“Peter R. Nelson, one of the best-known and well-loved showmen in the state, recently died at the age of 76. Nelson was at various times owner of the old Auburn Theatre and the Park in Cranston. At one time he also was associated in the operation of the old Bijou in Providence and the Royal in Olneyville. Entering the theatre business in 1920, he operated the Auburn for three years before selling his interests to the Park Theatre Corp., of which he remained a partner until 1936 During the period from 1933 to 1936 he operated the Park. For more than 30 years he also operated a store in the Park Theatre building, retiring in 1951 because of his health.”
“Peter R. Nelson, one of the best-known and well-loved showmen in the state, recently died at the age of 76. Nelson was at various times owner of the old Auburn Theatre and the Park in Cranston. At one time he also was associated in the operation of the old Bijou in Providence and the Royal in Olneyville. Entering the theatre business in 1920, he operated the Auburn for three years before selling his interests to the Park Theatre Corp., of which he remained a partner until 1936 During the period from 1933 to 1936 he operated the Park. For more than 30 years he also operated a store in the Park Theatre building, retiring in 1951 because of his health.”
[Question: was the Auburn restored after the 1918 fire, to function for a few more years?]
Item in Boxoffice magazine, January 12, 1935:
“The Imperial at Pawtucket is reopening. It was last operated by Dave Perkins, now in the Publix publicity department.”
In Boxoffice Magazine, January 31, 1953, there was a photo of the Paulding Theatre along with an article mentioning its involvement in a tax protest.
Link: View link
The gala premiere of the 1953 The Robe, as reported here in the November 14, 1953 issue of Boxoffice magazine, was complete with 70-piece La Salle Academy band entertaining the crowds trying to get into the theatre. As an eleven-year-old, I went with my parents shortly after the opening of this first movie in CinemaScope at the first RI theatre, the Majestic, to have that presentation capability. Read here: View link
A Boxoffice Magazine item from September 3, 1949, reports the change in policy of the Laffmovie Theatre to art house programming. It states the new name as Artmovie. View link
As the HiWay Open Air Theatre, the place had lasted only three months in 1949 after being opened by Anthony Petrucci. The theatre was then sold and would become the Pike Drive-In, as described in my previous entry, after some modifications and revamping.
Summer Stock at the Hollywood Theatre…Boxoffice Magazine, September 3, 1949:
“Loretta Price and Doug Martin are at the Hollywood Theatre, East Providence, in "Claudia.”…So successful has summer stock been at the Hollywood…that the management plans to continue this twice-weekly feature this fall."
An item on the razing of the Metropolitan Theatre appeared in Boxoffce Magazine, October 30, 1961: View link
(Click and expand to read better. Column 3)
In the October 30, 1961 issue of Boxoffice Magazine, an ad was run showing how many mainstream theatres were showing Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, a subtitled Italian movie. This theatre was one of those. Link to ad, then expand: View link
In the October 30, 1961 issue of Boxoffice Magazine, an ad was run showing how many mainstream theatres were showing Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, a subtitled Italian movie. This theatre was one of those. Link to ad, then expand: View link
In the October 30, 1961 issue of Boxoffice Magazine, an ad was run showing how many mainstream theatres were showing Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, a subtitled Italian movie. This theatre was one of those. Link to ad, then expand: View link
In the October 30, 1961 issue of Boxoffice Magazine, an ad was run showing how many mainstream theatres were showing Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, a subtitled Italian movie. This theatre was one of those. Link to ad, then expand: View link
In the October 30, 1961 issue of Boxoffice Magazine, an ad was run showing how many mainstream theatres were showing Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, a subtitled Italian movie. This theatre was one of those in Rhode Island. Link to ad, then expand: View link
“The Lincoln Theatre building in Valley Falls has been sold by the PHC Company of Pawtucket to Robert W. Jalbert of North Providence. The structure, a showplace in the lower Cumberland Valley community when it was built 40 years ago, was sold for $19,000.”
[Note: that means the theatre was probably built around 1917.]
An item in the December 14, 1946 issue of Boxoffice Magazine noted that the Academy had elevator service from the boxoffice area to the second floor auditorium of the theatre. The elevator was operated by John Sheehan, and was available until 8:30 each evening.
PROVIDENCE – The 1500 seat Royal Theatre in the Olneyville district is (slated) to be razed or remodeled into a (supermarket).
Long a landmark, the Royal (has been) inoperative for the past few years though it was rumored the popular neighborhood house would be refurbished and opened by a Boston syndicate. (The)official transfer of the the property was recorded by a local real estate brokerage firm.
The Royal was built in 1914 by Charles Tupper and Earl C. Whelden, who operated it until 1926 when it was leased to Regional Chain Theatres of New England…
For a time the lease was by the D&R Amusement Co, with which the late A.A. Spitz was associated, passing (on) to Boston interests in 1933. Not long after that the lease was acquired by E. M. Loew interests.
Because of its strategic location in the most thickly populated section of the (area), the Royal in its palmier days, when (silent?) movies were in vogue, rarely boasted an empty seat during evening performance. Frequently special stage shows were presented, usually over weekends or for a mid-week evening, in which local talents were given an opportunity to give vent to entertainment ambitions.
