The Harrowgate Theatre was built in 1920 for Lewin Pizor and Benjamin Dintenfass in Harrowgate Square. Just prior to launch, however, the Stanley Theatre Circuit bought the Harrowgate in January of 1921 for $160,000 (or $200,000, depending on which report) from Dintenfass. At opening the Harrowgate seated 1,133 in a 73' by 150' venue becoming the 35th Stanley operated theater in the city. The Moller organ, alone, cost $25,000. The opening film was “The Mark of Zorro” on January 24, 1921. The opening manager of George Sobel coming over from the Iris Theatre.
The Harrowgate added sound to remain viable. At the 20th Anniversary of the theatre, Stanley Warner updated the Harrowgate and a group of other venues to make them more streamline moderne. The Harrowgate Theatre was closed at the expiry of a 30-year lease on September 30, 1951 with “Apache Drums” and “Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm.” The venue was transformed into the long-running Kensington Roller Rink.
Architect Carl P. Berger created the the plans for the Lafayette Theatre on behalf of operator Michael Stiefel. It was built by B. Katchums and Son and opened late in 1913. The Lafayette sat 1,300 and its arched 20'x80' lobby was still recognizable from the 2914 Kensington Street entry in the 2020s. The auditorium portion is well back from the lobby sitting at the interior of 2919-2927 E Street. The Lafayette was a movie theater for its entire run of less than 17 years. Its halcyon days were when it had a contract with Paramount films. It also had a neighboring confectioner that served as the de facto concession stand.
The Lafayette did not make the transition to sound and was sold to a drug store operator in 1930. It’s not clear what happened to the Lafayette after 1930. When the building was next transferred in 1951, it was still referred to as “the former Lafayette Theatre.” The lobby portion of the former theatre was part of a car wash operation in the 2020s having had its interior gutted. The E Street auditorium was apparently still used for community events.
Joseph Cohen and A. Morrison retrofitted a retail store for an early theatre in 1907 known as the Dazzleland Amusement Parlor. It expanded encompassing 2940-2946 Frankford as the New Dazzleland Theatre. Cohen solely owned the theatre later which was said to have a start-up cost of $40,000. (In an interview in 1927, Cohen said that he had opened the Dazzleland in 1904 and in a later interview he said that it had opened in 1906.) Sam Hyman took over the Dazzleland in 1921. In 1927, it was advertised as the Cameo Theatre.
The Cameo added sound to remain viable and closed with a double feature of “Stalag 17” and “Shane” on November 8, 1959. At the end there were cries of, “Come back!” Sadly, there was no response.
In 1961, the space was used as a retail location for John’s Bargain Store.
Barnet Rubin built the new Walton Theatre in 1913 at 733-735 East Chelten. Its first advertised showtime was in 1914. John F. McMahon took on the venue in 1917 operating until his death in 1943. McMahon had added sound to the Walton to keep the venue viable. He then performed a streamline modern makeover in March of 1938 to the plans of David Supowitz. In 1954, the theatre added widescreen projection to present CinemaScope films. Operating as a grind house for much of the 1940s to 1960, the theatre saw a drop-off of attendance as the decade of the 1960s began.
The operation changed under new owners to the Walton Art Theatre showing adult films to continue remaining viable as of September 21, 1960 with “Hideout in the Sun.” (The same operators also had the Devon Art and the Spruce Art theaters.) The Walton Art Theatre closed on January 14, 1976 with John Holmes in “Beyond Fulfillment” and Brigette Giursa in “The Devil Made Me Do It.”
Richard Williams reopened the Walton with a combination of documentaries, small indy films, and live stage shows in January of 1979 as the Walton Theatre closing with a live comedy show on August 30, 1980. So, technically, this venue opened and closed as the Walton Theater aka the Walton Art Theatre aka the Art Walton Theatre.
A wind storm ripped the marquee off of the building on November 20, 1989 and much of its front causing the building to be razed in 1989 and 1990.
