Before the theatre opened as Loew’s State in 1928, a smaller movie house, the Gaiety Theatre (later known as Conn’s City), had been there and was demolished to make way for the new movie palace and business block. After it was called Loew’s State and before it became Providence Performing Arts Center, it was the Palace, then the Ocean State. So the complete name sequence was Loew’s State, Palace, Ocean State, Providence Performing Arts Center or PPAC, commonly pronounced “P-Pack.”
All right. We can now straighten this out! First off, there were THREE theatres in Providence that were called “Empire” at different times.
This post should refer to the original Empire which was located at 410 Westminster Street (not 440, which was Modern – Playhouse – Victory and never an Empire.) Now, 410 Westminster Street was where Empire Street ended in the 1910s. The city wanted to extend Empire Street out a block further to Weybosset Street, and so the Empire had to be demolished to create the thoroughfare. This was the original Empire. It never had another name.
The address in the listing should be changed to 410 Westminster Street, which was the address for the first Empire and which I found in the 1913 Providence City Directory. This one had never been nor would ever become a Victory Theatre. It didn’t even survive World War I. So my previous entry is to be ignored.
(2) Lows – Keith’s – Victory – Empire. This was located on Westminster Street at Union Street. (Listed under “Victory.”)
(3) Westminster – Empire – Bijou. This one was on Westminster Street at Snow Street. (Listed under “Bijou.”)
Clear?
I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me.
Somebody please update the address to 410 Westminster Street.
I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me on several theatres.
The Scenic had been the old Westminster Congregational Unitarian Church before its life as a theatre. It didn’t BECOME a church, as I wrote above; it HAD BEEN one. I misread my earlier notes.
CORRECTION. Fays was never known as the Hippodrome. Union yes. Hippodrome, no. The Hippodrome was located on Fountain Street between Mathewson and Union and was a large theatre used for grandiose theatrics and later for films during the silent era. The Providence Journal building now occupies the space that used to be the Hippodrome. The Hippodrome needs to be posted on Cinema Treasures, and I’ll add it. I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me.
Also, it seems that Fays was not generally written with an apostrophe before the “s.”
In fact before the Capitol was the Colonial, it had been the Imperial and the Shubert. The sequence was Imperial – Shubert – Colonial – Capitol. I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me.
The Rialto was on the west side of Mathewson Street between Washington and Westminster, exactly one block from the Emery/Carlton. It was formerly known as the Scenic…and I believe the “Scenic Temple” if I remember old newspaper ads correctly. This was not the same as the Casino as I had hypothesized above, which was in fact diagonally across the street. The façade of the Rialto is still there, and if one looks at the top, one can make out the outline caused by removed lettering. It is very faint but I believe it does say Rialto Theatre.
I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me. I also took this photo of what is left of the Scenic/Rialto.
Roger Katz, there were TWO theatres named Victory at different times. (1) Low’s – Keith’s – Victory – Empire. This was located at 260 Westminster Street at Union Street and is the theatre in this posting. (2) Modern -Playhouse – Victory. This is the theatre at 440 Westminster Street. I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me. There were also THREE Empire Theatres at different times.
This theatre also became known as the Victory. There were two theatres named the Victory at different times. (1) Low’s – Keith’s -Victory – Empire. This was located on Westminster Street at Union Street. (2) Modern -Playhouse – Victory. This is the theatre of this posting at 440 Westminster Street. I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me.
I have a copy of that same Showbill too! It’s in my “Rocco” file. It remains one of the towering masterpieces of world cinema. Unfortunately it was severely shortened for U.S. release. It has since been redistributed, uncut. When Visconti attended an event in his honor in New York a few decades ago and they showed “Rocco,” he was (justifiably) pissed that it was the mutilated version on display.
The 1925 Providence Journal Almanac gave the seating capacity as 980 and listed Peter E. Murphy as the then manager.
Error noted: this theatre was NOT in Cranston but in Providence, just on the Providence side of the city line with Cranston. The PJ Almanac lists it under Providence and 1526 Broad Street comes out as Providence when you map it. So the city should be changed to Providence.
A 1925 PJ Almanac gives these dimensions for the Modern: seating capacity, 1400; proscenium opening, 38x28 feet; footlights to back wall, 31 feet; between side walls, 110 feet, height to gridioron, 57 feet.
The theatre was previously known (circa the 1920s) as Emery’s Majestic. Down on Mathewson Street was the Emery Theatre which later became the Carlton. Emery’s Majestic is listed in the 1925 Providence Journal Almanac as having a seating capacity of 2500. Other data: proscenium opening, 40x36 feet; footlights to back wall, 33 feet; between side walls, 80 feet; height to gridiron, 60 feet.
The 1925 Providence Journal Almanac gives the seating capacity of the Victory as 1950 seats. Other data: proscenium opening, 32x32 feet; footlights to back wall, 35 feet; between side walls, 80 feet; height to gridiron, 42 feet.
