Amusingly enough, the Cranston Public Library, directly across from where the Garden City Cinema used to be, has a video copy of Rachel, Rachel in its collection.
‘Rachel, Rachel’ Sparks Call to Revoke License
The Providence Journal Bulletin reported on September 19, 1968 that attempts were made to revoke the theatre license of the Graden City Cinema. John M. Voccola, a Republican representing the Fourth Ward, released a letter to councilman Norman H. Olson, chairman of the council’s safety services and license committee, demanding that owners of the theater be called before the committee “to show cause why the license whould not be revoked.”
At issue was the film Rachel, Rachel. The movie, directed by Paul Newman and starring his wife Joanne Woodward, dealt with the lesbian love relationship of a spinster schoolteacher.
In his letter, Mr. Voccola said the the theatre had previously indicated at the time they applied for a license that they would not show “objectionanble” films and “I emphasized the fact that I would not approve this license if any obscene or undesirable movies were shown.”
At the time Rachel, Rachel was playing at several area theatres, had received numerous favorable reviews form critics. A Journal film critic had described the movie as “a masterpiece of sensitive characterization…brilliantly acted and directed, of a state of loneliness and isolation.”
On September 21, 1938, the flood waters produced by the hurricane caused damage at the orchestra level of the theatre. Much of downtown Providence was flooded and similar damage occurred at other area theatres. Over the following month 900 new cushioned chairs were installed to replace the damaged ones. New drapes, footlights, backstage wiring, a public-address system, sound horns behind the movie scteen were also put in. The theatre re-opened on October 21, exactly one month later.
A February, 1994 newspaper ad said the theatre was temporarily closed due to storm damage but that the rental store was open. The place was advertised as the “Johnston Video Cinema.” Now it is only a store, with viewing booths…no theatre.
The current issue of Newsweek, September 12, 2005, has a large photo on pages 42 & 43 of a flooded Canal Street. On the left can be seen the marquee of the Saenger Theatre. On the right is Loew’s State. Vehicles and people can be seen in about two feet of water or more.
The current issue of Newsweek, September 12, 2005, has a large photo on pages 42 & 43 of a flooded Canal Street. On the left can be seen the marquee of the Saenger Theatre. On the right is Loew’s State. Vehicles and people can be seen in about two feet of water or more.
The Avon Cinema in Providence opened as an art house in 1938 with Abel Gance’s The Life and Loves of Beethoven and has been operating ever since. Perhaps there are other older ones. I don’t know. But this one certainly deserves consideration. It is a single-screener and and currently a first-run art house.
Work continues on the Liberty Theater Cultural Center. This Providence Journal news-photo by Kathy Borchers shows the rear of the auditorium and the former projection booth.
A photo-article in The Providence Journal of September 1, 2005 discusses continuing plans to convert the former Bomes-owned Liberty Theatre (later Art Cinema) to a neighborhood “community space where arts and culture are displayed and celebrated.”
The building is currently owned by the Providence Redevelopment Agency, which takes ownership of abandoned properties.
The consensus among area residents is to turn the building into the “Liberty Theater Cultural Center, a facility that could serve as a multi-cultural arts and education resource for the South Side and the entire city.” Under the plan, the center would have space for live theater and dance, musical performances, film and culturally diverse performing arts.
The article reports that plans would likely include gutting the interior and replacing electrical, plumbing, heating and air and sprinkler systems, according to an assessment by the Urban Design Group. Cost estimates range from $2.5 million to $3.5 million.
The theatre opened in 1921 and has been closed since 1975.
Three men were held in a plot to destroy the movie projector at the Liberty Theatre in September of 1931. One of the men, Conrad S. Lavigne, had worked there as a projectionist. He pleaded guilty and was given a jail term. The theatre was owned by Samuel Bomes, who several years before had brought injunction proceedings against the Moving Picture Operators' Union to enjoin picketing about the theatre and the case eventually went to the Supreme Court. An article about the attempted break-in appeared in the Providence newspaper on September 13, 1931.
In addition to its regular programs, the Carlton Theatre, in 1951, began presenting video broadcasts of sporting events such as championship fights and football games. The debut occurred on September 29 with an exclusive look at the Notre Dame – Indiana game, which was not carried on any commercial channel. In addition, viewers saw a double feature plus short subjects, all for $1. Only a handful of patrons turned out, according to an article in the Providence Journal the following day.
Starting in 1973, and for a time afterwards, the Elmwood had programs of double features of Spanish-language films every Saturday. The programs were begun by Virgilio Grullon and Rafael Nunez. One of the films shown was Don Quixote Cabalga with the famed Mexican comic star Cantinflas. Mr. Nunez asserted it was difficult to get prints of many other films with Cantinflas because of distributor restrictons. Another of the Mexican films programmed was White Roses for My Black Sister, a story of interracial marriage. The venture generally broke even but did not become a profit-making enterprise. An article entitled “Spanish-language films broke even 1st year” appeared in the Providence Journal on February 3, 1974.
