Warwick Cinema

I was a lucky child growing up. My parents had season tickets to the Warwick Musical Theater, and I was taken to many shows there over the years. It was a unique, intimate theater-in-the-round – the stage was actually round and it rotated! You sat in director’s chairs – they were red, yellow or green! We had front row seats behind the orchestra. I saw many great performances there like Liberace, Tom Jones, Air Supply, Eddie Murphy, Jerry Seinfeld, Kenny G, Anne Murray, Johnny Mathis, Sonny & Cher, Englebert Humperdink, Neil Sedaka and many more – great memories I will always cherish! They would hand you a freshly printed program for that night’s show when you enetered your row – we have hundreds saved and some autographed! I can still smell that ink smell on those programs! It was a unique place, in that some people WOULD dress up to go there, but as time went on it became more and more casual. There was no air conditioning, so the performances were always HOT! I can remember some of the stars sweating so badly that they had to change every 15 minutes or so! It was a great place, and it is truly missed by many!

The Warwick Musical Theatre began its life as a large tent and then later became the large rectangular building I linked to above. Here is an image from a postcard pictured for sale on eBay right now.

I recall it vaguely as being a kind of very large circus tent and with a center stage and seating on all or at least three sides. It was very basic and unadorned, like an instant building. Only minimal props were used for productions, I think. Performers ran up and down aisles to enter or exit the stage area. I believe patrons generally dressed casually. I honestly don’t remember very many details at all. I should have gone more often. There has to be a Warwick Historical Society that might have programs, photos, etc. The Providence Public Library has a card catalog by topics of Providence Journal articles. I’m sure those could be a big help, since I have used them to research the history of old RI movie theatres and with good results. The WMT was certainly a major summer attraction in that city and drew people from all over Rhode Island and beyond.

Yes, the Warwick Musical Theatre was in Warwick, Rhode Island, a number of miles from this Warwick Cinema. I believe I was there only once, for the musical show Annie Get Your Gun, with Howard Keel, back in the 1960s. I will look at the website you refer to.

Thank you so much Mr. DeLuca. May I please ask you this, was there more than one “Warwick Musical Theatre”? I found one in the UK too? (but it’s called the “Warwick Arts Centre, so that can’t be it) but you are referring to a ‘Warwick Musical Theatre’ in RI? Thank you so much for the interesting photo. I smiled as my silly romantic notions of it are almost dashed as the photo looks like an old race horse track….somehow I can’t see this beautiful vintage purse accompanying an elegant lady there. :–) smiles — the tickets look like true theatre tickets, pre-paid – like expensive ballet tickets. I wonder if that one on Quaker Lane would have such ‘fancy’ tickets. thank you so much for your help — it’s my own little mystery story that I would love to solve.

Hello to all. I have 2 old yellow ticket stubs stamped “Warwick Theatre” July 11, 1964 found in old and very beautiful purse – is this the same theatre? They have “Section A — Row D — Seat 6” (and also Seat 7) I would love to find out the history of the theatre or at least be able to identify it. Any ideas please?

The Warwick Cinema was host to the series of films in the “American Film Theatre” package, beginning in 1973 and continuing in 1974. Among the films shown, all based on well-known plays, were Butley, A Delicate Balance, The Homecoming, The Iceman Cometh, Lost in the Stars, Luther, Rhinoceros, Three Sisters. I do not remember if any of the films in the second season in 1975 played here, though I remember seeing some of them elsewhere. Most of the movies featured superb casts and fine directors.

Also, while “Kiss Me, Stupid” was the first major American film rated C by the Legion of Decency since “Baby Doll,” a few years earlier, another American film “A Cold Wind in August” made the list. It played several weeks during its RI premiere at the Art Cinema in 1961. The theater even brought it back the following year for another engagement.

The agreement that forced the theater to withdraw “Kiss Me, Stupid” in 1964, had obviously ended by 1969 when it booked “Heironymus Merkin,” not only rated C-Condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency, but also X by the ratings board. Of course, this was when the X rating was not yet synonymous with pornography.

In late December of 1964 the Warwick Cinema withdrew the Billy Wilder film Kiss Me, Stupid, which had been playing just a fews days, at the insistence of the Warwick Board of Public Safety. The film had been “condemned” by the Catholic Legion of Decency, and an original agreement between the city and the theatre was that no C-rated films would be shown. Alfred Oddi, manager of the 1,000 seat theatre at the time, said it was too late to schedule an alternate movie and told callers that a “sneak preview” was being shown and that the name of the new film could not be divulged. Kiss Me, Stupid was the first major Hollywood film to be rated C by the Legion since the 1956 Baby Doll, which had played at the Majestic in Providence.

For a while this place became a dollar house and was known as “Movies Warwick.” A newspaper ad from 1982 indicates this. This had to have been its last gasp before demise.

The theater was famous for showing “The Sound of Music” for such a long duration. But, does anyone remember the protest when it booked “Kiss Me, Stupid”? The film was “Condemned” by the Legion of Decency, and a controversy ensued. If I recall correctly, the film’s engagement there was abruptly halted.

I think the theatre lasted a bit longer than than the 80’s. I recall laying over there on bus runs, and, though closed, it was still there. I think it was used as storage by a pool service company. When Wal-Mart came in, I think they tore down the whole little shopping centre there.