans for Brattle Hall. The gala opening occurred on January 27, 1890.
Bogie Cult
Starting in the late 1950s, the Brattle started a tradition of screening Humphrey BogartHumphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
films during the week of final exams at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. Films such as Casablanca
Casablanca (film)
Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid, and featuring Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Dooley Wilson. Set during World War II, it focuses on a man torn between, in...
and The Maltese Falcon
The Maltese Falcon (1941 film)
The Maltese Falcon is a 1941 Warner Bros. film based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett and a remake of the 1931 film of the same name...
were watched again and again and the "Bogie Cult" at the Brattle was formed. It was not uncommon for fans to attend these movies in costume and recite the dialogue word for word. Even to this day, there is always a packed crowd to see a Bogart film, such as the traditional Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
showing of Casablanca.
The Brattle today
Today, the Brattle is operated as a non-profit and is run by the Brattle Film Foundation. It is currently the only independent cinema operated in the city of Cambridge. The Brattle continues to screen an eclectic mix of foreign, arthouse, and "recent rave" films. Ongoing events include, but are not limited to, the Schlock Around the Clock series, the Bugs Bunny Film Festival, the Art House Auction, the Oscar Party, and the Watch-a-thon. Starting in October 2005, the Brattle announced its largest fundraising mission in its 55 year history. The goal was to raise $500,000 over the next two years to pay down past rent and to solidify its outreach and community programs.On February 16, 2008, the Brattle Theatre celebrated its 55th anniversity as a movie theater in Harvard Square.