The decline of the textile industry in the Olneyville section, and the subsequent removal of many mill-employed families to other sections eventually caused a decline in revenue, and the Royal went from a (seven)-day a week house to a weekend policy (and) finally complete darkness.
While the new owners of the block (housing) the Royal state that the purchase was for investment purposes, it was reported on good authority that among interested tenants is a prominent supermarket operator.
[My note: the Royal continued unoccupied for a several years after this piece. Its lobby was used as a seasonal fruit and vegetable store. When I came home from high school by bus, I used to wait for a bus connection on the Plainfield Street side of the still standing though closed theatre building. The building was razed well after 1956 or later. I don’t know exactly when. A gas station was eventually built on the spot. It remains today.]
From Boxoffice Magazine, March 26, 1955, in an article on the history of art house exhibition in Boston:
“…Yet the history of the art picture in this city is an interesting and unique one. In 1922, during the silent days, George Kraska introduced this type of film to Boston audiences when he hired Symphony Hall and opened with a special engagement of the Russian film "Potemkim,” using the head organist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra as the accompanist.“
[Note, the year 1922 must be in error, since Eisenstein’s Potemkin was made later, in 1925. Most likely it was after December 1926 when the movie opened in New York, or else in early 1927. The article also states that later, in 1927, Kraska took over the Fine Arts Theatre, up Massachusetts Avenue a bit at Norway Street, for his programs.]
Link: http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_032655-2
Go to page 95.
OLDTIME PRICES REVIVED
The Rivoli in Hartford. Conn., turned back the hands of time to the days of the 15-cent admission. The gimmick was used for four consecutive matinees of “The Golden Age of Comedy” and “Gorgo.” The 800-seat house charged 15 cents for children and 25 cents for adults and sold popcorn for only five cents."
Item in Boxoffice magazine, August 22, 1953.
“Peter R. Nelson, one of the best-known and well-loved showmen in the state, recently died at the age of 76. Nelson was at various times owner of the old Auburn Theatre and the Park in Cranston. At one time he also was associated in the operation of the old Bijou in Providence and the Royal in Olneyville. Entering the theatre business in 1920, he operated the Auburn for three years before selling his interests to the Park Theatre Corp., of which he remained a partner until 1936 During the period from 1933 to 1936 he operated the Park. For more than 30 years he also operated a store in the Park Theatre building, retiring in 1951 because of his health.”
Item in Boxoffice magazine, August 22, 1953.
“Peter R. Nelson, one of the best-known and well-loved showmen in the state, recently died at the age of 76. Nelson was at various times owner of the old Auburn Theatre and the Park in Cranston. At one time he also was associated in the operation of the old Bijou in Providence and the Royal in Olneyville. Entering the theatre business in 1920, he operated the Auburn for three years before selling his interests to the Park Theatre Corp., of which he remained a partner until 1936 During the period from 1933 to 1936 he operated the Park. For more than 30 years he also operated a store in the Park Theatre building, retiring in 1951 because of his health.”
[Question: was the Auburn restored after the 1918 fire, to function for a few more years?]
Item announcing the recently opened Shipyard Drive-In, including the promotion for the new theatre, in Boxoffice magazine, August 17, 1957.
View link
Item announcing building of Shipyard Drive-In by Berry Hill Corp., Boxoffice magazine, September 8, 1956.
View link
From Boxoffice magazine, February 16, 1935:
“Royal Theatre, Olneyville, R.I., is now being operated on Sundays only. House belongs to E.M. Loew.”
[Sounds like it was the death-knell for this place.]
Item in Boxoffice magazine, January 12, 1935:
“The Imperial at Pawtucket is reopening. It was last operated by Dave Perkins, now in the Publix publicity department.”
In Boxoffice Magazine, January 31, 1953, there was a photo of the Paulding Theatre along with an article mentioning its involvement in a tax protest.
Link:
View link
The gala premiere of the 1953 The Robe, as reported here in the November 14, 1953 issue of Boxoffice magazine, was complete with 70-piece La Salle Academy band entertaining the crowds trying to get into the theatre. As an eleven-year-old, I went with my parents shortly after the opening of this first movie in CinemaScope at the first RI theatre, the Majestic, to have that presentation capability. Read here:
View link
A Boxoffice Magazine item from September 3, 1949, reports the change in policy of the Laffmovie Theatre to art house programming. It states the new name as Artmovie. View link
As the HiWay Open Air Theatre, the place had lasted only three months in 1949 after being opened by Anthony Petrucci. The theatre was then sold and would become the Pike Drive-In, as described in my previous entry, after some modifications and revamping.
Summer Stock at the Hollywood Theatre…Boxoffice Magazine, September 3, 1949:
“Loretta Price and Doug Martin are at the Hollywood Theatre, East Providence, in "Claudia.”…So successful has summer stock been at the Hollywood…that the management plans to continue this twice-weekly feature this fall."
