Holiday Cinema

I was born, bred and raised in Central Falls and it aches my heart to see this theater closed. It was very plain, I mean, the interior was your basic screen, stage and sticky floors!!

I frequented this theater just about every weekend when it was the Lafayette. I laughed about the ticketing and concession booth. The ticket window was to the right and the concession stand was to the left. Sometimes, the same person did both jobs!! I recall a very elderly lady working there at the concession booth and would go about with a flashlight making sure all the teenagers were behaving during the movie.

I also recall that they use to raffle off dogs and silver dollars as a means to get people to come to their Saturday and Sunday matinees and not stroll down to the Leroy in Pawtucket or the Strand.

I miss the Lafayette Theater.

I'm from Johnston and managed to get to the Lafayette/Holiday only a few times over the years, but I liked it, and have a great findness for all "village cinemas." Here is a relatively recent photo I took:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60/italiangerry/Cinemas/Lafayette-CentralFalls-RI.jpg

Dear Gerald and Roland,
Thank you for your comments and research on the theatre's of Pawtucket and Central Falls. I grew up on Clay Street in the 60's and 70's and remember many fond trips to the Holiday Cinema, the Leroy, Darlton...My last trip to the Leroy was to have seen Jethro Tull, but the performance was cancelled. My mother still lives in CF and I get back there at least once a year. My grandfather used to own Bill's Bowlaway, which is now the Credit Union Central Falls parking lot. It's sad to see what has happened to my hometown, and I can't drive down Broad Street without feeling melancholy

Even as a kid, I always hoped to have the money to buy the Leroy or the Holiday with a friend of mine from Cross St and save it. I guess that stuck with me...as I am now the director of The Ritz Theatre in Tiffin, OH, a restored 1928 movie palace. If you ever find yourself in Ohio stop on by and see what can happen to a theatre when people care.

MSStrong, your grandfather owned Bill's Bowlaway!?! OMG, I spent a great deal of time on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. I remember you could get three strings for a dollar!!

I miss the Holiday Cinema and particularly when it was the Lafayette.

I am going to assume something on my part, but do you have a brother name Kurt? No need to say more than yes/no..

Gerald gives an awful lot of dedication and time to this particular website and I appreciate all that he has contributed.

I just got started! Congratulations on your appointment to the Ritz in Ohio!! Must seem like a dream come true. I envy you.

Have you given any comments about the Ritz on this website or if the theater entry doesn't exist, why not start one going?

If you are interested in old R.I. theatres, check out the Paramount and Colonial in Newport on this site. Their exteriors still exist and I just photographed them after believing that they had been completely demolished.

Nope, no Kurt in my family. I am the oldest of 5 kids, went to Notre Dame Elementary and HS till it closed in 1977. I went to school with two folks with your last name (David and Michael, both of CF, both of whom would be in the early to mid 40's now). My father met my mother when he had a job at the Bowlaway as a pinsetter.

The Ritz is a true gem, and I'm lucky to be here. We still use the pair of 1940's carbon arc projectors, though we don't show film too often anymore with the new super-mega-giantplex in town. I do have to edit the comments on The Ritz.

Thanks for your reply!

Michael

I went to an Italian-horror double bill here on September 15, 1976. The films were Deep Red (Dario Argento) and The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (Emilio Miraglia). The genre is not my cup of tea and I don't think I really enjoyed it.

Also saw Greased Lightning with Superman here on July 2, 1979.

On January 10, 1965 a newspaper ad for the Lafayette announced, without giving a specific title, a "new Portuguese feature film." The only other theatre in R.I. I know of for sure as showing occasional Portuguese-language films for the ethnic audience was the Hollywood in East Providence.

Michael, Do you have a sister named Susan? Did your dad deliver pies and bread? Was he a den leader for the cub scouts? I too went to Notre Dame Elementary and CF High in the 60's and 70's. Looks like you have an awesome job. Write back if you're still checking out this site.

I don't know why, but Cinematreasures won't let me add a Lafayette Theater to the list.

So, here's a photo from the 50's of the Lafayette. I know it is from then because my father took it.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/RolandL/CentralFalls/Lafayette-1.jpg

Roland L; Cinema Treasures policy is usually to name the theatre by its most recent, or last name, with an aka above, which can also be searched on the site. Thanks for your input, and the above photo is much appreciated.

KenRoe, thank you for guidance. I've not been that active lately and I guess I forgot my way!

Roland, in that photo the theatre marquee says C.Scope (CinemaScope), Interrupted Melody, Glenn Ford, and Run for Cover, James Cagney. Those films came out in the spring of 1955. So this may be a bit later in 1955, perhaps summer.