Hill Theatre
8320 Germantown Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19118
8320 Germantown Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19118
1 person
favorited this theater
Opened as the Belvedere Theatre in 1916 and was later renamed the Hill Theatre. It went through a remodel in 1936 by William H. Lee. The remodel featured a Georgian Revival exterior that complimented the interior. The interior was done to resemble a dignified old mansion.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
Large photo of the Hill AKA Belvedere Theatre.
View link
Seating should be 550.
If memory serves Art Carduner was involved with the Hill during part of the time that he operated the Bandbox. The Hill was a more mainstream house but I think it did play some foreign and independent films.
I remember seeing movies here as a child—it had family friendly programming with Saturday matinees and mainstream films in the evenings. And, like the Crest in another section of the city, a trolley line passed right in front of its pinkish art deco exterior. It closed sometime in the early 1970s when Ma Bell, which was next door, expanded onto the lot. It was an early omen of what would happen to independent movie houses everywhere.
The Hill Theatre, was located in Chestnut Hill at 8320 Germantown Avenue. It opened in 1916 as the Belvedere Theatre and the name was changed in 1936 to the Hill Theatre when it was remodeled. This was a relatively small theatre with just less than 500 seats. It closed in the mid 1970s and was torn down. Thia was a theatre that wasn’t before my time. I do remember it, but was never in it. I recall that this theatre was showing the same artsy type movies as the Bandbox Theatre in Germantown. Both theatres were probably owned by the same owner as I remember they ran joint ads together to promote the movies they were showing.
Here is a 1932 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/2e7tr9
The photo link gives an address of 8620 Germantown Avenue. Which address is correct?
The City of Phila photo has the wrong address. The correct address is 8320 Germantown Ave, now parking for the Bell Telephone building
Was in Chestnut Hill recently and was remembering visits to the Hill Theatre. It played British films as well as popular Hollywood films. I remember it being very narrow and dark and had a vending machine in lieu of a concession stand.