ELMWOOD THEATRE, Providence

ELMWOOD THEATRE, The Elmwood Theater was built in the 1940’s.
It was located at 786 Elmwood Avenue in Providence. It was perhaps
1/2 mile north of Roger Williams Park. It had 724 seats. Its policy when
it opened was second run. A daily matinee of a double feature at 1:00
and a complete show and a half at 6:30 Monday thru Friday.
It was shut down in mid October 1957 for removal of the projection
equipment and screen. Then they installed 70mm projection equipment
and a new large curved screen for Toad AO movies and opened with
Around The World In Eighty Days. The projection lenses were especially
made for the theater by the American Optical Company. After running a
series of 70mm films they went back to second run policy. In the late
seventies the theater was twinned and for a time ran X-rated movies on
both sides.In the eighties it was shutdown. It then became a church
which it still is. “After I got married in 1955 I got a second job as a projectionist.
The union theatres did not hire their own projectionists, the unions sent
them men. I worked the Elmwood as my regular assignment until the early
sixties when I was moved to the Cinerama Theatre (The old Hope Theater)
on Hope Street. I worked as little as possible after Cimerama flopped in the
mid sixties and resigned from the union in December 1971.” - Fred Deusch