Boxoffice Magazine feature on the then new Goodhand Theatre, with photos in an out. Issue of December 4, 1954:
View link
An item on the razing of the Metropolitan Theatre appeared in Boxoffce Magazine, October 30, 1961:
View link
(Click and expand to read better. Column 3)
In the October 30, 1961 issue of Boxoffice Magazine, an ad was run showing how many mainstream theatres were showing Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, a subtitled Italian movie. This theatre was one of those. Link to ad, then expand:
View link
In the October 30, 1961 issue of Boxoffice Magazine, an ad was run showing how many mainstream theatres were showing Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, a subtitled Italian movie. This theatre was one of those. Link to ad, then expand:
View link
In the October 30, 1961 issue of Boxoffice Magazine, an ad was run showing how many mainstream theatres were showing Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, a subtitled Italian movie. This theatre was one of those. Link to ad, then expand:
View link
In the October 30, 1961 issue of Boxoffice Magazine, an ad was run showing how many mainstream theatres were showing Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, a subtitled Italian movie. This theatre was one of those. Link to ad, then expand:
View link
In the October 30, 1961 issue of Boxoffice Magazine, an ad was run showing how many mainstream theatres were showing Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, a subtitled Italian movie. This theatre was one of those in Rhode Island. Link to ad, then expand:
View link
An article with photo, on the opening of the Hancock Village Theatre, published May 28, 1949 in Boxoffice Magazine:
View link
Item in Boxoffice Magazine, February 2, 1957:
“The Lincoln Theatre building in Valley Falls has been sold by the PHC Company of Pawtucket to Robert W. Jalbert of North Providence. The structure, a showplace in the lower Cumberland Valley community when it was built 40 years ago, was sold for $19,000.”
[Note: that means the theatre was probably built around 1917.]
An article on the opening of the Rex can be found in Boxoffice Magazine, October 30, 1948:
http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_103048
Go to page 75.
An item in the December 14, 1946 issue of Boxoffice Magazine noted that the Academy had elevator service from the boxoffice area to the second floor auditorium of the theatre. The elevator was operated by John Sheehan, and was available until 8:30 each evening.
Article in Boxoffice Magazine, March 26, 1955:
OLDTIME PROVIDENCE THEATRE TO BE RAZED
PROVIDENCE – The 1500 seat Royal Theatre in the Olneyville district is (slated) to be razed or remodeled into a (supermarket).
Long a landmark, the Royal (has been) inoperative for the past few years though it was rumored the popular neighborhood house would be refurbished and opened by a Boston syndicate. (The)official transfer of the the property was recorded by a local real estate brokerage firm.
The Royal was built in 1914 by Charles Tupper and Earl C. Whelden, who operated it until 1926 when it was leased to Regional Chain Theatres of New England…
For a time the lease was by the D&R Amusement Co, with which the late A.A. Spitz was associated, passing (on) to Boston interests in 1933. Not long after that the lease was acquired by E. M. Loew interests.
Because of its strategic location in the most thickly populated section of the (area), the Royal in its palmier days, when (silent?) movies were in vogue, rarely boasted an empty seat during evening performance. Frequently special stage shows were presented, usually over weekends or for a mid-week evening, in which local talents were given an opportunity to give vent to entertainment ambitions.
The decline of the textile industry in the Olneyville section, and the subsequent removal of many mill-employed families to other sections eventually caused a decline in revenue, and the Royal went from a (seven)-day a week house to a weekend policy (and) finally complete darkness.
While the new owners of the block (housing) the Royal state that the purchase was for investment purposes, it was reported on good authority that among interested tenants is a prominent supermarket operator.
[My note: the Royal continued unoccupied for a several years after this piece. Its lobby was used as a seasonal fruit and vegetable store. When I came home from high school by bus, I used to wait for a bus connection on the Plainfield Street side of the still standing though closed theatre building. The building was razed well after 1956 or later. I don’t know exactly when. A gas station was eventually built on the spot. It remains today.]
From Boxoffice Magazine, March 26, 1955, in an article on the history of art house exhibition in Boston:
“…Yet the history of the art picture in this city is an interesting and unique one. In 1922, during the silent days, George Kraska introduced this type of film to Boston audiences when he hired Symphony Hall and opened with a special engagement of the Russian film "Potemkim,” using the head organist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra as the accompanist.“
[Note, the year 1922 must be in error, since Eisenstein’s Potemkin was made later, in 1925. Most likely it was after December 1926 when the movie opened in New York, or else in early 1927. The article also states that later, in 1927, Kraska took over the Fine Arts Theatre, up Massachusetts Avenue a bit at Norway Street, for his programs.]
Link:
http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_032655-2
Go to page 95.
Item in Boxoffice magazine, August 14, 1961:
OLDTIME PRICES REVIVED
The Rivoli in Hartford. Conn., turned back the hands of time to the days of the 15-cent admission. The gimmick was used for four consecutive matinees of “The Golden Age of Comedy” and “Gorgo.” The 800-seat house charged 15 cents for children and 25 cents for adults and sold popcorn for only five cents."