The Lenox Theatre launched February 9, 1927. It closed permanently on June 7, 1964 with “Captain Newman” and “Eye of Frankenstein.” A salvage sale occurred immediately thereafter as Acme Supermarkets purchased the building and had the theatre razed.
John C. Conner opened the Greenway in 1916. He sold it in 1919 to M. Seltzer who sold it to Eli Resnick in 1921. Stanley Circuit took on the Greenway Theatre in 1930 but Resnick operated the theatre until his death in 1952. It appears that Paul and Samuel Resnick took on the operation and it may have exited after the October 19, 1952 showing of “The Iron Man” and “Double Crossbones.” However, they may have continued operations without advertising. Either way, it became a long-running church that was still operating in the 21st Century.
The Keystone closed permanently after a double feature of “Elephant Walk” and “The Black Glove” supported by fight highlights of the Marciano-Charles boxing match on July 5, 1954. It was used as a house of worship until being auction in 1958. The auction winner had the building razed in 1959.
The Orpheum’s construction was shrouded in legal issues. The construction process had begun in 1910. Nixon-Nirdlinger Circuit acquired this venue as it was being built in February of 1912. Work was halted until November of 1912 to determine ownership issues. J. Fred Zimmerman opened the long-delayed Orpheum with vaudeville on October 6, 1913. Its address was 42-48 West Chelten and the venue was one of the “Big Three” of Germantown’s theaters. The Orpheum would switch to movies and be run by Stanley-Warner.
The Orpheum closed on July 28, 1966 at end of lease with “Modesty Blaise” and “Flight of the Phoenix.” It was razed shortly thereafter.
The Ogontz Theatre opened February 4, 1927 with “The Auctioneer” and an organ program. It was a one million dollar theatre and was purchased by Stanley just two weeks after it had opened. It forced the hand of another It would transition the Ogontz to sound to stay relevant. Stanley-Warner closed here after showtimes on March 29, 1952 with “Room for One More” and “Invitation.”
The Ogontz rebranded as a religious movie house known as “Philadelphia’s Reel Pulpit” in 1954 as the final film screenings. Charles Teller formed Cor-Tel Production and took on the Ogontz Theatre. Under their watch, it became a live venue starting with plays as the Ogontz Playhouse in 1958 and then moving to rock ‘n’ roll shows in 1961 returning to the Ogontz Theatre.
The venue was built in 1909 as the Mannheim Theatre. At the ten-year leasing expiry, it got a refresh and was briefly called the New Mannheim Theatre in 1919. Fifteen years later, it was renamed the New Lyric Theatre in 1934.
On May 3, 1971, the New Lyric went with a policy of foreign pornographic films and the final films were played just weeks later apparently closing May 16, 1971 permanently. The New Lyric’s operator pleaded guilty to presenting obscene films in October of 1971. The building was offered for sale in 1971 but became a haven for narcotics abusers and vandals. After the New Lyric closed, it was destroyed by a three-alarm fire on January 25, 1972 after vandals were trying to strip the facility of its copper tubing.
The Bromley closed at the end of a 20-year leasing period permanently on March 30, 1955 with Jimmy Stewart in “The Far Country.” It was used for live events and dancing thereafter.
After a refresh in 1920, the Allan Theatre reopened on September 26, 1920 at 1209-1211 East Chelten. It was soon listed as the Allen Theatre. In 1922, was additionally used as a house of worship. Max Felt took on the venue in 1933. The theatre discontinued advertising films on March 11, 1944 with “Crime School” and “She’s For Me.”
The Band Box Theatre launched with art and foreign films on February 3, 1930 for the Motion Picture Guild Circuit. The German film, “Die Meistersinger” launched the venue. It was the MPG’s sister location to the downtown Little Theatre. The diminutive Band Box opened with just 202 seats. In 1935, William Goldman had the venue refreshed to the plans of Fleisher & Stephens. The Band Box closed with David Chiang in “Triple Irons” and Billy Dee Williams and Richard Pryor in “Hit!” The theater was part of a sheriff’s auction in 1979 and did not ever play another film.
