EARLY 20TH CENTURY PHOTO of Rocky Point Park. Forest Casino was located within the amusement park. Many area residents flocked to this park during the warm months. Ferries and direct trolleys could bring them in. They could picnic or have a RI shore dinner, visit the amusements and rides, go to a dance hall, attend a vaudeville and movie program before returning home. I don’t believe any actual photos of the Forest Casino survive, and I believe that it may have been destroyed in a fire that leveled some of the park early on.
From The (Providence)Evening News, August 7, 1909: “A new vaudeville show and new sets of moving pictures are offered in the Forest casino and the bill is one that cannot fail to please.”
From Providence News, June 1, 1920: “Forest Casino offered an extra good bill of pictures and vaudeville and was well patronized.”
A Providence Journal item on May 19 indicated that there would be a fundraiser on June 3 to benefit the Greenwich Odeum Theatre. The venue has been closed for several years because it could not meet new stricter fire codes in the wake of the 2003 Station Night Club fire in West Warwick.
I walked by it a couple of weeks ago. No films were playing but I saw a lot of work activity in the lobby area. I don’t know what is going on. Perhaps some restructuring? Conversion to another use?
Alan,
“Across the street” but up Broadway was the Paramount, now an apartment building. Next to the Strand by a couple of doors is the Opera House. Diagonally behind the Strand and the Opera House, on Thames Street, was the Colonial, now an Express store. There were no others in that area unless you go back to around 1907. My guess is that you are thinking of the Paramount. The Paramount is listed on Cinema Treasures.
Russell, I asked that same question to Tom Falciglia, son of the man who built the Columbia. He said he had none and didn’t know of any. Perhaps some photos may emerge at some point, from neighbors of the theatre, for example. Unfortunately there are numerous RI theatres of the past of which no known photos exist, for example the Olympia in Woonsocket, the Broadway in Pawtucket, the Gem in Arctic.
An item in the Providence News, May 8, 1920, refers to the Star Theatre in Natick:
[i]Moose to Show Films
Warwick Lodge, No. 996, Loyal Order of Moose, of Arctic, is making plans to exhibit four reels of moving pictures at the Star Theatre, Natick, on next Wednesday evening. These pictures were taken in and about Mooseheart, sand will be explained by District Supervisor N. Waldo Kennedy of Providence. It is planned to show these pictures free of charge to the people in Natick.[/i]
Request to show fight motion pictures at the Bliven in 1911 meets with opposition from church groups and others who assert that showing such films would be injurious to the community of Westerly. ARTICLE
A 1919 Providence News article reported on certain Central Falls and Valley Falls theatres violating the state prohibition on Sunday film exhibition. READ ARTICLE HERE
EARLY 20TH CENTURY PHOTO of Rocky Point Park. Forest Casino was located within the amusement park. Many area residents flocked to this park during the warm months. Ferries and direct trolleys could bring them in. They could picnic or have a RI shore dinner, visit the amusements and rides, go to a dance hall, attend a vaudeville and movie program before returning home. I don’t believe any actual photos of the Forest Casino survive, and I believe that it may have been destroyed in a fire that leveled some of the park early on.
SEPTEMBER 1914 AD
From The (Providence)Evening News, August 7, 1909: “A new vaudeville show and new sets of moving pictures are offered in the Forest casino and the bill is one that cannot fail to please.”
From Providence News, June 1, 1920: “Forest Casino offered an extra good bill of pictures and vaudeville and was well patronized.”
A Providence Journal item on May 19 indicated that there would be a fundraiser on June 3 to benefit the Greenwich Odeum Theatre. The venue has been closed for several years because it could not meet new stricter fire codes in the wake of the 2003 Station Night Club fire in West Warwick.
I walked by it a couple of weeks ago. No films were playing but I saw a lot of work activity in the lobby area. I don’t know what is going on. Perhaps some restructuring? Conversion to another use?
Alan, “Across the street” but up Broadway was the Paramount, now an apartment building. Next to the Strand by a couple of doors is the Opera House. Diagonally behind the Strand and the Opera House, on Thames Street, was the Colonial, now an Express store. There were no others in that area unless you go back to around 1907. My guess is that you are thinking of the Paramount. The Paramount is listed on Cinema Treasures.
Alan, that Newport theatre might have been the Strand, now known and listed as the Jane Pickens Theatre.
Russell, I asked that same question to Tom Falciglia, son of the man who built the Columbia. He said he had none and didn’t know of any. Perhaps some photos may emerge at some point, from neighbors of the theatre, for example. Unfortunately there are numerous RI theatres of the past of which no known photos exist, for example the Olympia in Woonsocket, the Broadway in Pawtucket, the Gem in Arctic.
The first all-talking movie, Lights of New York, began a run at the Majestic Theatre on August 5, 1928.
NEWSPAPER AD
Opening day for Emery’s Majestic as a full-time motion picture venue, March 31, 1923.
NEWSPAPER AD
Newspaper ad for opening of Tol'able David in January 1922.
Opening day ad, February 7, 1916.
Low-quality images of the Westminster Playhouse in 1957, not long before it was demolished in November of that year:
Outside and inside.
Opening day ad for Emery’s Majestic Theatre, April 9, 1917:
NEWSPAPER AD
Opening day ad for the Metropolitan, August 25, 1932.
NEWSPAPER AD
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE on the opening of the Olympia in September 1926 with photo of owner, Captain Jacob Conn.
Proceeds of movie program at the Manville Opera House donated to a charitable cause in January 1925. NEWSPAPER ITEM
Proprietor N. J. Trahan donates proceeds of two movie shows at the Central to a charity fund in February 1925.
NEWSPAPER ITEM
Movies at Hart’s Hall in 1920.
Halloween costume dance at Hart’s in 1922.
October 16, 1921 at the Odeon….a show called “Melodyland."
AD.
An item in the Providence News, May 8, 1920, refers to the Star Theatre in Natick:
[i]Moose to Show Films
Warwick Lodge, No. 996, Loyal Order of Moose, of Arctic, is making plans to exhibit four reels of moving pictures at the Star Theatre, Natick, on next Wednesday evening. These pictures were taken in and about Mooseheart, sand will be explained by District Supervisor N. Waldo Kennedy of Providence. It is planned to show these pictures free of charge to the people in Natick.[/i]
Request to show fight motion pictures at the Bliven in 1911 meets with opposition from church groups and others who assert that showing such films would be injurious to the community of Westerly.
ARTICLE
Shriners have initiation at Bliven Opera House in November 1913. Vaudeville entertainment provided:
EVENING NEWS
A 1919 Providence News article reported on certain Central Falls and Valley Falls theatres violating the state prohibition on Sunday film exhibition. READ ARTICLE HERE