Item in Boxoffice Magazine, July 7, 1954:
“The Gilbert Stuart Theatre in nearby Riverside is being repainted inside and out. New photographic murals of Gilbert Stuart, native Rhode Islander famous for his portraits of George Washington, and scenes of his birthplace, grace the inner lobby. Artisans also are busy redecorating the bathrooms in new color schemes.”
“Both the Liberty here [Providence] and the Hollywood, East Providence, were shuttered recently. The latter situation is being used as the site of several oldtime auction sales. Both are Bomes' houses."
-Boxoffice Magazine, June 15, 1957
from Boxoffice Magazine, March 30, 1957:
The Hollywood, neighborhood house, presented a rock and roll stage show, topped by Bennie Woods, Jo-Jo Jones and Toni Lee. All seats were sold for $1. Attendance was almost capacity.
from Boxoffice Magazine, October 14, 1950, page 97:
“Motion pictures, with program changes three times weekly, on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, are being shown at Nathan Yamins' Somerset Playhouse, which housed stock companies during the summer. Doors open at 7 P.M. and the showing starts at 7:30. Admissions are: Adults, 42 cents, plus 8 cents tax; children 17 cents, plus 3 cents tax. Saturday afternoon matinees are held at 2 p.m. Scarley Lady chinaware was given to woman patrons at the opening. The offer was repeated later. James Knight, who managed both the Strand and Embassy [in Fall River] and who has been acting as relief manager since the closing of the Embassy, is the playhouse’s new manager. Phyllis G. Davis is in the boxoffice.”
Promotion Drive Started on Film in Production
PROVIDENCE – A long range buildup to the eventual presentation of “Quo Vadis,” now in production in Italy, is being dramatized by Maurice Druker, manager of Loew’s State. Druker has had a large display case erected in the theatre lobby upon which he posts weekly cablegrams reporting the progress of the film, now about half finished.
In addition, photographs showing the picture in the making are displayed. Intense interest has been expressed by patrons entering and leaving the theatre. Many of them have stopped to ask Druker how soon the film will come to the city.
Note: Quo Vadis would open in New York in November, 1951. It opened at this theatre in Providence, then known as Loew’s State, not long after that.
“PROVIDENCE – George Card, long identified with the amusement park business, has been named manager of the new Pike Drive-In located on the Hartford Pike at Johnston, three miles west of this city. Operated by Albert M. Schuman and Louis D. Rogow of Hartford, the new drive-in is on the site formerly occupied by the old Hiway Auto Theatre.
“Very little remains of the old open-airer. Schuman and Rogow practically revamped the place from top to bottom. A new screen has been erected and Century projectors were installed by the Massachusetts Theatre Equipment Co. of Boston, along with in-car speakers.
“Parking facilities for close to 600 cars will be increased as soon as all remodeling and building is completed. As patrons drive in under a new overhead sign, which cost approximately $3,000, they are greeted by side walls beautifully decorated with scenic paintings. The surrounding grounds have been newly landscaped. Among other innovations is a cafeteria-style snack bar.
“The theatre has already been opend to the public, but workmen and painters are continuing the improvement program.”
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Fine Arts Marquee.
BOSTON – A new marquee has been put up at the Fine Arts Theatre. It was designed and executed by Leonard Krasna, assistant manager at the house. He was aided by Edward Cincotti and William Harvey.
I do not know if this piece of info from Boxoffice Magazine refers to this theatre or another. Was this place ever called the “Victory”?
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Victory Will Open with Foreign Language Films
NEW HAVEN – The Victory Theatre will have its grand opening as a minority-language and foreign picture house on Thursday, April 28. Molly Picon’s “Yiddle with his Fiddle” will be the opening feature, to be followed by “Green Fields” and a Greek picture which is being considered. Michael Tomasino is the operator.
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
There is a small 1939 photo of the auditorium of this theatre, when it was the Trans-Lux, in Boxoffice Magazine, February 11, 1939. Here is a link to that issue. For the photo, go to the ad on page 68: http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_021139
Interesting. That movie today would get a PG rating. I remember the huge ads for it in the Providence Journal when it was shown here as well as all the hullabaloo. I was just a kid. I didn’t manage to see it until years later. Netflix doesn’t seem to carry it, but it is available through eBay.
The Moon is Blue, film and play.