The Market Street Theatre began as a conversion of an existing retail store vacated by Riegel Dry Goods Store. The new theatre space was designed by William Steele & Sons. It had a lengthy pass through arcade to get to the auditorium. The property was owned by Albania Whartenby and leased to the Motion Picture Company of America. By the time the venue opened in December of 1912. A neighboring Horn and Hardhart Automat was built and opened soon thereafter.
In 1919, the venue became the 333 Market Street Theatre for Stanley Theatres Circuit. That portfolio of theatre became Stanley Warner Circuit which, in 1935, shortened the venue’s moniker to the 333 Market Theatre. Warner closed as that name by Stanley Warner Theatre Circuit at the end of a leasing period on May 30, 1951 with Fred Astaire in “Royal Wedding.” The 333 Market Theatre was torn down to make way for a new parking structure that launched on November 11, 1951.
The Wissahickon Theatre dates back to the nickelodeon era according to one of its final operators. It appears to have opened in 1913 potentially on a 20-year lease. It is definitely mentioned in 1920 and being refreshed 1933 likely on a new 10-year lease. The theatre closed in 1943.
This venue became the became the Abbey Playhouse on October 9, 1952 switching to foreign and repertory films with Richard Todd in “Flesh and Blood.” That policy by Louis Cohn failed early in 1953 closing at the end of lease on February 26, 1953 with “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” - apparently the last film played at the location.
The building was auctioned off in July of 1953. It remained the Abbey Playhouse as a live theater from June of 1955 to March of 1961. On September 21, 1961, it became the Cricket Playhouse continuing with live fare. A year later it became the Towne Playhouse continuing with live fare. That would continue to November of 1981.
Construction of the Nirdlinger-Nixon Colonial Theatre began late in 1912 and would be considered one of “The Big Three” in Germantown. The Colonial not only had great seat count but a grand stage that could hold any Hippodrome show. It was said to have been one of the handsomest theatres in the world at opening - likely a bit of an overstatement - yet its 3,000 seat capacity with inclined floors, Colonial Adam architecture and majestic.proscenium wowed folks with its vaudeville show at launch on December 28, 1913.
The theatre also featured photoplays as part of its regular offerings early on. It added sound to remain viable. The Stanley-Warner Theatre Circuit closed the Colonial Theatre at end of lease with “Flat Top” and “Confidence Girls” on January 22, 1953. A salvage sale offered the building for sale complete with steel, support lumber and bricks. It was definitely demolished in February of 1953.
Just to fill in some details, the Devon opened October 1, 1946 as a post-War theatre with no stage, a glass curtain and the opening film, “The Wife of Monte Cristo.” It quickly became a grind house with continuous double features closing at the end of a ten-year lease in 1956 and was offered for lease. It reopened with the same policy unsuccessfully in 1957. In August of 1958 under new operators it found its footing with double-feature art films with provocative titles and ads.
The venue was rebranded as the Devon Art Cinema in 1959 with “sensational” films and Philadelphia premieres. On October 5, 1960, the venue became the AAA Art Devon Cinema advertising “triple ‘AAA’ films” or code for something better than an X-rated film. (The name “AAA Art” was used to get a prime listing at the top of the movie listings.) It earned if not relished its nickname among locals as the “Dirty Devon.” A policy change at the newspaper (if not the phone book) changed that and the theatre returned to Devon Theatre with an adult policy that lasted to the end of a 20-year lease.
On November 22, 1978, the theatre announced a new family-friendly policy as a sub-run discount house showing 99 cent mainstream films. This policy proved incredibly successful even into the home video era. The Devon appears to have ended operations with “The Contender” on November 9, 2000. The stage-less movie house was then equipped with a stage in March of 2009 going on a neary two-year venture in legit theatre: the Devon Theater for the Performing Arts beginning with “Nunsense.” The art center closed in January of 2011. On May 31, 2015 it had a grand reopening as the Devon Concert Hall with live music events. That, too, closed.
