The Grand is still listed in newspaper ads as of Feb., 1956.
It was showing a double-feature: “Jail Busters” & “Loophole”. I’ve never heard of either film.
The color I associate with the Colonial is olive-drab. The curtains and other fabric hangings were that color. Yes, it always seemed dark there too.
I managed to take a photo of the proscenium after the theater collapsed. It gave me something of a pang to see those hangings that I remembered so well from my childhood still suspended there and waiting for the bulldozer. Perhaps I’ll put this shot on my blog at some point.
I thought they sort of spruced up the State for the premiere of CinemaScope in 1953. It was probably the largest theater in Harrisburg.
I really did not attend it in its latter days. Friends from Lancaster mention that they saw “2001” there. I’m not sure if it was first run or a re-issue.
I mentioned foreign films at the Uptown and found a Feb. 12, 1956 Uptown newspaper ad for
Jacques Tati’s Hilarious Comedy – “Mr.Hulot’s Holiday,”
“First Harrisburg Showing,” Adults 70c, Students 54c,
Today From 2.00 PM. “Explodes with Merriment” – New York Times
UPTOWN Fourth and Schuykill – Free Parking
John, yes, that is my mother and I at the end of the line. I was about six or seven when my dad took this photo. This is looking up State St. towards Progress.
There is a caption under the blog photo that gives some more details about it and the Penway.
You can see the frame for the poster display window to the left of the picture.
I do seem to remember purple neon. Wish I had a color photo.
I wish I had a photo of the Grand. I did not attend it as often as I went to the Penway and I mostly remember the Grand for being right on the sidewalk. (I had a school friend that lived in one of the homes next to the theater and I thought he was lucky). I don’t remember a lot about the interior.
Very interesting that it was operating in the ‘20s. Maybe someone else could offer more details on the marquee?
My family attended Christ Lutheran Church on 13th St. I understand from its website it is still there and functioning. The Roxy was right across from the church.
I also remember a record store down from the Grand on the opposite side of the street, the Music Box?
I seem to remember the Penway, the Roxy, the Grand, and the Valle were all in the same block ad in the newspapers. I assume they were all owned by the same guy.
I have a newspaper page from 1955 and only the Penway and the Grand are listed in the “Screen Times” section.
I always wondered what was upstairs at the Penway. I wish I had other photos of it. I only have a snapshot my dad took.
The State was probably the largest theater in Harrisburg. The only one that could really screen CinemaScope on a large scale. “The Robe” was a big event and attraction there.
Do you remember the Roxy? Was it on 13th St.? It was across from Christ Lutheran Church. The Grand was around the corner and down Derry St. It was nice in the early ‘50s.
There was another sort of grungy theater down from the Roxy, towards 13th & Market, the Capitol?
If I remember correctly there was a fairly nice shopping district at 13th & Market: A Lee’s 5&10, a real market, and various other good stores.
I’m a little vague on the numbered streets, it’s been awhile.
The Hershey Community was beautiful and I assume it still is, a real palace.
After my family moved out of the city I lived down the road from the Harrisburg Drive-In.
The Colonial had a curious L-shaped lobby/vestibule, a kind of arcade. There was a main entrance behind the ticket booth on Market St. When you got to the doors to enter the actual theater there was also a hallway to the left that led to an exit on 3rd St. The stairs to the balcony were to the right of this lobby as I recall.
The interior space at the rear of the auditorium was rather cramped. There was a downstairs lounge (or men’s room) there.
It did become run down but maintained a sort of faded elegance. There was a rather ornate water fountain with eerie orange lighting. I think there may have been box seats too, from its days as an old theater.
I remember the Colonial as small and narrow. But it had a very high ceiling (so it seemed to me as a small child) and a rather steep balcony that ran right up to the projection windows.
I remember seeing “The Day the Earth Stood Still” from the very top of the balcony and being so shaken up by Bernard Herrmann’s Main Title music that I wanted to leave right away. Fortunately my father urged me to stay, as I ended up loving the film. (And still do).
