From the website “History of the State of R.I. – History of Burrillville.”:
“Granite Lodge, No. 33, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Pascoag, was instituted Jan. 2, 1874, with fifteen charter members. First officers were: N. G., William Nugent; V. G., M. Wood; R. S., H. A. Potter; Treas., A. C. Sayles. The first meetings were held in the Old Hotel hall. The building at present occupied by the order was erected in 1875, at an expense of $10,000. It is a three-story building, about 40 x 70 feet. Upon the first, or ground floor, are three fine and commodious stores, — the first occupied by S. E. Miller as a drug-store and post-office; the second is occupied by D. S. Salisbury as a dry goods and clothing house; the third is occupied by a news-room and barber-shop; the second story is used for a public hall, known as Music Hall. Here are held all public gatherings, and the citizens manifest a considerable degree of interest in this fine and commodious hall. The third story is occupied by the members of the order. It is elegantly furnished with appropriate lodge-furnishings, and both officers and members feel a just pride in their worthy institution.”
In the third photo note that the poster showing the Fritz Lang movie Fury with Spencer Tracy clearly verifies that the Music Hall was a movie theatre.
Later years.
The theatre eventually closed and the Star Theatre took over the function as the main village theatre. The Music Hall building became Berk’s Department Store. Then it remained vacant for 10 years until the 2002 fire destroyed it. In 2003 Jake A. LaFleur pleaded no-contest to a charge of arson for having set fire to the building. Plans are currently under way to construct a memorial to the Music Hall at the same site.
Here is a photo of the Star Theatre dating to around 1943, judging by the film Buckskin Frontier. The Photo was taken because of the fire in progress. I have the feeling it was brought under control and that the theatre continued in operation for another decade or two. The truncated film title on the left side of the marquee could be “Ann Sothern and Eddie Cantor in Kid Millions.” But that was a 1934 film…a revival perhaps, or is it something else? Many thanks to the Burrillville Historical Society for making available this historic photo.
A 1913 city directory gives it as 34 Brow Street; a 1919 edition says 12 Brow Street. Well, at least I know it existed on Brow Street…a now truncated street. I wonder if anyone associated with this theatre was responsible for the emergence of the later Lyric in the Riverside neighborhood.
I caught a Fellini double bill here way back on July 18, 1986: La Strada with Ginger and Fred. I remember the dumpy seats that was the price you paid for first rate repertory programming.
When it was the Stage Door, I saw Lindsay Anderson’s O Lucky Man! here in June of 1973. When it was Regency III, I saw Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in July of 1986.
For a time in the 1970s this theatre was known as the Palace and was doing double-bill repertory programs. I re-saw Harold and Maude here when it had that name in Jabuary of 1973.
At the Coronet in March of 1969 I saw the uncut, 6-hour, original Russian version of Sergei Bondarchuk’s War and Peace…on two separate days for parts I and II, somewhat like the presentation of this year’s release of the Italian 6-hour The Best of Youth. War and Peace had previously been shown in Mahattan, I believe, in a 3-hour English-dubbed version.
I saw Paul Morrissey’s Flesh with Joe Dallesandro in 1969. I mean, I didn’t actually attend with Joe Dallesandro. He was in the movie. I noted in my log that the place was the “Andy Warhol Garrick.”
Here is a winter scene of the Harrisville Dam with the Assembly Theatre beyond it.
The Music Hall, Pascoag’s other lost movie theatre (and social hall) is now posted. Click here.
Origins of the Music Hall.
From the website “History of the State of R.I. – History of Burrillville.”:
“Granite Lodge, No. 33, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Pascoag, was instituted Jan. 2, 1874, with fifteen charter members. First officers were: N. G., William Nugent; V. G., M. Wood; R. S., H. A. Potter; Treas., A. C. Sayles. The first meetings were held in the Old Hotel hall. The building at present occupied by the order was erected in 1875, at an expense of $10,000. It is a three-story building, about 40 x 70 feet. Upon the first, or ground floor, are three fine and commodious stores, — the first occupied by S. E. Miller as a drug-store and post-office; the second is occupied by D. S. Salisbury as a dry goods and clothing house; the third is occupied by a news-room and barber-shop; the second story is used for a public hall, known as Music Hall. Here are held all public gatherings, and the citizens manifest a considerable degree of interest in this fine and commodious hall. The third story is occupied by the members of the order. It is elegantly furnished with appropriate lodge-furnishings, and both officers and members feel a just pride in their worthy institution.”
