Colonial Theater
1025 W. Moyamensing Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19148
1025 W. Moyamensing Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19148
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I worked at the Colonial theater in the 1940’s the managers name was Charlie Butterfield and the owners names was Sam Gerson. I was working on the Sunday the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor. It was the first air conditioned moviehouse in south philadelphia. The basement was packed with ice and a large fan moved the cold air into the theater. I was an usher at age 15 and when “Gone With Wind” was shown there was a 30 minute intermission in changing reels. Also there were other theaters in the nieghborhood that do not show on your site, at least a dozen.
A Page theater organ replaced the Kimball theater organ in 1927.
A Kimball theater organ was installed in the Colonial Theater in 1914.
What a great theater in the late 60’s early 70’s I would go the colonial theater every saturday afternoon to watch double feature horror movies like tales from the crypt,vault of horror,all the christopher lee dracula movies and all the hammer movies.only 75cents
to get in.later it bacame a dollor movie theater shawing second run movies.Does anybody have photos of this great theater?
I.m a big movie collector.
This theater is listed as being built in 1910 and closing in 1989. Alterations were done in 1927 and the architect listed for those alterations was John Eberson.
I saw Snow White there in 1983 before I moved to Florida.
Need to update the address for this theatre.
The address for the Colonial Theatre was 1025 W. Moyamensing Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19148. This was one of 4 Colonial Theatres that existed in Philly at one time. Seating for the Colonial was 954.
View link here is a link that includes picture of theater
The seating capacity was 1,100 on one floor. The Colonial was a dollar theater toward the last. It is featured in the motion picture CLEAN AND SOBER (Michael Keaton).
The ornate poster encasements from the lobby were rescued and are in storage in Hopewell, NJ,
It was the last South Philadelphia movie theater. It closed in 1989 and is now replaced with townhouses. It is just a distant memory to us who remember it. It is featured in the movie clean and sober with Michael Keaton.