I’ve worked at the Dedham Community Theatre, an independently run movie theatre, for almost two years now, and it has opened my eyes to the film industry. Multiplexes such as AMC and the northeast company Showcase Cinemas used to be a big deal. Recently, I’ve met a whole lot of folks who prefer the small independent theatres, such as the one I’m lucky to call a home away from home.
The Dedham Community Theatre has been around for 99 years, and it is a staple in our town. Unfortunately, there is also a Showcase Cinema down the street with 15 theaters, compared to the 2 we have at the Community Theatre. Showcase Cinemas are also guaranteed films such as Avatar or The Devil Wears Prada 2, which really bring in the crowds.
At the DCT, we aren’t offered these cash-cow movies because the studios don’t trust us to get enough customers to see them. This is a paradox. If they don’t give us the popular movies that “bring the people in”, how can we prove that we can?
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, the DCT has struggled. While it used to show classic blockbuster films such as Jaws and Star Wars, its reputation has since been mainly for arthouse and indie films. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! Indie films can be more valuable than any blockbuster out there, spiritually speaking. But!
The film “industry” and art itself are full of contradictions. I love the fact that our theatre plays less-seen and under-appreciated films. It would, however, be both fun and financially helpful to secure a blockbuster now and then.
The Dedham Community Theatre
The Dedham Community Theatre was built in 1927, and will be 100 years old just next year. It is an institution in the town of Dedham, Massachusetts. One that is celebrated by anyone who lives here and anyone who has passed through.
It’s a piece of history. There’s a replica of the original poster from 1927 advertising Buster Keaton’s The General right outside. And when you walk in, you get transported to another time- there is no other word for it than magic. It’s old-school, nostalgic, and absolutely enchanting.
I grew up in Dedham, so this theatre has always been a part of my life. My parents took my sister and I to see It’s A Wonderful Life there for the first time when I was just a kid. I had a birthday party in high school there with my friends and family. Nowadays, I try not to go anywhere else to watch films.
But, way back when? I never knew how important this theatre would become to me.
Movies and Me
The Dedham Community Theatre practically saved my life. After graduating from college and going through some very dark times, I was a lost soul. Lucky for me, the Dedham Community Theatre was there. And now, it reminds me every day of my love of movies, life, and why I care so much about making art.
It’s truly a Community theatre, one where I have made countless friends, and where I am able to remind people of the magic of movies. Large corporate theaters such as AMC and Showcase Cinemas couldn’t hold a candle to the intimate charm, care, and love that you find within the walls of The Dedham Community Theatre.
The Man Himself: Paul McMurtry
The owner of the theatre is my good friend Paul McMurtry. He’s not just a humble movie theatre owner either, no! He’s also a state representative for Massachusetts. He fights for good in our state and town, in addition to showing infinite kindness to anyone who walks through the front doors of his theatre.
The DCT is more than a movie theatre- it’s a safe haven. For Paul, for me, for friends, strangers, movie lovers, co-workers, family members, and for anyone who happens to walk in. It’s a sanctuary for people who need a place to stop in and warm up in the winter, a pitstop for runners to use the bathroom, and a hangout space for anyone who just wants someone to talk to.
Paul and his brother David are almost always stationed at the theatre, awaiting whoever may need to be shown kindness. It simply amazes me every day I go to work- and I dare not even call it work. I am lucky to be paid for doing what I love: showing people movies, talking about movies, and showing kindness to whoever needs it.
I sat down with Paul to discuss his time at the DCT, as well as the future of the theatre.
The Interview
Alright! I’m here with Paul McMurtry, it’s Friday, May 22nd, and we are currently playing Horseshoe and Two Pianos at the Dedham Community Theatre. How are you doing today, Paul?
PM: I’m doing great, Kevin, thanks for being here.
Same to you! So, you’ve lived in Dedham your whole life, right?
PM: Early days I was born in Boston, lived there for a bit, and moved to Dedham- I guess this is probably an appropriate time to add when I was a teenager I worked here at the Dedham Community Theatre. It looks a little different! I can say with a bit of pride… and then the journey took me, decades later, to have the opportunity to own and operate it, and here we are.
Do you remember the first movie you saw here?
PM: Oh gosh, I remember- I believe in 1976 I saw Rocky because I sat in the last row, and it was a late-night film, which I remember well because of the friends I was with, and seeing Rocky Balboa get in the ring with Apollo Creed. I remember seeing Top Gun here, An Officer and a Gentleman, Jaws, and E.T. Some pretty significant films.
How old were you when you first started working here?
PM: Oh, about fifteen, sixteen.
How long was that?
PM: Oh, then that reveals my age! That’s where the disclaimer goes!
And you stopped working here before you took over?
PM: Yeah- I went off to school, other jobs, and then I happened to have a video store in town. At the time, back in 2001, there were rumors that this theatre was close to its demise. People in the community came to me and said, ‘Paul, you have to take it over.‘ I investigated it, and one thing led to another. We focused on quality films, customer service, and consistency. Being open seven days a week and running four or five shows a day built a loyal following. So after taking over in 2001, the rest is history.
And what would you say is the most rewarding part of being the owner here?
PM: I really love the satisfaction that comes with the unique films that we show, whether you term them as arthouse, independent, foreign, or upscale. Films that are curated, special, and meaningful. I’d often say that with the films we show you could almost earn you some college credits-
I agree.
