Stanley Theatre
1902-10 Market Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19103
1902-10 Market Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19103
12 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 46 of 46 comments
The outside pictures of the Stanley do not reflect the glamour and palatialness (not sure there is such a word) of the inside. It was a huge theatre that, I thought, made you feel like you were in a palace. Of course, 1935 was before my time. I first attended a film at the Stanley in 1964. By that time the front of the theatre had been totally remodeled. It would have made a tremendous performing arts center!
Here is a 1935 photo. An interesting theater, to say the least:
http://tinyurl.com/mv3lq
Yes, Mike, the Fox up until its last renovation, had a large rising “Austrian swag” curtain as well as the horizontally travelling screen curtain. As for the Stanley, as Dennis pointed out, there were any number of lights, and combinations of patterns, that could light the house curtain.
I never went there, but remember a friend telling me about Sweet Charity and that they had aqua curtains. I heard the curtains at the Fox went up not across
Yes, Vince, now that you mention it I do. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, my first visit to the Stanley was to see “Cleopatra”. So I never saw the theatre before the “renovation.” I just remember being more awed by the size,elegance, and magnificence of this theatre than even the Boyd. There was just so much more room in this theatre. You did not feel as cramped sitting in the loge section of the Stanley as you did in the Boyd. The balcony “lobby” was so much more palatial and roomy. I remember the ramps leading from the main inner lobby upstairs. I remember the vending machines built into the walls and the walls around them being what looked like mahogany paneling! Oh to be able to walk into the Stanley Again!
Yes, Dennis, and when I think about it, the Stanley’s curtain was – with the exception of the Music Hall – probably the largest curtain I have ever seen anywhere, Cinerama houses included! The house was a “widebody” to begin with, and I must reiterate, the traveller stretched out well beyond the proscencium and continued up the side walls. If you can get a copy of Ben Hall’s “Best Remaining Seats,” there’s a from-the-balcony shot of the pre-renovation Stanley, and you can get a pretty good idea of the width of the theatre. Do you also recall two or three side panels in front of the actual screen curtain, too?
Yes! Look at Vince Youngs post from Jan. 21, 2005. In the remodeling of 1959 a curtain was installed in front of the prosenium and stretched the width of the theatre. During roadshow attractions this curtain was closed until the start of the overature, if my memory serves me correctly. Once the overature started, the house lights dimmed, and that giant curtain opened. There were stage foot lights lighting the curtain covering the screen to the rear of the stage house. I thought it was so appropriate that during the “My Fair Lady” engagement, those footlights were in the color pink. Since all the movie posters for the film were a pink background. Back then that was showmanship! Not the shove them in and move them out we have today! The Stanley was a larger theatre than the Boyd, but not as large as the Mastbaum.
Curtains opened to reveal an empty stage? And, then screen was set further back?
I read about the Fox effort, so when I organized our group to save the Boyd, I was determined not to “rerun” that effort to Save the Fox!
Downtown Philadelphia wasn’t going to save every movie palace for entertainment purposes, but in addition to the Boyd we possibly could’ve saved one more without loss of existing theaters. It would have been great to have retained one of the neoclassics such as the Stanley, Fox, or Earle. The Mastbaum was the best ever built, but so huge….
Since I added some ticket information to the Boyd site, I thought while I had my book of ticket stubs in front of me I would add some for movies I had seen at this wonderful movie palace.
“My Fair Lady” = Orchestra – Sun 2PM 2/14/65 – Row P Center – $2.30
“My Fair Lady” – Loge – Mon 2PM 4/19/65 – Row A Right Center – $2.30
“Hawaii” – Loge – Sun 2PM 2/26/67 – Row B Left Center – $2.30
“Camelot” – Loge – Fri. 8:30PM 12/29/67 – Row B Left Center – $3.00
“Finian’s Rainbow” – Loge – Fri. 8:30PM 1/3/69 – Row A Center – $3.50
I can still picture sitting in this theatre and watching those huge grey curtains open to reveal the stage and another set of curtains in front of that large screen. I just wished the desire to maintain these wonderful movie palaces had started before this one bit the dust. Of course, the Fox outlasted this one and there was not much more than a whimper when that one came down in pieces. IMHO this theatre was at least on a par with the Boyd, if not even more palatial than the Boyd.
