The Art Cinema had such a talent for booking a double bill of compatible foreign films even when they came from different countries. “Dear John” and “Red Lanterns” are a good example. I looked forward so much to the “Starts Tomorrow!” movie ads for the theater. Sadly, by the fall of 1967, the art house policy had ended.
The last roadshow production that played the Elmwood in its golden era was the musical “Paint Your Wagon” in 1970. The film sank at the box office nationwide. So, it’s almost certain that the movie lost a lot of money for the Elmwood, as well. I recall going there to see “MASH,” one of its last first run engagements. Soon afterwards, the theater changed ownership and began showing films like “Illsa.”
Re: Newspaper ad for Esquire Theaters. When the Esquire and General Cinema chains began to lump their movie ads into one indistinguishable mass, the theaters lost their identity. It was especially troubling when the Elmwood joined the group.
Jon Berberian, the theater’s owner, once stated in an interview that he lost money showing art films, with only a handful of people in the audience night after night, that is, until he booked a foreign film called “The Doll.” Ticket sales went through the roof.
In the 1970s and 1980s, I saw most movies at either the Warwick Mall Cinemas or the Showcase. The downtown movie palaces had closed, and, when the neighborhood theaters were sliced into mini theaters, I stopped going to them. I did make an exception, though, with the Cinerama which sometimes showed a foreign film that I wanted to see.
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.
I did not like the Midland Cinema. Tucked inside the mall, it seemed more like a screening room than a theater. Still, I enjoyed tremendously the few films that I went there to see, including “Pauline at the Beach” and “Cries and Whispers.”
When the Four Seasons first opened, the theater announced that one of its two screens would show mostly foreign films, but the policy did not last. I saw “The Tenth Victim” when it opened there.
I always suspected a connection with the Avon. The films that played there were often booked at the Art at a later date, sometimes immediately afterwards. When “David & Lisa” ended its run at the Avon, the theater placed a newspaper ad showing a moving truck carrying the movie logo leaving the Avon and heading in the direction of the Art. The movie page was so much more fun to read in those days.
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.
When the theater was renamed the Ocean State in 1976 with the purpose of showing first run movies, I attended the opening of its first feature presentation “Murder By Death” and the film that followed that engagement, “King Kong.” I never really believed, however, that this policy would entice moviegoers downtown on a regular basis.
In the latter half of the sixties, the theater’s reputation as an art house began to diminish, at least in my mind. It would schedule more mainstream fare and fewer foreign films. One reason is likely the competition from other theaters like the Columbus Theater/Studio Cinema, the newly opened Four Seasons Cinemas in East Providence, and, years later, the Midland and Cinerama Theater.
I saw “Luther” at the Cable Car Cinema on a Sunday afternoon. Being the first to arrive, I had to wait a while for the theater to open. Few people attended the matinee. I enjoyed the movie, but not the experience of sitting on a big sofa in a theater. Furthermore, the film print was a poor one. It displayed lines throughout the movie which, at times, was rather annoying.
The Warwick Cinema rarely showed foreign language films. When “Marriage Italian Style” ended it run there, the movie then moved to the Art Cinema for several weeks. “Now in Providence!” said the ad.
I saw “The Graduate” the first Saturday after it opened at the Majestic. Having read the book, I was quite anxious to see it, too. I enjoyed the movie so much that I sat through it twice. After hearing me praise it so much, a classmate promptly rushed to see it. To my surprise, he was denied admission. “Adults Only!” and “No One Under 18 Admitted” were written on signs taped to the box office window. He did return a few days later with his older sister and her husband who purchased the tickets.