The 1925 Providence Journal Almanac lists the Emery Theatre (which became the Carlton) as having a seating capacity of 1786. Dimenions: proscenium opening, 38x20 feet, footlights to back wall, 32 feet; between side walls, 75 feet; height to gridiron, 56 feet.
This Emery Theatre should not be confused with Emery’s Majestic (later the Majestic), a couple of blocks away on Washington Street.
If you drove in and parked your car there alongside a speaker on June 1st of 1950, you and your companions could have seen “Task Force” playing with “Headin' for Heaven.”
The Rialto opened in 1902, I don’t know under what name. According to the Providence Journal Almanac from 1935, the seating capacity of the Rialto was 1448.
I doubt that this place became the Mathewson Street Church, since I now realize that it was built in the 1800s. There was a Casino Theatre at 126 Mathewson Street in the 19-teens. Could this have been that? I don’t have a street number yet for the Rialto.
Anyway this Rialto Theatre was one of a group opened or owned by Edward M. Fay. (The legendary Fay’s Theatre, a vaudeville heaven with film clouds on Union Street, was named after him.)
Here is an introductory note to Edward M. Fay from the the R.I. Historical Society’s Fay theatre records: “Edward M. Fay (3/14/1875-2/12/1964) spent his life involved with the entertainment industry, as violinist, conductor, vaudeville impresario, poet, and motion picture theater owner. He owned at least six different theaters between 1928 and 1971, and was called by the Providence Journal the "dean of Rhode Island entertainment” (April 22, 1947). He was the son of James T. and Mary Jane (Stuart) Fay and he married Katherine A. Lahiff in 1913."
I hope to peruse records of those theatres and add information at later dates and clear up some mysteries.
Here is a photo of the Savoy, circa 1911. Its address was 28 North Main Street, which would have placed it near or at the site of the later Durfee Theatre.
Before the theatre opened as Loew’s State in 1928, a smaller movie house, the Gaiety Theatre (later known as Conn’s City), had been there and was demolished to make way for the new movie palace and business block. After it was called Loew’s State and before it became Providence Performing Arts Center, it was the Palace, then the Ocean State. So the complete name sequence was Loew’s State, Palace, Ocean State, Providence Performing Arts Center or PPAC, commonly pronounced “P-Pack.”
Before it was demolished in the 1920s to make way for the Loew’s State Theatre and building, the Gaiety was for a time known as “Conn’s City.”
All right. We can now straighten this out! First off, there were THREE theatres in Providence that were called “Empire” at different times.
This post should refer to the original Empire which was located at 410 Westminster Street (not 440, which was Modern – Playhouse – Victory and never an Empire.) Now, 410 Westminster Street was where Empire Street ended in the 1910s. The city wanted to extend Empire Street out a block further to Weybosset Street, and so the Empire had to be demolished to create the thoroughfare. This was the original Empire. It never had another name.
The address in the listing should be changed to 410 Westminster Street, which was the address for the first Empire and which I found in the 1913 Providence City Directory. This one had never been nor would ever become a Victory Theatre. It didn’t even survive World War I. So my previous entry is to be ignored.
(2) Lows – Keith’s – Victory – Empire. This was located on Westminster Street at Union Street. (Listed under “Victory.”)
(3) Westminster – Empire – Bijou. This one was on Westminster Street at Snow Street. (Listed under “Bijou.”)
Clear?
I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me.
Somebody please update the address to 410 Westminster Street.
This theatre had been originally built in 1888 as a dime museum called Westminster Mus̩e. The theatre had three names: Westminster РEmpire РBijou. Its address was 368 Westminster Street.
I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me on several theatres.
Bullock’s Theatre opened in 1909. It had been the old Richmond Street Congregational Church. It was later renamed the Globe.
The Scenic had been the old Westminster Congregational Unitarian Church before its life as a theatre. It didn’t BECOME a church, as I wrote above; it HAD BEEN one. I misread my earlier notes.
The Strand opened as the Strand (1915) before becoming the Paramount and then reverting to Strand again. Strand – Paramount – Strand.
The Emery Theatre, which became the Carlton, opened in 1914.
The exact address for the Rialto/Scenic was 121 Mathewson Street.
CORRECTION. Fays was never known as the Hippodrome. Union yes. Hippodrome, no. The Hippodrome was located on Fountain Street between Mathewson and Union and was a large theatre used for grandiose theatrics and later for films during the silent era. The Providence Journal building now occupies the space that used to be the Hippodrome. The Hippodrome needs to be posted on Cinema Treasures, and I’ll add it. I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me.
Also, it seems that Fays was not generally written with an apostrophe before the “s.”
In fact before the Capitol was the Colonial, it had been the Imperial and the Shubert. The sequence was Imperial – Shubert – Colonial – Capitol. I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me.