From Boxoffice, April 24, 1954:
“The Metropolitan, closed more often than open, and which after several months darkness opened for a two-week engagement of "The Moon is Blue,” will give the Broadway verson of “The Moon is Blue” for three days, April 29-May 1, with the orginal New York cast. Because considerable controversy was caused when the motion picture was originally scheduled, and because the Met opened only long enough to present this single attraction, despite a storm of protests, many local theatregoers are cogitating over the motives behind the situation."
[Note: The film had been denied a Hays code seal of approval and was opposed by the Catholic Legion of Decency for the use of the terms “seduction” and “virgin” in the movie. The Diocese of Providence, with its chancery office located only yards away from this theatre, was aggressive in its disapproval of the showing of Otto Preminger’s delightful comedy, which starred Maggie McNamara, David Niven, and William Holden.]
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“Fay’s Theatre recently inaugurated a new policy of presenting vaudeville and motion pictures twice a week. In the past Fay’s has run the same bill for a full week. The new setup calls for a completely new show every Sunday and thursday.”
[Note: the following year, 1951, Fays would close for good and subsequently be demolished.]
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“Whoever directs the policy for E.M. Loew’s open airers must be something of a weather prophet. Amost simultaneously with the closing of E.M. Loew’s Drive-In at the Providence-Pawtucket City line, winter weather hit this vicinity with the thermometer dropping to the middle twenties. All other nearby ozoners were still operating, despite the frigid weather, when Thanksgiving had come and gone.”
[Note: an “ozoner” is trade talk for any drive-in theatre.]
Revival of Chaplin’s 1931 City Lights at the Metropolitan.
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“The recent presentation of Charlie Chaplin’s "City Lights” at the Metropolitan not ony resulted in Bradford F. Swan, critic on the Journal-Bulletin, devoting practically the entire column praising the film and its artistry, but it also made the In Perspective column, which is alternately written by leading staff writers and has met with such widespread acclaim that the choicest bits have been published in book form."
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“Employees of the Avon Cinema had plenty of cause to be thankful on Thanksgiving. Charles R. Darby, manager, presented every employee a big plump turkey! Recently Darby scored with plenty of well-planned publicity on his twin bill of "The King’s Jester” and “Pagliacci.” The city has a large Italian population and Darby arranged a quiz program on a local radio station offering guest tickets. “The Red Shoes,” which ran for eight weeks at the Avon some time ago, has been scheduled for a return engagement."
An article on the Union Theatre, contrasting the old marquee with the new and offering additional photos along with the story, can be found in Boxoffice Magazine, January 7, 1950. Page 33. http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_010750
Report on demolition of Empire Theatre (long known as the Bijou). Boxoffice Magazine, January 7, 1950:
[b]WRECKING CREW TEARS DOWN EMPIRE AT PROVIDENCE
“PROVIDENCE[/b] -The oldest theatre in this city started falling under tha hammers and crowbars of a wrecker, as the Empire, long a landmark, passed into memory. Abe Spitz, who took over operation of the house in 1900, could not furnish the exact date in 1870 when the house opened, but he mentioned that it and the old Providence Opera House, which long since passed into oblivion, were at one time the only two theatres in the city.
“Opened originally as the Westminster, it featured old-time burlesque and ‘traveling musicals, minstrels and the like.’ When Spitz took over at the turn of the century, he named the house the Bijou.
“‘Cheri’ was one of the last musical revues to play the Bijou. That was in March 1930.
“Shortly after that Spitz converted it into a second-run house and changed the name to the Empire. It was under this title that the theatre operated until about six months ago when it was shuttered for good.
“Advertising recently appeared in local newspapers offering ‘over 1000 seats,’ from which generations of theatregoers had watched melodramas, burlesque, and films. The seats were snapped up by local sports arenas and the Salvation Army.”
Item in Boxoffice Magazine, July 7, 1954:
“The Gilbert Stuart Theatre in nearby Riverside is being repainted inside and out. New photographic murals of Gilbert Stuart, native Rhode Islander famous for his portraits of George Washington, and scenes of his birthplace, grace the inner lobby. Artisans also are busy redecorating the bathrooms in new color schemes.”
An item in Boxoffice Magazine, July 9, 1955, states that the Island Park Theatre had closed for several months follwing a fire.
“Both the Liberty here [Providence] and the Hollywood, East Providence, were shuttered recently. The latter situation is being used as the site of several oldtime auction sales. Both are Bomes' houses."
