The Abbey was actually located on Brandford Street, at the corner of Cummington Street. “600 Commonwealth Avenue” was the address given in newspapers so that people could more easily find where it was. The Green Line stop was at the corner of Brandford St. and Commonwealth Ave. The theatre building and entrance were on that side street. There was a parking lot between the theatre and Commonwealth Avenue along Brandford Street. In time the theatre became the (first) Nickelodeon, then was closed a few years later. The second Nickelodeon, replacing the Abbey/ first Nickelodeon, was constructed about a hundred feet away on Cummington Street and is listed as a separate theatre on Cinema Treasures.
That bus, mentioned above, would first go by the R.K.O. Albee and what was then called the Westminster Playhouse, both on Westminster Street, both now gone, before passing the Capitol.
As a kid in the 1950s I went to this theatre a good number of times…but I wish I had gone more and spent all of my allowance there. It was unique and cheap and always showed double bills. I believe admission at the time was 35¢. It was located right near downtown Providence, between the city and Hoyle Square. The bus I took would go right by it as it went up Westminster Street. The same bus would then pass the Olympia (which I never went to) at Olneyville Square as well as the long-abandoned Royal, also in Olneyville at Plainfield Street and Hartford Avenue. Among the movies I remember seeing at the Capitol were a revival of THE YEARLING and the boy-loves-bull film THE BRAVE ONE, which I went back to see several times. As we all know, this kind of place does not exist and cannot exist any more. Sad.
Yeah, “Midnight Cowboy,” which won the Academy Award for best picture, was actually rated X. Its initial run had been at the Saxon, I believe. The Saxon is now the Cutler-Majestic at Emerson College.
Yes, Robert, it was a memorable place…one where a good deal of my “cinematic education” took place. It was a pleasing auditorium with an old-fashioned small-legit-theatre look to it. The only minus for me was that they never bothered to add a wider screen suitable for CinemaScope pictures. Instead, whenever showing a CinemaScope picture the image would appear “letterboxed” as a thin ribbon within the old standard dimensions, since they had no additional physical screen width. The screen must have dated to the early fifties and perhaps earler. But at least they respected the aspect ratio that way, although they would have had plenty of room for a wider installation to accomodate all formats.
The “Boston Theatre,” as a newspaper ad for March, 1962 called it, was showing the Cinerama feature SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE at that time.
One evening show daily. Matinees Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, and holidays at 2:30.
The address for the Fine Arts was 20 Norway Street. It was located in the old Loew’s State building on Massachusetts Avenue, just a hop up the street from Symphony Hall. Program for March 3, 1962: the Russian A SUMMER TO REMEMBER (about a young Russian boy) paired with the BP-sponsored featurette GIUSEPPINA (about a young Italian girl.)
Saturday, March 3, 1962, a typical day at the Old Howard, taken from the Boston Record American: film THE RIGHT APPROACH at 9 A.M. Film MAN TRAP at 10:13, 5:14. Stage show: 12:00 2:30, 7:15, 10:00. The stage show for that day featured one Cindy Parker.
A July 21, 1969 newspaper ad refers to this theater as the E.M. Loew’s Park, “formerly the Dorchester.” The film on that day was CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG.
Typical of the kind of programming at this theatre: in July of 1969 one screen featured Max Ophüls' LOLA MONTES in a revival while the other had Jean-Luc Godard’s WEEKEND. It should be noted that the screens were not sizable here, the sight-lines were imperfect, and the seating was fairly cramped…but the programmnmg was top-notch. They could screen both 16mm and 35mm prints.
In July of 1969, according to newspaper ads, the E.M. Loew’s West End Cinema was showing I, A WOMAN PART II. This was a Swedish sex film of the kind very popular at the time. It was rated X. Reflecting the tastes of the moment, on that same date I AM CURIOUS (YELLOW), another Swedish sex film, was playing at the Symphony Cinemas I & II across town in Back Bay. The West End was located opposite the Hotel Madison at North Station. The whole area, near the terminus of the Big Dig traffic artery, continues to be completely restructured, and many of the buildings that were originally there are now gone, including this theatre.
A July 21, 1969 newspaper ad for the theatre has it as the Symphony I & II. So at some point in the late 1960s a second screen was added. The movie playing on that date was the very successful Swedish sex film I AM CURIOUS (YELLOW, directed by Vilmot Sjöman. On that date, a Saturday, the X-rated film was playing on both screens, with staggered starting times: first show at 11 A.M. and the last one at 10:45 P.M. People must have been turning up in droves.
A newspaper ad from March 3, 1962 lists the Mayflower (formerly Modern) showing a double bill of “The 3 Stooges Meets Hercules” and “Underwater City.”
The theater looks like it is currently in the process of being restored. It is a few steps up from the Opera House, which has just undergone a complete and magnificent renovation.