The Spruce Theatre began in 1914 converting to sound to remain viable. In the mid-1950s, it started showing art films, repertory films, and some adult titles to audiences that had drifted during the television age. Provocative titles seemed to be preferred. So on October 4, 1960, the venue was rebranded as AAA Art Spruce Theatre. That theatre title placed it just behind another AAA art house and ahead of four AA-plus theaters at the top of the newspaper film listings which were alphabetical.
The first true booking of AAAAST was what it called a “new wave” of directors with “Private Property!” - a film condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency - and Antonella Lualdi in “Good Girls Beware.” The local paper clamped down on the strangely titled “AA” and the gratuitously-prefixed “AAA” titled theatres. The AAA Art Spruce became simply the Art Spruce Theatre. The AST ended its run permanently on Christmas Day 1969 with Guillermo De Cordova in “Love After Death,” Senjo Ichiriki in “The Bite. The Bite” and Suzan Thomas' opus, “Karla,” in Fleshtone. If you’re going to go out of business, go out big!
Ground breaking for Berman Brothers' Imperial Theatre took place on February 10, 1913. But during the building process, they sold out James J. Springer. The Imperial held its grand opening on September 13, 1913 with a mirror screen for brighter movie presentations. The theatre converted to sound but Stanley-Warner Circuit closed the Imperial permanently on November 4, 1951 with Lawrence Tierney in “The Hoodlum” and Robert Montgomery in “Texas Rangers.” Unable to find a new operator, the venue was auctioned off in June of 1952.
John J. McGuirk and Stanley Amusement Circuit built the new Cross Keys (two words) Theatre in 1914 with a new Woolworth’s store around the corner also built and opening at the same time. The new Cross Keys opened with vaudeville including Kute, Kunning and Klever - a children’s team - and Blake’s Circus - a trained animal act on December 28, 1914. The theatre was bathed in a color palette of rose, ivory and gold. Vaudeville presented by Stanley’s Sablosky and McGuirk began to be supplanted more commonly with movies in 1923 and 1924 and, by decade’s end, the Cross Keys converted to sound and became a movie house. Sadly, assistant Manager Max Harris was gunned down in the theatre on march 28, 1928.
Stanley-Warner Circuit closed the Cross Keys permanently on April 12, 1953 with “Niagra” and “The Lawless Breed.” After a period of inactivity, Jerry P. Altman sold the Cross Keys Theatre to Jerry P. Altman who turned it into the Orchid Auditorium with a restaurant in November of 1957. It held sporadic live events for five years. It was later demolished.
The Cedar Theatre appears to have opened here in 1913. It was known as the “Theater with a Personality.” The theatre was part of the Nixon-Nirdlinger Circuit. It converted to sound and, in October of 1939, the theatre received a streamlined makeover to the plans of David Supowitz.
The theatre continued into the late 1950s as the Cedar. The theatre was refreshed becoming the Abbe Art Cinema that launched here on September 24, 1959 with “The Mistress” and “The Surf.” It closed permanently on October 27, 1972 with Barbara Bennet in “Kiss This Miss” and “Temptation & Sin.”
The Sherwood stopped advertising and was listed as closed after “Man in the Saddle” and “The Harlem Globetrotters” at end of lease on March 30, 1953. It came back under a new operator as a grind house with continuous shows of a Doris Day double-feature consisting of “Love Me or Leave Me” and “House of Bamboo” on September 9, 1955. The Sherwood departed at end of lease on May 31, 1959 with “Tiger’s Claws” and “Veiled Lady.”
