Gilbert Stuart Theatre
19 Maple Avenue,
Riverside,
East Providence,
RI
02915
19 Maple Avenue,
Riverside,
East Providence,
RI
02915
2 people
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Odeon Theatre, Lyric Theatre
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The Odeon Theatre was opened by 1922. By 1941 it had been renamed Lyric Theatre. This small neighborhood theatre on a side street in the Riverside section of East Providence had a very plain interior and no lobby. I remember that the walls had a couple of reproductions of portraits by R.I.’s Gilbert Stuart, the artist who did portraits of George Washington.
It was renamed Gilbert Stuart Theatre on October 11, 1953 and CinemaScope movies were well-served here because the wideness of the auditorium allowed for an impressively wide screen. I remember seeing the boy-loves-bull film “The Brave One” here when I was in high school. Low-priced double bills were the policy here. The theatre closed in 1977 and is now a kind of warehouse/garage.
Contributed by
Gerald A. DeLuca
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Recent comments (view all 42 comments)
I lived then and now in Johnston, and I often checked out the ads for all the area theatres. I went to the Gilbert Stuart many times, because they often showed what I wanted to see. I do remember those “folksy” ones that ran for a time in the Providence Journal.
The Providence Journal-Bulletin apologizes to the Gilbert Stuart. From Boxoffice magazine, August 17, 1964:
In a series of articles, published in the Providence Journal- Bulletin, dealing with the “demise” of business in the Riverside section of adjoining East Providence, it was stated “there used to be a movie house in Riverside.” Hardly before the ink was dry or the presses cold, Harry Horton, owner-operator of the cozy, well-operated Gilbert Stuart Playhouse in Riverside quickly protested that the Providence newspaper had made a grievous error—-there still WAS a motion picture theatre in Riverside! The newspaper editor was forced to acknowledge the mistake and apologize to the theatre and community for “belittling” the well-patronized movie house.
I remember the Gilbert Stuart Cinema well. I grew up in Riverside in the 60’s and spent time at the cinema, Crescent Park, the bowling alley on Turner Ave…….So many great memories. By the way, does anyone know what the name of the bowling alley was? I’ve asked an awful lot of people who lived in the area, and no one seems to remember.
I believe it was the Riverside Recreation Center or something similar. As a kid, I used to bowl there on Saturdays when a “string” was ten cents.
This theatre was part of the September 1923 6th Paramount Week. In this advertisement from the (Providence) Evening Tribune, September 1, 1923, we see a fascinating list of Rhode Island area theatres, many long-gone and long-forgoten, or even unheard of, as well as what they were showing during that week. This theatre was then called the Odeon. CLICK HERE and move image to see all theatres.
In September 1922 this theatre was part of Rhode Island’s Paramount Week. Click to see the ad in Providence News, September 1, 1922, which contains a list of all participating theatres as well as the films shown that week. This theatre was called the Odeon at that time.
PART ONE OF AD
PART TWO OF AD
The Lyric Theatre became the Gilbert Stuart Theatre on October 11, 1953.
“After Joe Jarvis left about 1959, his former projectionist took over until about 1975 when the empty building was occupied by the Church of God for the next dozen years. The building was acquired about 1987 by Century Sheet Metal, Inc. which is still there today.” —Bruce Remick, Facebook comment
Reopened as the Gilbert Stuart Theatre on October 11th, 1953. Ad posted.
Newspaper ad for this cinema ended in 1977.