On January 10, 1965 a newspaper ad for the Lafayette announced, without giving a specific title, a “new Portuguese feature film.” The only other theatre in R.I. I know of for sure as showing occasional Portuguese-language films for the ethnic audience was the Hollywood in East Providence.
In January, 1965 a newspaper ad for the Majestic promoted a film called Guess What and the Single Girl. I think the Providence Journal might not have been accepting film titles containing the word “sex.”
In the years 1974 & 1975 (perhaps earlier and later too?) the Hillside was used for showing Italian films on Sundays. Imputazione per uno studente with Massimo Ranieri played February 2, 1974. Pensando a te played the following Sunday. Ads had unnamed second features. On October 19, 1975 I saw a double bill f La monaca di Monza with Il segno del leone. These films were run by Rolando Petrella of the Italian radio program “La Voce d'Italia” on radio station WRIB. He had run the programs at the Italy Cinema in Johnston and in other venues.
The theatre didn’t fully close in 1954 as previously asserted. There were stage events, even films, in 1955. October 1, 1955 brought a production of the opera The Barber of Seville with Robert Merrill, Salvatore Baccaloni, under the direction of Maestro Danilo Sciotti.
3-D Movie at Drive-In Provides Police with 4-D Traffic Tieup
That was the headline of a Providence Journal newspaper article on July 13, 1953 reporting that the showing of a 3-D movie at this drive-in the night before combined with volumes of traffic returning from the R.I. beaches had caused a monumental traffic snarl in the area. The movie was Fort Ti which played with the 3-D short Spooks, featuring the 3 Stooges.
The former Palace Theatre is now known as God’s Family Church. Next to the church is a cemetery which abuts Providence’s lovely multi-laked Roger Williams Park. A peek into the interior reveals a well-maintained building. The original seats have been replaced by pews, while retaining the rake of the floor. The projection booth structure over the entrance remains intact as seen in this furtive photo taken through a side door.
Amusingly enough, the Cranston Public Library, directly across from where the Garden City Cinema used to be, has a video copy of Rachel, Rachel in its collection.
‘Rachel, Rachel’ Sparks Call to Revoke License
The Providence Journal Bulletin reported on September 19, 1968 that attempts were made to revoke the theatre license of the Graden City Cinema. John M. Voccola, a Republican representing the Fourth Ward, released a letter to councilman Norman H. Olson, chairman of the council’s safety services and license committee, demanding that owners of the theater be called before the committee “to show cause why the license whould not be revoked.”
At issue was the film Rachel, Rachel. The movie, directed by Paul Newman and starring his wife Joanne Woodward, dealt with the lesbian love relationship of a spinster schoolteacher.
In his letter, Mr. Voccola said the the theatre had previously indicated at the time they applied for a license that they would not show “objectionanble” films and “I emphasized the fact that I would not approve this license if any obscene or undesirable movies were shown.”
At the time Rachel, Rachel was playing at several area theatres, had received numerous favorable reviews form critics. A Journal film critic had described the movie as “a masterpiece of sensitive characterization…brilliantly acted and directed, of a state of loneliness and isolation.”
On September 21, 1938, the flood waters produced by the hurricane caused damage at the orchestra level of the theatre. Much of downtown Providence was flooded and similar damage occurred at other area theatres. Over the following month 900 new cushioned chairs were installed to replace the damaged ones. New drapes, footlights, backstage wiring, a public-address system, sound horns behind the movie scteen were also put in. The theatre re-opened on October 21, exactly one month later.
A February, 1994 newspaper ad said the theatre was temporarily closed due to storm damage but that the rental store was open. The place was advertised as the “Johnston Video Cinema.” Now it is only a store, with viewing booths…no theatre.
The oldest still-in-operation art house in New York City, I would guess, is the Paris Theatre, which opened in 1948 with Symphonie Pastorale.
The current issue of Newsweek, September 12, 2005, has a large photo on pages 42 & 43 of a flooded Canal Street. On the left can be seen the marquee of the Saenger Theatre. On the right is Loew’s State. Vehicles and people can be seen in about two feet of water or more.
The current issue of Newsweek, September 12, 2005, has a large photo on pages 42 & 43 of a flooded Canal Street. On the left can be seen the marquee of the Saenger Theatre. On the right is Loew’s State. Vehicles and people can be seen in about two feet of water or more.
The Avon Cinema in Providence opened as an art house in 1938 with Abel Gance’s The Life and Loves of Beethoven and has been operating ever since. Perhaps there are other older ones. I don’t know. But this one certainly deserves consideration. It is a single-screener and and currently a first-run art house.
Work continues on the Liberty Theater Cultural Center. This Providence Journal news-photo by Kathy Borchers shows the rear of the auditorium and the former projection booth.
