Earle Theatre

This theatre was in the art deco style and the architects were Magaziner, Eberhard and Harris.

The Earle was Philadelphia's first concert theatre, before The Uptown, The tower, The Spectrum, The First Union-Wachovia Center, and The Tweeter Center. It was originally called "Elrae" before it's opening in 1924. It was one of Philadelphia's finest theatres, including The Palace, The Fox, The Stanley, The Boyd/REG Sameric 4, and The Mastbaum

I am the grand daughter of the builder
who built many of the theaters in Philadelphia including the old Mastbaum. His son is my father who is still living today in Philadphia.

For those wishing to relive this, one of the most ornate, yet genteel of the movies palaces ever built, he would do no better than to view the ANNUAL of 1986 of the "The Earle Theatre" by the late Irvin R. Glazer, as listed for sale on the site of the Theatre Historical Soc. of America. Go to their 'Publications: Back Issues List' page by clicking on the link by that name on their sidebar, and details are there given to order it. The 40 pages of this softbound contain dozens of black and white photos (color still photography did not exist when the theatre opened) that reveal the extravagance of detail and materials expended upon this Adam style design. From its birth in 1924 to its razing in 1953, it was a hallmark of 'class' in theatres of restrained opulence. In fact, the draperies on just the lobby's minor archways were of such richness that just one pair of the double sided portieres with their elaborate galloons, tassels with rosettes, mold double fringes and embroidered panels of velvet over the antique sating legs, would cost approx. $150,000 each in this day and age! This is one of the reasons that such elaborate draperies are rarely if ever reproduced today. The design of the tassels shown there also appears on page 151 (center photo) of the 1981 book "La Passementerie" by Pierre Boudet and Bernard Gomond, published by Dessain et Tolra, Paris, hence the draperies as well as their passementeries (trimmings) may well have been designed and made in France, an unusually expensive practice not know to have been done in other movie palaces.

The ANNUAL also has a most unusual photo on its page 38 of the Interior Decorating Dept. of the architects Hoffman-Henon in 1924 showing the unnamed man responsible for putting all the interior artistry together, a rare view into internal workings. The EARLE sported enough marble to fill a small quarry, and even the marble drinking fountains had stained glass canopies -- illuminated -- above them! Giant murals and tapestries filled areas that were not marble, and the auditorium sported two elegant panels of gilded grillework in classical motifs to conceal the swell shutters of the theatre pipe organ. As the photos reveal, much of the organ pipework fell with the demolition. They will not build theatres as opulent as the EARLE again, so enjoy the memories of it in this lavish 8-1/2x11 inch booklet.
Jim Rankin jimor@lycos.com

I should have listed the URL of the THEATRE HISTORICAL SOC. OF AMERICA: www.HistoricTheatres.org

A Kimball organ Size 3/29 was installed in the Earle Theater in 1923.

I recall going to the last show at the Earle Theater and seeing The Ames Brothers. It was a very sad feeling knowing that the place would be closing and all the history wrapped up in it gone forever.

Here is a set of photographs of the Earle. Unfortunately, you can't expand the thumbnails without a subscription to the website:
http://tinyurl.com/g7tol

Here is a 1938 photo of the marquee:
http://tinyurl.com/fkh6d

Here is another view of the Earle, from 1949:
http://tinyurl.com/ffq3c

This theater has a billboard advertising what would be the Earle's one year anniversary in 1925. I don't know if the Great Northern theater is listed here under another name:
http://tinyurl.com/plkv6

Reading Jim Rankin's comments of 3/24/04, I believe the annual I reviewed the other day was the one he was discussing. There was a series of annuals in the LA Library, one was Loew's Paradise in NYC, another was the Oriental Theater in Chicago and so on. The photos in each annual are fascinating. Unfortunately my washed out photocopies above don't give you an accurate view. I recommend checking out the annuals if you can access them.

Here is the 1938 Temple photo from 9/12/06:
http://tinyurl.com/axj4ql

The Earle was one of the most elegant and important theatres in Philadelphia. One would hardly guess that from the perfunctory introduction.

Warren, instead of complaining about introductions that don't meet your standards, why not submit new introductions? You've made similar comments on other pages, but so far I haven't seen any new introductions that you've written being submitted.

Sorry, Bryan, but I can't spare the time to write introductions. But you could easily assemble one from the post above by James Rankin on 3/24/04 at 1:11pm. Although Jim is now deceased, I'm pretty sure that he wouldn't object.

I've rewritten many of the introductions for downtown Philadelphia movie palaces (as well as many other historic & current Philadelphia region cinemas). I didn't do the Earle yet because it's history was so amazing! However, I will get to it eventually.

Ok, done, old Intro of only 2 or 3 sentences has been replaced. I, too, admire Mr. Rankin's magnificient description and hope people look down a few comments to read it, too.

The Earle was famous more for its shows, but here's a couple of the many movie tidbits.

22 June 1940 Box Office reported (with a photo of the Earle's marquee) that with cooperation of the Army, the East premiere was held at the Earle of the movie "All This and Heaven, Too"

20 March 1948 Box Office reported that "Miracle of the Bells" was to have its East Coast premiere at Earle with the stars on March 27.

Here is a March 1953 photo from the Irvin Glazer theater collection:
http://tinyurl.com/pn6fz6

i remember going to the earle theater in the '40's. the main act was buck and bubbles. one of the other acts was the will masten trio with some kid named sammy davis jr.

an almost lost generation.