Here is the residence located where the Star Theatre used to be. It is adjacent to the Natick Bridge over the Pawtuxet River and close to a waterfall. (Another R.I. theatre near a waterfall is the Assembly Theatre in Burrillville.) It is now an 8-unit apartment building. The address is 610 Providence Street. Looking at the building, one can tell by its shape and size that it was some kind of social hall at one time, and the Star Theatre may have been one of its temporary functions. Apart from the clear city directory reference, there is no other evidence I could find about the place as a cinema, no newspaper ads, nothing. But a small village cinema of this type, perhaps part-time in nature, may have relied on window flyers and leaflets to publicize shows, much as did the Myrtle Theatre in the village of Thornton in Johnston.
The ads I found for Thornton’s went from 1901, when they were Thornton’s Opera House and doing live theatre. It may have existed in the late 19th Century, but that remains to be checked. Here are local newspaper ads for the Gem, Majestic, and Thornton’s on March 14, 1918.
The Gem and the Majestic shared ads in the WWI era, two columns, one for each theatre. The ads I found for the Majestic went from 1916-1927. I found none for 1928 and 1929. There was an ad for a live entertainment program in 1930. Then pretty much nothing. That gives a rough idea of when the theatre operated, or rather, when it advertised in the newspaper. Here are local newspaper ads for the Gem, Majestic, and Thornton’s on March 14, 1918. The Palace didn’t open until 1921.
I have found newspaper ads for all these theatres. The Gem and the Majestic shared ads in the WWI era, two columns, one for each theatre. The ads I found for the Gem went from 1915 to 1948. I found no ads for 1950 or later. That gives a rough idea of when the theatre operated. Here are local newspaper ads for the Gem, Majestic, and Thornton’s on March 14, 1918.
The single-level Palace Theatre opened on Monday, October 17, 1921. An article in the Pawtuxet Valley Daily Times wrote that the theatre promised to be the home of “exclusive hig-class Paramount photoplays.” A $12,000 Pope-Jones concert organ was installed at the theatre. The interior color scheme consisted of grays and creams. The front and main lobby were spacious and in harmony with the auditorium. A vertical marquee flashed “Palace” intermittently to the movie fans of this and surrounding neighborhood. The first film shown was Footlights with Elsie Ferguson. “Direct from Providence.” Wow!
In the “Images of America” series volume Watch Hill: By River and By Sea by Brigid Rooney Smith, the above postcard is reproduced with the following explanation:
“The landmark Crown Theater, located kitty-corner across Bay Street from the carousel, was constructed in 1912. Over the next 39 years, it would change its name to the Ninigret Theater until its ignominious conversion into a grocery market in 1951. Jane Hoxie Maxson of Wakefield recounts her mother’s tale of the evening that Douglas Fairbanks Jr. sat in a seat near her at the Crown.”
The Fairbanks story is not surprising since Watch Hill was a favorite R.I. summer resort alternative to Newport.
Also in the book is a photo of some kids at Watch Hill Cove during the early 1900s. Smith notes that young Peter Hoxie, seen in the photo, would go on to be a fire-fighter for Watch Hill and a piano player for the silent movies at the Crown Theater on Bay Street.
I don’t rightly know either, but that information was taken from a Providence Journal blurb about the theatre and announcing its closing. The issue was September 8, 2000. I just re-checked it, and that’s what it said.
Here is a photo of the interior from 1900. The theatre had been built 12 years earlier, in 1888. It was the last large Victorian theatre built in the state. The stage is said to have been second in size only to the later Veterans' Memorial Auditorium, still standing in Providence.
This 1974 photo shows the efforts of local preservationists to save the Opera House/Park Theatre. The following year, on September 22, 1975, the venerable old institution was completely destroyed by a huge fire.
This theatre was not also called the Music Hall, as I inquired in an earlier comment. The Music Hall in Pascoag was another building that burned down a few years ago.
I think I actually saw only one movie here, and that was Thunderball in June, 1966. The place was called the Burrillville Cinema at the time and was being run seasonally, mostly for the young crowd. Another time, in the early 1970s, I drove here (about 35 minutes) hoping to see Two-Lane Blacktop but the show was cancelled because I was the only one who showed up!
The theatre is now being used by the Theater Company of Rhode Island. The current name of the theatre is Assembly Theatre, its original name when built. Oddly, there seems to be no name of the theatre on the building itself.
When Austin T. Levy, the man who had the theatre and other buildings built as a gift for Burrillville, had the Duke of Windsor as his guest in 1944, he showed him his local textile mills, and no doubt the Assembly Theatre and the other buildings. Austin Levy ran as a Republican candidate for R.I. senator in 1950, losing to John O. Pastore. When Levy died in 1951, a memorial was held for him at the Assembly on November 27. In 1953 a memorial stone with bronze plaque was dedicated to him and placed on a small hillside behind the Assembly.
