I do not know if this piece of info from Boxoffice Magazine refers to this theatre or another. Was this place ever called the “Victory”?
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Victory Will Open with Foreign Language Films
NEW HAVEN – The Victory Theatre will have its grand opening as a minority-language and foreign picture house on Thursday, April 28. Molly Picon’s “Yiddle with his Fiddle” will be the opening feature, to be followed by “Green Fields” and a Greek picture which is being considered. Michael Tomasino is the operator.
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
There is a small 1939 photo of the auditorium of this theatre, when it was the Trans-Lux, in Boxoffice Magazine, February 11, 1939. Here is a link to that issue. For the photo, go to the ad on page 68: http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_021139
Interesting. That movie today would get a PG rating. I remember the huge ads for it in the Providence Journal when it was shown here as well as all the hullabaloo. I was just a kid. I didn’t manage to see it until years later. Netflix doesn’t seem to carry it, but it is available through eBay.
The Moon is Blue, film and play.
From Boxoffice, April 24, 1954:
“The Metropolitan, closed more often than open, and which after several months darkness opened for a two-week engagement of "The Moon is Blue,” will give the Broadway verson of “The Moon is Blue” for three days, April 29-May 1, with the orginal New York cast. Because considerable controversy was caused when the motion picture was originally scheduled, and because the Met opened only long enough to present this single attraction, despite a storm of protests, many local theatregoers are cogitating over the motives behind the situation."
[Note: The film had been denied a Hays code seal of approval and was opposed by the Catholic Legion of Decency for the use of the terms “seduction” and “virgin” in the movie. The Diocese of Providence, with its chancery office located only yards away from this theatre, was aggressive in its disapproval of the showing of Otto Preminger’s delightful comedy, which starred Maggie McNamara, David Niven, and William Holden.]
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“Fay’s Theatre recently inaugurated a new policy of presenting vaudeville and motion pictures twice a week. In the past Fay’s has run the same bill for a full week. The new setup calls for a completely new show every Sunday and thursday.”
[Note: the following year, 1951, Fays would close for good and subsequently be demolished.]
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“Whoever directs the policy for E.M. Loew’s open airers must be something of a weather prophet. Amost simultaneously with the closing of E.M. Loew’s Drive-In at the Providence-Pawtucket City line, winter weather hit this vicinity with the thermometer dropping to the middle twenties. All other nearby ozoners were still operating, despite the frigid weather, when Thanksgiving had come and gone.”
[Note: an “ozoner” is trade talk for any drive-in theatre.]
Revival of Chaplin’s 1931 City Lights at the Metropolitan.
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“The recent presentation of Charlie Chaplin’s "City Lights” at the Metropolitan not ony resulted in Bradford F. Swan, critic on the Journal-Bulletin, devoting practically the entire column praising the film and its artistry, but it also made the In Perspective column, which is alternately written by leading staff writers and has met with such widespread acclaim that the choicest bits have been published in book form."
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“Employees of the Avon Cinema had plenty of cause to be thankful on Thanksgiving. Charles R. Darby, manager, presented every employee a big plump turkey! Recently Darby scored with plenty of well-planned publicity on his twin bill of "The King’s Jester” and “Pagliacci.” The city has a large Italian population and Darby arranged a quiz program on a local radio station offering guest tickets. “The Red Shoes,” which ran for eight weeks at the Avon some time ago, has been scheduled for a return engagement."
An article on the Union Theatre, contrasting the old marquee with the new and offering additional photos along with the story, can be found in Boxoffice Magazine, January 7, 1950. Page 33. http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_010750
Report on demolition of Empire Theatre (long known as the Bijou). Boxoffice Magazine, January 7, 1950:
[b]WRECKING CREW TEARS DOWN EMPIRE AT PROVIDENCE
“PROVIDENCE[/b] -The oldest theatre in this city started falling under tha hammers and crowbars of a wrecker, as the Empire, long a landmark, passed into memory. Abe Spitz, who took over operation of the house in 1900, could not furnish the exact date in 1870 when the house opened, but he mentioned that it and the old Providence Opera House, which long since passed into oblivion, were at one time the only two theatres in the city.