Renewal plans for the Liberty Theatre/Art Cinema.
A photo-article in The Providence Journal of September 1, 2005 discusses continuing plans to convert the former Bomes-owned Liberty Theatre (later Art Cinema) to a neighborhood “community space where arts and culture are displayed and celebrated.”
The building is currently owned by the Providence Redevelopment Agency, which takes ownership of abandoned properties.
The consensus among area residents is to turn the building into the “Liberty Theater Cultural Center, a facility that could serve as a multi-cultural arts and education resource for the South Side and the entire city.” Under the plan, the center would have space for live theater and dance, musical performances, film and culturally diverse performing arts.
The article reports that plans would likely include gutting the interior and replacing electrical, plumbing, heating and air and sprinkler systems, according to an assessment by the Urban Design Group. Cost estimates range from $2.5 million to $3.5 million.
The theatre opened in 1921 and has been closed since 1975.
Three men were held in a plot to destroy the movie projector at the Liberty Theatre in September of 1931. One of the men, Conrad S. Lavigne, had worked there as a projectionist. He pleaded guilty and was given a jail term. The theatre was owned by Samuel Bomes, who several years before had brought injunction proceedings against the Moving Picture Operators' Union to enjoin picketing about the theatre and the case eventually went to the Supreme Court. An article about the attempted break-in appeared in the Providence newspaper on September 13, 1931.
In addition to its regular programs, the Carlton Theatre, in 1951, began presenting video broadcasts of sporting events such as championship fights and football games. The debut occurred on September 29 with an exclusive look at the Notre Dame – Indiana game, which was not carried on any commercial channel. In addition, viewers saw a double feature plus short subjects, all for $1. Only a handful of patrons turned out, according to an article in the Providence Journal the following day.
Starting in 1973, and for a time afterwards, the Elmwood had programs of double features of Spanish-language films every Saturday. The programs were begun by Virgilio Grullon and Rafael Nunez. One of the films shown was Don Quixote Cabalga with the famed Mexican comic star Cantinflas. Mr. Nunez asserted it was difficult to get prints of many other films with Cantinflas because of distributor restrictons. Another of the Mexican films programmed was White Roses for My Black Sister, a story of interracial marriage. The venture generally broke even but did not become a profit-making enterprise. An article entitled “Spanish-language films broke even 1st year” appeared in the Providence Journal on February 3, 1974.
On January 10, 1965 a newspaper ad for the Lafayette announced, without giving a specific title, a “new Portuguese feature film.” The only other theatre in R.I. I know of for sure as showing occasional Portuguese-language films for the ethnic audience was the Hollywood in East Providence.
In January, 1965 a newspaper ad for the Majestic promoted a film called Guess What and the Single Girl. I think the Providence Journal might not have been accepting film titles containing the word “sex.”
The Lyric was still showing movies in 1965, according to an ad I found. I don’t know how much beyond that it lasted.
In the years 1974 & 1975 (perhaps earlier and later too?) the Hillside was used for showing Italian films on Sundays. Imputazione per uno studente with Massimo Ranieri played February 2, 1974. Pensando a te played the following Sunday. Ads had unnamed second features. On October 19, 1975 I saw a double bill f La monaca di Monza with Il segno del leone. These films were run by Rolando Petrella of the Italian radio program “La Voce d'Italia” on radio station WRIB. He had run the programs at the Italy Cinema in Johnston and in other venues.
The theatre didn’t fully close in 1954 as previously asserted. There were stage events, even films, in 1955. October 1, 1955 brought a production of the opera The Barber of Seville with Robert Merrill, Salvatore Baccaloni, under the direction of Maestro Danilo Sciotti.
3-D Movie at Drive-In Provides Police with 4-D Traffic Tieup
That was the headline of a Providence Journal newspaper article on July 13, 1953 reporting that the showing of a 3-D movie at this drive-in the night before combined with volumes of traffic returning from the R.I. beaches had caused a monumental traffic snarl in the area. The movie was Fort Ti which played with the 3-D short Spooks, featuring the 3 Stooges.
Other Olneyville Square theatres were the Royal, the Dimerina, and the Olympia.
Other Olneyville Square theatres were the Edisonia/Pastime/Gem, the Royal, and the Olympia.
Other Olneyville Square theatres were the Edisonia/Pastime/Gem, the Dimerina, and the Royal.
Other Olneyville Square theatres were the Edisonia/Pastime/Gem, the Dimerina, and the Olympia.
During its years as the Victory, the theatre was also known as the R.K.O. Victory for a time.
The former Palace Theatre is now known as God’s Family Church. Next to the church is a cemetery which abuts Providence’s lovely multi-laked Roger Williams Park. A peek into the interior reveals a well-maintained building. The original seats have been replaced by pews, while retaining the rake of the floor. The projection booth structure over the entrance remains intact as seen in this furtive photo taken through a side door.