I hardly ever attended the Rio, Like JohnS the westerns and B-movies it screened never appealed to me. Then it was one of the first downtown Harrisburg theaters to be razed.
Thus I only have vague recollections of the interior. If anyone has any clearer memories I would like to read them.
JohnS, where on Market St. was the Victoria? Downtown? I don’t recall that theater at all.
Do you remember Harrisburg radio personality, Red McCarthy? He had a show broadcast from a studio on Market St. close to Front St.
You may find a photograph of the Rio on my blog.
Please feel free to check my archives for other theater photos (and for film and film music reviews) and to leave your comments.
Thank you.
The Hill, along with the Uptown in Harrisburg, were two of the newest theaters in the Harrisburg area circa the 1950s. Probably the last new neighborhood theaters before shopping malls changed everything.
My parents took me to theaters all over the Harrisburg/West Shore area and I remember the Hill as a very nice one. It was a single building set back from the street and there was a parking lot to the left of it. There was a roomy lobby/entrance (as I recall) and a downstairs lounge reached by a stairway at the back of the auditorium. I remember everything about the theater as being new, modern (as opposed to theaters like the Colonial), and attractive.
Later I got to know theaters in York, Lancaster, and Philadelphia.
Would love to see those scrapbooks too, but I’m no longer in the area.
The Senate showed first-run and re-issued Disney’s. One of the first films I remember being traumatized by was a re-issue of BAMBI. I also saw re-issues of SNOW WHITE and the SuperScope stereophonic revival of FANTASIA. The Senate had converted to CinemaScope around 1953 and they had a good stereo system. I seem to remember the church bells in Night on Bald Mountain coming from the back of the theater. (Great, but they also had to crop the image to make it wide-screen!)
The Harrisburg first runs (premieres) of ALICE IN WONDERLAND and PETER PAN were also at the Senate. (With all the Disneys I always felt it was so ironic it ended up as a porn house).
I have many very fond memories of this theater. It also showed Universal International first-runs, including the 50s 3-D sci-fi films which I loved. Also Hitchcock’s PSYCHO which had people lined up down to Caplan’s (sp.?) on the corner of Market St.
I do remember the Hill. My parents loved movies and we attended most of the theaters in the Harrisburg area. I remember the Hill as new and very nice. It was set back a little from Market St. and you could park on a lot to the left of the entrance.
We also went to the then-new Uptown and the Paxtang, an older neighborhood theater.
I managed to get to one screening at the West Shore and it seemed in very good shape. I’m very glad it’s still functioning.
I have to do some scanning and will get the photos on my blog shortly.
I’ve seen John’s posts too, but you did the Senate entry, right? (Yes, I see John did do the long response with the pool hall info though).
Apparently they are not accepting photos on this site as yet? I doubt I can find any photos of the lesser-known Harrisburg (and Lancaster area) theaters but who knows. But I do have photos of most of the downtown Harrisburg houses, including some of the Colonial right after the wall collapsed. These are the theaters I grew up in.
I will try to put some of these on my blog and add a link (as I did for the Senate electric eye door photo).
I wonder if you or John would remember a neighborhood theater in New Cumberland? I seem to remember it was reopened and showing films again just before I left Pennsylvania. (This about 15 years ago).
GREAT photo of “Student Prince” at the Viking. Wish I could have seen it (in CinemaScope!) on that screen.
As I’ve noted elsewhere I saw a re-issue of “Raintree County” at the Viking when I was at West Chester U. I remember it had a great wide screen and sound system.
Speaking of sound, I was also interested in the opening comment about the premiere Fantasound screening of “Fantasia” there.
What a history. It make the 1980 photo that much sadder…..
Well, then it was even a greater loss to what little was left of the Harrisburg theater scene.
The Grand is still listed in newspaper ads as of Feb., 1956.
It was showing a double-feature: “Jail Busters” & “Loophole”. I’ve never heard of either film.
PS: I can’t imagine the Colonial having over a thousand seats, even with the balcony!