The Harrowgate Theatre was built in 1920 for Lewin Pizor and Benjamin Dintenfass in Harrowgate Square. Just prior to launch, however, the Stanley Theatre Circuit bought the Harrowgate in January of 1921 for $160,000 (or $200,000, depending on which report) from Dintenfass. At opening the Harrowgate seated 1,133 in a 73' by 150' venue becoming the 35th Stanley operated theater in the city. The Moller organ, alone, cost $25,000. The opening film was “The Mark of Zorro” on January 24, 1921. The opening manager of George Sobel coming over from the Iris Theatre.
The Harrowgate added sound to remain viable. At the 20th Anniversary of the theatre, Stanley Warner updated the Harrowgate and a group of other venues to make them more streamline moderne. The Harrowgate Theatre was closed at the expiry of a 30-year lease on September 30, 1951 with “Apache Drums” and “Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm.” The venue was transformed into the long-running Kensington Roller Rink.
Architect Carl P. Berger created the the plans for the Lafayette Theatre on behalf of operator Michael Stiefel. It was built by B. Katchums and Son and opened late in 1913. The Lafayette sat 1,300 and its arched 20'x80' lobby was still recognizable from the 2914 Kensington Street entry in the 2020s. The auditorium portion is well back from the lobby sitting at the interior of 2919-2927 E Street. The Lafayette was a movie theater for its entire run of less than 17 years. Its halcyon days were when it had a contract with Paramount films. It also had a neighboring confectioner that served as the de facto concession stand.
The Lafayette did not make the transition to sound and was sold to a drug store operator in 1930. It’s not clear what happened to the Lafayette after 1930. When the building was next transferred in 1951, it was still referred to as “the former Lafayette Theatre.” The lobby portion of the former theatre was part of a car wash operation in the 2020s having had its interior gutted. The E Street auditorium was apparently still used for community events.
Joseph Cohen and A. Morrison retrofitted a retail store for an early theatre in 1907 known as the Dazzleland Amusement Parlor. It expanded encompassing 2940-2946 Frankford as the New Dazzleland Theatre. Cohen solely owned the theatre later which was said to have a start-up cost of $40,000. (In an interview in 1927, Cohen said that he had opened the Dazzleland in 1904 and in a later interview he said that it had opened in 1906.) Sam Hyman took over the Dazzleland in 1921. In 1927, it was advertised as the Cameo Theatre.
The Cameo added sound to remain viable and closed with a double feature of “Stalag 17” and “Shane” on November 8, 1959. At the end there were cries of, “Come back!” Sadly, there was no response.
In 1961, the space was used as a retail location for John’s Bargain Store.
Barnet Rubin built the new Walton Theatre in 1913 at 733-735 East Chelten. Its first advertised showtime was in 1914. John F. McMahon took on the venue in 1917 operating until his death in 1943. McMahon had added sound to the Walton to keep the venue viable. He then performed a streamline modern makeover in March of 1938 to the plans of David Supowitz. In 1954, the theatre added widescreen projection to present CinemaScope films. Operating as a grind house for much of the 1940s to 1960, the theatre saw a drop-off of attendance as the decade of the 1960s began.
The operation changed under new owners to the Walton Art Theatre showing adult films to continue remaining viable as of September 21, 1960 with “Hideout in the Sun.” (The same operators also had the Devon Art and the Spruce Art theaters.) The Walton Art Theatre closed on January 14, 1976 with John Holmes in “Beyond Fulfillment” and Brigette Giursa in “The Devil Made Me Do It.”
Richard Williams reopened the Walton with a combination of documentaries, small indy films, and live stage shows in January of 1979 as the Walton Theatre closing with a live comedy show on August 30, 1980. So, technically, this venue opened and closed as the Walton Theater aka the Walton Art Theatre aka the Art Walton Theatre.
A wind storm ripped the marquee off of the building on November 20, 1989 and much of its front causing the building to be razed in 1989 and 1990.
The Lenox Theatre launched February 9, 1927. It closed permanently on June 7, 1964 with “Captain Newman” and “Eye of Frankenstein.” A salvage sale occurred immediately thereafter as Acme Supermarkets purchased the building and had the theatre razed.
