Showcase Cinemas East
3455 William Penn Highway,
Pittsburgh,
PA
15235
3455 William Penn Highway,
Pittsburgh,
PA
15235
2 people
favorited this theater
This theater opened as a state-of-the-art quad on June 30, 1976. The opening day titles were “Silent Movie”, “The Outlaw Josey Wales”, “Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday”, and “W.C. Fields and Me”. All of the theaters were twinned and two more theaters were added during the 80’s, bringing the total number of screens to ten.
For over two decades, this was the top-grossing moviehouse in the Pittsburgh area; however, in 2000 Destinta and Loews opened new, larger complexes nearby that caused Showcase’s business to decline for years and on Sept. 12, 2004 Showcase East went out of business.
Contributed by
71dude
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Recent comments (view all 25 comments)
Here is the cinema as of 3/12/09. We were going to go around the building for more photos, but all access roads were blocked. These two were taken from the car with my Blackberry.
http://www.beccapop.com/sce1.jpg
http://www.beccapop.com/sce2.jpg
V
Renewing link.
This was one and only one I ever worked that had 60 minute reel to reel automation, really kept you on your toes. Once in awhile Murphy’s law would win out and you would have one long ass day.
The multiplex that National had here in New Jersey was reel-to-reel thru several additions, starting with the original 6-plex up till it was a 10 screener. When it went to 12, then platters were installed. Use to run one print in 2 houses starting every hour. THAT was fun.
Ed Blank was right in his 2008 posting.
Showcase East’s opening in 1976 marked the beginning of the end for all of the great downtown (and near downtown—e.g., King’s Court, Squirrel Hill, Chatham, etc.) Pittsburgh theaters.
As much as it pains me to so any theater close, I can’t deny a certain satisfaction is seeing Becca’s photos of the dead Showcase East.
Karma is a b***h, ain’t it?
meant to say:
“to SEE any theater close….”
Milanp,
I hate to see any cinema close. I’ve lived in the Shadyside/Squirrel Hill areas all my life (I’m in my early 30s) and I used to come here a lot. Even into my adulthood, my friends and I would always combine a shopping trip to Monroeville Mall with a movie, either here or at the mall cinemas.
As Rick Aubrey says above, Monroeville has nothing. Well movie-wise it doesn’t. I’m no expert, but I think a well run movie house could still do good business here, what with the mall, other nearby shopping, and restaurants. A new cinema at the mall might do really well.
Also the address above is incorrect. The Showcase wasn’t in Monroeville proper. It was in Wilkins Township, with a Pittsburgh mailing address. Its address should be:
3455 William Penn Hwy
Pittsburgh, PA 15235
Susan,
I lived in Pittsburgh from 1990-1995. I remember taking my then-girlfriend here, probably to see “Hand That Rocks the Cradle”. Even then, I remember this theatre being kind of “eh”.
“Star Wars” ran 42 weeks here during its original 1977-78 release, which I imagine is the long-run record for the theater. A Dolby sound system was installed for the engagement, one of four in the Redstone/National Amusements circuit to do so.
(For the Pittsburgh market, “Star Wars” ran a longer period of time – 59 weeks – at the downtown Bank Cinema I & II, though it didn’t open there until July 20, 1977, whereas Showcase Cinemas began theirs several weeks earlier on May 25.)
Demolished about a year ago. Now the site of a Sheetz, a regional convenience gas station, a hotel & a small strip mall.