Mastbaum Theatre
2001 Market Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19103
2001 Market Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19103
9 people
favorited this theater
The Mastbaum Theatre was the largest and most lavish movie palace ever in Philadelphia. With 4,717 seats, it was the eighth largest, and one of the grandest in the United States. Its grandeur impressed Hollywood studios, and helped put Philadelphia on the national movie map for releases. It was also a ‘White Elephant’, closed more often than it was open. It was too huge and expensive to operate, and a bit too far away from the subway.
Jules Mastbaum, president of the Stanley Company, planned the Jules Theatre, but he died. Warner Bros. took over the Stanley Company and with Philadelphia theatre architects Hoffman-Henon, built the Mastbaum Memorial Theatre in his memory.
Costing five and a half million dollars to build, the Mastbaum’s interior was incredibly lavish, with marble, murals, gold leaf, leaded glass, tapestries, statues, paintings, and Czechoslovakian and other crystal chandeliers. A Carriage Lobby led to the Grand Lobby, which had a Fountain Lobby. There was a Grand Foyer, a main lounge downstairs, and elevators to all 8 levels. The auditorium had three balconies, a four manual Wurlitzer organ, and both the largest chandelier and the largest fire curtain in Philadelphia. A detailed description by Irvin R. Glazer appeared in Marquee Vol 7, No 1(1975) of the Theatre Historical Society, republished in Vol 37, No 2(2005).
The February 28, 1929 gala opening presented stage entertainment, the world premiere of the Warner Bros. movie “Sonny Boy” starring Davey Lee, a 75 piece pit orchestra, a choral ensemble of 50 and a corps de ballet of 32. At times, the Mastbuam Theatre packed them in, but overall lost money because it could not bring in large enough audiences compared to the size and costs of the place. Opera was the policy in 1933. In 1934, Samuel L. Rothafel, “Roxy” was brought in to attract audiences, but within 2 months the theatre closed.
The Mastbaum Theatre seldom opened again during the Great Depression, until World War Two when military expenditures saw many people employed in Philadelphia. In September, 1942, the movie “Tales of Manhattan” reopened the Mastbaum Theatre. The balconies were usually closed, but movies were shown with Irving Berlin’s “This is the Army” having its premiere here and a sold out run, in 1942. Occasional stage shows featured Eddie Fisher, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, and Judy Garland. Among popular movies shown were “Casablanca” in 1943, “Going My Way” in 1944, “Quo Vadis” (which had a ten-week run) and “African Queen” in 1952, and Hitchcock’s “I Confess” in 1953. With John Garfield appearing, “Pride of the Marines” had its world premiere in Philadelphia, in August, 1945, with first a private screening in the Bellevue Stratford Hotel ballroom, and then opened to the public at the Mastbaum Theatre. “The Bells of St. Mary” was such a popular film in 1946 that it became ‘standing room only’. In the summer of 1950, star Wanda Hendrix appeared at the Mastbaum Theatre to promote her film “The Admiral Was a Lady”. “Tripoli” had its world premiere here (concurrent with a cinema in both Tokyo and Seoul) on October 13, 1950. On May 23, 1951, star Eveyln Keyes appeared on the Mastbaum stage at a world premiere of the film noir “The Prowler”.
After television arrived in homes, the Earle Theatre, known more for live shows than for movies, was the first downtown Philadelphia movie palace to be demolished, in 1953. The Mastbaum Theatre was next, closed and demolished in 1958. By then, for the ‘scope era, the screen was 60 feet wide. The proscenium chandeliers went to the Locust Theatre. The Mastbaum Theatre site lay vacant for almost 20 years, until One and Two Commerce Square office towers were built in the late-1980’s and early-1990’s. Half a century after its demolition, people who visited its interior still recall the Mastbaum Theatre as the most impressive movie palace ever built in the Philadelphia region.
Contributed by
Howard B. Haas
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Recent comments (view all 58 comments)
Ok. I went to the ‘Add Theater News’ link and there was a blurb there about not posting articles for copyright reasons, etc. I’m not sure anyone would have a problem with a scanned image of a newspaper clipping from the 1950’s, but who knows. The article was written by Sidney Hantman in the ‘Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine’; I do not have the exact date unfortunately. However, judging by the content and my grandfather Pat’s quotations, the article was written sometime after the April 16th, 1958 decision to demolish the building and before the end of that year (it was torn down in ‘58).
I have emailed the host about posting here, but in the meantime if anyone would like me to send them the faded images directly, feel free to email me at As previously mentioned, there are photos on our site of the [sad] destruction (go to ‘www.pantanoandsons.com/who_we_are’ and click on or scroll down to ‘History’). I did see somewhere in my father’s files another photo of his Dad standing at the great organ before work began, and I will look for that as well. -Jason
Here’s a selective history of a few of the films shown at the Mastbaum during the 1940s
First half of the 1940s. 29 Aug 1942 Box Office reported that the Mastbaum to reopen next Friday with “Tales of Manhattan” after being closed since 1934-35. 12 Sept 1942 Box Office reported that the Mastbaum did reopen with that film. In 1942 “Pride of the Yankees” was shown as was “Now Voyager” Noel Coward’s “In Which We Serve” had a grand opening in 1943. “Arsenic and Old Lace” was shown in 1944.
To continue with the 2nd half of the 1940’s, 8 Dec 1946 Box Office reported that the “Stork Club” premiere broke records with the sale of more than $15 mil of war bonds. 1947 movies included “Humoresque" “Till the Clouds Roll By†and “The Treasure of San Madre” 1948 films shown included “Easter Parade†“Rope” and “Johnny Belinda” 1949 films included “White Heat”
From when it reopened in WW2, the Mastbaum had a steady showing of films. This isn’t a complete list, but a selection from Box Office for the 1st half of the 1950s:
1951 “Captain Horatio Hornblowerâ€
1952 “The Quiet Manâ€
19 April 1952 Box Office: “Quo Vadis” ended 10 week run at Mastbaum
3 May 1952 Box Office “The African Queen”
10 Jan 1953 Box Office “April in Paris”
1953 Box Office “I Confessâ€
21 Nov 1953 Box Office: “How to Marry a Millionaire”
1954 “The High and the Mightyâ€
24 April 1954 Box Office:p 24 photo of Carnival Story star Steve Cochran in Mastbaum lobby to promote film
31 July 1954 Box Office: “Apache” broke one day house record at Mastbaum for box office
30 Oct 1954 Box Office “A Star is Born”
Here is a 1929 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/mmuhs3
Another blurry one in the photobucket.
Here is a June 1958 photo from Temple U:
http://tinyurl.com/yzdvjwv
A true movie palace.
I have a coin/token from my Grandfather’s collection that reads, “Now Playing” “Mastbaum Theater” “10 cents a dance”. He grew up in Kensington. I see that a film with this title was released in 1931. Does anyone know the origin of this token? Was it used as a ticket to get in? Was it simply souvenier? I’ve been researching the theater and think it’s a shame that it didn’t survive!
Most likely it was a souvenir. “Ten Cents a Dance” is about a woman who was what was known as a taxi dancer (played by Barbara Stanwyck in the 1931 film; there was another film by the same title made in 1945). At taxi dance halls, men would buy tickets or tokens to buy a dance with one of a group of women hired by the hall; usually one token or ticket bought a dance lasting the length of a song. Such establishments were mostly gone from U.S. cities by the end of WWII, though a rather sleazy one plays a role in the musical “Sweet Charity.”
Click here for an exterior view of the Mastbaum Theatre in 1932.