John C. Conner opened the Greenway in 1916. He sold it in 1919 to M. Seltzer who sold it to Eli Resnick in 1921. Stanley Circuit took on the Greenway Theatre in 1930 but Resnick operated the theatre until his death in 1952. It appears that Paul and Samuel Resnick took on the operation and it may have exited after the October 19, 1952 showing of “The Iron Man” and “Double Crossbones.” However, they may have continued operations without advertising. Either way, it became a long-running church that was still operating in the 21st Century.
The Keystone closed permanently after a double feature of “Elephant Walk” and “The Black Glove” supported by fight highlights of the Marciano-Charles boxing match on July 5, 1954. It was used as a house of worship until being auction in 1958. The auction winner had the building razed in 1959.
The Admiral Theatre closed permanently on February 21, 1962 with Paul Newman in “The Hustler” and Jerry Lewis in “The Errand Boy.”
The Orpheum’s construction was shrouded in legal issues. The construction process had begun in 1910. Nixon-Nirdlinger Circuit acquired this venue as it was being built in February of 1912. Work was halted until November of 1912 to determine ownership issues. J. Fred Zimmerman opened the long-delayed Orpheum with vaudeville on October 6, 1913. Its address was 42-48 West Chelten and the venue was one of the “Big Three” of Germantown’s theaters. The Orpheum would switch to movies and be run by Stanley-Warner.
The Orpheum closed on July 28, 1966 at end of lease with “Modesty Blaise” and “Flight of the Phoenix.” It was razed shortly thereafter.
The Ogontz Theatre opened February 4, 1927 with “The Auctioneer” and an organ program. It was a one million dollar theatre and was purchased by Stanley just two weeks after it had opened. It forced the hand of another It would transition the Ogontz to sound to stay relevant. Stanley-Warner closed here after showtimes on March 29, 1952 with “Room for One More” and “Invitation.”
The Ogontz rebranded as a religious movie house known as “Philadelphia’s Reel Pulpit” in 1954 as the final film screenings. Charles Teller formed Cor-Tel Production and took on the Ogontz Theatre. Under their watch, it became a live venue starting with plays as the Ogontz Playhouse in 1958 and then moving to rock ‘n’ roll shows in 1961 returning to the Ogontz Theatre.
The venue was built in 1909 as the Mannheim Theatre. At the ten-year leasing expiry, it got a refresh and was briefly called the New Mannheim Theatre in 1919. Fifteen years later, it was renamed the New Lyric Theatre in 1934.
On May 3, 1971, the New Lyric went with a policy of foreign pornographic films and the final films were played just weeks later apparently closing May 16, 1971 permanently. The New Lyric’s operator pleaded guilty to presenting obscene films in October of 1971. The building was offered for sale in 1971 but became a haven for narcotics abusers and vandals. After the New Lyric closed, it was destroyed by a three-alarm fire on January 25, 1972 after vandals were trying to strip the facility of its copper tubing.
The Bromley closed at the end of a 20-year leasing period permanently on March 30, 1955 with Jimmy Stewart in “The Far Country.” It was used for live events and dancing thereafter.
After a refresh in 1920, the Allan Theatre reopened on September 26, 1920 at 1209-1211 East Chelten. It was soon listed as the Allen Theatre. In 1922, was additionally used as a house of worship. Max Felt took on the venue in 1933. The theatre discontinued advertising films on March 11, 1944 with “Crime School” and “She’s For Me.”
The Band Box Theatre launched with art and foreign films on February 3, 1930 for the Motion Picture Guild Circuit. The German film, “Die Meistersinger” launched the venue. It was the MPG’s sister location to the downtown Little Theatre. The diminutive Band Box opened with just 202 seats. In 1935, William Goldman had the venue refreshed to the plans of Fleisher & Stephens. The Band Box closed with David Chiang in “Triple Irons” and Billy Dee Williams and Richard Pryor in “Hit!” The theater was part of a sheriff’s auction in 1979 and did not ever play another film.