Three photos.
Early 20th Century postcard showing Music Hall.
18th Century view of Main Street, Music Hall on left.
1936 photo of entrance during Tercentenary.
In the third photo note that the poster showing the Fritz Lang movie Fury with Spencer Tracy clearly verifies that the Music Hall was a movie theatre.
Later years.
The theatre eventually closed and the Star Theatre took over the function as the main village theatre. The Music Hall building became Berk’s Department Store. Then it remained vacant for 10 years until the 2002 fire destroyed it. In 2003 Jake A. LaFleur pleaded no-contest to a charge of arson for having set fire to the building. Plans are currently under way to construct a memorial to the Music Hall at the same site.
Here is a photo of the Star Theatre dating to around 1943, judging by the film Buckskin Frontier. The Photo was taken because of the fire in progress. I have the feeling it was brought under control and that the theatre continued in operation for another decade or two. The truncated film title on the left side of the marquee could be “Ann Sothern and Eddie Cantor in Kid Millions.” But that was a 1934 film…a revival perhaps, or is it something else? Many thanks to the Burrillville Historical Society for making available this historic photo.
Well, I have been able to verify a previous Lyric Theatre on Brow Street, on the other side of town. You can read about it here.
A 1913 city directory gives it as 34 Brow Street; a 1919 edition says 12 Brow Street. Well, at least I know it existed on Brow Street…a now truncated street. I wonder if anyone associated with this theatre was responsible for the emergence of the later Lyric in the Riverside neighborhood.
I saw Bill Sherwood’s sole film, the gay-themed Parting Glances, here in February of 1986. He died of AIDS in 1990.
I think I visited this theatre just once, when it was a single-screener. On April 21, 1981 I saw Claude Berri’s One Wild Moment.
I caught a Fellini double bill here way back on July 18, 1986: La Strada with Ginger and Fred. I remember the dumpy seats that was the price you paid for first rate repertory programming.
When it was the Stage Door, I saw Lindsay Anderson’s O Lucky Man! here in June of 1973. When it was Regency III, I saw Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in July of 1986.
I caught Patrice Leconte’s disturbing Monsieur Hire here on August 1st, 1990.
I saw Louis Malle’s May Fools here on August 2, 1990.
I caught at least three films here in my visits to the city: Ted Kotcheff’s Joshua Then and Now in July, 1986; a revival of the 1937 Polish/Yiddish film by Michal Waszynski The Dybbuk on November 11, 1989, and the Hungarian Whooping Cough, directed by Péter Gárdos, on August 2, 1990. I remember the theatre as being functional, the screening rooms small, the programming incomparable. Every decent-sized city in America should have an Opera Plaza Cinema. So if the description calls it “an unsung art-house,” I am singing it.
I caught Robert Gardner’s Forest of Bliss here on July 21, 1986.
Saw Paper Moon here for the first time on June 24, 1973 and Aliens on July 18, 1986.
I caught two films here on June 22, 1973: Kid Blue and Scarecrow. One of them might have been a preview showing.
I too saw Above San Francisco here as a tourist in June of 1973.
On April 22, 1973 I saw two films at the Academy. At Academy 1, Claude Chabrol’s Just Before Nightfall; at Academy 3, Miklós Jancsó’s Red Psalm.
I saw Alan J. Pakula’s Love and Pain here in April of 1973.
And Hammersmith is Out as the Jerry Lewis Cinema, Cumberland, on January25, 1973.
For a time in the 1970s this theatre was known as the Palace and was doing double-bill repertory programs. I re-saw Harold and Maude here when it had that name in Jabuary of 1973.
I saw Bernardo Bertolucci’s Before the Revolution for the umteenth time here in June, 1973.
At the Coronet in March of 1969 I saw the uncut, 6-hour, original Russian version of Sergei Bondarchuk’s War and Peace…on two separate days for parts I and II, somewhat like the presentation of this year’s release of the Italian 6-hour The Best of Youth. War and Peace had previously been shown in Mahattan, I believe, in a 3-hour English-dubbed version.
I saw Paul Morrissey’s Flesh with Joe Dallesandro in 1969. I mean, I didn’t actually attend with Joe Dallesandro. He was in the movie. I noted in my log that the place was the “Andy Warhol Garrick.”
Yes…Stud Farm in July, 1969. Outrageous, unheard-of admission price of $5.