I love "only in Montreal, never in Boston" stories, and the Mirror has a cheeky item about a movie theater in the Plateau built in 1914 that is still going strong, thanks to a dedicated clientele of porn viewers. Originally called Le Globe (as in Shakespeare's theater), it's now known as Cinema L'Amour. (And it does seem to have a splendid little auditorium, regardless of what's on the screen.)
Mirror writer Matthew Hays explains one way that the cinema has gotten a boost:
[Owner Steve] Koltai says Cinema l’Amour has picked up business in recent years, with the advent of swingers clubs. “Couples come here to check out the movies and other couples before they head to the swingers’ clubs. It’s understandable that things begin here, or that people might be inspired that way. I mean, everything’s geared to intimacy. It’s impossible to come and not get turned on by the movies. I should really be renting rooms as well.”
See? Some quaint urban customs can survive the Internet!
On the other hand, Boston is no slouch when it comes to re-purposing movie palaces. On Washington Street, you can eat a chicken foot while enjoying murals and chandeliers from the golden age of Hollywood.