The Market Street Theatre began as a conversion of an existing retail store vacated by Riegel Dry Goods Store. The new theatre space was designed by William Steele & Sons. It had a lengthy pass through arcade to get to the auditorium. The property was owned by Albania Whartenby and leased to the Motion Picture Company of America. By the time the venue opened in December of 1912. A neighboring Horn and Hardhart Automat was built and opened soon thereafter.
In 1919, the venue became the 333 Market Street Theatre for Stanley Theatres Circuit. That portfolio of theatre became Stanley Warner Circuit which, in 1935, shortened the venue’s moniker to the 333 Market Theatre. Warner closed as that name by Stanley Warner Theatre Circuit at the end of a leasing period on May 30, 1951 with Fred Astaire in “Royal Wedding.” The 333 Market Theatre was torn down to make way for a new parking structure that launched on November 11, 1951.
The Boro closed December 26, 1949 with “Mother is a Freshman” and “Thunder in the Pines.”
The Wissahickon Theatre dates back to the nickelodeon era according to one of its final operators. It appears to have opened in 1913 potentially on a 20-year lease. It is definitely mentioned in 1920 and being refreshed 1933 likely on a new 10-year lease. The theatre closed in 1943.
This venue became the became the Abbey Playhouse on October 9, 1952 switching to foreign and repertory films with Richard Todd in “Flesh and Blood.” That policy by Louis Cohn failed early in 1953 closing at the end of lease on February 26, 1953 with “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” - apparently the last film played at the location.
The building was auctioned off in July of 1953. It remained the Abbey Playhouse as a live theater from June of 1955 to March of 1961. On September 21, 1961, it became the Cricket Playhouse continuing with live fare. A year later it became the Towne Playhouse continuing with live fare. That would continue to November of 1981.
Construction of the Nirdlinger-Nixon Colonial Theatre began late in 1912 and would be considered one of “The Big Three” in Germantown. The Colonial not only had great seat count but a grand stage that could hold any Hippodrome show. It was said to have been one of the handsomest theatres in the world at opening - likely a bit of an overstatement - yet its 3,000 seat capacity with inclined floors, Colonial Adam architecture and majestic.proscenium wowed folks with its vaudeville show at launch on December 28, 1913.
The theatre also featured photoplays as part of its regular offerings early on. It added sound to remain viable. The Stanley-Warner Theatre Circuit closed the Colonial Theatre at end of lease with “Flat Top” and “Confidence Girls” on January 22, 1953. A salvage sale offered the building for sale complete with steel, support lumber and bricks. It was definitely demolished in February of 1953.
Just to fill in some details, the Devon opened October 1, 1946 as a post-War theatre with no stage, a glass curtain and the opening film, “The Wife of Monte Cristo.” It quickly became a grind house with continuous double features closing at the end of a ten-year lease in 1956 and was offered for lease. It reopened with the same policy unsuccessfully in 1957. In August of 1958 under new operators it found its footing with double-feature art films with provocative titles and ads.
The venue was rebranded as the Devon Art Cinema in 1959 with “sensational” films and Philadelphia premieres. On October 5, 1960, the venue became the AAA Art Devon Cinema advertising “triple ‘AAA’ films” or code for something better than an X-rated film. (The name “AAA Art” was used to get a prime listing at the top of the movie listings.) It earned if not relished its nickname among locals as the “Dirty Devon.” A policy change at the newspaper (if not the phone book) changed that and the theatre returned to Devon Theatre with an adult policy that lasted to the end of a 20-year lease.
On November 22, 1978, the theatre announced a new family-friendly policy as a sub-run discount house showing 99 cent mainstream films. This policy proved incredibly successful even into the home video era. The Devon appears to have ended operations with “The Contender” on November 9, 2000. The stage-less movie house was then equipped with a stage in March of 2009 going on a neary two-year venture in legit theatre: the Devon Theater for the Performing Arts beginning with “Nunsense.” The art center closed in January of 2011. On May 31, 2015 it had a grand reopening as the Devon Concert Hall with live music events. That, too, closed.
