RKO Broad Theatre
950 S. Broad Street,
Trenton,
NJ
08611
950 S. Broad Street,
Trenton,
NJ
08611
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The new-build Broad Street Theatre opened with a live stage play on Oct. 16, 1911. The theatre was designed as a Colonial venue with an impossible to fill 2,300 seats. It belly flopped big time.
In 1919, it got a major refresh including a $25,000 pipe organ as it converted to vaudeville and movies as the South Broad Street Theatre. It launched October 1, 1920 for George B. Ten Eyck with Dorothy Phillips in “Once to Every Woman.” B.F. Keith took it on as B.F. Keith’s South Broad Theatre. It was briefly relabeled in the sound era as Keith’s Broad Street Theatre on March 30, 1929 when it transitioned to sound films.
It soon became the RKO Broad Theatre (catching up with the Keith-Albee-Orpheum transition to Radio-Keith-Orpheum - RKO - moniker that was created late in 1928). The RKO Broad became the lower tier venue in the 1950s neither converted to widescreen projection nor having a functioning air conditioning system. It was closed for the Summer of 1959. It closed again for the season on May 17, 1960 with “Heller in Tights” and “The Rebel Breed.“ The second of two, 20-year leasing periods ended during the summer with RKO moving on. It was made into a gym / youth center created by the Catholic Youth Organization in 1962 likely to greatly reduce the property’s taxing responsibility.
For years on the north-facing part of the building, one could see the faded RKO BROAD ad painted onto the bricks. This was the city’s third largest movie house in seating capacity. The Lincoln and Capitol (seating capacity changed after several renovations) in downtown were larger. This theater had a small balcony which has been remodeled into offices.
The marquee restoration looks like it’s finished, complete with what appears to be red and blue neon piping (hard to be sure driving by in daylight). A very nice job.
Times of Trenton story says they are restoring the marquee; a conscious decision was made to restore it rather than replace it to preserve the historical integrity of the building (what we like to hear). Story here.
The attraction boards have been taken off the north side of the marquee. Don’t know if it’s for repair or what.
This theatre was listed in the 1923 and 1925 Trenton City Directories as the S. Broad Street Theatre. By 1936 it was called the Broad Street Theatre.
By the way, the CYO opened on 6/13/1964. See the attached history link:
http://www.cyomercer.org/history_CYO.html
Still listed as part of RKO in the 1961 Film Daily Yearbook.
The RKO Broad Theatre is located at 950 S. Broad Street.