In February of 1935, the following film programs were on the Central screen between the 17th and the 23rd: The Gay Bride & White Lies, That’s Gratitude & Redhead, Bright Eyes (Shirley Temple) & Marie Gallant.
And on the 27th and 28th of that same month: Le Chasseur de chez Maxim’s. A number of these French films were distributed by Paramount Pictures, sans sous-titres.
The movies shown on opening day, September 14, 1914, were The Wrath of the Gods, “6 Reel Masterpiece Which Broke All Records at the Strand Theatre, New York,” and Weights and Measures, “Two-Reel Universal Feature.” The ad said that programs would change three times a week and would be continuous between 10:30 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. Sunday showings of movies and performances of plays were banned at the time.
I answered my own questions by checking the Providence Journal on microfilm. The Park was built in 1924. It was equipped for minor-league vaudeville but generally only showed movies.
This theatre was also called “Pussycat Theater” for a time. An article in the Providence Evening Bulletin of December 29, 1969, discussed the problems the Pussycat had with Pawtucket City Hall and the granting of a license for showing X-rated and other adult films. The theatre had had its license seized by the police on the order of Mayor Robert F. Burns and subsequently revoked by the Pawtucket City Council. It remained closed for seven weeks. On December 29 the theater was finally granted a license to show Les Biches and The Oldest Profession. At the time the theatre had been shut down, it was playing Donna and Lisa and Mail Order Confidential.
Roland, why don’t you put it up? I’ll add what little I know in the form of comments. I definitely know that movies were shown there, since I found a list of coming films in February of 1935.
Marialivia, thanks. You and Roland Lavallee have provided plenty of information about Pawtucket to whet my appetite. Having grown up in Johnston, my knowledge of the Pawtucket theatres is very indirect. I visited the Strand once, saw the closed Capitol or whatever it was called in the late 1950s and wondered about it, saw the exterior of the Broadway, visited the Fairlawn a couple of times, the Leroy a few times, and the Darlton many times. I paid $32 for Temples of Illusion. It is out of print now, but you could check from time to time with www.abebooks.com to see if more used copies become available.
The theatre’s life went from 1899 to 1915. Excerpts from Roger Brett’s Temples of Illusion and the building of the Empire follow:
“The Empire Theater stood on the same side of Westminster Street as the Westminster Theatre and Music Hall and just a few yards from them. Its minuscule entrance was built next to the store which had housed the short-lived Nickelodeon two years before. Empire Street, named for the theater [!!!], now climbs the hill from Westminster toward Weybosset Street where the theater once stood….
“Spitz and Nathanson built their Empire in four hectic months. Work started in May [1899]. (…)
“A short article in the Providence Sunday Journal of August 2th said,
‘There is no longer any doubt as to the date of the opening of the Empire Theater. It will be Monday, September 4th….The interior is finished in Nile green, cream, and yellow, with ornamentation in gold.’ (The carpeting was dark red.) ‘There are reproductions of mythological scenes, and the fibrous plaster work around the boxes and on the proscenium arch is a feature.’ (…)
“In seating capacity it placed somewhere behind Keith’s, and very close to the Providence [Opera House], ahead of the Westminster and far ahead of their own Olympic [Nickel].(…)
“The proper word to use in descrbing the interior of the house is ‘nice.’ Neither extravagant nor drab, it was not too large for the most intimate of plays, not too small for the biggest of musicals. The house was divided into orchestra or parquette, balcony or family circle, and gallery….
“On the morning of opening day, board fencing still blocked the Westmnster Street entrance and seats were still being placed…. At five in the afternoon, the last seat was bolted to the floor. When the Empire opened that evening of Labor Day, 1899, with Johnstone Bennett in A Female Drummer, Abe Spitz became the first Providence showman to have two theaters running simultaneously.”
In addition to City Lights , my favorites are The Kid, The Gold Rush and Modern Times. When Modern Times was re-issued in 1959, I went to Boston to see it at the old Capri (Copley) and I later bought a copy of the soundtrack, which I still have and which is now rare. I also love many of his later films. Limelight with Claire Bloom knocks me out. I now have most of them on video.
Good for you. There was a Music Hall on Westminster Street in Providence too, destroyed by a fire in 1905, as was Infantry Hall in 1942. That link is a direct link to what it takes several clicks to get on the PPL site. But it is what I was referring to. Great pics there. The Albee ones are fabulous.
