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.
I remember seeing Bertolucci’s electifying “Last Tango in Paris” here in March, 1973, during its classy-treatment reserved-seat engagement at the Trans-Lux East. The film had been slightly trimmed by the director after its New York Film Festival premiere the previous fall, which I had also attended.
Was this place actually ever a movie theatre? If so, when? I was under the impression it was a concert hall throughout its life until the Philadelphia Orchestra moved to the Kimmel Arts Center and it began to be used for Broadway shows.
I remember making a point of driving here on a cross-country trip just to see the theatre in July of 1973, two years after the release of the film in 1971. I took a couple of photos of the exterior.
One of the first movies I saw at the Art was Michelangelo Antonioni’s gorgeous color experiment “The Red Desert” with Monica Vitti and Richard Harris. The film had previously opened at the Beekman in February of 1965 and had a subsequent run here.
The cinema never found a true identity and did combinations of first run, second run, art house, revival programs. I saw a fair number of films here including “Torch Song Trilogy” in January of 1989. It could have become something special, given the location near Harvard, if it had been intelligently programmed and enthusiastically managed but instead it evolved into just another boring blah place.
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.
I remember seeing Bertolucci’s electifying “Last Tango in Paris” here in March, 1973, during its classy-treatment reserved-seat engagement at the Trans-Lux East. The film had been slightly trimmed by the director after its New York Film Festival premiere the previous fall, which I had also attended.
Also the United Theatre in lovely Westerly, RI. Shuttered for about 20 years.
/theaters/5873/
Perhaps Hollywood Theatre, Taunton Avenue, East Providence, RI? Shuttered since the 1960s. It is for sale.
/theaters/6372/
Good news! It was announced in the Hartford Courant that the theatre is in fact re-opening under new management as “ART@Cinema City."
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Michael, I can be reached at
Michael, I’d be glad to scan it and email the scan to you and slow-mail the photo back. E-mail me using the member list e-mail feature.
Was this place actually ever a movie theatre? If so, when? I was under the impression it was a concert hall throughout its life until the Philadelphia Orchestra moved to the Kimmel Arts Center and it began to be used for Broadway shows.
I remember making a point of driving here on a cross-country trip just to see the theatre in July of 1973, two years after the release of the film in 1971. I took a couple of photos of the exterior.
One of the first movies I saw at the Art was Michelangelo Antonioni’s gorgeous color experiment “The Red Desert” with Monica Vitti and Richard Harris. The film had previously opened at the Beekman in February of 1965 and had a subsequent run here.
The cinema never found a true identity and did combinations of first run, second run, art house, revival programs. I saw a fair number of films here including “Torch Song Trilogy” in January of 1989. It could have become something special, given the location near Harvard, if it had been intelligently programmed and enthusiastically managed but instead it evolved into just another boring blah place.
The theatre is now listed at:
/theaters/7894/
A number of comments have already been posted on this theatre under the news section:
http://cinematreasures.org/news/11954_0_1_0_C/