Strand Theater
84 Washington Street,
Providence,
RI
02903
84 Washington Street,
Providence,
RI
02903
4 people
favorited this theater
The Strand Theater was located directly behind Providence’s Biltmore Hotel. It opened on June 12, 1915 as a movie theatre, it also had stage facilities, which came into use in later years.
Briefly known as the Paramount Theater in the 1930’s, the Strand name was afterward restored. It was twinned in the 1970’s when it was operating as an adult theater. It closed as a movie house in 1978. In the 1990’s, it became a fairly popular live concert venue, but eventually closed.
Today the Strand Theater is home to a nightclub.
Contributed by
Charles D'atri, William
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Recent comments (view all 54 comments)
A quick question for those who worked at the theater in its' various incarnations. I happened to see several disused old dressing rooms, including lighted mirrors, going up a couple of levels, in the backstage area at the Strand when it was operating as a rock club. Given the historical record, can you explain the dressing rooms? Did they run vaudeville acts along with the movies in the early days? Strippers with the dirty movies? Can’t figure it out….
Were the early orchestras the only live entertainment in the movie era?
The Strand was opened in 1915 as a movie theatre, not as a vaudeville house. In the first years it was against the law to show movies on Sundays in Providence theatres. So live musical events often filled the bill…such as the recital here by the great tenor John McCormack. That would have required dressing rooms for the performers. See the comments posted above on October 11 & 12, 2008.
In an unusual bit of programming in February 1921, Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid was booked simultaneously in five downtown Providence theatres: the Strand, the Emery, the Modern, Fays, and the Rialto. Occasionally some highly anticipated movies might play in two downtown theatres, but never five! It seems to have run only one week, in an era when that was pretty much the norm, with films running a single week downtown, then moving to second run theatres and outlying houses. Each of these theatres accompanied this feature with short subjects or live Vaudeville acts.
In September 1926, this theatre was part of the eleven-theatre Celebrate Paramount Week.
Newspaper ad.
In September 1920, this theatre was part of the celebration of the 3rd annual Paramount Week. CLICK HERE for all participating RI area theatres and the titles of the films shown.
In September 1922 this theatre was part of Rhode Island’s Paramount Week. Click to see the ad in Providence News, September 1, 1921, which contains a list of all participating theatres as well as the films shown that week.
PART ONE OF AD
PART TWO OF AD
That was 1922.
Ad announcing opening day on June 12, 1915:
NEWSPAPER AD
Sexual awareness public service films, 1924. The End of the Road, and Prostitution and the Police. MEN ONLY, OVER 16