The Spruce Theatre began in 1914 converting to sound to remain viable. In the mid-1950s, it started showing art films, repertory films, and some adult titles to audiences that had drifted during the television age. Provocative titles seemed to be preferred. So on October 4, 1960, the venue was rebranded as AAA Art Spruce Theatre. That theatre title placed it just behind another AAA art house and ahead of four AA-plus theaters at the top of the newspaper film listings which were alphabetical.
The first true booking of AAAAST was what it called a “new wave” of directors with “Private Property!” - a film condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency - and Antonella Lualdi in “Good Girls Beware.” The local paper clamped down on the strangely titled “AA” and the gratuitously-prefixed “AAA” titled theatres. The AAA Art Spruce became simply the Art Spruce Theatre. The AST ended its run permanently on Christmas Day 1969 with Guillermo De Cordova in “Love After Death,” Senjo Ichiriki in “The Bite. The Bite” and Suzan Thomas' opus, “Karla,” in Fleshtone. If you’re going to go out of business, go out big!
Ground breaking for Berman Brothers' Imperial Theatre took place on February 10, 1913. But during the building process, they sold out James J. Springer. The Imperial held its grand opening on September 13, 1913 with a mirror screen for brighter movie presentations. The theatre converted to sound but Stanley-Warner Circuit closed the Imperial permanently on November 4, 1951 with Lawrence Tierney in “The Hoodlum” and Robert Montgomery in “Texas Rangers.” Unable to find a new operator, the venue was auctioned off in June of 1952.
John J. McGuirk and Stanley Amusement Circuit built the new Cross Keys (two words) Theatre in 1914 with a new Woolworth’s store around the corner also built and opening at the same time. The new Cross Keys opened with vaudeville including Kute, Kunning and Klever - a children’s team - and Blake’s Circus - a trained animal act on December 28, 1914. The theatre was bathed in a color palette of rose, ivory and gold. Vaudeville presented by Stanley’s Sablosky and McGuirk began to be supplanted more commonly with movies in 1923 and 1924 and, by decade’s end, the Cross Keys converted to sound and became a movie house. Sadly, assistant Manager Max Harris was gunned down in the theatre on march 28, 1928.
Stanley-Warner Circuit closed the Cross Keys permanently on April 12, 1953 with “Niagra” and “The Lawless Breed.” After a period of inactivity, Jerry P. Altman sold the Cross Keys Theatre to Jerry P. Altman who turned it into the Orchid Auditorium with a restaurant in November of 1957. It held sporadic live events for five years. It was later demolished.
The Cedar Theatre appears to have opened here in 1913. It was known as the “Theater with a Personality.” The theatre was part of the Nixon-Nirdlinger Circuit. It converted to sound and, in October of 1939, the theatre received a streamlined makeover to the plans of David Supowitz.
The theatre continued into the late 1950s as the Cedar. The theatre was refreshed becoming the Abbe Art Cinema that launched here on September 24, 1959 with “The Mistress” and “The Surf.” It closed permanently on October 27, 1972 with Barbara Bennet in “Kiss This Miss” and “Temptation & Sin.”
The Sherwood stopped advertising and was listed as closed after “Man in the Saddle” and “The Harlem Globetrotters” at end of lease on March 30, 1953. It came back under a new operator as a grind house with continuous shows of a Doris Day double-feature consisting of “Love Me or Leave Me” and “House of Bamboo” on September 9, 1955. The Sherwood departed at end of lease on May 31, 1959 with “Tiger’s Claws” and “Veiled Lady.”
The Nixon Theatre resigned at end of lease on May 29, 1977 with “King Kong,” “Superfly T.N.T.” and “Tiger Force.”