I have to correct a previous posting – Ed Renden was NOT the manager of Warwick Mall Cinemas, Bill Quarters was. Ed was the manager of Garden City Cinema, then Swansea Mall, and finally Lincoln Mall (all part of the General Cinema chain). After all of those cinemas closed, he went to Showcase Cinemas in Seekonk in the mid-90s.
I worked at Garden City Cinema from August 1984 until it closed in April of 1986. General Cinema was losing to Showcase at the time, and all of the “blockbusters” used to go to Showcase. In the final year, attendance was extremely poor (mostly less than 5 patrons on weeknights) and sometimes less than 50 per showing on weekends. Talk was that the theater would become second-run, but it was decided just to close. The theater and neighboring bowling alley were destroyed, and Shaw’s and a mini stripmall were erected. The Shaw’s was demolished in 2007, and a Whole Foods was built on the site.
I do have a lot of memories of the Cinema. My e-mail is “”. I would love to hear from anyone interested, especially Gerald A. DeLuca! Please put “Garden City Cinema” in the subject line so I don’t delete is as spam!
I have to correct a previous posting – Ed Renden was NOT the manager of Warwick Mall Cinemas, Bill Quarters was. Ed was the manager of Garden City Cinema, then Swansea Mall, and finally Lincoln Mall (all part of the General Cinema chain). After all of those cinemas closed, he went to Showcase Cinemas in Seekonk in the mid-90s.
I worked at Garden City Cinema from August 1984 until it closed in April of 1986. General Cinema was losing to Showcase at the time, and all of the “blockbusters” used to go to Showcase. In the final year, attendance was extremely poor (mostly less than 5 patrons on weeknights) and sometimes less than 50 per showing on weekends. Talk was that the theater would become second-run, but it was decided just to close. The theater and neighboring bowling alley were destroyed, and Shaw’s and a mini stripmall were erected. The Shaw’s was demolished in 2007, and a Whole Foods was built on the site.
I do have a lot of memories of the Cinema. My e-mail is “”. I would love to hear from anyone interested, especially Gerald A. DeLuca! Please put “Garden City Cinema” in the subject line so I don’t delete is as spam!
Frank DeAngelis