Yes, I saw that Pastime photo on the Images of R.I. section of the Providence Public Library’s electronic resources. Check it out at www.provlib.org . The picture of the Crown I got from the Images of America book on Pawtucket, so I presume that the theatre was in Pawtucket on North Main. North Main, I understand, is now called Roosevelt.
The Scenic had the same address (156 Main) as the Loew’s Capitol/Center/State. I wonder if it had been demolished or simply renamed. I will use this information and post the theatres that are not listed. Have you ever found any information on the Crown?
Thanks very much, Roland. Although I do believe I saw movie listings for it from the year 1935 when the Providence Journal had a Sunday listing for all the week’s upcoming movies in area theatres, not just Providence. The place could have had multiple uses over the decades. I will re-check tomorrow. It’s certainly good to know exactly where it was…even if I haven’t found a numerical address yet. By the way, I just discovered yesterday that Charlie Chaplin performed in Providence in person before he became famous through films, at the first Empire. Click and read my entry.
Was it closer to East Avenue or up where Broad Street begins? I’m going to check for ads for it in pre-1935 Pawtucket Times years on microfilm. This will merit a listing. Incidentally I have posted a great deal of information on the downtown Providence theatres. Roger Brett’s book Temples of Illusion has been a big help, and I am finding a lot of early Journal articles by using the card file at the Providence Public Library.
An August, 1928 article in the Providence Journal reported that the Publix Theatre Corporation took over the lease of the Keith-Albee interests of the Bijou Theatre that month. The lease had ten more years to run. This had been a Keith-Albee theatre for the previous 21 years. The Bijou seated 960 people.
Finally, I found the actual street address of the Bijou. It was 164 Westminster Street.
In February of 1935, the following film programs were on the Central screen between the 17th and the 23rd: The Gay Bride & White Lies, That’s Gratitude & Redhead, Bright Eyes (Shirley Temple) & Marie Gallant.
And on the 27th and 28th of that same month: Le Chasseur de chez Maxim’s. A number of these French films were distributed by Paramount Pictures, sans sous-titres.
Beginning February 24, 1935, the United’s programs for the week would be: Sun.-Wed., David Copperfield, Thurs.-Sat., Rumba & That’s Gratitude.
Beginning February 24, 1935, the Central’s programs for the week would be: Bordertown & Women Must Dress, Murder in the Clouds & Men of the Night.
The movies shown on opening day, September 14, 1914, were The Wrath of the Gods, “6 Reel Masterpiece Which Broke All Records at the Strand Theatre, New York,” and Weights and Measures, “Two-Reel Universal Feature.” The ad said that programs would change three times a week and would be continuous between 10:30 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. Sunday showings of movies and performances of plays were banned at the time.
Sounds good. I found city directory references (i.e. 1914) to a Globe Theatre at 175 Main Street. Any info on that?
I answered my own questions by checking the Providence Journal on microfilm. The Park was built in 1924. It was equipped for minor-league vaudeville but generally only showed movies.
This theatre was also called “Pussycat Theater” for a time. An article in the Providence Evening Bulletin of December 29, 1969, discussed the problems the Pussycat had with Pawtucket City Hall and the granting of a license for showing X-rated and other adult films. The theatre had had its license seized by the police on the order of Mayor Robert F. Burns and subsequently revoked by the Pawtucket City Council. It remained closed for seven weeks. On December 29 the theater was finally granted a license to show Les Biches and The Oldest Profession. At the time the theatre had been shut down, it was playing Donna and Lisa and Mail Order Confidential.
The architectural firm that built the Majestic was William R. Walker & Son, according to a plaque that is next to the current Trinity Rep entrance.
Roland, why don’t you put it up? I’ll add what little I know in the form of comments. I definitely know that movies were shown there, since I found a list of coming films in February of 1935.
Marialivia, thanks. You and Roland Lavallee have provided plenty of information about Pawtucket to whet my appetite. Having grown up in Johnston, my knowledge of the Pawtucket theatres is very indirect. I visited the Strand once, saw the closed Capitol or whatever it was called in the late 1950s and wondered about it, saw the exterior of the Broadway, visited the Fairlawn a couple of times, the Leroy a few times, and the Darlton many times. I paid $32 for Temples of Illusion. It is out of print now, but you could check from time to time with www.abebooks.com to see if more used copies become available.