The theatre building on East Avenue near Main Street, known as “The Assembly,” was constructed in 1934 and was one of a group of four buildings built by by local textile-producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Austin T. Levy and given to the town of Burrillville. The buildings were the Jesse H. Smith Memorial Library, “The Assembly” (next to the library), the Ninth District Courthouse, and the town office building.
An article in a newspaper of the time said of “The Assembly”:
“The most modern improvements in lighting, heating, and other equipment, will be featured in ‘The Assembly’ which is to be used for motion picture shows, dramatic productions and town gatherings.
“From the spacious lobby, flanked on each side by cloak rooms, one enters the assembly proper, which has a seating capacity of 354. The floor of the lobby is slate and brick, while that of the assembly is of rubber tile and maple.
“The artificial lighting in this building…is indirect, coming from covers in the umbrella ceiling. Interior walls and ceilings are of sand-finished plaster with a color scheme of green prevailing.
“The large stage will be equipped all modern stage appliances necessary for theatrical productions. A complete and modern stage-lighting system has been installed.
“The latest sound motion picture equipment will be installed shortly as it is planned to have regular performances to aid in the upkeep of the buildings. (…)
“The flagstone-floored porch at the entrance to the lobby has four large columns in Colonial style and in keeping with the architectual style featured in the group buildings.”
That is one interesting photo. I never saw anything of this theatre. I believe the film Monpti (phonetic German for the French phrase “mon petit”) and starring Romy Schneider, had bookings in other more “mainstream” art houses in a subtitled verion.
Although The Naked and the Dead was a major 1958 release and based on an important literary work, it generally got tepid reviews, particularly for portrayals and performances. Pauline Kael, for one, said Raoul Walsh had turned it into a “third-rate action movie.” She praised the battle sequences but she found the characterizations poor and the acting lacklustre. A. H. Weiler of the Times similarly concluded, “Director Walsh and his associates have carefully drawn an impressively stark face of war from ‘The Naked and the Dead’ but only seldom do they deeply dissect the people involved in it.”
That doesn’t make it a B-movie, of course. That term is applied to low budgets, not low artistic results. But it is to some degree a failed A-film.
Here is the residence located where the Star Theatre used to be. It is adjacent to the Natick Bridge over the Pawtuxet River and close to a waterfall. (Another R.I. theatre near a waterfall is the Assembly Theatre in Burrillville.) It is now an 8-unit apartment building. The address is 610 Providence Street. Looking at the building, one can tell by its shape and size that it was some kind of social hall at one time, and the Star Theatre may have been one of its temporary functions. Apart from the clear city directory reference, there is no other evidence I could find about the place as a cinema, no newspaper ads, nothing. But a small village cinema of this type, perhaps part-time in nature, may have relied on window flyers and leaflets to publicize shows, much as did the Myrtle Theatre in the village of Thornton in Johnston.
Here’s a nice ad from January 30, 1926, for John Ford’s The Iron Horse.
The ads I found for Thornton’s went from 1901, when they were Thornton’s Opera House and doing live theatre. It may have existed in the late 19th Century, but that remains to be checked. Here are local newspaper ads for the Gem, Majestic, and Thornton’s on March 14, 1918.
The Gem and the Majestic shared ads in the WWI era, two columns, one for each theatre. The ads I found for the Majestic went from 1916-1927. I found none for 1928 and 1929. There was an ad for a live entertainment program in 1930. Then pretty much nothing. That gives a rough idea of when the theatre operated, or rather, when it advertised in the newspaper. Here are local newspaper ads for the Gem, Majestic, and Thornton’s on March 14, 1918. The Palace didn’t open until 1921.
I have found newspaper ads for all these theatres. The Gem and the Majestic shared ads in the WWI era, two columns, one for each theatre. The ads I found for the Gem went from 1915 to 1948. I found no ads for 1950 or later. That gives a rough idea of when the theatre operated. Here are local newspaper ads for the Gem, Majestic, and Thornton’s on March 14, 1918.
The Gem is said to have been in the St. Onge Block on Main Street.
The single-level Palace Theatre opened on Monday, October 17, 1921. An article in the Pawtuxet Valley Daily Times wrote that the theatre promised to be the home of “exclusive hig-class Paramount photoplays.” A $12,000 Pope-Jones concert organ was installed at the theatre. The interior color scheme consisted of grays and creams. The front and main lobby were spacious and in harmony with the auditorium. A vertical marquee flashed “Palace” intermittently to the movie fans of this and surrounding neighborhood. The first film shown was Footlights with Elsie Ferguson. “Direct from Providence.” Wow!
Here is an ad announcing the opening day.
In the “Images of America” series volume Watch Hill: By River and By Sea by Brigid Rooney Smith, the above postcard is reproduced with the following explanation:
“The landmark Crown Theater, located kitty-corner across Bay Street from the carousel, was constructed in 1912. Over the next 39 years, it would change its name to the Ninigret Theater until its ignominious conversion into a grocery market in 1951. Jane Hoxie Maxson of Wakefield recounts her mother’s tale of the evening that Douglas Fairbanks Jr. sat in a seat near her at the Crown.”
