Dick, I didn’t notice that closing date discrepancy. I was quoting written sources I found, some of which may have contained errors. The other x-rated house on Main Street was Cinema I. It was opened, I am assuming, by the folks that had run the one on Pleasant Street once it closed. So there were two theatres named Cinema I at different times. The later one was the porno house of which you speak, diagonally across from the Capitol. I believe it was a small new theatre, carved out of an existing building. That theatre also has a page on Cinema Treasures, right here.
Nancie, your husband’s memories, and yours as well, should be posted where appropriate. That’s what Cinema Treasures is all about. I made sure that ALL the known Fall River theatres were represented on this site. Every recollection is valuable for those seeking to counter the slowly disappearing history of old movie theatres. Incidentally, the Capitol Theatre, for decades a bowling alley and a furniture store, is now in the process of being (slowly) restored. I hope the project comes to completion. As you must kown, it was located right across from the Plaza.
The theatre e-newsletter just announced the following:
The Jane Pickens Theater is poised to become Washington Square’s first live performance center. The movie house on Touro Street will continue to show films, but owner Kathy Staab plans to add live performances. “This gives us more opportunities to bring in people with a variety of events,” Staab said.
More information can be found at the theatre’s website:
Nancie, I’m only generally familiar with the area you speak about. I am actually from the Providence area. I developed an interest in old theatres of the Fall River area (and nearby Massachusetts) as an outgrowth of my interest in RI theatres. It’s a little too late, I’m afraid, because I’ve never actually set foot in most of them (except the Academy) when they were still around. I keep searching for history and photos, however. My mother, when she was alive, used to like to be taken out to Saint Anne’s Church on the July feast day.
John: Well, I know it played the Plaza. I have the New York Times review. And Juliet of the Spirits opened in three theatres: (New) Embassy, RKO 23rd St. Cinema, and RKO 58th St., not the Little Carnegie. Though, again, it may have moved over there.
It is indeed. It is beautifully restored to its original look. The Theatre Historical Society of American visited here in June with three busloads of old-theatre enthusiasts from across the nation.
This is the front page of an eight-page booklet of reviews of Fellini’s 8 ½ distributed to patrons when it day-dated at the Park Square and Kenmore Square cinemas in 1963.
This is the front page of an eight-page booklet of reviews of Fellini’s 8 ½ distributed to patrons when it day-dated at the Park Square and Kenmore Square cinemas in 1963.
Marialivia, my only suggestion would be (if ever feasible – I’ve forgotten where you now reside) ) to spend a day or two at the Pawtucket Library, looking at the old Pawtucket Times microfilm, week by week for 1940. If I am there at some point, I can try myself.
This pre-1910 postcard shows, on the right, the Opera House and further up the columned Zion Congregational Church which would eventually become the Strand and the Jane Pickens.
This pre-1910 postcard shows, on the right, the Opera House and further up the columned Zion Congregational Church which would eventually become the Strand and the Jane Pickens.
Architecturally speaking the Majestic, which was totally gutted by Trinity Rep, suffered a much worse fate than the Strand. The Strand interior remains virtually intact.
In response to the above post on the Stadium, there was another use of a RI theatre in a movie production. Michael Corrente’s film American Buffalo, with Dustin Hoffman, had several scenes shot outside the decaying marquee of the Leroy Theatre in Pawtucket, RI. It was Pawtucket’s most beautiful movie palace and no plans to save it ever came to fruition. It was demolished not long after the film’s completion.
Here is an old postcard view of North Main Street with the Bijou Theatre seen on the right. The card was mailed in 1912 and probably dates from around 1910 or a bit earlier. Expand image for more detail.
Warren, the Rossellini film, The Greatest Love (also known as Europe ‘51) is not the stinker you assert it to be. Many now consider it one of his best works, an essay on the nature of goodness and whether its extremes can become insanity. Martin Scorsese admires this film a great deal, and his 35mm print of it was shown at the New York Film Festival in 1980 as a revival-tribute. Vincent Canby in The New York Times of October 12 that year called it “One of this festival’s bravest —maybe even finest— moments.” I attended that showing and the audience reaction was a very good one. I have watched it many times in 16mm and on video and am always moved by this key Italian film of the 1950s and its moving, even mystical, qualities. The film is indeed peculiar, has its detractors, but it has great admirers as well. It was a movie very much ahead of its time and had a great influence, along with Rossellini’s Voyage to Italy, another trashed masterpiece, on the French new wave directors. Read Tag Gallagher’s volume on Rossellini for an elaborate discourse. My point is a simple one…problematic? Perhaps. A stinker? Absolutely not! Absolutely not!
