Castle Cinema
1039 Chalkstone Avenue,
Providence,
RI
02908
1039 Chalkstone Avenue,
Providence,
RI
02908
5 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 36 comments found
In September 1926, this theatre was part of the eleven-theatre Celebrate Paramount Week.
Newspaper ad.
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."
17 years is a good and respectable run Ralph.
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……….
1983 Photo
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.
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.
Tiles now cover the area where the marquee was, which was bare brick last month. Something is definitely going on.
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.
I am in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood and interested in getting this place open again – to the point where I am doing some research on ways this could happen. My background is in education, so I am thinking of ways it can be opened as a cultural/community center. Any news on what it’s status is at the moment?
Still sitting dormant, with No Trespassing signs posted on the front doors. Some of the “CASTLE” letters on the right side of the marquee have fallen backwards.
Any word on anything happening with this theatre? I think it would be great if the people who owned the Revival House in Westerly could do something with this building.
Here is a photo of the Castle Cinema when it was still open.
Groundbreaking for renovations, October 10, 2001
for sale $699,000
The Castle briefly reopened in August to host part of the 2006 Rhode Island International Film Festival.
for sale $775,000.00
Updated: Castle Cinema auction canceled
Providence Journal 7 to 7 News Blog, April 21, 2006
PROVIDENCE — An auction planned this morning for Chalkstone Avenue’s Castle Cinema has been canceled.
The restaurant and neighborhood cinema was scheduled for a foreclosure auction at 10 a.m., after its owners, New Concept Entertainment, failed to get the theater up and running since assuming ownership in January.
The auction company, Irving Schechtman & Co., confirmed this morning that the auction has been “completely canceled, not postponed.”
The proceedings were canceled because New Concept Entertainment filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection yesterday. By federal law, the filing automatically halts foreclosure auctions, pending a review of the company’s assets and liabilities by a judge.
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Castle Cinema goes on the block again
Providence Journal, Wednesday, April 19, 2006
“ The Chalkstone Avenue neighborhood cinema is scheduled to be sold at a public auction at 10 a.m. on Friday … The scheduled foreclosure sale comes less than four months after Anthony Gemma and his partners in Chalkstone Realty LLC sold the property to New Concept Entertainment Inc. on Jan. 6 in hopes that the new owners would reopen the three-screen theater. ”
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The Castle Cinema is up for sale again. Providence Journal story.
I used to work at the Castle while In was in college from 2003 to 2004. I dont know about the above post- the Gemmas have been nothing but nice to me. I know everyone who worked there was sad to see it close. The job was one of the best Ive ever had. I miss it more than anything!
Shout out to the Castle Crew – Buddy, Lauren, Kelly, Eric, Steve, Rachel, Nate, the kitchen boys, and of course my girl Joni! Fat blunts up in the projection booth tonight! Party at 145 Pembroke afterwards! Anyone who used to work there- this is Chris, and shoot me an email at
Whee!
Well, let me make a few comments about the Castle Cinema. The Castle was bought in 2000 by the Gemma family, owners of Gem Plumbing. The youngest brother was put through school and became a lawyer, specializing in real estate law. he and another graduate started Gemma and Levine. Recently, they realized that personal injury work makes A LOT of money. The plumbing side fronted the personal injury advertising. Seen any “Justice for All” ads? That’s them.
Anyway, back to the Castle. The plumbing company was making a BUNCH of money and basically needed a hole to hide it. They bought the Castle under the guise of revitalization. By the way, the town counselman for the area worked for the plumbing company at the time! Whee!!
These guys know plumbing. They know to chase an ambulance. Anthony Gemma’s (The owner) personal motto: “Mirror and Match” to be a success. Copy a successful business. He tried to copy other cinema pubs while knowing nothing about the industry.
Seeing this project fail feels soooooo good. The Castle was a beautiful theater and they bastardized it. They tried to make it too much too fast. Could it be a good cinema pub? Yes. But you need to put a heart and soul into it, not just money.
The Castle was operated by Lockwood & Gordon , Boston during the fifties.
The Castle and the Art Cinema on Broad Street shared a programming of the film of the La Scala production of Puccini’s La Bohème on November 3 & 4, 1965. An unusual bit of day-dating shared by the two theatres.
Here is a 1995 photo of the Castle Theatre. (Courtesy of Fred Deusch.)