When the Elmwood Theater was acquired by the Esquire chain, it lost its prestige as a first run movie house that it enjoyed in the 1950s and the 1960s. The last time that I went there was to see MAS*H.
The opening of the Warwick Cinema in 1964 marked the beginning of the end of the downtown theaters as moviegoers no longer had to drive into Providence to see first run films. Their decline was hastened when the Four Seasons Twin Cinemas opened in East Providence in 1966 and the Garden City Cinema opened in 1967.
After a successful first run engagement at the Majestic Theater, the film opened at the Art Cinema in November. I remember that the newspaper ad used the photo of Anita Ekberg dancing in that black dress to announce “Held Over! 5th Week!”
“Nothing has been left out of The Adventurers” was the tag line? Everything should have been left out of The Adventurers. I saw the movie at the Warwick Cinema. It was just plain awful. Anna Moffo, how could you! Olivia, what were you thinking?
I recall going to the former Lowe’s Theater then renamed the Palace on one occasion. The theater was dirty and audience was unruly. I never went back during that period.
When the Elmwood Theater joined the General Cinemas conglomerate, the theater lost the prestige of its glory days. I sensed at the time that this was the beginning of the end, hastened when it was twinned years later. The final nail in the coffin happened when it began showing hard core porn films before it closed down altogether.
This was quite unusual fare even for the Art Cinema. “Dutchman” with Shirley Knight also played the Art Cinema. Any chance of uploading that newspaper ad?
“Two Women” played first run at the Elmwood Theater in November 1961 before moving to the Art Cinema for another successful engagement. I was fascinated by the newspaper ad of Sophia Loren kneeling and crying without even knowing what the movie was about.
I’ve noticed that a few movies ads posted for Bomes Theater/Providence have disappeared. Is this a glitch, or were they removed by the person who originally posted them?
Before the MPA ratings system was established in 1968, “Adults Only” and “Recommended for Mature Audiences” were the phrases assigned to adult themed films.
This was one of the few occasions when the Art Cinema showed a family film. I recall the Disney movie “A Sword in the Stone” played there in 1963 and the Beatles movie “A Hard Day’s Night” in 1965.
After a long first run at the Columbus Theater, the film would go on to play at the Art Cinema sometime in 1967. In fact, it might have been the last foreign film to play at the Art Cinema before the theater switched to exploitation films.
The Art Cinema was showing fewer foreign films around this time. Was it still being managed by the Lockwood/Gordon firm? I thought that it switched to sexploitation features by the end of the year, but now I’m not so sure.
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.
Midnight Cowboy had its RI premiere at the Avon Cinema.
Song of Norway was supposed to be the next Sound of Music. Instead, it was a colossal flop.
When the Elmwood Theater was acquired by the Esquire chain, it lost its prestige as a first run movie house that it enjoyed in the 1950s and the 1960s. The last time that I went there was to see MAS*H.
The opening of the Warwick Cinema in 1964 marked the beginning of the end of the downtown theaters as moviegoers no longer had to drive into Providence to see first run films. Their decline was hastened when the Four Seasons Twin Cinemas opened in East Providence in 1966 and the Garden City Cinema opened in 1967.
As I recall, No Exit has its RI premiere at the Art Cinema.
After a successful first run engagement at the Majestic Theater, the film opened at the Art Cinema in November. I remember that the newspaper ad used the photo of Anita Ekberg dancing in that black dress to announce “Held Over! 5th Week!”
7th Smash Week! This movie may have had a longer run than “La Dolce Vita” which played the Art Cinema years earlier, held over for possibly 6 weeks.
“The Mouse That Roared” premiered at the Avon Cinema. Its sequel, “The Mouse on the Moon” premiered at the Art Cinema three years later.
Another movie title and advertisement that absolutely fascinated me as a kid. I kept wondering “What is this movie all about?”
“Nothing has been left out of The Adventurers” was the tag line? Everything should have been left out of The Adventurers. I saw the movie at the Warwick Cinema. It was just plain awful. Anna Moffo, how could you! Olivia, what were you thinking?
I recall going to the former Lowe’s Theater then renamed the Palace on one occasion. The theater was dirty and audience was unruly. I never went back during that period.
This is what became of the theater where my mother took me to see “My Fair Lady” in 1964.
The name of the theater above the marquee was constructed in cursive writing. I thought it looked beautiful.
When the Elmwood Theater joined the General Cinemas conglomerate, the theater lost the prestige of its glory days. I sensed at the time that this was the beginning of the end, hastened when it was twinned years later. The final nail in the coffin happened when it began showing hard core porn films before it closed down altogether.
This was quite unusual fare even for the Art Cinema. “Dutchman” with Shirley Knight also played the Art Cinema. Any chance of uploading that newspaper ad?
“Two Women” played first run at the Elmwood Theater in November 1961 before moving to the Art Cinema for another successful engagement. I was fascinated by the newspaper ad of Sophia Loren kneeling and crying without even knowing what the movie was about.
I’ve noticed that a few movies ads posted for Bomes Theater/Providence have disappeared. Is this a glitch, or were they removed by the person who originally posted them?
Before the MPA ratings system was established in 1968, “Adults Only” and “Recommended for Mature Audiences” were the phrases assigned to adult themed films.
This was one of the few occasions when the Art Cinema showed a family film. I recall the Disney movie “A Sword in the Stone” played there in 1963 and the Beatles movie “A Hard Day’s Night” in 1965.
After a long first run at the Columbus Theater, the film would go on to play at the Art Cinema sometime in 1967. In fact, it might have been the last foreign film to play at the Art Cinema before the theater switched to exploitation films.
The Art Cinema was showing fewer foreign films around this time. Was it still being managed by the Lockwood/Gordon firm? I thought that it switched to sexploitation features by the end of the year, but now I’m not so sure.
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.