The color I associate with the Colonial is olive-drab. The curtains and other fabric hangings were that color. Yes, it always seemed dark there too.
I managed to take a photo of the proscenium after the theater collapsed. It gave me something of a pang to see those hangings that I remembered so well from my childhood still suspended there and waiting for the bulldozer. Perhaps I’ll put this shot on my blog at some point.
I thought they sort of spruced up the State for the premiere of CinemaScope in 1953. It was probably the largest theater in Harrisburg.
I really did not attend it in its latter days. Friends from Lancaster mention that they saw “2001” there. I’m not sure if it was first run or a re-issue.
I mentioned foreign films at the Uptown and found a Feb. 12, 1956 Uptown newspaper ad for
Jacques Tati’s Hilarious Comedy – “Mr.Hulot’s Holiday,”
“First Harrisburg Showing,” Adults 70c, Students 54c,
Today From 2.00 PM. “Explodes with Merriment” – New York Times
UPTOWN Fourth and Schuykill – Free Parking
John, yes, that is my mother and I at the end of the line. I was about six or seven when my dad took this photo. This is looking up State St. towards Progress.
There is a caption under the blog photo that gives some more details about it and the Penway.
You can see the frame for the poster display window to the left of the picture.
I do seem to remember purple neon. Wish I had a color photo.
Photo of the Penway:
View link
I wish I had a photo of the Grand. I did not attend it as often as I went to the Penway and I mostly remember the Grand for being right on the sidewalk. (I had a school friend that lived in one of the homes next to the theater and I thought he was lucky). I don’t remember a lot about the interior.
Very interesting that it was operating in the ‘20s. Maybe someone else could offer more details on the marquee?
My family attended Christ Lutheran Church on 13th St. I understand from its website it is still there and functioning. The Roxy was right across from the church.
I also remember a record store down from the Grand on the opposite side of the street, the Music Box?
Very interesting. Thanks.
I seem to remember the Penway, the Roxy, the Grand, and the Valle were all in the same block ad in the newspapers. I assume they were all owned by the same guy.
I have a newspaper page from 1955 and only the Penway and the Grand are listed in the “Screen Times” section.
I always wondered what was upstairs at the Penway. I wish I had other photos of it. I only have a snapshot my dad took.
The State was probably the largest theater in Harrisburg. The only one that could really screen CinemaScope on a large scale. “The Robe” was a big event and attraction there.
Do you remember the Roxy? Was it on 13th St.? It was across from Christ Lutheran Church. The Grand was around the corner and down Derry St. It was nice in the early ‘50s.
There was another sort of grungy theater down from the Roxy, towards 13th & Market, the Capitol?
If I remember correctly there was a fairly nice shopping district at 13th & Market: A Lee’s 5&10, a real market, and various other good stores.
I’m a little vague on the numbered streets, it’s been awhile.
The Hershey Community was beautiful and I assume it still is, a real palace.
After my family moved out of the city I lived down the road from the Harrisburg Drive-In.
San Pedro saved the Warner Grand. Can’t Long Beach do as well??????
I also loved the Regency which was down Broadway a ways.
The Colonial had a curious L-shaped lobby/vestibule, a kind of arcade. There was a main entrance behind the ticket booth on Market St. When you got to the doors to enter the actual theater there was also a hallway to the left that led to an exit on 3rd St. The stairs to the balcony were to the right of this lobby as I recall.
The interior space at the rear of the auditorium was rather cramped. There was a downstairs lounge (or men’s room) there.
It did become run down but maintained a sort of faded elegance. There was a rather ornate water fountain with eerie orange lighting. I think there may have been box seats too, from its days as an old theater.
I remember the Colonial as small and narrow. But it had a very high ceiling (so it seemed to me as a small child) and a rather steep balcony that ran right up to the projection windows.
I remember seeing “The Day the Earth Stood Still” from the very top of the balcony and being so shaken up by Bernard Herrmann’s Main Title music that I wanted to leave right away. Fortunately my father urged me to stay, as I ended up loving the film. (And still do).