The Rialto was on the west side of Mathewson Street between Washington and Westminster, exactly one block from the Emery/Carlton. It was formerly known as the Scenic…and I believe the “Scenic Temple” if I remember old newspaper ads correctly. This was not the same as the Casino as I had hypothesized above, which was in fact diagonally across the street. The façade of the Rialto is still there, and if one looks at the top, one can make out the outline caused by removed lettering. It is very faint but I believe it does say Rialto Theatre.
I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me. I also took this photo of what is left of the Scenic/Rialto.
Roger Katz, there were TWO theatres named Victory at different times. (1) Low’s – Keith’s – Victory – Empire. This was located at 260 Westminster Street at Union Street and is the theatre in this posting. (2) Modern -Playhouse – Victory. This is the theatre at 440 Westminster Street. I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me. There were also THREE Empire Theatres at different times.
This theatre also became known as the Victory. There were two theatres named the Victory at different times. (1) Low’s – Keith’s -Victory – Empire. This was located on Westminster Street at Union Street. (2) Modern -Playhouse – Victory. This is the theatre of this posting at 440 Westminster Street. I found a map of downtown Providence theatres (1871-1950) and their name changes in the files of the Rhode Island Historical Society. That clears up a great deal of confusion for me.
I have a copy of that same Showbill too! It’s in my “Rocco” file. It remains one of the towering masterpieces of world cinema. Unfortunately it was severely shortened for U.S. release. It has since been redistributed, uncut. When Visconti attended an event in his honor in New York a few decades ago and they showed “Rocco,” he was (justifiably) pissed that it was the mutilated version on display.
The 1925 Providence Journal Almanac gave the seating capacity as 980 and listed Peter E. Murphy as the then manager.
Error noted: this theatre was NOT in Cranston but in Providence, just on the Providence side of the city line with Cranston. The PJ Almanac lists it under Providence and 1526 Broad Street comes out as Providence when you map it. So the city should be changed to Providence.
A 1925 PJ Almanac gives these dimensions for the Modern: seating capacity, 1400; proscenium opening, 38x28 feet; footlights to back wall, 31 feet; between side walls, 110 feet, height to gridioron, 57 feet.
The theatre was previously known (circa the 1920s) as Emery’s Majestic. Down on Mathewson Street was the Emery Theatre which later became the Carlton. Emery’s Majestic is listed in the 1925 Providence Journal Almanac as having a seating capacity of 2500. Other data: proscenium opening, 40x36 feet; footlights to back wall, 33 feet; between side walls, 80 feet; height to gridiron, 60 feet.
The 1925 Providence Journal Almanac gives the seating capacity of the Victory as 1950 seats. Other data: proscenium opening, 32x32 feet; footlights to back wall, 35 feet; between side walls, 80 feet; height to gridiron, 42 feet.
The 1925 Providence Journal Almanac lists the Emery Theatre (which became the Carlton) as having a seating capacity of 1786. Dimenions: proscenium opening, 38x20 feet, footlights to back wall, 32 feet; between side walls, 75 feet; height to gridiron, 56 feet.
This Emery Theatre should not be confused with Emery’s Majestic (later the Majestic), a couple of blocks away on Washington Street.
Yes, bizarre…no matter how you folks spell it. Another bizarre one is the Climax Theatre in Milwaukee.
If you drove in and parked your car there alongside a speaker on June 1st of 1950, you and your companions could have seen “Task Force” playing with “Headin' for Heaven.”
The Rialto opened in 1902, I don’t know under what name. According to the Providence Journal Almanac from 1935, the seating capacity of the Rialto was 1448.
I doubt that this place became the Mathewson Street Church, since I now realize that it was built in the 1800s. There was a Casino Theatre at 126 Mathewson Street in the 19-teens. Could this have been that? I don’t have a street number yet for the Rialto.
Anyway this Rialto Theatre was one of a group opened or owned by Edward M. Fay. (The legendary Fay’s Theatre, a vaudeville heaven with film clouds on Union Street, was named after him.)
Here is an introductory note to Edward M. Fay from the the R.I. Historical Society’s Fay theatre records: “Edward M. Fay (3/14/1875-2/12/1964) spent his life involved with the entertainment industry, as violinist, conductor, vaudeville impresario, poet, and motion picture theater owner. He owned at least six different theaters between 1928 and 1971, and was called by the Providence Journal the "dean of Rhode Island entertainment” (April 22, 1947). He was the son of James T. and Mary Jane (Stuart) Fay and he married Katherine A. Lahiff in 1913."
I hope to peruse records of those theatres and add information at later dates and clear up some mysteries.
Here is a photo of the Savoy, circa 1911. Its address was 28 North Main Street, which would have placed it near or at the site of the later Durfee Theatre.