Symphony Hall was built as a concert hall. But films have been shown there in the past, especially during the silent era. There is a display case inside showing some of the films from that were shown there…such as a silent version of Carmen, some Russian silents like Potemkin and, I believe, Ten Days That Shook the World. More recently when the Boston Symphony performed Prokofiev’s film-cantata Alexander Nevsky, Eisenstein’s film was projected and the live orchestra substituted for the recorded soundtrack film score.
This 1941 photo of the marquee and front of the Royal, though from a photocopy of very poor quality, gives an idea of what the place looked like. It is from the M.G.M. Theatre Photograph and Report. The condition was described as good, the type of patronage was stated as “mill and low income.” The seating at the time was 600 with 550 on the main floor and 50 in the balcony. The Royal had been playing M.G.M. product for three years. A competing theatre was given as the Strand.
Photos of the exterior and interior of the United in the process of renovation/restoration and taken by John Koulbanis, can be seen (now at least) in the Westerly Sun’s online photo page. Find event ID: 99240. The photos are available for sale.
In a personal blog called GaraLog, the author Gara LaMarche recalls living in Westerly some thirty-plus years ago and wrote this about the United Theatre:
“A short walk from the station will take you past the old United Theatre, where I spent almost every Saturday afternoon at the movies — admission about 35 cents, if I recall correctly. They actually ran Flash Gordon serials before the feature. (I feel as if I should be writing this from a rocking chair.) The United marquee is still up, but the theatre has been closed for at least twenty years.”
Dick, I didn’t notice that closing date discrepancy. I was quoting written sources I found, some of which may have contained errors. The other x-rated house on Main Street was Cinema I. It was opened, I am assuming, by the folks that had run the one on Pleasant Street once it closed. So there were two theatres named Cinema I at different times. The later one was the porno house of which you speak, diagonally across from the Capitol. I believe it was a small new theatre, carved out of an existing building. That theatre also has a page on Cinema Treasures, right here.
Four lovely photos of the interior of the Casino Theatre, an unknown treasure of Rhode Island.
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
Nancie, your husband’s memories, and yours as well, should be posted where appropriate. That’s what Cinema Treasures is all about. I made sure that ALL the known Fall River theatres were represented on this site. Every recollection is valuable for those seeking to counter the slowly disappearing history of old movie theatres. Incidentally, the Capitol Theatre, for decades a bowling alley and a furniture store, is now in the process of being (slowly) restored. I hope the project comes to completion. As you must kown, it was located right across from the Plaza.
The theatre e-newsletter just announced the following:
The Jane Pickens Theater is poised to become Washington Square’s first live performance center. The movie house on Touro Street will continue to show films, but owner Kathy Staab plans to add live performances. “This gives us more opportunities to bring in people with a variety of events,” Staab said.
More information can be found at the theatre’s website:
Nancie, I’m only generally familiar with the area you speak about. I am actually from the Providence area. I developed an interest in old theatres of the Fall River area (and nearby Massachusetts) as an outgrowth of my interest in RI theatres. It’s a little too late, I’m afraid, because I’ve never actually set foot in most of them (except the Academy) when they were still around. I keep searching for history and photos, however. My mother, when she was alive, used to like to be taken out to Saint Anne’s Church on the July feast day.
Here is a very poor photo of the Plaza Theatre in Fall River in 1941. PHOTO
Ed, according to my diary and film log, I definitely saw Winter Kept Us Warm there on April 16, 1968.
ngtowl, The Meadowbrook is listed HERE on Cinema Treasures.
John: Well, I know it played the Plaza. I have the New York Times review. And Juliet of the Spirits opened in three theatres: (New) Embassy, RKO 23rd St. Cinema, and RKO 58th St., not the Little Carnegie. Though, again, it may have moved over there.
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis opened at the Plaza, where I saw it in December of 1971. Might it have moved over to the LC?
“I hear it’s quite beautiful today.”
