Comments from Ross Care

Showing 126 - 150 of 196 comments

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Penway Theatre on Mar 7, 2010 at 8:06 pm

It was a great neighborhood. State St. was rather elegant.
But I remember many neighborhoods in the city being very nice when I was growing up and in elementary school.
Before the malls took over there were several shopping districts beyond downtown, 13th & Market, and around the Broad St. market uptown. Most had neighborhood movie theaters.

I was back in Harrisburg some years ago and my old house on Liberty looked very much the same. It seemed to be a middle-class African American neighborhood then and well-maintained.

Actually I felt like I was back in 1948! Don’t know what it’s like now.

But most (all?) of the theaters I knew, both neighborhood and downtown, are now gone.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Penway Theatre on Mar 7, 2010 at 7:38 pm

I lived at 1624 Liberty St. It was the last house in a row but not quite on the corner of 17th. There was a church with a big lawn almost across the street (at 17th & State).

It was my first home in Harrisburg until (before I was in 1st grade) we moved across State to Hoerner St. So I was still able to walk to the Penway. I also used to ride my bike up State to see the lobby cards and posters in the two display windows under the marquee.

I assume Peffer’s was the drug store. I remember the round tables. Didn’t they have glass tops? There was also a great soda fountain and magazine rack.

I had relatives named King. They lived on that small street, almost an alley, that ran up from Liberty (actually 17th) to the side of the theater.

See above: on the third comment down there is a link to a photo my dad took of the Penway.

I contributed the entry on the Penway, the first theater I attended (and loved). My mother and I are at the end of the line in the photo.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Harrisburg Drive-In on Mar 5, 2010 at 9:45 pm

PS: Click on ads to ENLARGE.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Harrisburg Drive-In on Mar 5, 2010 at 9:43 pm

Ads for the Harrisburg and Keystone Drive-Ins, both showing CinemaScope films: View link

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Penway Theatre on Mar 1, 2010 at 2:18 am

Gfradar – Do you remember an attractive red-haired lady who sold tickets at the Penway, probably late 1940s?
I used to watch parades on State when I lived on Liberty St. (one block down from the Penway).
It was the first theater I attended and one of my all-time favorites. Did you see the photo on my blog?

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Royal Theatre on Feb 27, 2010 at 11:06 am

Found my program. “Seven Descents” played at the Walnut Theatre. The play was later revised as “Kingdom of Earth”.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about King Theatre on Feb 23, 2010 at 9:01 pm

No, DennisZ, I very much agree about the Eric.
I lived on the 2nd block of North Queen for a short period and saw all of these great theaters torn down around me. It was like living in a war zone!
I was the last one in my apartment building, “The Last of the Mobile Hot Shots”…. :)
I also remember the nights the wrecking ball hit the Brunswick. It was a sturdy old building and did not go down easily.

I had a second floor apartment right down from the Grand and remember seeing several Preminger films, “The Cardinal,” “In Harm’s Way,” there. Also some of the Corman/Poe films. I remember it had a good wide screen.

I was only able to attend all of those theaters for a short time after moving to Lancaster, then came the blitz! What an incredible waste.

Do you know when the Hamilton closed? I remember the entrance, a kind of shadowy exterior vestibule, and it always fascinated me. I never got to see the interior.

I’d like to add some of these theaters to CT but I don’t have a lot of details.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Goldman Theatre on Feb 23, 2010 at 8:37 pm

Thank you. I thought I remembered a Philly Goody’s store from the early and later ‘60s and I do also remember the Randolph. I also recall a smaller record store on Chestnut St. somewhere around the Viking, maybe down from Rittenhouse Square.
I just found a CT entry for the Studio on Market St. It had quite a history.
This is a GREAT site and I’m learning (and remembering) a lot. I grew up in Harrisburg but got to know Philadelphia while I was in college.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Royal Theatre on Feb 23, 2010 at 8:08 pm

I remember when I used to come into Philly in the ‘70s I would park my car somewhere down and over from South St., one of the few places you could leave it overnight.
Thus I used to walk by the Royal quite often and always noted the letters gradually falling off the “Last of the Mobile Hot Shots” title, apparently (and appropriately) the Royal’s final film attraction.
It seemed incredibly symbolic and poignant to me at the time.
Also especially meaningful because I had seen the original Tennessee Williams play, “The Seven Descents of Myrtle” with Estelle Parsons, during its Philadelphia try-out. It played a few blocks over from the Royal at that legit theater right next to the Academy of Music. (I think that theater was later turned into a restaurant. I still have the theater program somewhere).
These Temple photos brought back a lot of memories.
Do these comments mean the Royal is still there, and perhaps is being restored?

