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This theater is featured in our companion book, Cinema Treasures. Find out more…

Also known as Lyric Theatre

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Roxy Theater

Northampton, PA

2004 Main Street

, Northampton, PA 18067 United States

(map)

610.262.7699

Status:	Open
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Art Deco

Function:	Movies, Stage Shows
Seats:	558
Chain:	Independent

Architect:	E.R. Biting, David Supowitz
Firm:	Unknown

Exterior view of the Roxy Theater

Photo courtesy of Richard C. Wolfe

Built in 1921, as the Lyric Theatre, the Roxy was created by Northampton's Harry Hartman (an owner of several area nickelodeons) to provide more seating and stage area for local vaudeville performances. It was designed by architect E. Biting.

Hit hard by the Depression, Hartman sold the theater in 1933 to Clark and Greenberg Theatres of Philadelphia. They closed the theater and completely renovated it in the popular Art Deco style. Prominent Philadelphia theater architect David Supowitz was hired to design the new look, which included reducing the seating capacity to 650. The theater reopened on August 31st, completely transformed, with a new name...the Roxy.

In the early 1960s, after a decade of fierce competition with television, Clark and Greenberg gave up their lease to new management. By June 1st, 1970 when the theater was acquired by Angstadt and Wolfe Theatres, it was only a shadow of its former glory. A&W began a slow and long drawn-out restoration of the theater that still continues to this day.

In 1988, A&W partner Richard C Wolfe acquired complete control and ownership of the theater. Wolfe renovated the lobby, restored the exterior to its original appearance, and added new seating and carpeting.

In addition to live entertainment, the theater continues to operate as Northampton's only commercial movie theater.

Related Websites

The ROXY Theatre (Official)

Contributed by Richard C. Wolfe

YOUR COMMENTS

My wife and I have been here several times. Nice touches: renovation inside and out, live organ music Saturday night, dollar coins in change for tickets, and a very reasonable admission price. I am sure we will make the hour drive a few more times to re-live our teens.

posted by dave1848 on Feb 25, 2004 at 6:39pm

The first film I saw here was "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in 1981, when I was 8 years old. The beauty of that theatre was apparent to me even at that young age. I recently saw "Pirates of the Carribean" there, and was impressed by the renovations that have been accomplished without deteriorating the decor of the building. As an added bonus, the manager took my friends on a mini tour of the building! A great theatre with a great crew to run it.

posted by moviematt007 on Mar 7, 2004 at 12:42pm

It is amazing how many theatres are named ROXY in imitation of the once famous name of the New York City panjandrum of the movie palace: Samual Lionel Rothapfel = "Roxy". His namesake was the famous ROXY THEATRE in NYC, which outlasted him by only 25 years when it was demolished in 1960. The whole story is in that landmark book "The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace" by the late Ben M. Hall in 1961. Various editions of it are sometimes available from www.Amazon.com, but only the first edition contains the color plates.

posted by Jim Rankin on May 27, 2004 at 2:33am

My wife & I just saw "Ray" here. What a fantastic theater. The owner is quite proud of his theater, as he should be. The theater is in prime condition.

posted by TC on Jan 21, 2005 at 1:49pm

The Roxy is a true Cinema Treasure. It will always be my number one theatre!

posted by BEARoxy on Jan 22, 2005 at 3:35pm

You can buy a beautiful print of the theater at this link:
http://www.georgerothacker.com/ga1.detail.3.html

posted by TC on Feb 10, 2005 at 11:32am

My photos from 1/16/05:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d632b3127cce93d21bfb407a00000016108IZsW7Zwzc-
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d632b3127cce93d21bf8c14900000016108IZsW7Zwzc-
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d632b3127cce93d21bf9407800000016108IZsW7Zwzc-
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d632b3127cce93d21be6c15700000016108IZsW7Zwzc-

posted by TC on Aug 17, 2005 at 3:21am

Here are some additional photos:
http://www.agilitynut.com/p/roxy504.jpg
http://www.agilitynut.com/p/roxy2504.jpg

posted by ken mc on Jan 21, 2006 at 3:04pm

This is the Roxy Theater at night.

posted by Lost Memory on Nov 8, 2006 at 4:13am

A Marr & Colton theater organ was installed in the Lyric Theater in Northampton, PA in 1924.

posted by Lost Memory on Nov 21, 2007 at 10:37am

The exteriors were shot in the film, "School Ties" in 1992.

posted by shoeshoe14 on Jan 31, 2008 at 6:50pm

Just picked up the book, Cinema Treasures after a long absence and found myself reading about this theatre in PA. Very nice and it seems to have been kept original which makes it all the more sweet.

posted by Patsy on Feb 1, 2008 at 1:57pm

Since I couldn't access the above George Rothacker site posted on Feb. 10, 2005 go to www.georgerothacker.com and click on theatre paintings to find the one of the Roxy and its art deco marquee.

posted by Patsy on Feb 1, 2008 at 2:03pm

Thats a nice painting. Did you check the price?

