Here is a postcard from the 1920s showing Westminster Street from the Union Trust Building. On the right you can see the vertical marquee for the first Bijou Theatre along with a bit of its white façade. Further down you can make out the Arcade Building. View link
Fay’s was on the block between Union and Eddy, between Fountain and Washington Streets, with the entrance on Union and the rear on Eddy. That’s what I meant by “behind the Biltmore.”
The Emery (later to be called the Carlton) was at 79 Mathewson Street, a block away from Fay’s. You can see the name “Emery” still on the front of what remains of the Emery/Carlton.
Regarding the Music Hall in Pawtucket, the information I have from 1928 and 1935 city directories is that its address was 229 Main Street. I don’t know anything else about it.
Some comments on this theatre were posted on the listing for the earlier Bijou before this listing went up. You should check that one too at: /theaters/6598/
Does anyone have an actual street address for this second Bijou?
Here is a photo I took of Le Laurier. I thought I took it in 1989, but that doesn’t seem to agree with the “demolished in January 1988” timeline above. View link
Here is a photo I took…er, NOT of the above activity, but of the cinema façade. Note the lettering on “Paris.” Same script, same star for a dot over the “i”. Just like the Paris in Providence and New York…and Boston, I believe. View link
Also, note the sense of the hugeness of the original auditorium of the Capitol behind. See up top what appears to be the exterior of a separated fire-containment projection booth as a safety measure during the nitrate era.
I remember this as the place I first saw the Taviani Brothers' 1974 “Allonsanfan” starring Marcello Mastroianni, in 1979. In Italian with French subtitles.
Here is a photo I took of the Élysèe in 1989 or so. View link
Fay’s was located in the block behind the Biltmore Hotel, in that area occupied now mostly by a parking garage. I never was taken there (too young to go on my own!) but I have read and heard from people who went that it was never just movies. There was always a live act or performer alternating with a movie. The Carlton was up a block on Mathewson. The auditorium of the Carlton was razed, but the front part of the building remained and is still there, across from the Mathewson Street Church.
Both those films were distributed by United Artists. What were some of the films for the other 26 theatres? Were they all UA features? Might this have been a UA strategy to give a pile of their films some exposure for one day? Interesting.
The Columbus on Broadway is stunningly beautiful. Though they have stopped showing movies regularly, they have occasional film programs, the R.I. Film Festival in August. The presentation of Keaton’s silent “The General” a year ago with live orchestra was stupendous.
Yes, the Liberty is included under “Art Cinema.” It was on Broad Street. The building is still there. I posted lots of comments there. I just submitted a listing for the second Bijou. It seems to have been a burlesque house referred to as “The Sink” or “Sinkhole of Depravity” according to a Journal article. What do you remember about Fay’s? (That’s listed too.)
Marialivia, the theatre was behind. The narrow part was just the entrance. See my comment above. I too loved it. It was an absolute disgrace that it perished. Providence today could easily support another such theatre with additional Broadway shows and top-drawer entertainers.
Alas, too late.
It might have been, but in addition to the Strand (now Jane Pickens)and the Opera House, both still in existence, there was the Paramount (q.v.)—-long demolished. No one seems to know anything about it.
Since its magnificent restoration, I’ve brought folks here three times to see “The Lion King.” It is truly a theatre of orgasmic beauty. I’m not from New York but I saw a movie here once upon a time and didn’t register any reaction then.
For a time in the 1990s it was known as the Entertainment Cinemas. I have a friend who won’t go anywhere else to see Hollywood movies, because of the extremely low admission prices. He’ll wait until it gets to the Patriot.
Here is a postcard from the 1920s showing Westminster Street from the Union Trust Building. On the right you can see the vertical marquee for the first Bijou Theatre along with a bit of its white façade. Further down you can make out the Arcade Building.
View link
Fay’s was on the block between Union and Eddy, between Fountain and Washington Streets, with the entrance on Union and the rear on Eddy. That’s what I meant by “behind the Biltmore.”
The Emery (later to be called the Carlton) was at 79 Mathewson Street, a block away from Fay’s. You can see the name “Emery” still on the front of what remains of the Emery/Carlton.
Regarding the Music Hall in Pawtucket, the information I have from 1928 and 1935 city directories is that its address was 229 Main Street. I don’t know anything else about it.