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Studio Theatre on Feb 23, 2010 at 7:37 pm

When I was at West Chester U and after I graduated I remember the Studio showed great foreign film double-bills, Godard, Antonioni, Bergman, Schlesinger, all the current greats of the period.
It was a small theater sandwiched in between some of the bigger palaces on Market. I seem to remember there were lounges (restrooms) down narrow staircases right off the front lobby.
In this respect the programming in the ‘60s was like some of the old pre-Disneyfied 42nd Street theaters in New York where you could see a foreign double bill much cheaper than at first run theaters like the Paris. (I also think the Studio was similar to the 42nd Streets in more ways than one).
I specifically remember seeing “The Pumpkin Eater” with Anne Bancroft there, and probably “Darling” with Julie Christie. Maybe also really odd films like (the now forgotten) “Day the Fish Came Out”!

The World down the street showed first run foreign films.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Goldman Theatre on Feb 23, 2010 at 7:19 pm

A friend of mine who also knew Philly suggested that the theater I asked about five comments up was called the Studio. It was a small theater, sort of sandwiched in between the bigger ones. I recall there were lounges (restrooms) down a flight of narrow stairs off the front lobby.
My friend confirmed it showed great, sometimes esoteric (for the times) foreign double bills, Godard, Antonioni, etc.
The World down the street showed first run foreign films.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Loew's Regent Theatre on Feb 22, 2010 at 1:54 am

A great page! Also big.
I’ve only had time tonight to skim over it. (I just got back from the downtown Disney Hall).
But the ad for “Forbidden Planet” was wonderful. I only wish I could have read all the small print (the “Id” article!) and wish whoever posted it had put a newspaper date along with it.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Loew's Regent Theatre on Feb 22, 2010 at 1:29 am

Forgot to mention I first saw “North by Northwest” at Loew’s Regent.

I wish they would restore Loew’s State as a film theater. Apparently it has a long history of association with MGM and I’m a huge MGM buff.
I will definitely check out the CT page, thanks.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Senate Theater on Feb 21, 2010 at 12:00 pm

More Senate recollections:

I remember seeing Abbott & Costello make a personal appearance at the Senate. This was to promote their film of “Jack and the Beanstalk” so it would have been in 1952.

There were spaces for tall rectangular posters along the alley beside the theater. In the alley behind the theater (next to a five-and-dime) there was a big billboard for a movie ad.

The only other big movie poster billboard I remember was on 3rd St. for the Colonial.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Loew's Regent Theatre on Feb 21, 2010 at 11:28 am

tisloews, you are probably aware there was a Loew’s State in the old downtown section of Los Angeles. I think this was the main MGM flagship theater in LA during the studio era. It’s still there with the old marquee intact but is now a church, (at least it was the last time I saw it).

There has been some attempt to restore the many vintage LA Broadway theaters still standing but the economy has slowed down that process.

An Orpheum Theatre there, one of many across the country I’m sure, was restored and I recently saw “North by Northwest” there, introduced by Eva Marie Saint and Pat Hitchcock.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about State Theatre on Feb 21, 2010 at 11:14 am

PS: “Fantasia” at the Senate was the ‘50s SuperScope revival which cut off the top and bottom of the frame to make it wide-screen.
Which reminds me, I’m off to hear the Los Angeles Philharmonic play Ravel and Stravinsky at the amazing Walt Disney Concert Hall this afternoon.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about State Theatre on Feb 21, 2010 at 11:06 am

