Movies at York Mall

2801 E. Market Street,
East York, PA 17402

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rivest266
rivest266 on March 2, 2023 at 10:54 am

The Trans-Lux Theatre commenced operations on December 27th, 1968, and was managed by Brandt Theatres. It underwent renovations on May 21st, 1975, and reopened with two screens. United Artists assumed ownership of the establishment on May 25th, 1979, and changed its name to Movies at York Mall I & II. However, the theatre was eventually closed on June 12th, 1997. Grand opening ads posted.

muviebuf
muviebuf on February 2, 2017 at 9:56 am

The York Mall (which was noted for its four interior fountains) was the first indoor Mall in York PA and opened in October 1968.

The 820 seat single screen Trans Lux Theatre was located in the rear of the York Mall behind the Montgomery Wards store. Not sure exactly when the Trans Lux Theatre opened but it did screen “Where Eagles Dare” starting March 26, 1969.

As noted above the correct address for the York Mall was the 2800 block of East Market Street in Springettsbury Township.

muviebuf
muviebuf on February 2, 2017 at 9:31 am

According to the John and Drew Eberson Architectural Records Archive Project Index the twinning of this York Trans Lux theatre/remodel is listed as Drew Eberson as Project 2002-C. This was done at roughly the same time as the twinning of both the Trans Lux in Harrisburg PA and Lebanon PA (both of which were also done by Drew Eberson).

57thst
57thst on July 10, 2012 at 1:27 pm

I only remember it being twinned. The Mall opened in 1968 so i’m guessing the theater opened then too. It actually wasn’t a bad theater for being in a mall. The last movie I saw here was in 1996, it probably closed soon after. The address should be 2801 E. Market St.

John Simmers
John Simmers on July 10, 2012 at 12:32 pm

The above address is incorrect. 130 North Duke Street is a state office building in the city of York. These theaters were located in the 2800 block of East Market Street at Northern Way in Springettsbury Township.

This theater began as a new single-screen Trans-Lux venue, probably in 1966 or 67. Trans-Lux also built brand-new theaters in Harrisburg and Lebanon around that time. If it was anything like the Harrisburg theater, it was tastefully decorated with state of the art projection and sound. Trans-Lux twinned their theaters in 1975, renaming them the Trans-Lux “Blue” and “Gold” theaters. They were re-seated and redecorated, and while all of that was nicely done, they practically became bowling alley theaters, extremely long but not very wide, with small screens and mono sound. If you were near the back you may as well have brought binoculars.

They were leased to UA before the decade was out and became “The Movies 1 @ 2.” By the mid-90s the York Mall had become another “ghost mall,” and the theaters were demolished with much of the rest of the mall around 2001 or thereabouts. These were first-run theaters throughout their existence and we saw many films there. Wish I could have seen this theater before it was twinned.