Rustic Tri-View Drive-In
1193 Eddie Dowling Highway (Route 146),
North Smithfield,
RI
02896
1193 Eddie Dowling Highway (Route 146),
North Smithfield,
RI
02896
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NORTH SMITHFIELD, R.I. — A fire damaged the concession stand at
FROM wjar-tv
Rhode Island’s only drive-in movie theater on Wednesday.
The flames broke out at the Rustic Tri-View Drive-In on Route 146 at about noon. No one was hurt.
It took firefighters about 45 minutes to knock down heavy, black smoke coming from a building that holds the concession stand and the projection room.
Firefighters said they don’t know the cause of the fire, but they called it accidental.
The Rustic’s general manager said the projectors and the movies were not damaged and that the fire damaged only the concession stand on the lower level.
The general manager said it would be up to the insurance company and the building inspector to determine if the damage can be fixed in time to open for the weekend.
I had heard in April that Boston Culinary Group had just purchased the property from CBB Enterprises, which had previously owned it. Before that, BCG only operated the Concession stand.
Al sorry to infor you but Mr and Mrs Demares have both passed away a few years back how ever they let the drive in to there daughter she still operates the drive`in
Does anyone know if Clem Demares still owns the Rustic ? Would love to contact him somehow? It shows CBB Enterprises as the owner and I think that was Clems Company but not sure. Any help would be appreciated.
An in-depth Providence Journal article on this drive-in appeared in the newspaper on July 13, 2007. The print edition has more photos than the online version and even takes us into the projection booth.
LINK TO THE ARTICLE
Here is a short article from November 1971 re adult films at the Rustic:
Theater license up; bid to halt X-films
NORTH SMITHFIELD, R.I.â€" The Town Council has taken a step toward eliminating X-rated movies from the town’s only theater: It upped the license fee from $160 to $18,000 per year. Councilman Robert E. Mowry proposed the motion to charge Rustic Drive-In movie theater $50 per day in fees so it “can no longer operate profitably.” Residents have objected to the theater’s policy of showing two X-rated.movies nightly.
No money talks to film companys i once booked my own films for one of my cinemas i ran and if you have the $$$ you can get them its great the Drive in is still open i hope the girls are doing fine
The Rustic is now open for the 2006 season and showing first-run movies, including The Da Vinci Code. Aren’t first-run drive-ins pretty unusual? There is a first-run movie and a second recent feature on each of the three screens.
I believe it is still operating seasonally, and was something like $17 for a carload last year.
One of the things about drive-ins is that there was per car pricing. Unlike going into a movie theatre where each invidual paid, you paid by the car for the drive-in. It was a pretty good bargain.
Here is a photo:
http://www.agilitynut.com/p/rusticdi.jpg
Here is a link:
http://www.klh.org/drivein/rustic/index.html
I have been to the rustic whick in eaily 90’s was owned and operated by Clem Demares whick opened the Woonsocket Cieman Centre no longer there i worked as an assist MAnager there for 8 months or so
Jim
Hardbop, yes, still there, vacant, but a real unique eye-opener.
Isn’t there a donut shop nearby in the shape of a milk can? I remember driving by about 10 years ago and I did a double-take when I saw it. It was right near the Rustic. Someone told me the donut shop is closed, but the building is some sort of landmark.
RobertR, that is not a photo of the Rustic!
The Rustic still operates and shows first run movies during the warm months around the same time some of the multiplexes get them. I believe admission is around $17 per car. In the 1970s it operated as a porno theatre for a time. Hard and soft. I believe this is where I saw Sylvester Stallone in his early semi-infamous “Italian Stallion” where he is seen in full frontal nudity.
http://www.agilitynut.com/p/edgedi903.jpg
Here is a recent photo
I grew up in Rhode Island and from ‘71 to '74 my father packed us into the car every Friday and we went to the drive in. The first film we caught was “Willard” at this theatre.
Hard to believe all the drive ins are gone. There was the Hilltop in East Greenwich and the Quonset in North Kingston. There was the Seekonk Twin and another one nearby in Seekonk, Mass. There was the Loew’s, I believe, on the Providence/Pawtucket border; there wast the Shipyard in Providence. There was the Lonsdale Twin, which I believe was in Pawtucket. There were several more. One in Attleboro, Mass. that began with a “B.” I remember we went to one in Somerset, Mass.
The Rustic went triple X for a few years back in the 80s. Its a nice DI now.
Here is the marquee for the Rustic
View link