When I saw the first CinemaScope film, “The Robe,” I definitely remember the stereo sound, a big climax of sound coming from all around in the Palm Sunday sequence.
Part of the ad hype for ‘Scope was the new sound system: “In the Wonder of High-Fidelity Directional-Stereophonic Sound.”
Film composers even occasionally orchestrated in stereo, i.e., Bernard Herrmann’s use of brass in “Garden of Evil.”
I don’t know how long this system held up or how long it was used. I was away at college during the last days of the State and then I moved to Lancaster. It may not have been compatible with later films.
The Senate, Harrisburg’s second 'Scope theater, also had stereo sound. I mention elsewhere seeing “Fantasia” there and the church bells in “Night on Bald Mountain” coming from the back of the theater.
I’m a musician, a child of the hi-fi/stereo revolution, and was very sensitive to sound even then.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about State Theatre on Feb 20, 2010 at 10:28 am

PS: John S, reading your entry in detail I see you answered my Fabian query.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about State Theatre on Feb 20, 2010 at 10:21 am

Thanks again.

I have a photo of the State which shows the large office building which housed it. It looks to be at least four stories with a facade of rectangular stone blocks. Paramount’s “War and Peace” is showing. The photo is dated Oct. 14, 1956. (I’ll post this on my blog soon).
I seem to recall at one point the State and the Colonial were Fabian theaters? I hope someone may add details concerning the earlier history of the State.

I also remember the State CinemaScope screen and the stereo sound system as being really impressive. It was probably the first time I (and many people) had heard stereophonic sound.
I think I saw “Journey to the Center of the Earth” there too. It was always disappointing when a big Fox ‘Scope film (like “Prince Valiant”) was booked into the Senate. The Senate also got “How to Marry A Millionaire,” the second 'Scope film released (though I’ve heard it was actually made first).

With this entry I think all of the five major downtown Harrisburg theaters are listed here.
I loved all of these and it’s too bad Harrisburg did not have the foresight to preserve some or all of them. (I was told the mayor allegedly took an ax to the beautiful mirrored Deco doors of the Senate. So much for “historic preservation”!)
I recall that York wisely turned the Strand/Capitol theaters into a performing arts center. They used to have a vintage film series on the weekend.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Loew's Regent Theatre on Feb 18, 2010 at 8:59 pm

PS: I just altered the size of the first photo to include a Loew’s MGM newspaper ad.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Loew's Regent Theatre on Feb 18, 2010 at 8:14 pm

Click on any blog photo and it will ENLARGE.
A few entries down are two drive-in ads from a Harrisburg newspaper, October 1954:
View link

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Loew's Regent Theatre on Feb 18, 2010 at 1:31 pm

Two photos of Loew’s Regent:
View link

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Loew's Regent Theatre on Feb 18, 2010 at 12:34 pm

Ironically, I’ve just heard that MGM musical star, Kathryn Grayson, just died. I saw her in “Kiss Me Kate” at Loew’s and at a few 3-D festivals many years after that. “Anchors Aweigh” (which was too early for me to have seen at Loew’s) is another favorite.
I once met her at the Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville, a charming, gracious lady.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Loew's Regent Theatre on Feb 18, 2010 at 11:40 am

I’d be very interested in any pre-1940s/‘50s historical comments on the Harrisburg Loew’s. I mainly knew the theater during the 1950s. MGM was formed in 1924. Marcus Loew was running nickelodeons in the early part of the century.
I have photographs of Loew’s Regent. Unfortunately they were taken after it closed, so they are sort of depressing. In the background the huge Pomroy’s department store building towers over this old 4th St. block on the same side of the street.
I will put these on my blog.
Thanks for your comments. If we don’t remember and document these theaters who will???
They are an important part of America’s past and cultural history. The emergence of the shopping mall and other influences changed everything. I’m sure many people today do not remember how important and wonderful downtowns once were.
I feel fortunate to have been a kid growing up during this era.

Ross Care
Ross Care commented about Grand Theatre on Feb 17, 2010 at 3:13 pm

Interesting, thanks. This sounds more like a double-bill that would have played at the Rio. It perhaps indicates that the Grand was going downhill by this time?
I think I know studios like MGM and Fox but when I go through one of those books that lists every film they ever made, like you, I find many I don’t know.
And then there were studios like Monogram (and Eagle Lion)…
There were so many films being made up through the ‘50s, and, yes, many of them forgettable. I think what we see available on DVD and otherwise today may just be the tip of the iceberg.
IMDB is a great source (for almost any film ever made).
BTW Barry Sullivan’s daughter is directing plays in the LA area.