One of the great “downtown” first-run houses of Philadelphia. I remember seeing lots and lots of movies here, especially “Some Like it Hot” and “Flower Drum Song.” I believe I also saw a re-run of the original “King Kong” here sometime in the late 50s.
The RKO Stanley Warner’s Stanley theatre was closed in early 1970. the last movie to play at the Stanley was “Viva Max”. After it closed, RKO Stanley Warner had only 2 theatres left in Center City Philadelphia, The RKO Stanley Warner’s Palace Theatre, and The RKO stanley Warner’s Boyd Theatre.
The RKO Stanley Warner’s Palace Theatre was closed in 1971. The RKO Stanley Warner’s Boyd Theatre was sold to Sam & Merton Shapiro’s Sameric Theatres Corporation on November 1, 1971, and reopened on December 14, 1971 as “Sameric Theatre”.
Al Capone was arrested in front of this theater on a “prearranged” weapons charge. See the last paragraph of this article:
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There was an office building erected on the site of the Stanley Theatre. I think the original World Theatre and the new World Theatre were already history. The Original World Theatre fronted on Market Street. The replacement World Theatre was on 17th or 18th Street off of Market if I remember correctly. I do not think the “New World” theatre was in operation very long.
The Stanley was demolished by 1973, but was closed in early 1973. The New World Theatre was built on the Stanley’s proptery at the same time it was being demolished.
The only old theatre palace that i was ever in was the Boyd (aka United Artists Sameric 4) One of the Stanley, Boyd, Milgram, State equals 3 Neshaminy 24’s and Cherry Hill 24’s
You guys were lucky I never got to this theater.
I still miss this theatre. I was not in it prior to its renovation in 1959. My first visit, as I mentioned earlier was to see Liz and Dick in “Cleopatra.” I do not know whether it was seeing it twice in this theatre, but “My Fair Lady” is my all time favorite film. The first time I sat on the orchestra floor. And, for my second viewing, sat in the “loge.” THOSE WERE THE DAYS! One Stanley Theatre is worth 20 “megaplexes!”
In the great theatre renovation craze of 1959, SWarner spent a bundle on remodeling the Stanley. I dont have the dimensions of the stage curtain but it stretched in front of the proscenium the entire width of the auditorium, a considerable distance, the screen being set back towards the rear of the stage house. Opening attraction in November of 1959 was “Pillow Talk.” Among its 70mm runs were “My Fair Lady,” “Cleopatra,” and “Fall of the Roman Empire,” during which engagement the 70mm print was swapped out for a 35mm run when business no longer supported a reserved seat policy, and switched to “grind.”
Dennis Z: You are correct. I worked at various Movie Houses in the late 60’s. The theatre owners and managers took pride in their movie palaces, and how they showed the movies. Bring back the Boyd, Stanley and Fox, these were Movie Theatres.
Next to the Boyd/Sameric Theatre, The Stanley Theatre was probably the theatre I traveled from Lancaster to patronize the most. My first visit was in 1963 to see Liz and Richard in “Cleopatra.” When those giant silver curtains opened to reveal the stage and huge screen, anyone had to be amazed. Of course, anyone who saw “My Fair Lady” there can never forget the experience. “The Great Race,” “Camelot”, “Finian’s Rainbow”, “Hawaii” are just a few of the 70mm presentations at this true movie palace. I can still picture the mahogany paneling in the upstairs lobby. Oh what moviegoing was like back in those days! People actually went to see the movie and not chit chat, talk on their cell phones, or whatever. Bring back the Stanleys, Boyds, States, Capitols, etc. The shoebox multiplexes of today just don’t compare!
The Stanley Theatre’s address was 1902-10 Market Street.