Park Theatre
848 Park Avenue,
Cranston,
RI
02910
848 Park Avenue,
Cranston,
RI
02910
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Great ad, Gerald, brought back memories. We lived near Hugh B. Bain and used to go to the Park often when it was a single theatre. I remember seeing some horror movie there on a double bill with THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (1964? 65?) that scared me so much that my mom had to take me into the ladies' room until it was over. I can’t remember the title and always wonder what the film was. The ladies' bathroom was probably original to the theatre, with tiles and a big iron radiator. The original interior was still nice even if it was very worn out. Remember seeing lots of other films there including MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN and HELLO DOWN THERE. We noticed them bulldozing around it when we visited in August.
Newspaper ad for Esquire Theatres in Rhode Island on December 7, 1971.
The manager at the Park in the 1950s was Charles Nelson.
Obviously the Park did not reopen in summer 2004. Or summer 2006. It will not reopen anytime in the foreseeable future as renovations have stalled.
Auburn is a neighborhood of Cranston. That seating capacity was changed when the theatre was triplexed a few decades ago. Now that it is being restored as a single auditorium, it is sure to change again.
Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook’s that I have;1941, 1943 and 1950 editions as being located in Auburn. It’s seating capacity is listed as 1,200.
Here is a 1995 photo of the Park Theatre. (Courtesy of Fred Deusch.)
Here are two recent photos of the Park as it undergoes de-triplexing, reconstruction, expansion, and refurbishing. The original proscenium re-appears after decades.
PEEKING FROM FRONT
PEEKING FROM REAR
I just revisited the site the other day, and construction is under way full steam. For the first time in decades, you can see the original proscenium, which had been obscured by the triplexing and new screens. A large behind-the-stage area is being constructed. Several of the original shops on the Park Avenue side have been removed.
The Park Theatre opened on November 17, 1924. The Providence Journal reported:
“Completion of the new Park Theatre at the junction of Pontiac and Park Avenues in Auburn marks the latest development in an efort to establish the civic center of Cranston at this point. (…)
"Park Theatre, Inc., of which A. A. Spitz is president and general manager, owns the building and will operate the theatre. (…)
"The main building which house the theatre and three stores…rises to a height of two storeys…the theatre itself has no balcony. (…)
"The auditorium of the theatre, which has a seating capacity of 988, is approximately 100 feet long. (…)
"Old ivory, gold, brown and blue are the colors used for the inerior decoration. (…)
"One of the features of the equipment is a large two-manual Moller p[ipe organ…. The stage is large enough for vaudeville and legitimate performances… For the present motion pictures will be shown, but in the future vaudeville acts may be given also.
"Plans for the building were prepared by William R. Walker & Sons, incollaboration with E. H. Bigney, the contractor and builder.”
The theatre opened with the Frank Borzage film Secrets with Norma Talmadge and the Hal Roach comedy The Battling Orioles.
Here is some updated news about plans to renovate the Park for concerts and theatrical productions. The theatre, closed for several years now, has been in limbo.
I remember going here many times as a kid. I remember those weekend kiddie matinees and in the late 1960’s/early 70’s seeing a double bill of the first PLANET OF THE APES sequel and I believe THE FLIM FLAM MAN with George C. Scott and Michael Sarazan here.
Last time I was there was the mid 1980s when I caught THE KARATE KID.
Here are a couple of photos:
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I remember it way back as a single screen theatre with a very wide auditorium when I started going here regularly in the 1960s. Although the Park rarely had foreign-language or art-house fare, in July of 1963 I saw a double bill here of Bolognini’s “Bell'Antonio” starring Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale playing with Jules Dassin’s “The Law,” also with Mastroianni and featuring Gina Lollobrigida. “Bell'Antonio” was shown dubbed in English. “The Law” was in French with English subtitles. The same program day/dated with the Seekonk ‘Art’ Drive-In on Rte. 6 in nearby Massachusetts. Very odd bit of programming for both venues except that Mastroianni had recently received a great deal of popular acceptance in Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” and “8½.” “Adults Only!” the Journal ad proclaimed.
This theatre is not going to reopen for quite a while. Probably sometime in 2005 at best. They recently razed the adjacent strip mall to build the restaurant component of the theatre. They have apparently completely gutted the inside of the theatre.
I remember visiting this cinema a number of times when it was a second run theatre. The only drawback here was parking. Hopefully, they find a way to overcome this when it reopens.
Work on the place seemed to have come to a halt last time I went by. I’ve been to this theatre hundreds of times, both as a single screen place and when it became a triplex.