Budco Hatboro Theatre
43 N. York Road,
Hatboro,
PA
19040
43 N. York Road,
Hatboro,
PA
19040
2 people
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A great, small town movie house, The Hatboro Theatre was opened by 1925. In April 1973 it was taken over by Budco Inc. It played first-run movies until the early 1980’s, then became a second-run $1.50 house. Battled with the borough over metered parking and conversion to twin during its last few years until its closing on July 22, 1984 with Shirley MacLaine in “Terms of Endearment”. It was demolished in August 1984 and replaced with a Wendy’s restaurant. Ironically, shortly after the theatre was demolished, the meters in town were removed as a courtesy to shoppers on York Road to keep them from going to the Willow Grove Park Mall.
I remember seeing “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” for the first time in the mid-1970’s, “Tron”, and a double-bill of “Sleeping Beauty” and “The Black Hole” (I kid you not).
Contributed by
Todd Erwin
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
Any pictures of the Budco Hatboro?
If anyone is curious, the Wendy’s suddenly closed up at the end of 2006.
Wendy’s took a hit nationwide after the finger in the chili scandal last year.
Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/d5becu
Here is a 1938 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/myefnr
Wendy’s is still closed and boarded up. No buyers. The keswick does not have any projectors or screen. Live shows only. rg
When did the Hatboro changed the front of the theatre from the 1938 photo, to the 1983 photo? The theatre had a great looking marquee in 1938.
as you can see in the photo section, BLOOD BEACH played here in early 1981
The Hatboro Theatre opened as early as 1925, and closed on July 22, 1984 with “Terms Of Endearment”.
Taken over by Budco in April 1973.