PM: But the most meaningful aspect? The satisfaction, the joy, and the pleasure that patrons get out of it when they come out of a theatre and either shake my hand or pat me on the back and say ‘keep doing what you’re doing‘. The joy the customers get from the experience is the most gratifying because I’m very aware that you do not need to see movies to sustain life. Food, sleep, nourishment, exercise are necessary, but movies are an extracurricular passion, joy, and pleasure. So there’s an attitude of gratitude for those who come in the door, because they don’t have to choose this theatre. And the fact that we can deliver something so meaningful, moving, and enlightening in a form of entertainment is the most gratifying.
Yeah, and I feel that too, working here, seeing people come out of these theaters. I do want to bring up our enemy down the street, Showcase Cinema-
PM: Now this is where, for your readers, I take my chair, and I turn it into a couch, and instead of having you be a journalist, I think of you as a therapist-
Let me write that down…
PM: But no, it’s been- look- prior to the pandemic, it wasn’t an issue because there was enough product to go around. I remember when I first got into the business, people asked me about Sumner Redstone. I said, ‘Well, he’s someone who’s a role model! He started out here in Dedham with a drive-in, and grew into a global multibillion-dollar multimedia entertainment company!‘ Unfortunately, their growth and greed after the pandemic hit have affected this theatre negatively. It’s been a trying and unimaginable experience because I can’t get the films customers want or ask for in order to help meet the financial needs of this 99-year-old establishment.
It’s changed my personality, and it’s deprived me of the pleasure I get when someone gets out of a movie. Now it’s been stripped away because of the interactions with distributors and studios. People come here, care about the place, I care about the place, the community cares about the place. But what used to be termed as “studio or distributor partner?” no one seems to care.
And that’s what fascinates me, since I started working here. Usually, if the Showcase Cinema gets a film, we can’t, has it always been that way?
PM: No. It’s called clearances, and it’s illegal. Theaters used to dictate where the films went, but then it went to the studios. For some reason, they’ve kept a stronghold on this theatre in particular. And it’s ironic- that major chain, which is now no longer under the Redstone management- the theater that affects me is at Legacy Place. That was named after the Redstone legacy, and that legacy is causing harm. It’s not necessary, and no matter the amount of business we could do with any film they have, it would not financially harm them. But they certainly financially harm us.
And so, some nights I lie awake wondering how I can keep this theatre open until it’s 100 years old, but I want to do it, and I can’t do it without the willingness of studios to help us out. And again! The films we have are incredible, and I’m grateful for them, but on occasion, you need a film that will do more business to help pay the bills. And this theatre is capable of it. With the right films up on our screens, the audience rises to the occasion to support us and give us the numbers we need to sustain.
Yes, and I’ve seen that! A Complete Unknown, Nuremberg, and Hamnet, week after week, more people were coming in, some people even coming back.
PM: And yes, oftentimes people see them multiple times! There’s something different and nostalgic about coming to a downtown community theatre that dotted the landscape across the country and gave rise to the studios, and yet, I’m not aware of a single studio that pays homage to these establishments. And this is how Sumner Redstone rose to become a multi-billionaire. And to then change the rules of engagement and not allow another theatre to survive is unconscionable to me. Thanks for the therapy doc!
Of course! Now, between the pandemic keeping people away from theaters and streaming services trying to get a chokehold on some films, what would you say to people about the importance of going to the movies?
PM: Look, there’s a group of people out there that think ‘ok, movies are gone, it’s a pastime, and we’ll never see those days again‘. But there’s been example after example post-pandemic that proves otherwise. With the right film, people will return to the theaters. If there’s a decent theatrical run before a film goes to streaming, I think those two can coexist. The silver lining, and the reason why I haven’t given up, is that I see sporting events or concerts all over the country, where people go to celebrate that communal event together, and that’s what I hope they continue to do at movie theaters.
With the right movies at the right time, we have a consistent audience of loyal supporters who see whatever we offer. We also have individuals from out of state, New Hampshire, or Rhode Island, who come all this way to see films we have on our screen. And then, a lot of first-time viewers, when they come in, say ‘we’ll be back!‘. And that’s a younger audience that we want to nurture and grow and experience this uniqueness of affordable entertainment on a night out. So I haven’t given up hope, and I hope that the studios and executives haven’t either. Despite the challenges and changed landscape, there’ll be better days ahead.
I’m right there with you. Thank you, Paul.
Go to the Movies
I’ll be honest, I still go to Legacy Place Showcase Cinemas to see movies sometimes. I simply have no other choice. And, to remove myself from my position at the DCT, and to speak plainly as someone who has always had a love for movies, having spaces to see them in any capacity is important. However,
I don’t go to Showcase Cinemas or AMC theaters expecting to have meaningful conversations or make friends at random as I enter or exit the theater. These theaters charge an exorbitant amount of money for concessions and tickets. And I have never seen such care as is displayed by my coworkers and managers at the Dedham Community Theatre.
Independent cinemas are the places that started movie-going. These beautiful, ornate spaces were built tens, or almost a hundred years ago, and those that remain are a testament to film, art, and community. So, if anything, please support your local cinema now and then. Make it a habit. Because being trapped in our homes during a worldwide pandemic and the abundance of streaming services has conditioned us to be comfortable staying put and watching movies at home, by ourselves.
But we are meant to laugh, and cry, and gasp, and cheer together. Go to the movies.