The Fairbanks story is not surprising since Watch Hill was a favorite R.I. summer resort alternative to Newport.
Also in the book is a photo of some kids at Watch Hill Cove during the early 1900s. Smith notes that young Peter Hoxie, seen in the photo, would go on to be a fire-fighter for Watch Hill and a piano player for the silent movies at the Crown Theater on Bay Street.
The address of Patsy’s Hall/Peacedale Theatre is 516 High Street.
I don’t rightly know either, but that information was taken from a Providence Journal blurb about the theatre and announcing its closing. The issue was September 8, 2000. I just re-checked it, and that’s what it said.
And this is a photo of the theatre location in the weeks after the fire of September 22, 1975.
Here is a photo of the interior from 1900. The theatre had been built 12 years earlier, in 1888. It was the last large Victorian theatre built in the state. The stage is said to have been second in size only to the later Veterans' Memorial Auditorium, still standing in Providence.
This 1974 photo shows the efforts of local preservationists to save the Opera House/Park Theatre. The following year, on September 22, 1975, the venerable old institution was completely destroyed by a huge fire.
Here is a 1945 photo of Arthur Darman behind the candy counter of his Park Theatre. See above entry.
Here is a photo of the Woonsocket Cinemas in 1993.
Here is a photo of the Rivoli I took in 1989. Thanks to Mike Rivest for indentifying it, and the “R” visible in front seconds that identification.
This theatre was not also called the Music Hall, as I inquired in an earlier comment. The Music Hall in Pascoag was another building that burned down a few years ago.
I think I actually saw only one movie here, and that was Thunderball in June, 1966. The place was called the Burrillville Cinema at the time and was being run seasonally, mostly for the young crowd. Another time, in the early 1970s, I drove here (about 35 minutes) hoping to see Two-Lane Blacktop but the show was cancelled because I was the only one who showed up!
The exact address of the Assembly Theatre/ Burrillville Theatre is 26 East Avenue.
Here is a nice B/W period photo, circa the 1940s, of the Assembly Theatre.
The theatre is now being used by the Theater Company of Rhode Island. The current name of the theatre is Assembly Theatre, its original name when built. Oddly, there seems to be no name of the theatre on the building itself.
When Austin T. Levy, the man who had the theatre and other buildings built as a gift for Burrillville, had the Duke of Windsor as his guest in 1944, he showed him his local textile mills, and no doubt the Assembly Theatre and the other buildings. Austin Levy ran as a Republican candidate for R.I. senator in 1950, losing to John O. Pastore. When Levy died in 1951, a memorial was held for him at the Assembly on November 27. In 1953 a memorial stone with bronze plaque was dedicated to him and placed on a small hillside behind the Assembly.
These three photos show this attractive and underused theatre in its lovely pastoral setting.
(1) Front and side and lawn
(2) Theatre and waterfall from Freedom Park
(3) Front entrance and columns
The theatre building on East Avenue near Main Street, known as “The Assembly,” was constructed in 1934 and was one of a group of four buildings built by by local textile-producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Austin T. Levy and given to the town of Burrillville. The buildings were the Jesse H. Smith Memorial Library, “The Assembly” (next to the library), the Ninth District Courthouse, and the town office building.
An article in a newspaper of the time said of “The Assembly”:
“The most modern improvements in lighting, heating, and other equipment, will be featured in ‘The Assembly’ which is to be used for motion picture shows, dramatic productions and town gatherings.
“From the spacious lobby, flanked on each side by cloak rooms, one enters the assembly proper, which has a seating capacity of 354. The floor of the lobby is slate and brick, while that of the assembly is of rubber tile and maple.
“The artificial lighting in this building…is indirect, coming from covers in the umbrella ceiling. Interior walls and ceilings are of sand-finished plaster with a color scheme of green prevailing.
“The large stage will be equipped all modern stage appliances necessary for theatrical productions. A complete and modern stage-lighting system has been installed.
“The latest sound motion picture equipment will be installed shortly as it is planned to have regular performances to aid in the upkeep of the buildings. (…)
“The flagstone-floored porch at the entrance to the lobby has four large columns in Colonial style and in keeping with the architectual style featured in the group buildings.”
That is one interesting photo. I never saw anything of this theatre. I believe the film Monpti (phonetic German for the French phrase “mon petit”) and starring Romy Schneider, had bookings in other more “mainstream” art houses in a subtitled verion.
Although The Naked and the Dead was a major 1958 release and based on an important literary work, it generally got tepid reviews, particularly for portrayals and performances. Pauline Kael, for one, said Raoul Walsh had turned it into a “third-rate action movie.” She praised the battle sequences but she found the characterizations poor and the acting lacklustre. A. H. Weiler of the Times similarly concluded, “Director Walsh and his associates have carefully drawn an impressively stark face of war from ‘The Naked and the Dead’ but only seldom do they deeply dissect the people involved in it.”
That doesn’t make it a B-movie, of course. That term is applied to low budgets, not low artistic results. But it is to some degree a failed A-film.