Cable Car Cinema & Cafe

204 S. Main Street,
Providence, RI 02903

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Showing 1 - 25 of 38 comments

rivest266
rivest266 on June 8, 2024 at 5:46 pm

Opened on October 20th, 1976. Grand opening ad posted.

Jake Bottero
Jake Bottero on September 6, 2022 at 8:50 am

The Acoustic Java Café and Microcinema is permanently closed.

mp775
mp775 on September 17, 2019 at 1:46 pm

Reopening soon as Acoustic Cafe and Microcinema – https://www.golocalprov.com/business/new-tenant-going-in-cable-car-cinema-location-in-providence?fbclid=IwAR2nQbvQRj80MOo1T7mFpIh7qucn4jH-uV_PnNNEw91MRNJ6d6GQ7OOTekg

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on April 13, 2019 at 1:32 pm

Their website is still up, and it appears they’ve moved their events to the Columbus Theater.

https://cablecarcinema.com/

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on April 13, 2019 at 1:12 pm

Opened with “Homecoming”. Closed with “RBG”.

Gerald A. DeLuca
Gerald A. DeLuca on March 7, 2019 at 2:03 pm

The Cable Car Cinema has been closed for nine months!

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on June 8, 2018 at 10:42 am

Is the cinema and cafe in a cable car?

Gerald A. DeLuca
Gerald A. DeLuca on June 8, 2018 at 10:21 am

My first visit to the Cable Car Cinema was on February 2, 1977, about three months after it had opened. I noted to myself: “A cold Groundhog’s Day. Tonight I saw "Le Secret” at a very cold Cable Car Cinema, the one with the couches, on South Main Street.“ (I remember that French film as being very good.)

Gerald A. DeLuca
Gerald A. DeLuca on April 27, 2018 at 4:56 am

After 41 years of operation, the Cable Car Cinema is now set to close for good on May 27, 2018.

Chris1982
Chris1982 on November 2, 2014 at 5:37 pm

Opened on October 30, 1976.

kzirkel
kzirkel on April 23, 2014 at 10:45 am

Here’s a nice history of the Cable Car Cinema. Originally the building was a truck garage of a moving company. The name comes from “a classic cable car that was left behind”. The cafe was added around 1989.

stranddan
stranddan on October 8, 2013 at 11:25 am

Moved from RI to CT ten years ago, so have not seen the Cable Car since then. I did patronize it often through the years, even though I believed those couches just might be unsanitary! Almost invariably, the film was interrupted by some sort of projection difficulty. But it was a fun place, even lunching outside.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on June 30, 2010 at 10:02 pm

Sounds like my kind of place maybe not a “MOVIE PALACE” but cool in another way.Also it has a great name and location.

Gerald A. DeLuca
Gerald A. DeLuca on June 26, 2010 at 5:48 am

John,
Thank you. I have been trying for several years to post here everything of relevance I can find about RI area theatres…though I ad a bit about theatres elsewhere.

johndereszewski
johndereszewski on June 25, 2010 at 7:12 pm

Gerald, I have spent the better part of the day perusing the fascinating comments that you have submitted regarding the past and current movie houses of (mostly) Rhode Island. While I will probably never visit most of these places – though I did spend a weekend in Woonsocket many years ago and have visited Newport on several occasions – your vivid descriptions – and vintage pictures – of the old movie palaces and the communities they served was most enjoyable. It also revived memories of my own early cinematic experiences when growing up in Greenpoint Brooklyn.

This is one of the reasons why this is such a wonderful site.

Keep up the good work!

Gerald A. DeLuca
Gerald A. DeLuca on June 25, 2010 at 11:37 am

Plans for the creation of this cinema in 1976, as reported in Boxoffice magazine, March 8, 1976:
View link

Gerald A. DeLuca
Gerald A. DeLuca on June 25, 2010 at 11:36 am

That no-splice caveat is for archival film prints and certain distributors, such as Rialto. This is a good move.
Let’s hope they get correct screen masking, aperture plates, lenses to show 35mmm films in the various aspect ratios correctly and un-cropped CinemamScope.

50sadchairs
50sadchairs on June 14, 2010 at 11:39 pm

The previous reference to The Revival House is relevant as the owner/operators of this closed theater are now the new owner/operators of the Cable Car. It is currently undergoing major renovations during the summer of 2010 and it is rumored they might be adding a second film projector to show the old films again. (The film distributors no longer want film houses to splice the films and thus one projector is a major handicap to show old films.) It is slated to reopen August 16th or 17th.

50sadchairs
50sadchairs on June 14, 2010 at 11:36 pm

The previous reference to The Revival House is relevant as the owner/operators of this closed theater are now the new owner/operators of the Cable Car. It is currently undergoing major renovations during the summer of 2010 and it is rumored they might be adding a second film projector to show the old films again. (The film distributors no longer want film houses to splice the films and thus one projector is a major handicap to show old films.) It is slated to reopen August 16th or 17th.

Gerald A. DeLuca
Gerald A. DeLuca on December 31, 2008 at 4:14 pm

The Cable Car Cinema, now under new management, has recently had its auditorium refurbished. I peeked in at the spiffy new black couches and new theatre seats. Rather nice. Now if they would spend some additional money on a screen that can accomodate CinemaScope’s 1:2.35 format for movies made in that ratio, and some adjustable masking, it would be a real advancement. Anamorphic wide screen films continue to be substantially cropped at the right and left edges in this cinema. For their opening post-remodeling presentation the theatre ran It’s a Wonderful Life. The format was DVD projection!!!!! I was informed they couldn’t get a 35mm print. Just as well, since the top and bottom of this 1:1.33 ratio film would have been cropped in the hopelessly untutored and destructive projection that reigns here. I hope the DVD wasn’t colorized.

Gerald A. DeLuca
Gerald A. DeLuca on July 13, 2008 at 2:34 pm

“….is this a flat floor auditorium?”

Almost. Very slight incline.

Michael Furlinger
Michael Furlinger on July 13, 2008 at 1:14 pm

Thanks for the fast responce……is this a flat floor auditorium?/

Gerald A. DeLuca
Gerald A. DeLuca on July 13, 2008 at 1:03 pm

Yes, go to http://www.flickr.com , enter “Cable Car Cinema” in search, and you will find a few. It’s not much to look at inside.

Gerald A. DeLuca
Gerald A. DeLuca on July 13, 2008 at 12:21 pm

Here is a vintage photo of the Cable Car Cinema building when it was M. Burns Motor Transportation in 1962:
View link