It is indeed. It is beautifully restored to its original look. The Theatre Historical Society of American visited here in June with three busloads of old-theatre enthusiasts from across the nation.
This is the front page of an eight-page booklet of reviews of Fellini’s 8 ½ distributed to patrons when it day-dated at the Park Square and Kenmore Square cinemas in 1963.
This is the front page of an eight-page booklet of reviews of Fellini’s 8 ½ distributed to patrons when it day-dated at the Park Square and Kenmore Square cinemas in 1963.
In their way more “sexy” than Russ Meyer’s Vixen playing all over town.
Marialivia, my only suggestion would be (if ever feasible – I’ve forgotten where you now reside) ) to spend a day or two at the Pawtucket Library, looking at the old Pawtucket Times microfilm, week by week for 1940. If I am there at some point, I can try myself.
This pre-1910 postcard shows, on the right, the Opera House and further up the columned Zion Congregational Church which would eventually become the Strand and the Jane Pickens.
This pre-1910 postcard shows, on the right, the Opera House and further up the columned Zion Congregational Church which would eventually become the Strand and the Jane Pickens.
Architecturally speaking the Majestic, which was totally gutted by Trinity Rep, suffered a much worse fate than the Strand. The Strand interior remains virtually intact.
In response to the above post on the Stadium, there was another use of a RI theatre in a movie production. Michael Corrente’s film American Buffalo, with Dustin Hoffman, had several scenes shot outside the decaying marquee of the Leroy Theatre in Pawtucket, RI. It was Pawtucket’s most beautiful movie palace and no plans to save it ever came to fruition. It was demolished not long after the film’s completion.
Here is an old postcard view of North Main Street with the Bijou Theatre seen on the right. The card was mailed in 1912 and probably dates from around 1910 or a bit earlier. Expand image for more detail.
Warren, the Rossellini film, The Greatest Love (also known as Europe ‘51) is not the stinker you assert it to be. Many now consider it one of his best works, an essay on the nature of goodness and whether its extremes can become insanity. Martin Scorsese admires this film a great deal, and his 35mm print of it was shown at the New York Film Festival in 1980 as a revival-tribute. Vincent Canby in The New York Times of October 12 that year called it “One of this festival’s bravest —maybe even finest— moments.” I attended that showing and the audience reaction was a very good one. I have watched it many times in 16mm and on video and am always moved by this key Italian film of the 1950s and its moving, even mystical, qualities. The film is indeed peculiar, has its detractors, but it has great admirers as well. It was a movie very much ahead of its time and had a great influence, along with Rossellini’s Voyage to Italy, another trashed masterpiece, on the French new wave directors. Read Tag Gallagher’s volume on Rossellini for an elaborate discourse. My point is a simple one…problematic? Perhaps. A stinker? Absolutely not! Absolutely not!
Symphony Hall was built as a concert hall. But films have been shown there in the past, especially during the silent era. There is a display case inside showing some of the films from that were shown there…such as a silent version of Carmen, some Russian silents like Potemkin and, I believe, Ten Days That Shook the World. More recently when the Boston Symphony performed Prokofiev’s film-cantata Alexander Nevsky, Eisenstein’s film was projected and the live orchestra substituted for the recorded soundtrack film score.
This 1941 photo of the marquee and front of the Royal, though from a photocopy of very poor quality, gives an idea of what the place looked like. It is from the M.G.M. Theatre Photograph and Report. The condition was described as good, the type of patronage was stated as “mill and low income.” The seating at the time was 600 with 550 on the main floor and 50 in the balcony. The Royal had been playing M.G.M. product for three years. A competing theatre was given as the Strand.
Photos of the exterior and interior of the United in the process of renovation/restoration and taken by John Koulbanis, can be seen (now at least) in the Westerly Sun’s online photo page. Find event ID: 99240. The photos are available for sale.
In a personal blog called GaraLog, the author Gara LaMarche recalls living in Westerly some thirty-plus years ago and wrote this about the United Theatre:
“A short walk from the station will take you past the old United Theatre, where I spent almost every Saturday afternoon at the movies — admission about 35 cents, if I recall correctly. They actually ran Flash Gordon serials before the feature. (I feel as if I should be writing this from a rocking chair.) The United marquee is still up, but the theatre has been closed for at least twenty years.”