Total with Shipping:$66.75

I'll settle for the free photo above. :)

posted by Lost Memory on Feb 1, 2008 at 2:14pm

Didn't notice the price so will settle for the free photo, too!

posted by Patsy on Feb 1, 2008 at 2:17pm

We travelled to check this place out last month. Two thumbs up for a gem of a small town movie house. We saw JUNO --- 2007's best picture despite the stupid Oscar choice -- and the price was $2.00. Give it a try if you're in the Allentown area.

posted by rlvjr on Apr 24, 2008 at 2:45pm

This is a nice close-up view of the Roxy.

posted by Lost Memory on Aug 8, 2008 at 6:37pm

I have to ask Lost Memory if he knows me. I have been reading your posts and looking at your photo submissions here now at Cinema Treasures for several years. Are you a member of THS, as I am? If you are, and are someone I already know, I just don't know you by the screen name that you use here. You certainly know theatres, and have an amazing ability to acquire photos of theatres everywhere. I envy you for that. Do you take most of these photos yourself?

Rick Wolfe
Roxy Theatre

posted by RoxyVaudeville on Aug 8, 2008 at 10:24pm

Lost love the pics ...it is hard work to track down all these pictures..

posted by longislandmovies on Aug 17, 2008 at 5:28pm

Please note that a number of comments and responses to those comments have been removed from this page. The next person who attacks or antagonizes another user on this page will have their account suspended. Period.

posted by Ross Melnick on Aug 17, 2008 at 9:31pm

A 2 manual, 6 rank Wurlitzer organ was installed in the Roxy in the late 1980's. This organ was originally from the Pastime (Osborne)Theater in the Bronx, according to the Roxy's website.

posted by MikeR. on Dec 11, 2008 at 7:08pm

Another photo of the Roxy can be seen here.

posted by Lost Memory on Jan 24, 2009 at 2:02pm

This is a nice photo of the Roxy.

posted by Lost Memory on Feb 10, 2009 at 11:42am

A photo and history of the Roxy Theatre can be found in the Fourth Quarter 2008 issue of Marquee, the journal of Theatre Historical Society of America. Owner Richard Wolfe, a longtime member of THS, will conduct a guided tour of the Roxy during the organization's annual conclave in July, which this year covers theatres in Philadelphia and the surrounding region. More details are at www.historictheatres.org

posted by Warren G. Harris on Feb 10, 2009 at 12:01pm

Another photo can be seen here.

posted by Lost Memory on Feb 10, 2009 at 12:22pm

Under its original name of Lyric, this first opened on February 1, 1921, so construction probably started in 1920. The original owner, Harry Hartman, built it as a replacement for a smaller cinema that he owned across the street, according to the profile in Marquee Magazine.

posted by Warren G. Harris on Feb 10, 2009 at 12:56pm

And the Roxy website history page agrees with that information and includes alot more.

posted by Lost Memory on Feb 10, 2009 at 1:00pm

1986 photo of the Roxy Theatre.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c38%2c3%2c-1&ProductID=29536

posted by Chuck1231 on Apr 16, 2009 at 10:14pm

1986 photo of the Roxy Theatre Auditorium.
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c38%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=35&catpagesize=10&ProductID=33121

posted by Chuck1231 on Apr 17, 2009 at 3:15pm

Here are more 1986 photos:

Photo1

Photo2

Photo3

Photo4

posted by Lost Memory on Apr 25, 2009 at 3:35pm

Here is a 2006 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/lh346j

posted by ken mc on Jun 24, 2009 at 4:19pm

That photo looks just like this December, 3 2006 Flickr photo. I hope that it isn't.

posted by Lost Memory on Jun 24, 2009 at 4:25pm

This is where I found the photo. Flickr may have taken it from there, or vice versa.
http://tinyurl.com/nfo8ck

posted by ken mc on Jun 24, 2009 at 5:02pm

It's the same photo and the same person on both sites. I didn't know that Nick also put the photos on Flickr. At least we know the date of the photo.

BTW....I already linked to that photo on Jan 24, 2009 at 2:02pm.

posted by Lost Memory on Jun 24, 2009 at 5:10pm

Night photo of the Roxy Theatre courtesy Nick's Classic American Theatres.

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s254/Pavy1/100_2861.jpg

posted by Chuck1231 on Jan 18, 2010 at 11:12pm

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