The photos above in my May 25, 2015 posts seem to have been taken in 1946, after the theatre was refurbished, though the report and grading was from 1941.
Here is a photo of the Bijou Theatre taken in 1950 after it had closed. From 1948 to 1949 it was renamed the Empire or “New Empire” after the earlier Empire (Keith’s, Victory) closed in 1948. BIJOU RENAMED EMPIRE, 1950 PHOTO
Yes, the Central was actually in Pawcatuck(Stonington, CT.) It and Westerly center straddle the RI/CT state line. Informally people referred to the Central as being in Westerly, RI, whereas it is technically in Pawcatuck
Ron,
To clear up your concern in your comment, that photo is actually of the Bijou Theatre, which in its last months was renamed the Empire or “New Empire,” after the earlier Empire (Keith’s) down the street had closed a couple of years earlier. It looks like they transported the marquee up the street! This “New Empire” didn’t last more than a year. If you look at the marquee of this closed theatre, it urges patrons to patronize the Victory, further up the street, which was also at times named the Modern and Westminster Playhouse.
Ron Salters,
Can’t you scan and post a photo of this theatre (and a few others) from these M.G.M. cards? It’s really frustrating hearing there is a photo of this place and not being able to see it. This would be very helpful especially in the case of places like this where no other known photos seem to survive.
Where the Metropolitan Theatre was located there is now an apartment building, Beneficent House. I now live in that building. In the entrance lobby there is a painting of the former theatre that occupied that space.
Brian (bgcivilwar), I am enjoying your comments. To post pictures, put your photos on a server (like Photobucket) and just provide a link on this page to the appropriate photo on your server.
Near the beginning of the 1951 movie “Teresa,” there is a shot of what seems like this theatre, displaying the 1947 movie “Fiesta” on the marquee, possibly put there to indicate the immediate post-war setting of the story about a G.I. and his Italian wife.
Several nostalgic comments related to this theatre by people who had visited the place before it closed in the 1940s can be found on the Facebook page “I grew up in the north end of Providence.” Also, in hastily describing this theatre in my description at the top of the page, I incorrectly referred to the neighborhood as Eagle Park, which is actually a short distance from here, rather than as the North End.
After World War I Keith’s became the Victory Theatre until the late 1930s when it became the Empire. Here is a photo of the theatre as the Victory. VICTORY THEATRE
Newspaper ads from 1963 show the theatre was being regularly used for stage productions. The ads refer to the theatre as “The Playhouse,” giving the address 1003 Main Street.
In The Providence Journal, August 26, 2013, there appears this extensive (online) article on the birth, life, and death of the Metropolitan Theatre. Several rare and excellent photos are shown.
newenglander,
That’s a difficult task. If there is a Bristol “historical society”, you might want to start with them. If the film footage was donated to someone, it MAY have wound up in the archives of the RI Historical Society in Providence. They have an archive of film shot in RI.
The photos above in my May 25, 2015 posts seem to have been taken in 1946, after the theatre was refurbished, though the report and grading was from 1941.
PHOTO OF PALACE THEATRE IN 1941 MGM REPORT Thanks to Theatre Historical Society of America.
1941 PHOTO OF PASTIME THEATRE IN MGM REPORT Thanks to Theatre Historical Society of America.
1941 PHOTO OF ALBEE THEATRE IN MGM REPORT Thanks to Theatre Historical Society of America.
COLUMBUS/UPTOWN THEATRE PHOTO, 1941, IN MGM REPORT Thanks to Theatre Historical Society of America.
CAPITOL THEATRE PHOTO, 1941, FROM MGM REPORT Thanks to Theatre Historical Society of America.
STRAND THEATRE PHOTO IN 1941 MGM REPORT
PHOTO OF THORNTON’S THEATRE IN 1941 MGM REPORT
Here is a photo of the Bijou Theatre taken in 1950 after it had closed. From 1948 to 1949 it was renamed the Empire or “New Empire” after the earlier Empire (Keith’s, Victory) closed in 1948. BIJOU RENAMED EMPIRE, 1950 PHOTO
THEATRE WHEN CALLED THE ROOSEVELT, 1941
The United Theatre has been reopened for quite a while now and should no longer be listed as closed. Their website: http://www.theunitedtheatre.org/
Yes, the Central was actually in Pawcatuck(Stonington, CT.) It and Westerly center straddle the RI/CT state line. Informally people referred to the Central as being in Westerly, RI, whereas it is technically in Pawcatuck
Ron, To clear up your concern in your comment, that photo is actually of the Bijou Theatre, which in its last months was renamed the Empire or “New Empire,” after the earlier Empire (Keith’s) down the street had closed a couple of years earlier. It looks like they transported the marquee up the street! This “New Empire” didn’t last more than a year. If you look at the marquee of this closed theatre, it urges patrons to patronize the Victory, further up the street, which was also at times named the Modern and Westminster Playhouse.
Ron, I didn’t realize you were working from their website. I was able to find that image of the Broadway and others.
Ron Salters, Can’t you scan and post a photo of this theatre (and a few others) from these M.G.M. cards? It’s really frustrating hearing there is a photo of this place and not being able to see it. This would be very helpful especially in the case of places like this where no other known photos seem to survive.
Where the Metropolitan Theatre was located there is now an apartment building, Beneficent House. I now live in that building. In the entrance lobby there is a painting of the former theatre that occupied that space.
Brian (bgcivilwar), I am enjoying your comments. To post pictures, put your photos on a server (like Photobucket) and just provide a link on this page to the appropriate photo on your server.
Near the beginning of the 1951 movie “Teresa,” there is a shot of what seems like this theatre, displaying the 1947 movie “Fiesta” on the marquee, possibly put there to indicate the immediate post-war setting of the story about a G.I. and his Italian wife.
The cinema appears briefly in Jim Jarmusch’s film “Only Lovers Left Alive.”
Several nostalgic comments related to this theatre by people who had visited the place before it closed in the 1940s can be found on the Facebook page “I grew up in the north end of Providence.” Also, in hastily describing this theatre in my description at the top of the page, I incorrectly referred to the neighborhood as Eagle Park, which is actually a short distance from here, rather than as the North End.
After World War I Keith’s became the Victory Theatre until the late 1930s when it became the Empire. Here is a photo of the theatre as the Victory. VICTORY THEATRE
The Alan… There is a link I posted to an image from that period in the comment just above this one you just added. Click.
Newspaper ads from 1963 show the theatre was being regularly used for stage productions. The ads refer to the theatre as “The Playhouse,” giving the address 1003 Main Street.
In The Providence Journal, August 26, 2013, there appears this extensive (online) article on the birth, life, and death of the Metropolitan Theatre. Several rare and excellent photos are shown.
ARTICLE
newenglander, That’s a difficult task. If there is a Bristol “historical society”, you might want to start with them. If the film footage was donated to someone, it MAY have wound up in the archives of the RI Historical Society in Providence. They have an archive of film shot in RI.