Goldman Theatre

Goldman's inability to get product for this theatre upon its opening led to his filing of an anti-trust suit - which in 1948 led the courts to craft what became known as the Paramount decrees - the forced divesture of studio control of their theatre chains.

A little more history. I'm told this was the first large-city house to be built in a major downtown area after WWII.
At any rate, it played mainly "B" product until 1958 when, somehow or other, it secured a roadshow booking of Warners' "Old Man and The Sea." Though a tremendous boxoffice flop, it brought the Goldman into the realm of classy first-run houses. Months later, the house closed to install a truly heroic-sized screen for 70mm projection, reopening with "Sleeping Beauty." This particular install with Cinerama-red curtains (a Goldman trademark) was the first of what actually came to be known as "Super Cinerama" design houses. The screen was virtually the entire front wall, deeply curved, with the theatre rows slightly curved in for better sightlines. Over the years, 70mm runs, roadshown, included "Porgy and Bess," "Spartacus", and "El Cid," along with the 'scope 4-track "Longest Day." Budco later came in and ruined the house, and I have many snide remarks about what was done to the Goldman elsewhere in the "Philadelphia" theatre section.

The first film I saw in this theatre was "El Cid." I thought for a newer theatre it was tremendous. I also remember seeing "The Blue Max", "Funny Girl", "Patton" to name a few of the roadshow films I have seen there. My last vist, was to see the 10th (?) Anniversary revival of "My Fair Lady" which was prior to the Goldman being divided. Never went back after the twinning, because to me that was the beginning of the downfall of this theatre. I can still picture those red curtains opening, opening, and opening. It was just awesome watching a movie on that huge screen.

VEyoung are you sure about the date the cinerama was installed? I remmeber seeing The King and I there in the early 60's and they had a regular flat screen. When I went back in 68 they had a large curved screen with orange/redish cutains.
Dennis, the twin was terrible, small theaters and flat horrible screens with no curtains

Mikeoaklandpark, I didnt mean to imply that Cinerama was shown at the Goldman. I meant that in its 1959 installation of 70mm, the screen was virtually wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, deeply curved, and with reddish curtains....just like NYC's Loews Capitol in 1962. Strange what you say about their being a flat screen in the 60's because, as I said, the 1959 install featured a deeply curved one. By the early 70's the screen was "flattened." By the mid 70s the house was horribly twinned.

They must have falttened it after Funny Girl

"Patton" played on roadshow at the Goldman in 1970 and they still had the curved screen then I believe. Also in 1970 "Darling Lili" (A dreadful film) I believe played in 70mm. And I am pretty sure it was in 1971 when I saw a revival of "My Fair Lady". I also remember that the people that went along with me had never seen a movie shown on such a large curved screen. However, as I have been told on the Sameric 4 site, my mind (or anyone's for that matter) can play tricks on you!

Anybody out there worked for Goldman Theatres in the late 60's and early 70's. I worked at the Midtown down the street from the Goldman, and when the Goldman was short on ushers, sometime I would be transfered there for the day, saw Funny Girl at least 100 times, during its one year ruun and seen Patton at least 50 times.

Andy P.

This happens to be one of my favorite theaters as a youngster in the 70's. Jaws opened at this theater, and myself along with my parnets went to see the show during its opening on a Saturday night. My Dad who had been working that day was tired when we arrived at the theater. The Goldman has a balcony, where we were seated. During the opening scenes of the film when the first person falls victim to "Bruce" is actually quiet. As fate would have it, my Dad begins to snore, and is heard through out the theater, and it is packed. My mother was embarrased, I still have a good laugh!

Tony P.

Does anyone know on which corner of 15th and Chestnut was the Budco Goldman Twin located on? My gut thinks it was the corner that is now a empty lot created from the One Meridian Plaza fire, but I could be wrong.

The Goldman Theatre was not exactly on the corner, it was on the west side of 15th street, off of Chestnut, across from the Meridian Plaza. I remember seeing the Meridian Building being built when I worked as an usher at the Goldman, in the late 60's, early 70's.

I think this was the theater on 15th just below Chestnut where I saw one of Richard Pryor's concert films in 1982. The theater was on the west side of 15th Street between Chestnut and Market.

Ken MC, you're right except for one fact. The Goldman was on 15th Street just ABOVE Chestnut and below Market. It was the second Philadelphia area theatre to install 70mm projection (1958 for "Sleeping Beauty")

Market Street is south of Chestnut. If the theater was above Chestnut, it would be between Chestnut and Sansom Streets. It can't be above Chestnut and still be between Chestnut and Market. Isn't it great that we can argue about the location of a movie theater that was torn down twenty years ago?