The demise of the Art Cinema. In July, 1973, the Art Cinema announced that it was closed for the summer. Yet, it did not reopen until November, 1973, under new management, and only four days a week, Thursday through Sunday. The program changed from soft core to black themed films such as “Superfly,” “Sounder,” Cleopatra Jones,“ and "Blackula.” Matinees on Saturday and Sunday featured children’s movies like “Willy Wonka,” “Puff N Snuff” or “Pippi Longstocking.” Advertising was reduced to the minimum, small block size without illustration, stating the film titles and show times. The theater struggled through this phase for four months until March, 1974, when it abruptly closed. This time, it remained closed for more than a year. It reopened in April, 1975, again under new management, showing hard core pornographic films. A new logo and flashy ads ran daily. It stayed open for business about films months. By the end of August, 1975, the ads vanished from the movie page, the theater having closed once more. It did not reopen.
(continued)
almost weekly. The theater did suspend its policy to bring back James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” this time for three weeks at popular prices. It even booked the obscure independent film “Dutchman” with Shirley Knight. But, they were exceptions. Its era as an art house had sadly ended.
The year 1967 was transitional for the Art Cinema. During the early months, it continued to show mostly foreign films or mainstream ones, among them, “Dear John,” “Loves of a Blonde,” “The Poppy is Also a Flower,” “The Game is Over,” even the surf film “The Endless Summer” direct from its engagement at the Avon. There was only an occasional nod to sensationalism (“Damaged Goods” starring Hollywood starlett Delores Faith!). By the end of May, however, the theater had apparently changed its policy, showing exploitation films a
That’s an accurate description of the theater, Gerald, which explains why I hardly ever went there to see movies. The only occasion that comes to mind was to see “Desperate Characters,” an obscure film with Shirley MacLaine, early seventies, I think.
The Garden City Cinema opened for business on Friday, December 22, 1967. There was a ribbon cutting ceremony, and refreshments were served, too. The feature presentation was Disney’s “The Jungle Book.”
I recall Woolworth’s and the supermarket. The Pancake House was also a short distance from the theater. The area began its decline in the late sixties, which might explain why the Art Cinema switched its program from quality films to soft core around that time.
The Art Cinema had such a talent for booking a double bill of compatible foreign films even when they came from different countries. “Dear John” and “Red Lanterns” are a good example. I looked forward so much to the “Starts Tomorrow!” movie ads for the theater. Sadly, by the fall of 1967, the art house policy had ended.
The last roadshow production that played the Elmwood in its golden era was the musical “Paint Your Wagon” in 1970. The film sank at the box office nationwide. So, it’s almost certain that the movie lost a lot of money for the Elmwood, as well. I recall going there to see “MASH,” one of its last first run engagements. Soon afterwards, the theater changed ownership and began showing films like “Illsa.”
The first film that I ever saw at the Elmwood was “Pepe” starring Cantinflas.
Re: Newspaper ad for Esquire Theaters. When the Esquire and General Cinema chains began to lump their movie ads into one indistinguishable mass, the theaters lost their identity. It was especially troubling when the Elmwood joined the group.
“Le Bonheur” also happened to be one of the last legitimate films to play the Art Cinema in 1967 before it switched to exploitation.
Jon Berberian, the theater’s owner, once stated in an interview that he lost money showing art films, with only a handful of people in the audience night after night, that is, until he booked a foreign film called “The Doll.” Ticket sales went through the roof.
When did the Lockwood Gordon chain break ties with the Avon? My guess would be at the time that the theater became a revival house.
In the 1970s and 1980s, I saw most movies at either the Warwick Mall Cinemas or the Showcase. The downtown movie palaces had closed, and, when the neighborhood theaters were sliced into mini theaters, I stopped going to them. I did make an exception, though, with the Cinerama which sometimes showed a foreign film that I wanted to see.
Thank you for the photo of the marquee. It brings back many fond memories. I will look at it often.
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.
I did not like the Midland Cinema. Tucked inside the mall, it seemed more like a screening room than a theater. Still, I enjoyed tremendously the few films that I went there to see, including “Pauline at the Beach” and “Cries and Whispers.”
When the Four Seasons first opened, the theater announced that one of its two screens would show mostly foreign films, but the policy did not last. I saw “The Tenth Victim” when it opened there.
