Bryn Mawr Film Institute
824 W. Lancaster Avenue,
Bryn Mawr,
PA
19010
824 W. Lancaster Avenue,
Bryn Mawr,
PA
19010
6 people
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I alwasy assumed the original World Theatre was owned by William Goldman Theatres (now operating as AMC Theatres). and I believe the new World Theatre was built on the site of the then-demolished Stanley Theatre.
On a sidenote, The Bryn Mawr has several owners, the first being William Goldman/Budco/AMC Theatres. AMC sold the Bryn Mawr to United Artists in the mid 1990’s, who then operated it until 2000, when the closed the Bryn Mawr and The Ardmore.
In early March 2005, The Bryn Mawr will reopen, I don’t know if it will still be a twin, or if it will be back to a single screen.
Interestingly enough, The World (at 18th and Market Sts., in Center City Phila.), and the Bryn Mawr shared a common ad in their advertisement. The Bryn Mawr was owned by William Goldman Theaters, and the World was owned by a NYC chain known as Rugoff Theaters which also operated the Cinema 19 (formerly the Aldine, and later renamed the Viking Theater, and later yet Sam’s Place I and II operated by Sameric Corporation). A few years later in the early ‘70s, a New World Theater was constructed at 18th and Market Streets, just a few addresses from its earlier predecessor. It did not enjoy the success of the World; briefly a $1@ all times theater.
Now closed as a regular film house, it is being renovated as something of a “film center,” with facilities for exhibition, and, from what I’ve heard, some production for video and narrow-gauge.
The theater did run films concurrent with the World in Phila. I rememebr they showed Romeo and Juilet and A Man For All Seasons in the miuddle 60’s. At that time the theater was operated by William Goldman chain not RKO Stanley Warner.
If my memory also serves, many years ago this theatre was operated by Stanley Warner, however I am not sure. Since the World Theatre was an “independent” maybe this one was too. Some years ago it was taken over by United Artists. I am pretty certain they are the ones that “twinned” it. And to this day it is a twin theatre. Now it is operating as an independent. The same operator has the Baederwood 4 in Jenkintown, PA. However, I believe the Bryn Mawr hospital has actually purchased the theatre building and a number of other buildings along Lancaster Ave.
If memory serves, in the late ‘60s/early '70s the Bryn Mawr mostly played foreign and art films day-and-date with the World in center city Philadelphia until the latter theater was demolished.