By the way, I recall another classic film that was shown at the Goldman - Yor, Hunter of the Future. If anyone else has heard of this film, hats off to you.

Market Street is not south of Chestnut Street. Market Street is north of Chestnut Street, so that will make Veyoung and Andy P right. The 000 Block of South 15th Street starts at Market Street and ends at Chestnut Street. The 100 block of south 15th Street starts at Chestnut Street and ends at Walnut Street

Now that I think about it, everyone is correct except me. Blame it on old age and a bad memory.

I went here a many times as a kid and into my late teens, and remember seeing "Dr. No" on a sneak preview with "Mondo Cane"!

Photos, including of the interior, have appeared here:

http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/21383.html

i'm searching for anyone who remembers the very last movied played at the GOLDMAN. This movie was so gorey at it's showing(equal to Saw or Seven today) that it was banned fron 20 other countries, however the GOLDMAN was closing down and showed the movie anyway! If anyone has any info on the name of the movie please contact me at carnitaw32@yahoo.com Some how my memory keep telling me it was called I'll Eat Your Brains! It was about a group of filmmakers who went to a island to shoot a movie of the local primative tribe, when the cheifs daughter was accidently shot by a real gun instead of the prop gun, the locals showed the film crew why they were so isolated and primative.....because they were cannibles. oh my good it was a great horror at that time, the GOLDMAN even passed out barf bags!!! Please help me in my search!

Sounds like it might be CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1985), now available on DVD.

"Cannibal Holocaust" is the same sick movie that I'm thinking of. The plot sounds similar to the description given above. Click here for the Imdb website.

I want to thank you guys for your help. After visiting the Imdb website I remembered a line from the movie which was "MAKE THEM DIE SLOWLY" when I entered that in the search box the movie named "CANNIBAL ferox" appeared. However it's american name was "MAKE THEM DIE SLOWLY". It was actually banned in 37 countries and it is exactly as I remember it, however it was 3 anthropologist who visited the island..... well check out the rest for yourselves at http://www.Imdb.com/title/tt0082700/ thanks again!!

Here is a 1974 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/32lrgj

Here is another photo, circa 1951:
http://tinyurl.com/2rqdtn

This website has a circa 1948 photo of the Goldman Theater. Its the second photo. Click on the photo to expand it.

Stairway:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/howardbhaas/516111796/

My notes from old newspaper accounts are that at opening, there were more than 1200 seats plus 200 seats in the loge.
Later, in Feb. 1972, Budco bought the Goldman moviehouses.
As a twin, it reopened October 2, 1974 with each auditorium being 500 or 600 seats.

And it was a mess! An absolute insult to moviegoers. As a friend of mine said after its twinning, "I wouldn't go to that theatre if it were the last building on earth with oxygen!"

Photo by Dennis Zimmerman of Funny Girl in 70 mm on the marquee (before the twinning that horrified Vince):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/howardbhaas/1202521927/
Thanks to Dennis for taking the photo and for allowing it to be posted.

I moved out of Center City in June 1984. Does anyone know when in 1984 the theater was demolished? I believe it was still there when I left.

Nah, there's a photo of it being demolished and a Feb 24, 1984 letter to the editor of Philadelphia Inquirer by Irvin R. Glazer reprinted (and referring to the photo) on back cover of 3rd Q 2003 Marquee of the Theatre Historical Society of America. It would be improper if I scanned & posted it, but as a THS member, I can tell you that most of the back issues are avail for purchase. THS has its own website. That issue has an entire section on the Goldman including the Stairway image which I posted above. (independently of THS, I have an original print of the Stairway image). Gorgeous photos of some Philadelphia movie palaces, and write-ups, are also in the same issue.

So 2/84 was the demolition date. I lived at 15th and Pine until September 1984, so I guess I wasn't paying attention. Thanks for the info, Howard. We Philly lawyers have to stick together, right?

originally from Philadelphia City Archives, 1959 with Porgy and Bess on the marquee!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22585861@N08/2170589204/

A shame, of course, that no one has photos of the auditorium, where, surprise!, surprise!, "the action was."

Hi, everyone. Call me crazy, but I adored those "vertical bow tie" lighting fixtures inside the auditorium. They emitted an orange glow during the film, then white during intermission. And above it were two floodlights (yecch!) on each fixture. When they were demolishing the place in '84, I stood on the steps of the old Meridian Bldg. and watched part of my childhood vanish before my eyes. Among the films I saw there were "Claudine," "Meatballs," and "The Dirty Dozen." It was probably my 2nd-favorite theater (Boyd, #1!)

And yes, when it "twinned," it was horrible. We could hear the audio of the film next door through the wall, and they had the nerve to paint the wall color from dark green to white.

