Brogan: 55 Years Ago, Local Movies Changed

April 28th will mark 55 years since Cinema 93 opened its doors. To those who lived in the Concord area from 1967 until the late 1990s, it was a destination spot for film lovers. Located on Loudon Road in what was fondly known as the King's Shopping Center, because of King's Department Store, it was the first new indoor theater to open in Concord since October of 1933. It was also the first ultra-modern cinema, and locals flocked by the thousands to check it out.

As a passionate movie lover, I wanted to go. However, the opening attraction was deemed, "morally objectionable in part for all" by the Catholic Legion of Decency. In those days before the movie industry regulated itself and developed the rating system still in use today, the Legion of Decency held sway. There was no way in which my parents were going to let their teenaged son see "In Like Flint". I had to wait a few months to walk across the bridge over the Merrimack River to see "The Taming of the Shrew". In the next three decades, I returned to Cinema 93 hundreds of times and was never disappointed by what I saw on the screen.

One of the biggest reasons for going to Cinema 93 was because they presented an array of movies designed for every taste. Barry Steelman was initially the manager when the theater opened, but within a few years, he was the owner. He had a vested interest in what he showed and made it part of his job to personalize the moviegoing experience for his patrons. He cared what people thought as they exited the theater and would listen to their remarks. He also welcomed programming suggestions and was never afraid to experiment with ideas for different formats.

Cinema 93 played popular hits ranging from "The Graduate" to "Star Wars" to "Dances with Wolves" and "On Golden Pond", a film shot in New Hampshire and on which Barry worked. The theater also showed Hollywood classics, foreign titles and art films as well as family films. For many, Cinema 93 provided them with their first exposure to some of the finest films made in France and Italy and Sweden. Many of the titles shown made you stop and think or enter into spirited discussions with other filmgoers. It was not unusual for me to leave a movie, uncertain as to whether I liked what I'd seen or not. However, as I pondered it later in the day, I would often find myself challenged and would occasionally go back for a second viewing, sometimes bringing along a friend with whom I could later talk about it with. Sometimes I even brought along Theresa Cantin, the longtime owner of the Concord Theatre, with which I was associated for 27 years. Theresa loved to visit "Barry's Theater" as she referred to it. In fact, when she went there to see "La Cage Aux Folles" in its original French with subtitles, she urged friends to see what she said was one of the funniest films she'd ever attended.

While Theresa and Barry may have sometimes been competitors in seeking out the best films for their customers, there was also a deep admiration. They each knew the struggles and challenges of running an independent movie theater in an era where the multi-plex was taking over. In both cases, however, they strived to make "going to the movies" something personal.

Barry and his theater forever changed the way the people of Concord thought of the movies. It became much more than just a pastime or entertainment. For over 30 years, it was an oasis or a haven where you'd rarely be disappointed, would often meet friends, and would drive home after the show often feeling elated.

After the theater closed, Barry continued to be a face for film, locally, expanding his highly successful video business into a new location on Pleasant Street in the site of the former Star Theatre. Barry had recognized, while still on Loudon Road, the advent of video and the role it would play in the future. The theater's lobby was filled with hundreds of titles for rent and the thriving business continued in the Pleasant Street video location.

To this day, Barry Steelman continues to be the city's most recognizable and trusted face of film. He has played an important role at Red River Theatre in downtown Concord, since it opened. To those of who have been fortunate enough to vividly remember those years at Cinema 93, seeing him can instantly transport you to a place that was like no other. Cinema 93 was a place where the magic of movies truly existed.