The theatre’s life went from 1899 to 1915. Excerpts from Roger Brett’s Temples of Illusion and the building of the Empire follow:
“The Empire Theater stood on the same side of Westminster Street as the Westminster Theatre and Music Hall and just a few yards from them. Its minuscule entrance was built next to the store which had housed the short-lived Nickelodeon two years before. Empire Street, named for the theater [!!!], now climbs the hill from Westminster toward Weybosset Street where the theater once stood….
“Spitz and Nathanson built their Empire in four hectic months. Work started in May [1899]. (…)
“A short article in the Providence Sunday Journal of August 2th said,
‘There is no longer any doubt as to the date of the opening of the Empire Theater. It will be Monday, September 4th….The interior is finished in Nile green, cream, and yellow, with ornamentation in gold.’ (The carpeting was dark red.) ‘There are reproductions of mythological scenes, and the fibrous plaster work around the boxes and on the proscenium arch is a feature.’ (…)
“In seating capacity it placed somewhere behind Keith’s, and very close to the Providence [Opera House], ahead of the Westminster and far ahead of their own Olympic [Nickel].(…)
“The proper word to use in descrbing the interior of the house is ‘nice.’ Neither extravagant nor drab, it was not too large for the most intimate of plays, not too small for the biggest of musicals. The house was divided into orchestra or parquette, balcony or family circle, and gallery….
“On the morning of opening day, board fencing still blocked the Westmnster Street entrance and seats were still being placed…. At five in the afternoon, the last seat was bolted to the floor. When the Empire opened that evening of Labor Day, 1899, with Johnstone Bennett in A Female Drummer, Abe Spitz became the first Providence showman to have two theaters running simultaneously.”
In addition to City Lights , my favorites are The Kid, The Gold Rush and Modern Times. When Modern Times was re-issued in 1959, I went to Boston to see it at the old Capri (Copley) and I later bought a copy of the soundtrack, which I still have and which is now rare. I also love many of his later films. Limelight with Claire Bloom knocks me out. I now have most of them on video.
Good for you. There was a Music Hall on Westminster Street in Providence too, destroyed by a fire in 1905, as was Infantry Hall in 1942. That link is a direct link to what it takes several clicks to get on the PPL site. But it is what I was referring to. Great pics there. The Albee ones are fabulous.
Yes, I saw that Pastime photo on the Images of R.I. section of the Providence Public Library’s electronic resources. Check it out at www.provlib.org . The picture of the Crown I got from the Images of America book on Pawtucket, so I presume that the theatre was in Pawtucket on North Main. North Main, I understand, is now called Roosevelt.
Sic transit gloria Beekmani!
Dave, great shots! I took similar photos a couple of weeks ago and was going to post mine. You saved me the need.
The Scenic had the same address (156 Main) as the Loew’s Capitol/Center/State. I wonder if it had been demolished or simply renamed. I will use this information and post the theatres that are not listed. Have you ever found any information on the Crown?
Thanks very much, Roland. Although I do believe I saw movie listings for it from the year 1935 when the Providence Journal had a Sunday listing for all the week’s upcoming movies in area theatres, not just Providence. The place could have had multiple uses over the decades. I will re-check tomorrow. It’s certainly good to know exactly where it was…even if I haven’t found a numerical address yet. By the way, I just discovered yesterday that Charlie Chaplin performed in Providence in person before he became famous through films, at the first Empire. Click and read my entry.
Was it closer to East Avenue or up where Broad Street begins? I’m going to check for ads for it in pre-1935 Pawtucket Times years on microfilm. This will merit a listing. Incidentally I have posted a great deal of information on the downtown Providence theatres. Roger Brett’s book Temples of Illusion has been a big help, and I am finding a lot of early Journal articles by using the card file at the Providence Public Library.
An August, 1928 article in the Providence Journal reported that the Publix Theatre Corporation took over the lease of the Keith-Albee interests of the Bijou Theatre that month. The lease had ten more years to run. This had been a Keith-Albee theatre for the previous 21 years. The Bijou seated 960 people.
I found a 1935 listing for a “Music Hall” in Pawtucket. Any idea of what or where this was? Other names?
This theatre still existed in February, 1935, according to a Providence newspaper listing of films playing.
I also found a 1935 listing for a “Music Hall” in Pawtucket. Any idea of what or where this was? Other names?
I found a 1935 listing for a “Music Hall” in Pawtucket. Any idea of what or where this was? Other names?
In 1924, when this theatre was known as the Empire, it showed the film He Who Gets Slapped with Lon Chaney.