Orson Welles Theater Won't Reopen

Movie buffs will be disappointed by the news that the Orson Welles Theater may never open again, according to published reports.

Landlord Ralph Hoagland has cancelled the lease after deciding that the damage from an electrical fire last spring was too substantial to repair.

In response, Cate Enterprises, the operators of the theater, have filed a suit against Hoagland in an attempt to block the termination.

Neither Hoagland nor officials at Cate Enterprises could be reached for comment yesterday.

The suit asks that the landlord make the repairs or allow Cate Enterprises to do them and then deduct the repair costs from the rent, according to an article published in the Boston Business Journal yesterday.

The controversy centers around the extent of the damage from a May 29 fire that began in the popcorn machine and that has closed the theater ever since. The theater, named for the late actor, was known for specializing in artistic and classic films.

The terms of the Orson Welles' lease specified that if the theater experiences substantial damage--defined as taking more than 90 days to repair--Hoagland may cancel the lease without paying Cate Enterprises an early termination penalty of $430,000.

Arthur Scaccione, Hoagland's insurance adjuster, inspected the damage and reported that repairs would take six months and cost nearly half a million dollars, according to the article.

However, Roger E. Bombardier, a contractor hired by Cate Enterprises, gave an estimate that the damage could be repaired and the theater made operational "within 90 days," the article said.

Ready to Reopen

Despite the lawsuit, Cate Enterprises is prepared to reopen the theater.

James McDavitt, Chairman of the Cambridge Licensing Commission, said yesterday that Cate spoke to him in December, and that the company had expressed optimism about reopening this spring.

The city is prepared to relicense the refurbished theater providing it has the same design as the original building, McDavitt said.

A partner at Cate Enterprises, Phil Meadow, predicted last December in the Boston Globe that "we'll be able to bounce back" and reopen by late spring or early summer.

But the theater won't reopen if the landlord has his way, according to the operators.

Cate Enterprises' suit accuses Hoagland of evicting the theater in order to "renovate the space for commercial use." The renovation would allow Hoagland to "rent the same premises for considerably more than [it] receives from Cate," the Journal reported.

Hoagland counters that last spring Cate tried to sell the theater to Sharp Features, a film production and distribution agency, for $450,000.