This was a nudie-film theatre in the late 1950s-early 1960s. In March of 1962 they were showing PARADISIO…“The best ‘nudie’ movie to date.” “In ‘TRI-OPTIQUE’—–"Broad-minded adults only!” Plus second feature THE CHOPPERS.
I believe the semi-legendary nudist-camp film GARDEN OF EDEN had already played here in the 1950s.
A newspaper ad I just found in the Boston Record American for March 3, 1962, lists the State address as 617 Washington Street. That day they were showing NAKED ISLAND, “Land of 1001 surprises…scenes in blushing color.” Also on the bill was THE FACTS OF LOVE.
I’ve been going to this noble theatre since the late 1950s and have visited it under the name of R.K.O Keith’s, Savoy, and Opera House. Its emergence from long-dormancy arouses ovations. Everything about the place excites us with its class-act beauty.
This is one of the loveliest old theatres in New England! And the programming is varied and intelligent. It is the perfect antidote to the grim shoebox cells we increasingly have to watch movies in today.
And, blessedly, Northampton proudly retains so much of its historic charm. It is a wonderful village to walk around in, shop in, dine in, and watch movies in. Check out the restored Calvin for music and stage shows as well.
Actually it was a very plain, functional, and unadorned little box of a place, except for the Gilbert Stuart portrait reproductions. It was and is very drab-looking from the outside. It’s just that I have a great deal of nostalgia for the place and find it sad when even unassumimg theaters like this perish. About 3-4 miles away near the city hall in East Providence is the larger and long-dormant Hollywood Theatre. I’ve never seen the inside but it must be/have been quite nice. I wish the city would buy it and restore it. It’s been for sale for eons.
I walked into the place today. It now houses a business called Century Sheet Metal. The front part seems to be offices; the rear is a work and stock-storage area.
“And they make one of their main rules known by having the announcer say in a booming voice "NO TALKING”."
Good for them! People talking during movies are an abomination. Even those who think it’s OK because they are just whispering. Anyone using cellphones, and there are plenty who make and receive calls while the show is in progress, should be registered with the FBI as offenders to public morality, their names and pictures posted online, and permanently banned from movies. Next we can talk about the loud popcorn-munchers with their gallon-buckets of popped cacophony. Sometimes I wonder whether the feature attraction is the movie itself or the ingestion of popcorn.
The Abbey was actually located on Brandford Street, at the corner of Cummington Street. “600 Commonwealth Avenue” was the address given in newspapers so that people could more easily find where it was. The Green Line stop was at the corner of Brandford St. and Commonwealth Ave. The theatre building and entrance were on that side street. There was a parking lot between the theatre and Commonwealth Avenue along Brandford Street. In time the theatre became the (first) Nickelodeon, then was closed a few years later. The second Nickelodeon, replacing the Abbey/ first Nickelodeon, was constructed about a hundred feet away on Cummington Street and is listed as a separate theatre on Cinema Treasures.
That bus, mentioned above, would first go by the R.K.O. Albee and what was then called the Westminster Playhouse, both on Westminster Street, both now gone, before passing the Capitol.
As a kid in the 1950s I went to this theatre a good number of times…but I wish I had gone more and spent all of my allowance there. It was unique and cheap and always showed double bills. I believe admission at the time was 35¢. It was located right near downtown Providence, between the city and Hoyle Square. The bus I took would go right by it as it went up Westminster Street. The same bus would then pass the Olympia (which I never went to) at Olneyville Square as well as the long-abandoned Royal, also in Olneyville at Plainfield Street and Hartford Avenue. Among the movies I remember seeing at the Capitol were a revival of THE YEARLING and the boy-loves-bull film THE BRAVE ONE, which I went back to see several times. As we all know, this kind of place does not exist and cannot exist any more. Sad.
Yeah, “Midnight Cowboy,” which won the Academy Award for best picture, was actually rated X. Its initial run had been at the Saxon, I believe. The Saxon is now the Cutler-Majestic at Emerson College.
Yes, Robert, it was a memorable place…one where a good deal of my “cinematic education” took place. It was a pleasing auditorium with an old-fashioned small-legit-theatre look to it. The only minus for me was that they never bothered to add a wider screen suitable for CinemaScope pictures. Instead, whenever showing a CinemaScope picture the image would appear “letterboxed” as a thin ribbon within the old standard dimensions, since they had no additional physical screen width. The screen must have dated to the early fifties and perhaps earler. But at least they respected the aspect ratio that way, although they would have had plenty of room for a wider installation to accomodate all formats.
The “Boston Theatre,” as a newspaper ad for March, 1962 called it, was showing the Cinerama feature SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE at that time.
One evening show daily. Matinees Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, and holidays at 2:30.
EL CID is listed as playing here in early 1962. 70mm Super Technirama. One evening show daily and matinees on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The address for the Fine Arts was 20 Norway Street. It was located in the old Loew’s State building on Massachusetts Avenue, just a hop up the street from Symphony Hall. Program for March 3, 1962: the Russian A SUMMER TO REMEMBER (about a young Russian boy) paired with the BP-sponsored featurette GIUSEPPINA (about a young Italian girl.)
