Cedar Theatre

JohnBenson on February 2, 2009 at 6:00 pm

I would say that this theater became the Abbe around 1960. It was an “art” theatre at that time which meant that mostly showed legitimate European films, including some great ones as well as sensational ones. Some theatres in the neighborhood guide called them selves Aart theatres and even AAA Art theatres until the papers put a stop to the foolishness.

I can’t say for sure that there was never an Aarde Theatre, but I think the description above is referring to the Aardvark Theatre. It was opened ca. 1961 or 1962 by a guy named Max Raab as an art theatre for a tax shelter. A purist, he only ran single features until economic necessity forced him to go to the standard doubles. His big score was getting VIRIDIANA first run for Phila. It wasn’t open for very long. If listed on this site it wouldn’t be under Aardvark. It was a little theatre not far from the Wayne Avenue Playhouse, I think it was on the other side of the railroad—looking at the map I would say somewhere like Wingohocking Street not far from where it meets Germantown Avenue. I’d like to know if that theatre is on this site.

Chuck1231 on August 13, 2005 at 8:55 pm

Accoring to the Irvin Glazer Book on Philadelphia Theatres, the Cedar Theatre opened in 1913 and closed in 1965.