RKO Boston

The RKO-Boston movie theatre (1930s-1950s) of Boston, Massachusetts, was located at no.616 Washington Street, near Essex Street in the Boston Theater District. Associated with RKO Pictures, it featured film, big band concerts, and variety theatre performances. Musicians "Goodman, Dorsey, Miller and the rest were frequently booked into the RKO Keith-Boston ... for a week's stay. A typical show would be preceded by a Class B movie, newsreel and coming attractions. Audience excitement would mount as the sound of musicians tuning up would filter out behind the curtains as the coming attractions were being screened. When the preview segments ended, the tuning would be silenced and the stage darkened for several seconds. Then, with the audience's applause and shouting building to a crescendo, the band would kick in with its theme as the curtain parted." The RKO-Boston occupied the former Keith-Albee Boston Theatre.