Neighbor News
Brogan: Local Movie Trailblazers!
The independent movie theater has been a Concord mainstay for more than 100 years.
Our community is rich in history and in names that had a powerful impact on the way that we lived, worked and played. Throughout the years, many have chronicled the lives of both the famous and those who while not household names, contributed invaluably to Concord.
In my new book, "The Concord Theatre and Concord's Love Affair with the Movies", I am hopeful that I have brought to line some of the unsung heroes of the past 100 plus years - the independent movie theatre and the names attached to them.
While the book focuses a great deal on the Concord Theatre, soon to be Bank of NH Stage, because of my 27 years being associated with the movie house, it covers much more than that.
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From Jacob Conn opening Conn's Theatre on School Street back in 1912 to Barry Steelman's arrival on the local scene with the opening of Cinema 93 some 52 years ago, no stone is left unturned. Concord film audiences have always appreciated the independent movie theater and the celluloid offerings they afforded them. That trend continues to this day with the successful Red River Theatre providing three screens worth of quality motion picture titles.
I've received hundreds of messages and e-mails from readers of my book who felt the need to convey their feelings about the story I told. For a great many, it was the first time they had learned of the struggles that independent theaters suffered while competing with larger theater chains who seemed to hold all of the power when booking the hottest movie titles for local showings.
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Theresa Cantin at the Concord Theatre had to battle Joseph P. Kennedy, father of the President and owner of a New England based theater chain. Kennedy owned both the Capitol and Star Theatres in Concord and hated the notion of a woman (Cantin) intruding on his territory. He threatened to put her out of business. Ultimately, she outlasted the Star and Capitol as well as the arrival of television, the drive-in, and videos. In a similar vein, Cinema 93's Barry Steelman had to struggle throughout the 80's and 90's to keep his doors open in an ever-changing world. He persevered, however, and found a very strong support for the variety of choices he made in film decisions.
Fortunately Barry remains a major influence on the kinds of films we are fortunate enough to see in his role at Red River Theatres. I also recently told Red River Executive Director Angie Lane that she is following in the footsteps of a lot of great names locally and doing an admirable job of it in the process.
The independent movie theater in Concord has more than stood its own against chain theaters. It has been an important part of the community and in bringing people together for a shared experience. The personal touch that would be virtually impossible to achieve on the same level with a multiplex, helps distinguish the independent, giving it a decided sense of individuality.
Perhaps the highest compliment on the book and its representation of our rich, local movie history came in an e-mail from Paul Constant, nephew of Theresa Cantin who ran the Concord Theatre for more than six decades.
"Roadie" as Paul was affectionately known locally, stated, "...the book is fantastic, you did a marvelous job...no one could have done a better job than you..."
When you set out to provide some insight into a piece of history, you hope that the result will resonate. I tried to keep in mind three "H's" - History, heart and humor. Paul's e-mail made me feel I might have achieved my goal.
