Rex Theatre
2127 Ridge Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19121
2127 Ridge Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19121
1 person
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Located on Ridge Avenue at Oxford Street. The Rex Theatre opened in 1915 seating 475. The architect listed for the Rex Theatre was Arnold H. Mueller. It was equipped with a Kimball organ. The Rex Theatre closed on September 11, 1955 with a triple bill program: Charles Starrett in “Pecos River”, Vera Ralston in “Jubilee Trail” & Clayton Moore in “Jesse James Rides Again”.
It became a Goodwill store. When they moved out it stood vacant for a while. It is now a church.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
This is from Boxoffice magazine, September 1946:
PHILADELPHIA-Assistant manager Richard Liberton of the Rex Theater was accosted by an armed assailant as he was taking the night’s receipts to the bank. The man approached Liberton from the rear, stuck a gun in his neck and demanded the money. When Liberton refused, the gunman struck him with the weapon and fled with about $100.
Another armed bandit held up the box office of the Crescent Theater. He opened the door of the cashier’s booth and waved a gun at 16-year-old Eleanor Difato, who, terrified, handed over $300, the contents of the cash drawer.
The Rex appears to have launched in 1915. It closed permanently after a triple-feature western with “Pecos River,” “Jubilee Trail,” and “Jesse James Rides Again” on September 11, 1955.
Mystery to solve: It appears to me that the address listed here (2103 Ridge) is incorrect. 2127 Ridge is the address that appears to be correct based on old atlases (aka the 1942 Land Use map at https://www.philageohistory.org), and the theater that was there, whatever the name might have been, is still standing and appears to be a church. Google street view of that here: https://tinyurl.com/yc7bwaxh
Anyone know, is this church at 2127 Ridge that used to be a theater the Rex?