Park Theatre

Work on the place seemed to have come to a halt last time I went by. I've been to this theatre hundreds of times, both as a single screen place and when it became a triplex.

This theatre is not going to reopen for quite a while. Probably sometime in 2005 at best. They recently razed the adjacent strip mall to build the restaurant component of the theatre. They have apparently completely gutted the inside of the theatre.

I remember visiting this cinema a number of times when it was a second run theatre. The only drawback here was parking. Hopefully, they find a way to overcome this when it reopens.

I remember it way back as a single screen theatre with a very wide auditorium when I started going here regularly in the 1960s. Although the Park rarely had foreign-language or art-house fare, in July of 1963 I saw a double bill here of Bolognini's "Bell'Antonio" starring Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale playing with Jules Dassin's "The Law," also with Mastroianni and featuring Gina Lollobrigida. "Bell'Antonio" was shown dubbed in English. "The Law" was in French with English subtitles. The same program day/dated with the Seekonk 'Art' Drive-In on Rte. 6 in nearby Massachusetts. Very odd bit of programming for both venues except that Mastroianni had recently received a great deal of popular acceptance in Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" and "8½." "Adults Only!" the Journal ad proclaimed.

Here are a couple of photos:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60/italiangerry/Cinemas/ParkCranstonRI-2.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60/italiangerry/Cinemas/ParkCranstonRI-1.jpg

I remember going here many times as a kid. I remember those weekend kiddie matinees and in the late 1960's/early 70's seeing a double bill of the first PLANET OF THE APES sequel and I believe THE FLIM FLAM MAN with George C. Scott and Michael Sarazan here.

Last time I was there was the mid 1980s when I caught THE KARATE KID.

Here is some updated news about plans to renovate the Park for concerts and theatrical productions. The theatre, closed for several years now, has been in limbo.

The Park Theatre opened on November 17, 1924. The Providence Journal reported:
"Completion of the new Park Theatre at the junction of Pontiac and Park Avenues in Auburn marks the latest development in an efort to establish the civic center of Cranston at this point. (...)
"Park Theatre, Inc., of which A. A. Spitz is president and general manager, owns the building and will operate the theatre. (...)
"The main building which house the theatre and three stores...rises to a height of two storeys...the theatre itself has no balcony. (...)
"The auditorium of the theatre, which has a seating capacity of 988, is approximately 100 feet long. (...)
"Old ivory, gold, brown and blue are the colors used for the inerior decoration. (...)
"One of the features of the equipment is a large two-manual Moller p[ipe organ.... The stage is large enough for vaudeville and legitimate performances... For the present motion pictures will be shown, but in the future vaudeville acts may be given also.
"Plans for the building were prepared by William R. Walker & Sons, incollaboration with E. H. Bigney, the contractor and builder."
*****
The theatre opened with the Frank Borzage film Secrets with Norma Talmadge and the Hal Roach comedy The Battling Orioles.

I just revisited the site the other day, and construction is under way full steam. For the first time in decades, you can see the original proscenium, which had been obscured by the triplexing and new screens. A large behind-the-stage area is being constructed. Several of the original shops on the Park Avenue side have been removed.

Here are two recent photos of the Park as it undergoes de-triplexing, reconstruction, expansion, and refurbishing. The original proscenium re-appears after decades.
PEEKING FROM FRONT
PEEKING FROM REAR

Here is a 1995 photo of the Park Theatre. (Courtesy of Fred Deusch.)

Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook's that I have;1941, 1943 and 1950 editions as being located in Auburn. It's seating capacity is listed as 1,200.

Auburn is a neighborhood of Cranston. That seating capacity was changed when the theatre was triplexed a few decades ago. Now that it is being restored as a single auditorium, it is sure to change again.

Obviously the Park did not reopen in summer 2004. Or summer 2006. It will not reopen anytime in the foreseeable future as renovations have stalled.

The manager at the Park in the 1950s was Charles Nelson.

Newspaper ad for Esquire Theatres in Rhode Island on December 7, 1971.

Great ad, Gerald, brought back memories. We lived near Hugh B. Bain and used to go to the Park often when it was a single theatre. I remember seeing some horror movie there on a double bill with THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (1964? 65?) that scared me so much that my mom had to take me into the ladies' room until it was over. I can't remember the title and always wonder what the film was. The ladies' bathroom was probably original to the theatre, with tiles and a big iron radiator. The original interior was still nice even if it was very worn out. Remember seeing lots of other films there including MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN and HELLO DOWN THERE. We noticed them bulldozing around it when we visited in August.

If I am reading that Esquire Theatre Ad right, that is quite the double bill for the Paris Cinema in Providence. "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" on one screen with what looks like a porno film, "Lonesome Cowboys" on the other.

You've got the highbrows in one theatre and the raincoat brigade going into the other. Strange bedfellows.