I hardly ever attended the Rio, Like JohnS the westerns and B-movies it screened never appealed to me. Then it was one of the first downtown Harrisburg theaters to be razed.
Thus I only have vague recollections of the interior. If anyone has any clearer memories I would like to read them.
JohnS, where on Market St. was the Victoria? Downtown? I don’t recall that theater at all.
Do you remember Harrisburg radio personality, Red McCarthy? He had a show broadcast from a studio on Market St. close to Front St.
You may find a photograph of the Rio on my blog.
Please feel free to check my archives for other theater photos (and for film and film music reviews) and to leave your comments.
Thank you.
View link
I seem to remember seeing “Fantasia” here in 1960s.
Vaguely. :)
This somehow reminds me of seeing “Fantasia” at the 8th St. Playhouse in New York in the ‘60s. :)
I’m working on this. I just submitted an entry on the Rio.
The Hill, along with the Uptown in Harrisburg, were two of the newest theaters in the Harrisburg area circa the 1950s. Probably the last new neighborhood theaters before shopping malls changed everything.
My parents took me to theaters all over the Harrisburg/West Shore area and I remember the Hill as a very nice one. It was a single building set back from the street and there was a parking lot to the left of it. There was a roomy lobby/entrance (as I recall) and a downstairs lounge reached by a stairway at the back of the auditorium. I remember everything about the theater as being new, modern (as opposed to theaters like the Colonial), and attractive.
Later I got to know theaters in York, Lancaster, and Philadelphia.
Would love to see those scrapbooks too, but I’m no longer in the area.
Memories are a blessing and a curse. :)
The Senate showed first-run and re-issued Disney’s. One of the first films I remember being traumatized by was a re-issue of BAMBI. I also saw re-issues of SNOW WHITE and the SuperScope stereophonic revival of FANTASIA. The Senate had converted to CinemaScope around 1953 and they had a good stereo system. I seem to remember the church bells in Night on Bald Mountain coming from the back of the theater. (Great, but they also had to crop the image to make it wide-screen!)
The Harrisburg first runs (premieres) of ALICE IN WONDERLAND and PETER PAN were also at the Senate. (With all the Disneys I always felt it was so ironic it ended up as a porn house).
I have many very fond memories of this theater. It also showed Universal International first-runs, including the 50s 3-D sci-fi films which I loved. Also Hitchcock’s PSYCHO which had people lined up down to Caplan’s (sp.?) on the corner of Market St.
I do remember the Hill. My parents loved movies and we attended most of the theaters in the Harrisburg area. I remember the Hill as new and very nice. It was set back a little from Market St. and you could park on a lot to the left of the entrance.
We also went to the then-new Uptown and the Paxtang, an older neighborhood theater.
I managed to get to one screening at the West Shore and it seemed in very good shape. I’m very glad it’s still functioning.
I have to do some scanning and will get the photos on my blog shortly.
I’ve seen John’s posts too, but you did the Senate entry, right? (Yes, I see John did do the long response with the pool hall info though).
Apparently they are not accepting photos on this site as yet? I doubt I can find any photos of the lesser-known Harrisburg (and Lancaster area) theaters but who knows. But I do have photos of most of the downtown Harrisburg houses, including some of the Colonial right after the wall collapsed. These are the theaters I grew up in.
I will try to put some of these on my blog and add a link (as I did for the Senate electric eye door photo).
I wonder if you or John would remember a neighborhood theater in New Cumberland? I seem to remember it was reopened and showing films again just before I left Pennsylvania. (This about 15 years ago).
GREAT photo of “Student Prince” at the Viking. Wish I could have seen it (in CinemaScope!) on that screen.
As I’ve noted elsewhere I saw a re-issue of “Raintree County” at the Viking when I was at West Chester U. I remember it had a great wide screen and sound system.
Speaking of sound, I was also interested in the opening comment about the premiere Fantasound screening of “Fantasia” there.
What a history. It make the 1980 photo that much sadder…..