-Boxoffice Magazine, June 15, 1957
from Boxoffice Magazine, March 30, 1957:
The Hollywood, neighborhood house, presented a rock and roll stage show, topped by Bennie Woods, Jo-Jo Jones and Toni Lee. All seats were sold for $1. Attendance was almost capacity.
from Boxoffice Magazine, October 14, 1950, page 97:
“Motion pictures, with program changes three times weekly, on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, are being shown at Nathan Yamins' Somerset Playhouse, which housed stock companies during the summer. Doors open at 7 P.M. and the showing starts at 7:30. Admissions are: Adults, 42 cents, plus 8 cents tax; children 17 cents, plus 3 cents tax. Saturday afternoon matinees are held at 2 p.m. Scarley Lady chinaware was given to woman patrons at the opening. The offer was repeated later. James Knight, who managed both the Strand and Embassy [in Fall River] and who has been acting as relief manager since the closing of the Embassy, is the playhouse’s new manager. Phyllis G. Davis is in the boxoffice.”
A picture of the exterior from 1952 appears in Boxoffice Magazine, April 19, 1952. Go to page 26.
http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_041952
There is a small photo of the front of this theatre in Boxoffice Magazine, issue of April 19, 1952. Go to page 26.
http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_041952
from Boxoffice Magazine, August 19, 1950:
Promotion Drive Started on Film in Production
PROVIDENCE – A long range buildup to the eventual presentation of “Quo Vadis,” now in production in Italy, is being dramatized by Maurice Druker, manager of Loew’s State. Druker has had a large display case erected in the theatre lobby upon which he posts weekly cablegrams reporting the progress of the film, now about half finished.
In addition, photographs showing the picture in the making are displayed. Intense interest has been expressed by patrons entering and leaving the theatre. Many of them have stopped to ask Druker how soon the film will come to the city.
Note: Quo Vadis would open in New York in November, 1951. It opened at this theatre in Providence, then known as Loew’s State, not long after that.
from Boxoffice Magazine, August 19, 1950:
“Old Hiway Auto Park Now Is Pike Drive-In
“PROVIDENCE – George Card, long identified with the amusement park business, has been named manager of the new Pike Drive-In located on the Hartford Pike at Johnston, three miles west of this city. Operated by Albert M. Schuman and Louis D. Rogow of Hartford, the new drive-in is on the site formerly occupied by the old Hiway Auto Theatre.
“Very little remains of the old open-airer. Schuman and Rogow practically revamped the place from top to bottom. A new screen has been erected and Century projectors were installed by the Massachusetts Theatre Equipment Co. of Boston, along with in-car speakers.
“Parking facilities for close to 600 cars will be increased as soon as all remodeling and building is completed. As patrons drive in under a new overhead sign, which cost approximately $3,000, they are greeted by side walls beautifully decorated with scenic paintings. The surrounding grounds have been newly landscaped. Among other innovations is a cafeteria-style snack bar.
“The theatre has already been opend to the public, but workmen and painters are continuing the improvement program.”
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Fine Arts Marquee.
BOSTON – A new marquee has been put up at the Fine Arts Theatre. It was designed and executed by Leonard Krasna, assistant manager at the house. He was aided by Edward Cincotti and William Harvey.
I do not know if this piece of info from Boxoffice Magazine refers to this theatre or another. Was this place ever called the “Victory”?
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Victory Will Open with Foreign Language Films
NEW HAVEN – The Victory Theatre will have its grand opening as a minority-language and foreign picture house on Thursday, April 28. Molly Picon’s “Yiddle with his Fiddle” will be the opening feature, to be followed by “Green Fields” and a Greek picture which is being considered. Michael Tomasino is the operator.
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
from Boxoffice Magazine, April 23, 1938:
Four Westerly and Mystic Houses Will Be Renovated
WESTERLY, R.I. – Jack Findlay, owner and operator of the Central, United and Lyric Theatres here and the Strand, Mystic, Conn., is renovating all four houses. Work on the Central, which will double its present seating capacity, is in progress. At the same time two new rectifiers and two lamps are being installed in the United and new carpet laid. The 400-seat Lyric, closed for many years, will soon begin complete renovation, while next in line the Strand will be entirely modernized. Findlay plans to operate the three Westerly houses full time first-run."