Lonesome Cowboys, which I actually saw there, is not porno. It was an Andy Warhol factory film co-directed by Paul Morrissey, with Joe Dallessandro. Raunchy, yes. Porno, no. A very bad film.

I just saw what I thought looked like and X rating (turned out to be an X if it is an Warhol film) and made an assumption. That is pretty adventurous booking for a downtown Providence theatre.

That was an interim period before the Paris went hardcore. Gay on one screen, straight on the other, I believe.

This history of Cranston theaters mentions the Park:
http://tinyurl.com/yyq3hk

The theatre owners finally secured funding for the project in May, 2006. Construction was to have restarted, but some elements of the building needed to be redesigned following review by the Cranston Historic District Commission. Now the owners say sidewalk demolition and erection of scaffolding will happen this month, and steel will be delivered in mid-January.

When completed, the theatre will have 1,100 seats and will feature a "Cyber Café" and a second-floor upscale Meditteranean-style restaurant where the Park Avenue storefronts were.

Here's more from the Providence Journal, 12/5/06.

As of last week, it looked pretty much the same as it does in Gerald A. DeLuca's June, 2005 photos. The owner of an antique store nearby said a portion of Pontiac Avenue is supposed to be closed soon to accommodate construction activity, so maybe there is hope.

At a July debate, mayor-elect Michael Napolitano threatened that he would take the property by eminent domain if work doesn't progress.

Okay, looks like it is still a go as it is now GOING!

Taken from my ISP online newspage.


Park Cinema Renovations Underway
03-13-2007 11:41 AM

(Cranston, RI) -- Renovations at the Park Cinema in Cranston are finally underway. Beams for the planned addition arrived last week as did a refurbished portion of the 1920s-era stage. Crews are hard at work and city officials tell the "Providence Journal," final work is scheduled for the end of July. When complete, the downtown building will contain the cinema, an upscale Mediterranean-style restaurant and gourmet coffee shop.<

Okay, looks like it is still a go as it is now GOING!

Taken from my ISP online newspage.


Park Cinema Renovations Underway
03-13-2007 11:41 AM

(Cranston, RI) -- Renovations at the Park Cinema in Cranston are finally underway. Beams for the planned addition arrived last week as did a refurbished portion of the 1920s-era stage. Crews are hard at work and city officials tell the "Providence Journal," final work is scheduled for the end of July. When complete, the downtown building will contain the cinema, an upscale Mediterranean-style restaurant and gourmet coffee shop.<

July, 1963 program shared with the Seekonk "Art" Drive-In.

Any updates?

Last time I was by a few weeks ago, construction seemed to be in progress, with a massive rear-of-stage area being readied. But there have been so many starts and stops here that I can only believe it when I see the final results.

Here are some photos that I took today to show just how much destruction (renovation?) that is taking place. I'll go back during the week when I can take closer up photos of the renovations of the interior. I can tell you that this doesn't look like a renovation, it looks like a total redo.

http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/RolandL/Cranston/Park%20Street%20Theater/

Work on the theater is progressing. There is a very large two-story building rising west of the existing theater building (visible as steel framework in Roland's photos) with windows on the north (Park Avenue) and west sides. It looks like the auditorium will be expanded into part of the first floor of the building. As Roland's photos indicate, there is nothing left of the lobby and Park Avenue storefronts except the exterior walls.

Work continues! The entire building is now two stories, including over the former storefronts, and it's four stories over the stage. It appears that interior work is going on now, as there was a truck making deliveries to a loading dock at the rear of the building. If things continue at this pace, a 2009 opening is likely.

Video tour of the project with mayoral candidate Cindy Fogarty and Councilman Emilio Navarro, from August 2008. "The restaurant and bar should be open within the next two months" - well, not quite.

Here are two 1986 photos:

Photo1

Photo2

New feature on the Park at Art in Ruins, with photos from 2004 to 2008: http://www.artinruins.com/arch/?id=redevelop&pr=parkcinema

The Park Café and 848 martini lounge are open! The second-floor LOL Comedy Lounge opens September 12. As for the theater itself, they have hired a manager who is traveling the country booking entertainment.

Cranston Herald article #1
Cranston Herald article #2
Cranston Herald article #3

Today's Providence Journal suggests an early- to mid-October opening.

It's not quite finished, but the theater is opening its doors for a sneak peek tonight!

It's baaaaaaaaaaccccccccckkkkkkkkkkk!!!

http://www.projo.com/news/content/PARK_CINEMA_REOPENS_10-24-09_RJG51MO_v70.38b71e9.html

October 15 Cranston Herald article says film screenings are a possibility.

October 28 Cranston Herald article about the reopening.

The official name is now "Rhode Island Center for Performing Arts" but the "PARK" sign has been removed, refurbished, and reinstalled atop the building.