Adonis Cinema

2026 Sansom Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19103

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Additional Info

Functions: Movies (Adult)

Previous Names: Sackett Screening Room

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 215.557.9319

Nearby Theaters

Adonis Cinema

The Sackett Screening Room was opened in January 1974 playing classic movies. It was not a great success and became an adult theatre on April 24, 1974. By 1975 it was screening gay adult movies and was renamed Adonis Cinema by 2004. These are still being screened in 2019.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 10 comments)

TheALAN
TheALAN on January 11, 2015 at 8:46 pm

Maybe the absence of details is for the best!

davidplomin
davidplomin on November 16, 2019 at 3:59 pm

I like the understated look, like the recently closed Bijou Theater in Chicago. Unlike the garish neon filled facades of straight porn shops!

RickB
RickB on November 17, 2019 at 5:46 am

After he lost his lease on the Aarde Cinema across the street, Barney Sackett set up shop at 2026 Sansom in January 1974, operating as a revival house called the Sackett Screening Room. An Inquirer story said that the theater had 29 seats and no lobby. The 29 seats turned out to be plenty, as two weeks later Sackett announced that he had sold a total of 60 tickets and was switching to porn. He took a couple more shots at revivals later in the year (the Al Jolson musical “Hallelujah, I’m a Bum” seems to have been a favorite) but they didn’t fare any better. The theater was advertising as a gay porn house in 1975-76, and Sackett lasted here at least long enough to complain about business being bad in a 1978 Inquirer story. The Adonis started advertising at this address in 1986.

Brandon Barkley
Brandon Barkley on November 9, 2021 at 10:44 am

nycman: If you’re looking to watch a film, probably not worth the trip. If you’re looking for the other “amenities”, then maybe?

I am going to be staying a few blocks away from here on a trip in early 2022, I may get a few photos of the outside and the closed Roxy across the street. I don’t think I’ll brave entering though.

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on November 9, 2021 at 1:43 pm

Brandon, I was on the block today but did not take a photo of this or the Roxy. The facade of the closed Roxy, which is for sale, looked the same as my last photo in August which I have now added to the Roxy’s page.

marqueemaven4
marqueemaven4 on July 15, 2023 at 8:22 pm

I haven’t been there in 20 years, but it is 2 stories. The main theater is on the entrance level, and downstairs in the basement there used to be about ten individual booths, which are probably still there.

nycman
nycman on August 23, 2023 at 8:03 am

I live in Brooklyn, NY. Do you think it’s worth the amtrak ride to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania? Is the action hot at the Adonis? The Fair Theatre is the only adult cinema left in NYC but I dislike the crowd that goes there. You say?

m00se1111
m00se1111 on August 24, 2023 at 11:01 am

Patrick Crowley on April 7, 2008 at 10:49 am Yeah, I couldn’t agree more, guys. I’ve removed all the off-topic/sexual comments.

Note to adult theater patrons: Cinema Treasures isn’t the place to discuss such topics. If you post anything that is of a sexual nature, we’ll delete your comment and account without warning."

rivest266
rivest266 on August 26, 2023 at 10:06 am

Became “The world’s most intimate adult cinema” on April 24th, 1974. Ad posted.

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