Strand Theatre
79 Washington Street,
Providence,
RI
02903
79 Washington Street,
Providence,
RI
02903
7 people
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Strand Theatre (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Paramount Pictures Inc., Publix
Architects: Thomas J. Hill Pierce
Functions: Concerts, Live Performances
Previous Names: Paramount Theatre, Strand Cinemas 1 & 2
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
401.331.5876
Nearby Theaters
The Strand Theatre was located directly behind Providence’s Biltmore Hotel. It opened on June 12, 1915 as a movie theatre screening Edmund Breeze in “The Shooting of Dan McGrew”. It also had stage facilities, which came into use in later years. It was equipped with a Moller 2 manual 15 ranks organ which was enlarged to a 3 manual 28 ranks instrument in 1917. Two more ranks were added in 1924.
Taken over by Publix it was briefly known as the Paramount Theatre from June 20, 1930. It was equipped with a Wurlitzer 3 manual 14 ranks organ which was opened by organist Joe Alexander. The Strand Theatre name was restored on August 15, 1934. It was twinned on September 12, 1975 and renamed Strand Cinemas 1 & 2. operating as an adult theatre. It closed as a movie house in 1978. In the 1990’s, it became a fairly popular live concert venue, but eventually closed.
The Strand Theatre then became home to a nightclub. It is now used for live performances/concerts and was known as Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel. In 2017 it was renamed Strand Theatre once again.
Contributed by
Charles D'atri, William
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Recent comments (view all 52 comments)
A quick question for those who worked at the theater in its' various incarnations. I happened to see several disused old dressing rooms, including lighted mirrors, going up a couple of levels, in the backstage area at the Strand when it was operating as a rock club. Given the historical record, can you explain the dressing rooms? Did they run vaudeville acts along with the movies in the early days? Strippers with the dirty movies? Can’t figure it out….
Were the early orchestras the only live entertainment in the movie era?
The Strand was opened in 1915 as a movie theatre, not as a vaudeville house. In the first years it was against the law to show movies on Sundays in Providence theatres. So live musical events often filled the bill…such as the recital here by the great tenor John McCormack. That would have required dressing rooms for the performers. See the comments posted above on October 11 & 12, 2008.
In an unusual bit of programming in February 1921, Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid was booked simultaneously in five downtown Providence theatres: the Strand, the Emery, the Modern, Fays, and the Rialto. Occasionally some highly anticipated movies might play in two downtown theatres, but never five! It seems to have run only one week, in an era when that was pretty much the norm, with films running a single week downtown, then moving to second run theatres and outlying houses. Each of these theatres accompanied this feature with short subjects or live Vaudeville acts.
The Theatre Historical Society archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Strand Theatre. It’s Card # 550. There is an exterior photo taken in April 1941 showing the huge, long marquee. The Report states the address as 85 Washington Street. Someone wrote next to the theater name “a.k.a. Paramount”. The house in in Good Condition, and does not exhibit MGM product. There were 1,500 seats on the main floor, but no further seating figures. The 1,500 figure for the main floor alone may not be correct.
According to this article in Encore, the nightclub has undergone a revamp, and has returned the “Strand” name back to the venue. Link
Great info, but the address you list is incorrect. 84 Washington Street would be across the street. The Strand is on the odd side.
1915 grand opening ad posted.
1930 grand opening ad posted.
Reopened as Strand again on August 16th, 1934 and renamed Strand Cinemas 1 & 2 on September 12th, 1975. Another ad posted.