Some comments on this theatre were posted on the listing for the earlier Bijou before this listing went up. You should check that one too at:
/theaters/6598/
Does anyone have an actual street address for this second Bijou?
Here is a photo I took of Le Laurier. I thought I took it in 1989, but that doesn’t seem to agree with the “demolished in January 1988” timeline above.
View link
Here is a photo I took…er, NOT of the above activity, but of the cinema façade. Note the lettering on “Paris.” Same script, same star for a dot over the “i”. Just like the Paris in Providence and New York…and Boston, I believe.
View link
Also, note the sense of the hugeness of the original auditorium of the Capitol behind. See up top what appears to be the exterior of a separated fire-containment projection booth as a safety measure during the nitrate era.
re: “Prices that day were 25 cents and 34 cents."
Hell, I would have gone in the afternoon for only 15 or 20 cents. Were there senior discounts?
Here is a photo I took of the Cine 539 in 1989 or so.
View link
I remember this as the place I first saw the Taviani Brothers' 1974 “Allonsanfan” starring Marcello Mastroianni, in 1979. In Italian with French subtitles.
Here is a photo I took of the Élysèe in 1989 or so.
View link
Here’s a photo I took of the Snowdon in 1989 or so. I believe it is now retail shops.
View link
Here’s a photo of the Electra, with Chinese calligraphy on the marquee. I took it around 1989.
View link
Fay’s was located in the block behind the Biltmore Hotel, in that area occupied now mostly by a parking garage. I never was taken there (too young to go on my own!) but I have read and heard from people who went that it was never just movies. There was always a live act or performer alternating with a movie. The Carlton was up a block on Mathewson. The auditorium of the Carlton was razed, but the front part of the building remained and is still there, across from the Mathewson Street Church.
Both those films were distributed by United Artists. What were some of the films for the other 26 theatres? Were they all UA features? Might this have been a UA strategy to give a pile of their films some exposure for one day? Interesting.
“The Visit"
"Sundays and Cybèle”
I don’t remember being that scared, though I kind of liked it. I wrote a review for The Echo.
A right turn, not left.
The Columbus on Broadway is stunningly beautiful. Though they have stopped showing movies regularly, they have occasional film programs, the R.I. Film Festival in August. The presentation of Keaton’s silent “The General” a year ago with live orchestra was stupendous.
Yes, the Liberty is included under “Art Cinema.” It was on Broad Street. The building is still there. I posted lots of comments there. I just submitted a listing for the second Bijou. It seems to have been a burlesque house referred to as “The Sink” or “Sinkhole of Depravity” according to a Journal article. What do you remember about Fay’s? (That’s listed too.)
Marialivia, the theatre was behind. The narrow part was just the entrance. See my comment above. I too loved it. It was an absolute disgrace that it perished. Providence today could easily support another such theatre with additional Broadway shows and top-drawer entertainers.
Alas, too late.
It might have been, but in addition to the Strand (now Jane Pickens)and the Opera House, both still in existence, there was the Paramount (q.v.)—-long demolished. No one seems to know anything about it.
My goodness! Why? I’m going to add a listing for the newer Bijou. Maybe you and others can post your recollections there.
Here is a photo of the theatre I took in 1989 or so.
View link
Since its magnificent restoration, I’ve brought folks here three times to see “The Lion King.” It is truly a theatre of orgasmic beauty. I’m not from New York but I saw a movie here once upon a time and didn’t register any reaction then.
For a time in the 1990s it was known as the Entertainment Cinemas. I have a friend who won’t go anywhere else to see Hollywood movies, because of the extremely low admission prices. He’ll wait until it gets to the Patriot.
Wasn’t this a repertory cinema for a time in the early 1980s? Here is a photo I took around 1989.
View link
On August 20, 1977 I raced here with a friend from a film at the 1st Montreal Film Festival in order to see a commercial showing in this theatre of Luchino Visconti’s “The Innocent.” The film had not yet been released in the United States and wouldn’t be until early 1979. I believe the theatre was called the Ciné-Club IV at the time. Here is a photo I took around 1989.
View link
This photo, which I took in 1989 or so, shows Le Parisien when it had five screens. The Montréal World Film Festival was in progress at the time.
View link