I always suspected a connection with the Avon. The films that played there were often booked at the Art at a later date, sometimes immediately afterwards. When “David & Lisa” ended its run at the Avon, the theater placed a newspaper ad showing a moving truck carrying the movie logo leaving the Avon and heading in the direction of the Art. The movie page was so much more fun to read in those days.
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.
When the theater was renamed the Ocean State in 1976 with the purpose of showing first run movies, I attended the opening of its first feature presentation “Murder By Death” and the film that followed that engagement, “King Kong.” I never really believed, however, that this policy would entice moviegoers downtown on a regular basis.
In the latter half of the sixties, the theater’s reputation as an art house began to diminish, at least in my mind. It would schedule more mainstream fare and fewer foreign films. One reason is likely the competition from other theaters like the Columbus Theater/Studio Cinema, the newly opened Four Seasons Cinemas in East Providence, and, years later, the Midland and Cinerama Theater.
I saw “Luther” at the Cable Car Cinema on a Sunday afternoon. Being the first to arrive, I had to wait a while for the theater to open. Few people attended the matinee. I enjoyed the movie, but not the experience of sitting on a big sofa in a theater. Furthermore, the film print was a poor one. It displayed lines throughout the movie which, at times, was rather annoying.
The Warwick Cinema rarely showed foreign language films. When “Marriage Italian Style” ended it run there, the movie then moved to the Art Cinema for several weeks. “Now in Providence!” said the ad.
I saw “The Graduate” the first Saturday after it opened at the Majestic. Having read the book, I was quite anxious to see it, too. I enjoyed the movie so much that I sat through it twice. After hearing me praise it so much, a classmate promptly rushed to see it. To my surprise, he was denied admission. “Adults Only!” and “No One Under 18 Admitted” were written on signs taped to the box office window. He did return a few days later with his older sister and her husband who purchased the tickets.
The demise of the Art Cinema. In July, 1973, the Art Cinema announced that it was closed for the summer. Yet, it did not reopen until November, 1973, under new management, and only four days a week, Thursday through Sunday. The program changed from soft core to black themed films such as “Superfly,” “Sounder,” Cleopatra Jones,“ and "Blackula.” Matinees on Saturday and Sunday featured children’s movies like “Willy Wonka,” “Puff N Snuff” or “Pippi Longstocking.” Advertising was reduced to the minimum, small block size without illustration, stating the film titles and show times. The theater struggled through this phase for four months until March, 1974, when it abruptly closed. This time, it remained closed for more than a year. It reopened in April, 1975, again under new management, showing hard core pornographic films. A new logo and flashy ads ran daily. It stayed open for business about films months. By the end of August, 1975, the ads vanished from the movie page, the theater having closed once more. It did not reopen.
(continued)
almost weekly. The theater did suspend its policy to bring back James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” this time for three weeks at popular prices. It even booked the obscure independent film “Dutchman” with Shirley Knight. But, they were exceptions. Its era as an art house had sadly ended.
The year 1967 was transitional for the Art Cinema. During the early months, it continued to show mostly foreign films or mainstream ones, among them, “Dear John,” “Loves of a Blonde,” “The Poppy is Also a Flower,” “The Game is Over,” even the surf film “The Endless Summer” direct from its engagement at the Avon. There was only an occasional nod to sensationalism (“Damaged Goods” starring Hollywood starlett Delores Faith!). By the end of May, however, the theater had apparently changed its policy, showing exploitation films a
That’s an accurate description of the theater, Gerald, which explains why I hardly ever went there to see movies. The only occasion that comes to mind was to see “Desperate Characters,” an obscure film with Shirley MacLaine, early seventies, I think.
The Garden City Cinema opened for business on Friday, December 22, 1967. There was a ribbon cutting ceremony, and refreshments were served, too. The feature presentation was Disney’s “The Jungle Book.”
I recall Woolworth’s and the supermarket. The Pancake House was also a short distance from the theater. The area began its decline in the late sixties, which might explain why the Art Cinema switched its program from quality films to soft core around that time.