Saturday, March 3, 1962, a typical day at the Old Howard, taken from the Boston Record American: film THE RIGHT APPROACH at 9 A.M. Film MAN TRAP at 10:13, 5:14. Stage show: 12:00 2:30, 7:15, 10:00. The stage show for that day featured one Cindy Parker.
A July 21, 1969 newspaper ad refers to this theater as the E.M. Loew’s Park, “formerly the Dorchester.” The film on that day was CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG.
Typical of the kind of programming at this theatre: in July of 1969 one screen featured Max Ophüls' LOLA MONTES in a revival while the other had Jean-Luc Godard’s WEEKEND. It should be noted that the screens were not sizable here, the sight-lines were imperfect, and the seating was fairly cramped…but the programmnmg was top-notch. They could screen both 16mm and 35mm prints.
In July of 1969, according to newspaper ads, the E.M. Loew’s West End Cinema was showing I, A WOMAN PART II. This was a Swedish sex film of the kind very popular at the time. It was rated X. Reflecting the tastes of the moment, on that same date I AM CURIOUS (YELLOW), another Swedish sex film, was playing at the Symphony Cinemas I & II across town in Back Bay. The West End was located opposite the Hotel Madison at North Station. The whole area, near the terminus of the Big Dig traffic artery, continues to be completely restructured, and many of the buildings that were originally there are now gone, including this theatre.
A July 21, 1969 newspaper ad for the theatre has it as the Symphony I & II. So at some point in the late 1960s a second screen was added. The movie playing on that date was the very successful Swedish sex film I AM CURIOUS (YELLOW, directed by Vilmot Sjöman. On that date, a Saturday, the X-rated film was playing on both screens, with staggered starting times: first show at 11 A.M. and the last one at 10:45 P.M. People must have been turning up in droves.
A newspaper ad from March 3, 1962 lists the Mayflower (formerly Modern) showing a double bill of “The 3 Stooges Meets Hercules” and “Underwater City.”
The theater looks like it is currently in the process of being restored. It is a few steps up from the Opera House, which has just undergone a complete and magnificent renovation.
This was a nudie-film theatre in the late 1950s-early 1960s. In March of 1962 they were showing PARADISIO…“The best ‘nudie’ movie to date.” “In ‘TRI-OPTIQUE’—–"Broad-minded adults only!” Plus second feature THE CHOPPERS.
I believe the semi-legendary nudist-camp film GARDEN OF EDEN had already played here in the 1950s.
A newspaper ad I just found in the Boston Record American for March 3, 1962, lists the State address as 617 Washington Street. That day they were showing NAKED ISLAND, “Land of 1001 surprises…scenes in blushing color.” Also on the bill was THE FACTS OF LOVE.
And the Gayety Saga continues! Read it here.
And the Saga continues! (Long article)
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I’ve been going to this noble theatre since the late 1950s and have visited it under the name of R.K.O Keith’s, Savoy, and Opera House. Its emergence from long-dormancy arouses ovations. Everything about the place excites us with its class-act beauty.
An article just appeared in the Boston Phoenix about the opposition of mayor Tom Menino of Boston to the saving of the Gaiety/Gayety.
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This is one of the loveliest old theatres in New England! And the programming is varied and intelligent. It is the perfect antidote to the grim shoebox cells we increasingly have to watch movies in today.
And, blessedly, Northampton proudly retains so much of its historic charm. It is a wonderful village to walk around in, shop in, dine in, and watch movies in. Check out the restored Calvin for music and stage shows as well.
“This sounds like it was a nice place.”
Actually it was a very plain, functional, and unadorned little box of a place, except for the Gilbert Stuart portrait reproductions. It was and is very drab-looking from the outside. It’s just that I have a great deal of nostalgia for the place and find it sad when even unassumimg theaters like this perish. About 3-4 miles away near the city hall in East Providence is the larger and long-dormant Hollywood Theatre. I’ve never seen the inside but it must be/have been quite nice. I wish the city would buy it and restore it. It’s been for sale for eons.
I walked into the place today. It now houses a business called Century Sheet Metal. The front part seems to be offices; the rear is a work and stock-storage area.
I do not believe it was EVER a 4-6 plex.
“And they make one of their main rules known by having the announcer say in a booming voice "NO TALKING”."
Good for them! People talking during movies are an abomination. Even those who think it’s OK because they are just whispering. Anyone using cellphones, and there are plenty who make and receive calls while the show is in progress, should be registered with the FBI as offenders to public morality, their names and pictures posted online, and permanently banned from movies. Next we can talk about the loud popcorn-munchers with their gallon-buckets of popped cacophony. Sometimes I wonder whether the feature attraction is the movie itself or the ingestion of popcorn.