History
The Webster opened on November 19, 1937 as a movie theater by the Shulman family. Hartford's mayor, councilmen, and Connecticut state Senators were in attendance for opening night. In the 1930s and 1940s, the theater hosted a weekly "dish night," a common practice for theaters of the time, where each patron would receive a free dish to entice them to the theater. The theater was successful until the advent of the television kept more people in their homes, while the Interstate Highway System brought more people out to the suburbs.
After falling attendance, in 1974 the Shulmans leased the theater to Starship Enterprises who promised to show family films while introducing live music into the theater. They redecorated the main lobby and had sprawling moonscapes painted on the ceilings. However, the family film plan failed to bring sufficient funds to the theater, and new management turned the Webster into a showcase for adult films.
In the fall of 1986 Mr. Shulman saw a chance to revive the theater. Along with the owner of the Warner Theater in Torrington, Shulman invested about $50,000 to restore carpeting, paint, and install a 17' by 34' screen which was, at the time, the largest in the state. The theater featured movies on the second release, and admission was $2 for adults and $.99 for children and senior citizens.
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