“Opened originally as the Westminster, it featured old-time burlesque and ‘traveling musicals, minstrels and the like.’ When Spitz took over at the turn of the century, he named the house the Bijou.
“‘Cheri’ was one of the last musical revues to play the Bijou. That was in March 1930.
“Shortly after that Spitz converted it into a second-run house and changed the name to the Empire. It was under this title that the theatre operated until about six months ago when it was shuttered for good.
“Advertising recently appeared in local newspapers offering ‘over 1000 seats,’ from which generations of theatregoers had watched melodramas, burlesque, and films. The seats were snapped up by local sports arenas and the Salvation Army.”
Judging by the info presented above, the theatre was still in existence in the mid 1950s and had installed CinemaScope. Anyone have any more precise information about when it ceased operation?
Kenster,
Yes, I would be very interested in your posting the contents of that letter. That would be an important historical documentation of the place. Goodness knows there is precious little that survives, no significant period photos of the inside or out.
No, Bruce, there aren’t, except for the Patriot Cinemas on Newport Avenue, near the line with Pawtucket. The historic Hollywood Theatre on Taunton Avenue was demolished two years ago. It should have been saved and restored as a cultural center like the Stadium in Woonsocket and the Park in Cranston. Alas not enough people cared. And it would have cost millions.
I do not know if this piece of info from Boxoffice Magazine refers to this theatre or another. Was this place ever called the “Victory”?
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Victory Will Open with Foreign Language Films
NEW HAVEN – The Victory Theatre will have its grand opening as a minority-language and foreign picture house on Thursday, April 28. Molly Picon’s “Yiddle with his Fiddle” will be the opening feature, to be followed by “Green Fields” and a Greek picture which is being considered. Michael Tomasino is the operator.
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
There is a small 1939 photo of the auditorium of this theatre, when it was the Trans-Lux, in Boxoffice Magazine, February 11, 1939. Here is a link to that issue. For the photo, go to the ad on page 68:
http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_021139
Interesting. That movie today would get a PG rating. I remember the huge ads for it in the Providence Journal when it was shown here as well as all the hullabaloo. I was just a kid. I didn’t manage to see it until years later. Netflix doesn’t seem to carry it, but it is available through eBay.
The Moon is Blue, film and play.
From Boxoffice, April 24, 1954:
“The Metropolitan, closed more often than open, and which after several months darkness opened for a two-week engagement of "The Moon is Blue,” will give the Broadway verson of “The Moon is Blue” for three days, April 29-May 1, with the orginal New York cast. Because considerable controversy was caused when the motion picture was originally scheduled, and because the Met opened only long enough to present this single attraction, despite a storm of protests, many local theatregoers are cogitating over the motives behind the situation."
[Note: The film had been denied a Hays code seal of approval and was opposed by the Catholic Legion of Decency for the use of the terms “seduction” and “virgin” in the movie. The Diocese of Providence, with its chancery office located only yards away from this theatre, was aggressive in its disapproval of the showing of Otto Preminger’s delightful comedy, which starred Maggie McNamara, David Niven, and William Holden.]
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“Fay’s Theatre recently inaugurated a new policy of presenting vaudeville and motion pictures twice a week. In the past Fay’s has run the same bill for a full week. The new setup calls for a completely new show every Sunday and thursday.”
[Note: the following year, 1951, Fays would close for good and subsequently be demolished.]
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“Whoever directs the policy for E.M. Loew’s open airers must be something of a weather prophet. Amost simultaneously with the closing of E.M. Loew’s Drive-In at the Providence-Pawtucket City line, winter weather hit this vicinity with the thermometer dropping to the middle twenties. All other nearby ozoners were still operating, despite the frigid weather, when Thanksgiving had come and gone.”
