Boyd Theatre

A “Mary” wrote that “My mother passed away a couple of years ago, and last week my dad gave me the trunk she used to store all her special treasures. In going through it tonight, I found a ticket stub for seat U 101, Good Only Wed. 8:40 P.M. June 16, 1954 at the Boyd Theater, Orchestra, National Ticket Company. The seat cost $2.60 and is torn so I can’t tell what the show was. Is there anyplace I can get this information?”

I answered “This is Cinerama” which ran for one or two years at the Boyd? Her ticket price works out in inflation adjusted dollars to $17 or $18 today. Were road show features in the 1950’s & 1960’s also just as expensive?

At the Loews Jersey on Friday eve, volunteer usher Myron told me that in early 1968 he saw GWTW in a “pan and scan” 70 mm version on the Cinerama screen at the Boyd. It is possible his recollection is confused with the Randolph?

Quick question: Does anyone know when “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever” was released to the Boyd Theatre? I think it was around December 1970.

I don’t know. GWTW was often reissued, so if you are positive, you are probably correct. In 1971 the Boyd’s Cinerama screen was taken down, but 70 mm projection was used.

Many of the movie theaters on this site in NYC, DC, and elsewhere, have a list of movies that played, from newspapers. The list seems to be from one gentleman. I’d love such a list to be posted on this site, of all movies that played at the Boyd, and the dates they played!

Also, the email address HowardB isn’t me, that’s another correspondent.

Howard Haas is right on target when he says that uniquely large screens can only work with certain cinema formats geared specifically for this purpose. Which, of course, is not all movies. While it is not clear as of yet to what degree the advent of digital will revolutionize this. Certain films, because of their nature, and regardless of resolution, it would seem rather out of place to see on an unusually large screen, while with others an unusually large screen is an absolute must. But when we’re talking about the Boyd, which is Philadelphia’s last, and one and only, movie palace, it’s understood that when movies are shown there it’s not just to be any movie. Meaning that when movies are exhibited there it should only be those specifically made to be seen on an unusually large screen — both in terms of resolution and their very nature. Which is why I feel the Boyd’s adapting the LeFrak model remains a very good idea, if and when it can be done.

As for “Philly not being a movie city,” that at best can only be summed up as a statement of the moment. For despite all and any stereotypes, this city is always constantly in a state of change. And the fact that this city is dotted all throughout with movie theaters of the past — currently being used for other purposes — lays testimony to the fact that its not being a movie city wasn’t always the case. And only a total fool would try to predict that it will never become a movie city again. At the present moment Philadelphia is swept up in all sorts of varying cross-currents, with a small but perhaps growing number coming to it saying, “Hey, where are the movie theaters?” And if the demand for this grows strong enough, there will be movie theaters all throughout this city once more I can fully assure you. And what will spur that demand will be movie theaters run in the right way. Which is why I’m all eager to see the Boyd restored in the best possible way.

To the degree that it aspires to be like it was when it was at its absolute height — which was when it was in its Boyd days — I have no doubt it will be very successful. On the other hand, if it attempts to replicate the Sameric era, history will just repeat itself. The Boyd by its very nature, special location and so on, demands to be a premiere theater. And at this moment there’s no other theater anywhere in this city, in its surrounding suburbs, or even in this entire tri-state area for that matter, that can claim that same stature. And you can’t just go ahead and build something like that fresh and new out in King of Prussia or wherever. Anything such as that would only be makeshift and temporary while awaiting the Boyd to make its big comeback.

The problem today is lack of showmanship. Today its get you in and get you out. How many shows can we get in a day. As a manager your job was many things not just walking around. First check the marquee, stand back and look at the front of your theatre. Next the box ofice, lobby, candy stand (snack bar) and the rest rooms. Go to the booth and check equipment. When the doors open check the auditorium (lights, music, seats, screen. When the show starts sit or stand in the back and check sound, picture. Take pride in your theatre. Surround yourself with good help. Hire people that want to work in the theatre because they like the theatre not because they want to watch free movies. I could go on and on but I’m dreaming because those days are gone. Today there is No Showmanship, just get them in and get them out.

I agree that the Bridge is a great theatre. The staff is good and the presentation of the movie have always been perfect. I look at this theatre to see a “big"movie. They have only one theatre in this market, so they have a better chance of doing it right. Regal/UA have several theatres, and some are the old Eric. I go to the Grant Ave. and I seen everything that can go wrong with showing a movie happened. Bad spicing, a reel change resulting in bad sound, Nardia sounded like it was dragging throughout the whole movie, projector buld going out etc. I would never say Neshaminy is world class theatre. It’s good, I do not hestitate to go see a movie there. The UA at Riverview was always consider to be a "showcase theatre”. This is from their mouths when they talked about their theatres. Riverview and the KofP are the ones that they are going to put the best equipment in. I am assuming this based on pass history and news stories about U/A. Regal is still U/A, the only ones that are not are the ones that Regal built.

But Phiily theatres have always been OK and it’s shame for a city of this size.

I use to see about 100 movies a year in both the center city theatres and the ones in the burbs. I still see quite of few movies. No matter what it still like going to the movies. Seeing a movie in an old theatre is an experience. I hope that the mangement of the Boyd remember the experience of seeing a movie in the future of this once great movie theatre.

Is such nastiness necessary because someone has an opinion?

Does anyone know when Ben Hur last showing was at the Stanley Warner’s Boyd Theatre, during its initial run, and what movie replaced Ben Hur?

The same thing also for Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and when Empire Strikes Back left the Sameric Theatre?

Sorry to say Philly is not a movie city. Look at the exhibitors that we had over the last several decades. Budco and porn, Eric with the run down theatres. Even UA has no respect for Philly. Is UA at Riverview a world class theatre? I saw Shriek there and the vocies were coming from all speakers, the theatre was dirty and seats were either rip or broken (and it is not a center city theatre!). If wasn’t for the Ritz, we wouldn’t have any good theatre, but these theates do not show popular Hollywood movies. We had some decent theatres in center city over the years, but if recent history hold true can the Boyd present big picture movies, with possible reissues of older movies, like the Zigfeld in NY. I think of NY for a big movie first, then I see it in Phiily. Why see a Star Wars type movie, with bad picture, poor sound or bad reel changes. Most of the area theatres I saw movies at over the years have been hit or miss.

The orchestra pit was used, I believe, only once, and that was back in 1928, when the Boyd Theatre was opened by Alexander Boyd.

The great information that veyoung puts forth above regarding the screen at the NY Museum of Natural History Lefrak Auditorium, etc., certainly takes most if not all the guesswork out of what the Boyd Theatre can and should do so as to have the best of both worlds, that is, to become a great venue to see live performances, as well as its re-becoming the best movie theater in the tri-state area to see epics at their absolute best.

Mike, many of us confuse the Boyd (aka SamEric) with the Randolph, usually because at one time both theatres presented 70mm Cinerama (advertised as such) or 70mm presentations on most of the full screen. The curved Cinerama screen was removed from the Boyd in December of 1971. A curved screen has not been used at that venue since then. “Man of La Mancha” was a 1972 release, a full year after the curved screen’s removal. You say “…years later when I went back and saw GWTW.” AFAIK, GWTW had no 70m engagements in the Philadelphia area during the 1970s. The deep-curve screen that was in place at the Boyd/SamEric until 12/71 was actually not the original Cinerama screen, though it was much larger. This particular screen was installed in August 1962 for the run of the Loews-Cinerama features, the original Cinerama screen having been dismantled in the Fall of 1959 after its original installation in October of 1953.