Movie spectaculars such as this used to open almost exclusively at the Elmwood Theater Reserved seating. Mail order option. Group rates. But, with the construction of new theaters in the suburbs, the older ones in Providence now had to compete with them.
The Art Cinema showed mostly foreign films. However, on occasion, it scheduled American films with unusual subject matter. This double bill is one example.
I saw this double feature at my first visit to the Art Cinema. There were about six people in the audience. By the fall of the following year, the theater ended its art house policy and began showing exploitation films.
I remember the night that my parents drove downtown to see this film at the Majestic. My mother was shocked by the depiction of the “party scene.” She hated the movie. After its engagement at the Majestic Theater, it opened at the Art Cinema for a successful run of 5 or 6 weeks.
Tickets by mail, reserved seating, and group rates were all standard features for a road show premiere. That era would soon come to an end. If I remember correctly, “Paint Your Wagon” from 1969 might have been the last road show premiere to play the Elmwood.
The movie also played at the Art Cinema after its first run engagement at the Elmwood. Occasionally, the Art Cinema took a break from its foreign film policy to show an American made film.
“Ulysses” returned for a three week engagement at regular prices some time later. However, the art house policy would come to an end by the fall of 1967 when the theater began showing sexploitation films on a weekly basis.
The film premiered at the Majestic Theater. After a successful run of 5 or 6 weeks (Held Over!) at the Art Cinema, it was followed by “A Cold Wind in August.”
Growing up in the 1960s, I just loved reading the movie page, especially the ads for the Art Cinema and the Avon Cinema. All those foreign films and, occasionally, a few unusual independent films that I was not old enough to go and see.
The Art Cinema had such a talent for booking a double bill of compatible foreign films even when they came from different countries. “Dear John” and “Red Lanterns” are a good example. I looked forward so much to the “Starts Tomorrow!” movie ads for the theater. Sadly, by the fall of 1967, the art house policy had ended.
The last roadshow production that played the Elmwood in its golden era was the musical “Paint Your Wagon” in 1970. The film sank at the box office nationwide. So, it’s almost certain that the movie lost a lot of money for the Elmwood, as well. I recall going there to see “MASH,” one of its last first run engagements. Soon afterwards, the theater changed ownership and began showing films like “Illsa.”
Re: Newspaper ad for Esquire Theaters. When the Esquire and General Cinema chains began to lump their movie ads into one indistinguishable mass, the theaters lost their identity. It was especially troubling when the Elmwood joined the group.
Jon Berberian, the theater’s owner, once stated in an interview that he lost money showing art films, with only a handful of people in the audience night after night, that is, until he booked a foreign film called “The Doll.” Ticket sales went through the roof.
In the 1970s and 1980s, I saw most movies at either the Warwick Mall Cinemas or the Showcase. The downtown movie palaces had closed, and, when the neighborhood theaters were sliced into mini theaters, I stopped going to them. I did make an exception, though, with the Cinerama which sometimes showed a foreign film that I wanted to see.
It was odd to pair a French import with a Billy Wilder comedy.
Beginning the in the mid 1960s, it seems that the Avon Cinema began showing fewer foreign films and more mainstream American ones.
“Bambole” premiered at the Art Cinema a few months earlier on Christmas Day, 1965.
Movie spectaculars such as this used to open almost exclusively at the Elmwood Theater Reserved seating. Mail order option. Group rates. But, with the construction of new theaters in the suburbs, the older ones in Providence now had to compete with them.
A double bill featured an Ingmar Bergman movie with a Dean Martin comedy?
The Art Cinema showed mostly foreign films. However, on occasion, it scheduled American films with unusual subject matter. This double bill is one example.
I saw this double feature at my first visit to the Art Cinema. There were about six people in the audience. By the fall of the following year, the theater ended its art house policy and began showing exploitation films.
I remember the night that my parents drove downtown to see this film at the Majestic. My mother was shocked by the depiction of the “party scene.” She hated the movie. After its engagement at the Majestic Theater, it opened at the Art Cinema for a successful run of 5 or 6 weeks.
The Art Cinema was still showing foreign films in January 1967.
Tickets by mail, reserved seating, and group rates were all standard features for a road show premiere. That era would soon come to an end. If I remember correctly, “Paint Your Wagon” from 1969 might have been the last road show premiere to play the Elmwood.
The movie also played at the Art Cinema after its first run engagement at the Elmwood. Occasionally, the Art Cinema took a break from its foreign film policy to show an American made film.
I was intrigued by the title of the film.
“Ulysses” returned for a three week engagement at regular prices some time later. However, the art house policy would come to an end by the fall of 1967 when the theater began showing sexploitation films on a weekly basis.
At last, there’s a photo showing the marquee. On each side of the marquee were the words “Distinctive Film Fare”.
The film premiered at the Majestic Theater. After a successful run of 5 or 6 weeks (Held Over!) at the Art Cinema, it was followed by “A Cold Wind in August.”
Growing up in the 1960s, I just loved reading the movie page, especially the ads for the Art Cinema and the Avon Cinema. All those foreign films and, occasionally, a few unusual independent films that I was not old enough to go and see.
As a boy, I was so fascinated by this ad that I rode my bike down to the theater to look at the posters and photos with scenes from the film.
The Art Cinema had such a talent for booking a double bill of compatible foreign films even when they came from different countries. “Dear John” and “Red Lanterns” are a good example. I looked forward so much to the “Starts Tomorrow!” movie ads for the theater. Sadly, by the fall of 1967, the art house policy had ended.
The last roadshow production that played the Elmwood in its golden era was the musical “Paint Your Wagon” in 1970. The film sank at the box office nationwide. So, it’s almost certain that the movie lost a lot of money for the Elmwood, as well. I recall going there to see “MASH,” one of its last first run engagements. Soon afterwards, the theater changed ownership and began showing films like “Illsa.”
The first film that I ever saw at the Elmwood was “Pepe” starring Cantinflas.
Re: Newspaper ad for Esquire Theaters. When the Esquire and General Cinema chains began to lump their movie ads into one indistinguishable mass, the theaters lost their identity. It was especially troubling when the Elmwood joined the group.
“Le Bonheur” also happened to be one of the last legitimate films to play the Art Cinema in 1967 before it switched to exploitation.
Jon Berberian, the theater’s owner, once stated in an interview that he lost money showing art films, with only a handful of people in the audience night after night, that is, until he booked a foreign film called “The Doll.” Ticket sales went through the roof.
When did the Lockwood Gordon chain break ties with the Avon? My guess would be at the time that the theater became a revival house.
In the 1970s and 1980s, I saw most movies at either the Warwick Mall Cinemas or the Showcase. The downtown movie palaces had closed, and, when the neighborhood theaters were sliced into mini theaters, I stopped going to them. I did make an exception, though, with the Cinerama which sometimes showed a foreign film that I wanted to see.