[Note: an “ozoner” is trade talk for any drive-in theatre.]
Revival of Chaplin’s 1931 City Lights at the Metropolitan.
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“The recent presentation of Charlie Chaplin’s "City Lights” at the Metropolitan not ony resulted in Bradford F. Swan, critic on the Journal-Bulletin, devoting practically the entire column praising the film and its artistry, but it also made the In Perspective column, which is alternately written by leading staff writers and has met with such widespread acclaim that the choicest bits have been published in book form."
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“Employees of the Avon Cinema had plenty of cause to be thankful on Thanksgiving. Charles R. Darby, manager, presented every employee a big plump turkey! Recently Darby scored with plenty of well-planned publicity on his twin bill of "The King’s Jester” and “Pagliacci.” The city has a large Italian population and Darby arranged a quiz program on a local radio station offering guest tickets. “The Red Shoes,” which ran for eight weeks at the Avon some time ago, has been scheduled for a return engagement."
A small article on the 1950 opening of the Somerset Drive-In appeared in Boxoffice Magazine on July 8, 1950. Go to page 106.
http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_070850-2
An article on the Union Theatre, contrasting the old marquee with the new and offering additional photos along with the story, can be found in Boxoffice Magazine, January 7, 1950. Page 33.
http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_010750
Report on demolition of Empire Theatre (long known as the Bijou). Boxoffice Magazine, January 7, 1950:
[b]WRECKING CREW TEARS DOWN EMPIRE AT PROVIDENCE
“PROVIDENCE[/b] -The oldest theatre in this city started falling under tha hammers and crowbars of a wrecker, as the Empire, long a landmark, passed into memory. Abe Spitz, who took over operation of the house in 1900, could not furnish the exact date in 1870 when the house opened, but he mentioned that it and the old Providence Opera House, which long since passed into oblivion, were at one time the only two theatres in the city.
“Opened originally as the Westminster, it featured old-time burlesque and ‘traveling musicals, minstrels and the like.’ When Spitz took over at the turn of the century, he named the house the Bijou.
“‘Cheri’ was one of the last musical revues to play the Bijou. That was in March 1930.
“Shortly after that Spitz converted it into a second-run house and changed the name to the Empire. It was under this title that the theatre operated until about six months ago when it was shuttered for good.
“Advertising recently appeared in local newspapers offering ‘over 1000 seats,’ from which generations of theatregoers had watched melodramas, burlesque, and films. The seats were snapped up by local sports arenas and the Salvation Army.”
That Olneyville theatre mentioned by Christopher Ducharme was the Olympia. It has a page on CT with some rare photos.
Judging by the info presented above, the theatre was still in existence in the mid 1950s and had installed CinemaScope. Anyone have any more precise information about when it ceased operation?
William Ulrich,
Won’t you post the photo you have of the theatre by means of a link to a photo server? I would be very interested.
Hope/love/Rose,
Pics of the interior and exterior of the Capitol and other FR theatres can be seen on this page:
View link
Are there any photos that survive?
Are there any photos that survive?
Spinner,
Can’t any of the photos you have be posted here by linking to a photo server like Photobucket or Flickr? I would find them very interesting.
Roz in Florida,
With your reference to the posters of In Harm’s Way and Frankie and Johnny, the theatre must have closed in or around 1966.
Kenster,
Yes, I would be very interested in your posting the contents of that letter. That would be an important historical documentation of the place. Goodness knows there is precious little that survives, no significant period photos of the inside or out.
No, Bruce, there aren’t, except for the Patriot Cinemas on Newport Avenue, near the line with Pawtucket. The historic Hollywood Theatre on Taunton Avenue was demolished two years ago. It should have been saved and restored as a cultural center like the Stadium in Woonsocket and the Park in Cranston. Alas not enough people cared. And it would have cost millions.