Randolph Theatre
1116 Chestnut Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19107
1116 Chestnut Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19107
10 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 61 comments
Never mind I read the header again.Missed it first time.
This theatre is listed as a former Loews does anyone know why?
I haven’t been copied on comments, so I didn’t realize there was a question. I have googled BoxOffice only with specific dates, but I am not an expert at using that journal. For the record, I never experienced the Randolph. I hope more people will write of their recollections.
Thanks for all the great pictures.“Ice Station Zerba” looked great and the ad for 2001 was just like the one Nick sent me from an ad he saved from the Tampa newspaper in 1968.
Strolled past this exact location a few weeks ago and one would never know the Randolph even existed there. I wish I could have seen this place at least once before it disappeared, but Mom wanted to see films only; I wanted to see films AND the theater.
I’m weighing in late with this, but I’m fairly sure the feature that played immediately after 2001, was Russ Meyer’s Vixen. In fact I remember seeing the film there noting a window to the right of the box office had been broken, and the management exploited the damage with a sign that read
“A film so hot, it blew out our window!”
Renewing link.
RE: the May 6th Almeda photo. It brought back painful memories of when the Fox and Milgram were being demolished because that was the exact view I had of the theaters via a hole in the fence I peered through surrounding the demolition site.
As for as the Randolph, the economy must have been great during those times! It seems other theaters adopted similar lighting structures but on a smaller scale. Never saw the Randolph, sadly. And I certainly never saw an air duct (or is it a medallion?) poking through in that fashion. Can only remember the large circular backlit medallion on the Nixon’s balcony underside. It glowed orange during a film, then slowly morphed to white during the credit roll/curtain close.
I think so, but there’s more I found on the Randolph.
Boxoffice May 6, 1950
enter page 111
American Seating ad with photo of Randolph seating area. There are also photos of Philadelphia’s City Line Center, and the much lamented Coronet in San Francisco.
Boxoffice October 7 1950
enter page 118
on the left page there is photo Randolph lobby with Plexiglas ceiling by Voigt Lighting Company of Philadelphia and on the right page a design by Frank Lloyd Wright
I was BLOWN AWAY by the “BoxOffice” article and pix of The Randolph! It truly reminded me of The Goldman, with the big outer neon sign and the auditorium’s wall panels. The architects really paid attention to detail back then, even with a theater this small. Were there acoustical panels in the Goldman as well?
Thank you Howard. That worked.
Marc
I don’t.
www.google.com
then enter exactly
Boxoffice April 1, 1950
I proceed down to the 5th item and there it is.
Thank you for your interest and directions Howard, but when I google I get Truman Library info. What pg.130 and 153 are you refering to?
Marc
If you google search exactly “Boxoffice April 01, 1950” and punch page 130 in the box, you will find a 2 page spread with photos including auditorium facing screen. Page 153 has an ad by the carpet manufacturer with another auditorium photo and a lobby photo.
I was an usher at the Randolph theater for one year between May 1957 and April 1958. Charlie Wood was an assistant manager at the time. I worked there during presentations of the Ten Commandments, Wild is the Wind, April Love, Chances Are, and The Helen Morgan Story, as I recall. During the film showings Charlie and I would stand at the glass doors admiring the beautiful women of Chestnut Street as they strolled by. It was a great time to be an usher when ushering movie goers down the aisle was considered a valuable service and a recognition of the Keith’s Theater vaudville era.
From Boxoffice magazine, February 1955:
PHILADELPHIA-Arthur Kerns, manager of the Randolph Theater, died at the age of 45. He had been with William Goldman Theaters for 11 years, and before that was with Warners.
Can remember riding the bus and seeing the workmen beginning to demolish this place — that’s my only memory of it. Does anyone know anything about “Theater 1812” on Chestnut St.?
MikeRa- That dramatic ending is already in the Introduction.
The Randolph Theatre was demolished in 1971, after playing their last film “Tora! Tora! Tora!”
I don’t remember seeing this theater between 11th and 12th before its demolition in the early seventies. The Greyhound bus station where we used to meet my grandmother was around 16th and Market. I recall very well the theaters on Market near City Hall, but we didn’t go east of Broad Street very often.
Ice Station Zebra on marquee, photo by Dennis Zimmerman:
View link
Thanks to Dennis for taking the photo & allowing it be posted.
The Los Angeles Times reported a downtown fire in Philadelphia on 1/22/47 that routed the 1200 patrons at the nearby Keith Theater. The theater sustained some smoke damage but was otherwise unmarred.
Dennis
In between The Shoes of The Fisherman and Paint Your Wagon, they had I A Woman Part 2 (then considered X rating) and The Wild BUnch plus a bunch of other non roadshow engagement.
Hello Dolly was roadshow until June than it went to regular performances due to the lack of popularity and the bad reviews.
Oops “2001” opened 5/22/68! So much for proofreading!
From my records, I would like to submit the following information:
“Grand Prix” was the inaugural Cinerama attraction at the Randolph Theatre. I believe it opened in early 1967.
Here is my listing of other Cinerama/70mm film roadshow engagements at the Randolph:
“Gone With the Wind” 70mm – 10/18/67-5/21/68. Then moved to Midtown.
“2001” 70mmCinerama – 5/2/68-12/17/68
“Ice Station Zebra” 70mmCinerama – 12/18/68-2/25/69
“The Shoes of the Fisherman” 70mm- 2/26/69-4/22/69
“Paint Your Wagon” 70mm – 10/29/69-1/27/70
“Hello, Dolly” 70mm – 3/25/70-10/6/70
“Tora, Tora, Tora” 70mm – 10/7/70-1/3/71
Theatre closed. And another one of Center City roadshow big screen theatres bites the dust.