Does anybody else remember the ridiculous law suit those Budco people tried to bring against the Philadelphia film critics who publicly decried United Artists' decision to book "Apocalypse Now" into this breath-takingly awful theatre? I've spoken to one of those critics since then...it all came to naught...the public stayed away from the Goldman in droves...and the suit was dropped. It would be difficult to find a worse theatre in the Philadelphia area nowadays...I said "difficult,"....not "impossible"

This is from Boxoffice magazine in June 1946:

PHILADELPHIA-It is nearly time for the new William Goldman house at 15th and Chestnut Streets to make its bow, and rumors are circulating as to what picture Goldman will get for the premiere. It is believed that "The Kid from Brooklyn" with Danny Kaye may be the opening show.

Thought I read somewhere that the Goldman was once called the Tycoon theater many moons ago. Any truth to this?

Heh, heh, if you google search exactly
Boxoffice February 07, 1948
and punch 26 in the page box
you will see anexterior photo with "Tycoon" at the theater.

The Goldman Theatre is also described by Barry Goodkin , with photos and blueprints in Vol 35 No. 3 (Third Quarter 2003) of Marquee, publication of Theatre Historical Society of America. Back issues can be ordered from them. The issue describes other Philadelphia theaters, and most especially the Earle.

Some archive links break over time but to see on at Temple Urban Archives, go to
http://diamond.temple.edu:81/search
in the box type in
Goldman
scroll down to Fifteenth Street
for exterior photo c. 1951 photo, of Goldman showing a Burt Lancaster film, "Vengeance Valley"

Now, that's false advertising -- kind of. From that view, it leads one to believe that "Tycoon" is the theater name the way it's emblazoned across the marquee, and that perhaps the theater may have had previous ownership prior to the Goldman era (a la the Viking/Aldine/Cinema 19/Sam's Place) Thanks for clearing that up, and many thanks for posting the links -- that Boxoffice magazine is a real enjoyable doozy!

"From that view, it leads one to believe that "Tycoon" is the theater name the way it's emblazoned across the marquee"...
You should've seen it years later when the "Spartacus" artwork covered the vertical "Goldman" name all the way up to the "G".

Too bad we didn't have digital cameras and photo-sharing sites then!

More photos! Google search exactly
Boxoffice October 12, 1946
enter page 170 in the search box, and also page 182
p 170 full page on Goldman Theatre, with exterior & interior photos,
continued on p. 182. Don’t miss the photo of the lady next to the sconce!

HOWARD -- YOU ARE THE MAN! That answers my question about the acoustical tiles that also were at the Randolph. Those Goldman fixtures, gosh, I wanted them so bad but no one was allowed in bldg prior to its razing it as was permitted at the Fox. Those sconces were pretty strong, too. A huge chunk of debris fell on one as they were tearing the place down (I watched in horror) but it barely budged. And those huge neon letters -- who knew? Eleven rows of neon? I'm sitting here screaming at the images on my laptop, like, "D---! Look at this!" So you see, moviegoing for me went far beyond just the film itself. Thank you so much for these links, Howard. Coffee and a dozen donuts are on me!

This 1980 photo is how I remember the Goldman.
http://tinyurl.com/c9okrd

The Goldman was better with "Funny Girl" and 70mm on the marquee.

Here are some Goldman highlights from 1951.

17 Feb 1951 Box Office reported that actor Van Heflin was in Philadelphia to promote "Tomahawk" then in its 3rd week at the Goldman Theatre.

24 March 1951 Box Office reported that Anthony Dexter, the lead of "Valentino" was to appear on Saturday 24 March at the Goldman, which is where the film opened. 31 March 1951 Box Office reported that both Patricia Medina & Anthony Dexter of "Valentino" cast appeared at the Goldman

25 Aug 1951 Box Office reported that the film noir "His Kind of Woman" opened at the Goldman Theatre with personal appearances by its stars Robert Mitchum, Vincent Price, Marjorie Reynolds and Tim Holt

MORE from 1951. The 26 May 1951 Box Office reported two different tidbits. The Goldman Theatre displayed a General Sherman tank for the premiere of “Go for Broke!” And, Esther Williams kicked off Armed Forces Day with a ceremony on May 18th on the Goldman stage

Here's some tidbits from the 1952 to 1953 of Goldman history:

1952 Box Office: showing film noir "Clash by Night"

1 Aug 1953 Box Office: Goldman Theatre installing 3 D

29 Aug 1953 Box office: "The War of the Worlds" at Goldman

14 Nov 1953 Box Office: Jack Palance star of “Flight to Tangier” was in town to help promotion, which will open locally at the Goldman

Theatre Historical Society lists the opening date for the Goldman Theatre as Aug. 15, 1946 with seating listed at 1,200.