Castle Cinema
1039 Chalkstone Avenue,
Providence,
RI
02908
1039 Chalkstone Avenue,
Providence,
RI
02908
5 people
favorited this theater
The Castle Theatre was a neighborhood vaudeville playhouse, which was built in the mid-1920’s that switched to movies only by 1930.
Over the years, it was converted into a triplex, and most recently, converted into a cinema pub and cafe.
The Castle Cinema was closed in 2004.
Contributed by
Richard W. Einig
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Recent comments (view all 37 comments)
The marquee is gone! The front of the building is still plastered with No Trespassing signs, as well as McKenna for Senate signs. There is a building permit posted in the window of the restaurant on the corner, but it’s too high up to read. The lobby of the theater looks just like it did when open.
Tiles now cover the area where the marquee was, which was bare brick last month. Something is definitely going on.
The Castle is featured in the Providence Preservation Society’s Most Engangered Properties photo exhibit at Butterfield, 232 Westminster Street. According to the exhibit, the building was purchased by the RISPCA, who in turn plans on leasing it to Rhode Island College to use for drug treatment programs. The marquee was removed per orders of the buildings department. There was talk of donating the building to AS220 about nine months ago, which apparently fell through.
I worked here in the 60’s and 70’s when it was an SBC single screen. It was nothing special, and parking was definately an issue. They used to lease an empty lot diagonal to the theatre and towards the city. I drove by on Thanksgiving when I was back in town and couldn’t spot that lot.
I can’t imagine this ever getting off the ground again.
1983 Photo
I had the pleasure of owning and operating this theater. We bought it in 1983 from the SBC corp. for $150000(wow) which also ran the Cinerama Theater now a CVS. We owned it from 1983 until 2000. It was a single screen until SBC twined it in the early 70s. In 1989 we made use of the balcony as a third screen. The building opened Thanksgiving weekend 1926. I actually have a flier from that date, a customer gave to me. Unfortunately due to a decline in the neighborhood, the time we had to wait to get product and the mall with its new 16 screens……it was time to sell. Sad to see the marquee was removed, but the two terracotta lion heads are still guarding the building……….
17 years is a good and respectable run Ralph.
From Boxoffice magazine, February 4, 1956:
“In the most extensive cooperation promotion ever seen in this area, 14 Providence and nearby houses used record-breaking newspaper advertising space in heralding the joint premiere of "The Day the World Ended” and “Phantom from 10,000 Leagues.” Virtually taking over the amusement pages of the local press for several days, the following houses united in the ad: Elmwood, Hope, Uptown, Liberty, Castle, all in this city; Community, Centredale; Strand, Pawtucket; Union, Attleboro; Hollywood, East Providence; Palace, Cranston; Community, Wakefield; Park, Auburn; Palace, Arctic and Stadium, Woonsocket. A brief checkup of local houses indicated that opening days were solid."
In September 1926, this theatre was part of the eleven-theatre Celebrate Paramount Week.
Newspaper ad.
RKQ I really hope you’re still active on this site. I’m a graduate of entrepreneurship and intend to go to grad school for Historic Preservation. My focus has always been on historic theaters. I would love to speak to you about your time owning and operating Castle Cinema. Does anyone know what happened to the original Marquee.