Lucien Descoteaux
Lucien Descoteaux was born in St. Sevre , PQ Canada on January 1, 1897. He immigrated with his family to Manchester sometime in the early 1900’s. By 1932 he lived on 131 Orange Street with his wife Roseanne Descoteaux (Guilmette). By 1935 they had moved to 721 Beech Street, and by 1939 they had moved to 707 Chestnut Street. Together they had seven children, Theresa, Rene, Louis, Rita, Beatrice, Janet and Celia.
During his time in Manchester, Mr. Descoteaux managed three smaller movie houses. His managing duties (as far as I could tell from the research i’ve done) began with the Empire theatre in October of 1931. He remained its manager until its close (one of many) in December of 1946. He also managed the Globe Theatre on Elm street, at least from 1938 to its close on June 13, 1943. The third theatre he ran was the Rex Theatre on Amherst Street. This theatre was the first (and only) wned chiefly by Descoteaux. For the time it had many modern features (namely air condition0, despite its small capacity (550 seats). It is beleived that he ran the theatre up until February of 1962, which is allegedly that last day it was open. He died on August 26, 1968.
All the theatres owned by Desocteaux could be considered second of third run theatres. It was uncommon for any of them to play features that were newer than 4 months old. The houses sometimes shared pictures, and would often receive a film another had played previously. It is interesting to note that I could not detect any sort of hierarchy between the theatres, they all seemed to share in their mediocrity.
The height of Descoteaux’s management tenure of his theatres was from 1940 to 1943, where he was managing the Globe, Empire and Rex concurrently. During this time it was common for their ad’s to appear in the same column and with similar design. The Rex was promoted the most and usually given the biggest heading, although it didn’t seem that it necessarily played more desireable pictures.
Like a bizarro version of the State Operating Company (who operated nearly all the higher end movie palaces in Manchester) Desoteaux had the largest number of 2nd/3rd run picture houses under his belt. The Second Run Empire of Lucien Descoteaux is one that has largely gone forgotten in the citiy’s history, but it is a story that I think bears remembrance. Unlike many of the movie palaces that outclassed Descoteaux’s theatres, the majority of his theatres still stand. The Rex and Empire both lived on into the early 90’s, still playing movies nearly half a decade later, while the more opulent theatres of the past either lay dormant or destroyed. To study the exhibition of films in Manchester without placing emphasis on the less appreciated theatres, you are marginalizing the importance of certain kinds of films and certain kinds of people. Largely an immigrant, working class town, not everyone in Manchester could afford the State, Palace of Strand. Second run theatres like the Rex, Empire and Globe were accessible, and while the seats might not have been as comfortable, the movies were just as good.
2 Comments
- Phyllis Demers replied:
I am a writer doing research on my grandfather, Lucien Descoteaux. I have to do most of my work from my home, near Princeton, N.J. I am anxious to touch base with you.
Thank you. Phyllis Ann Demers
Granddaughter of Lucien DescoteauxPlease feel free to call me anytime and I will return your call at my expense. *Numbers removed for privacy*
January 9th, 2007 at 9:34 pm. Permalink.
- Thomas W. Demers replied:
To: The “Unbreakable Comb”
I’d like to express my sincere gratitude for such a wonderful piece of historical research. Over the years I’ve only been told bits and pieces of my grandfather’s history in the theater business in Manchester, NH. Your research related to my grandfather has more than gratified my curiosity
beyond anything I could have imagined from just a simple mouse click.Thank you! Thomas Wilfred Demers
Grandson of Lucien Descoteaux
August 20th, 2009 at 1:12 am. Permalink.