56. PPAC: Providence’s Movie Palaces

Weird Island

Have you ever been to see a show at the Providence Performing Arts Center and marveled at the gorgeous building? Well, you might be surprised to know that when PPAC opened in the late 1920s, the theater showed a different kind of show–movies! I’m joined by special guests Lynn Singleton and Alan Chille this week to dive into the history of Providence’s Movie Palace, these elaborately decorated movie theaters designed to make the average person feel like royalty. And Lynn and Alan will share some amazing behind-the-scenes stories that shed light on everything that goes into keeping a historic building like this one open for all to enjoy.

Episode Source Material

• https://preservation.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur406/files/pdfs_zips_downloads/national_pdfs/providence/prov_weybosset-street-220_loews-state-theater.pdf
• PPAC History | Providence Performing Arts Center
• Loews Cineplex Entertainment - Wikipedia
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickelodeon_(movie_theater)
• Movie palace - Wikipedia
• The Theaters of Providence Part 2 – The Modern Era - Online Review of Rhode Island History
• Rapp and Rapp - Wikipedia
• Providence Performing Arts Center - Wikipedia
• Providence Performing Arts Center | Rhode Tour
• Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, RI - Cinema Treasures
• The Theaters of Providence, Part 1 – The Early Years - Online Review of Rhode Island History
• Loew's State Theatre, Palace Concert Theater & Ocean State Theatre
• Politics and Pasta
• History of film - Wikipedia
• Silent film - Wikipedia
• Providence Performing Arts Center (Loew's State Theatre) | SAH ARCHIPEDIA
• Palace Theater, (Ocean State Theatre, Performing Arts Center), 220 Weybosset Street, Providence, RI
• “Playing the Palace”: A History Of Motion Picture Palaces - The Credits
• Movie Palaces Let Everyday Americans Be Royalty | Smart News| Smithsonian Magazine
• A very short history of cinema | National Science and Media Museum