Penypak Theatre
8049 Frankford Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19136
8049 Frankford Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19136
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 41 of 41 comments
Money’s not the problem, Hdtv! Rather, it’s the politics, plus the bad intentions behind those politics. And so long as that holds firmly in place, just the simplest challenges imaginable become all but an impossibility. And you have to keep in mind, assuming you’re somewhat aware of it, that right now Northeast Philadelphia is serving as a type of slave engine of sorts to provide a steady revenue stream for both Center City Philadelphia and what we call the “Main Line.” And well-run, classy neighborhood movie theaters simply don’t fit in well with that theme. But Dollar Tree Stores, Pizza Hut Expresses, Stone Cold Crematories and laundromats do. Along with drugstores such as the one down at the Mayfair Theatre. And until the people of Northeast Philadelphia determine they don’t wish to be slaves, there’s not a whole heck of a lot I can do about that if they all feel they’re cool with it.
There’s the old saying, “Things will have to get a whole lot worse before they get better,” and sad to say, that very much seems to be how it is with the Holme/Pennypack Theatre right now, now that I’ve had chance to study it out more. On the surface, restoring this historic theater building back to being a theater once more is a no brainer. But see, right now that’s asking an awful lot of a community that is especially short of brains at the present time. And it’s very hard if not impossible to work with such people in terms of getting anything really intelligent done when they consider such lame-brained politicians as U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz — one of several politicians now presiding over the Holmesburg community where this historic theater building exists — as being “intelligent,” or who see her predecessor, Robert Borski, who can’t seem to get it into his thick head that he now must fully retire, as being “statesmanly.” My view with regard to them is that if you’re not very good at what you do, you should at least be graceful enough to just step down. For anyone who accurately looks at the Holmesburg community as it is right now can readily see how very blighted and ghetto-like it truly is. And it’s this way due to certain variables that, if removed from the equation, would enable the Holmesburg community to truly heal once more. For it really does have the power to be a tremendously beautiful community when given a chance to be. But both Allyson Schwartz plus her inept predecessor Bob Borski totally lack what it takes to bring that beauty Holmesburg inherently has to the surface. There are good times to follow the political leadership, and then there are very bad times to. And right now in Holmesburg’s case this is a very very bad time to. But with so many people of Holmesburg right now in their total ignorance doing just that, little can one say other than things will have to get a whole lot worse before they get better. And that worsening of Holmesburg, needless to say, I have no desire of contributing to. So for now, restoring the Pennypack Theatre building back to being a theater is very much on hold. From my perspective at least. For in a community rife with uneducated people who mistakenly regard someone such as Allyson Schwartz as “intelligent,” and Robert Borski as “statesmanly,” it just would be casting pearls before swine as it were…
Er actually it’s to be a Cold Stone Creamery, hdtv. And you don’t think I sort of fully knew that when I posted that commentary?
Now as for photographs of what the theater looked like before, its original facade in this case, the only one I’ve been able to find so far was at some Philadelphia architectural website which I lost track of the URL address for. The photo is very tiny, in black & white, and other than its having a totally different marquee, it looks not all that different from what it does today. Upper portion-wise at least. What is important to me about this building architecturally has far more to do with its “function” rather than “form” aspect. Function-wise it’s laid out very very well, and could easily be updated to be very very modern inside. It’s front lobby portion is quite sizeable and could be reworked so that patrons could stand inside there when awaiting to buy tickets rather than out at curbside — just as how lobbies are with banks, four star hotels and so on. And its auditorium portion, which is quite huge, is such that it could be reworked to have far less seats than it did originally, and spread out and stadium style at that. And it allows enough room to introduce both a crying room and a smokers viewing area.
And then there’s the very sizeable stage house the theater has in back. It’s such that when a totally new Cinerama style wide-screen is put in it could be retractable up into the stage house’s upper loft portion to allow for the stage to be used for live performances as well. I mean, the potential for this theater building to be made 21st century style state-of-the-art is tremendous. And that much of it which William Harold Lee gave our Holmesburg community has not been lost. And the theater even has a parking area it didn’t have originally. Though it’s not real huge, it could be reworked so as to provide specially reserved valet style parking. So in terms of it being made a classy theater, it is just ripe for it.
At this moment the building is being restored by the Highland Development Group of Elkins Park to become what I said in my comment earlier, and that’s pretty much the best we can hope for for now until we can convince Hollywood to get behind restoring it to a movie theater once more. And it wouldn’t be a case of Hollywood’s getting behind restoring this building as a theater as an act of charity, mind you, but rather, in full recognition of its tremendous money-making potential, and in terms of creating the perfect prototype of the neighborhood theater of the future. For its location is very good, plus it does have that special aura of having been laid out originally by W.H. Lee. And in the very community where actress Ethel Barrymore spent her girlhood and had attended private school.
Does anyone have photographs of the original facade of the theater along Frankford Avenue?
The latest update on the Holme/Pennypack Theatre building, as per an article that appeared in the Northeast Times on Dec. 1, 2005, is that it will be re-opened in Feb. 2006 as “The Holmesburg Plaza.” As such, it will include a Dollar Tree Store, Pizza Hut Express, