Art Cinema

Hartford, CT

255 Franklin Avenue

, Hartford, CT, United States

(map)

Status:	Open
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Unknown

Function:	Movies (Adult)
Seats:	601
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Unknown

With its non-descript entrance, Art Cinema might fool you into believing its just a regular movie theater...

Photo courtesy of Roger Katz

The Art Cinema was built in 1919 and is Hartford's last operating classic movie house.

In its heyday, it was known as the Rialto and was formerly part of a chain that included the Colonial, Lenox, and Lyric in Hartford and the Central in West Hartford. When business waned, it started showing art films in the 1950s, hence the name Art Cinema.

Nowadays, however, it is the last remaining adult cinema in town and has been showing X-Rated features for decades. The theater seats 601 (350 on the main level, 251 on the balcony) and still has a 35mm projector, but it is not used at all because the adult films are on video.

The Art is now run by Ernest Grecula Jr., having previously been run by his father, and has been in the family for 40 years.

Contributed by Roger Katz

YOUR COMMENTS

The Art Theatre's address is 255 Franklin Ave.

posted by William on Nov 19, 2003 at 3:57pm

When this was a legitimate art house in June of 1966, I made my way here from Providence to see Luchino Visconti's very moody and doomed-to-be-unseen film SANDRA (a.k.a. OF A THOUSAND DELIGHTS, VAGHE STELLE DELL'ORSA) with the incomparable Claudia Cardinale and the comparable Jean Sorel. This murky yet strangely compelling Italian tale of implied brother-sister incest was oddly paired with the American drug-rehabilitation drama SYNANON.

posted by Gerald A. DeLuca on Apr 2, 2004 at 12:36pm

do you have a chat line available for those who attend

posted by silky on Jun 2, 2004 at 8:15pm

A few months ago The Hartford Advocate wrote an article on this theatre citing that its missleading from the outside- it looks like it could be an art house cinema. Then again instead of being R.A.W. (Real Art Ways- Hartford's alternative movie theatre), I'm sure it's just raw in a gross way.

posted by John J. Fink on May 31, 2005 at 6:14pm

This is the article from the Hartford Advocate mentioned above.

posted by Lost Memory on Oct 9, 2005 at 5:01pm

On my way back from Cinestudio last night I decided to do a bit of exploring and stumbled upon this theater. Needless to say, I was surprised when I entered the lobby to inquire about the program. Still, a very cool find in an interesting neighborhood.

posted by jpcollins on Aug 6, 2007 at 4:29pm

what are there hours of opereation?

posted by sl7269 on Aug 19, 2007 at 8:54am

One of the venues for this year's Hartford International Film Festival. I'll provide a few notes on the theater after my film Artery screens there, this Saturday at 12:15PM (not to put in a shameless plug or anything).

posted by John J. Fink on Nov 2, 2008 at 8:05pm

The year given for this photo is 1986.

posted by Lost Memory on Apr 27, 2009 at 7:23pm

Since this was in the same family as the Colonial does anyone know if it was a Lockwood & Gordon house?

posted by Nick Ritota on Jan 29, 2010 at 6:12pm

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