There is a small 1939 photo of the auditorium of this theatre, when it was the Trans-Lux, in Boxoffice Magazine, February 11, 1939. Here is a link to that issue. For the photo, go to the ad on page 68:
http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_021139
Interesting. That movie today would get a PG rating. I remember the huge ads for it in the Providence Journal when it was shown here as well as all the hullabaloo. I was just a kid. I didn’t manage to see it until years later. Netflix doesn’t seem to carry it, but it is available through eBay.
The Moon is Blue, film and play.
From Boxoffice, April 24, 1954:
“The Metropolitan, closed more often than open, and which after several months darkness opened for a two-week engagement of "The Moon is Blue,” will give the Broadway verson of “The Moon is Blue” for three days, April 29-May 1, with the orginal New York cast. Because considerable controversy was caused when the motion picture was originally scheduled, and because the Met opened only long enough to present this single attraction, despite a storm of protests, many local theatregoers are cogitating over the motives behind the situation."
[Note: The film had been denied a Hays code seal of approval and was opposed by the Catholic Legion of Decency for the use of the terms “seduction” and “virgin” in the movie. The Diocese of Providence, with its chancery office located only yards away from this theatre, was aggressive in its disapproval of the showing of Otto Preminger’s delightful comedy, which starred Maggie McNamara, David Niven, and William Holden.]
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“Fay’s Theatre recently inaugurated a new policy of presenting vaudeville and motion pictures twice a week. In the past Fay’s has run the same bill for a full week. The new setup calls for a completely new show every Sunday and thursday.”
[Note: the following year, 1951, Fays would close for good and subsequently be demolished.]
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“Whoever directs the policy for E.M. Loew’s open airers must be something of a weather prophet. Amost simultaneously with the closing of E.M. Loew’s Drive-In at the Providence-Pawtucket City line, winter weather hit this vicinity with the thermometer dropping to the middle twenties. All other nearby ozoners were still operating, despite the frigid weather, when Thanksgiving had come and gone.”
[Note: an “ozoner” is trade talk for any drive-in theatre.]
Revival of Chaplin’s 1931 City Lights at the Metropolitan.
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“The recent presentation of Charlie Chaplin’s "City Lights” at the Metropolitan not ony resulted in Bradford F. Swan, critic on the Journal-Bulletin, devoting practically the entire column praising the film and its artistry, but it also made the In Perspective column, which is alternately written by leading staff writers and has met with such widespread acclaim that the choicest bits have been published in book form."
From Boxoffice Magazine, December 2, 1950:
“Employees of the Avon Cinema had plenty of cause to be thankful on Thanksgiving. Charles R. Darby, manager, presented every employee a big plump turkey! Recently Darby scored with plenty of well-planned publicity on his twin bill of "The King’s Jester” and “Pagliacci.” The city has a large Italian population and Darby arranged a quiz program on a local radio station offering guest tickets. “The Red Shoes,” which ran for eight weeks at the Avon some time ago, has been scheduled for a return engagement."
A small article on the 1950 opening of the Somerset Drive-In appeared in Boxoffice Magazine on July 8, 1950. Go to page 106.
http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_070850-2
An article on the Union Theatre, contrasting the old marquee with the new and offering additional photos along with the story, can be found in Boxoffice Magazine, January 7, 1950. Page 33.
http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_010750
Report on demolition of Empire Theatre (long known as the Bijou). Boxoffice Magazine, January 7, 1950:
[b]WRECKING CREW TEARS DOWN EMPIRE AT PROVIDENCE
“PROVIDENCE[/b] -The oldest theatre in this city started falling under tha hammers and crowbars of a wrecker, as the Empire, long a landmark, passed into memory. Abe Spitz, who took over operation of the house in 1900, could not furnish the exact date in 1870 when the house opened, but he mentioned that it and the old Providence Opera House, which long since passed into oblivion, were at one time the only two theatres in the city.
“Opened originally as the Westminster, it featured old-time burlesque and ‘traveling musicals, minstrels and the like.’ When Spitz took over at the turn of the century, he named the house the Bijou.
“‘Cheri’ was one of the last musical revues to play the Bijou. That was in March 1930.
“Shortly after that Spitz converted it into a second-run house and changed the name to the Empire. It was under this title that the theatre operated until about six months ago when it was shuttered for good.
“Advertising recently appeared in local newspapers offering ‘over 1000 seats,’ from which generations of theatregoers had watched melodramas, burlesque, and films. The seats were snapped up by local sports arenas and the Salvation Army.”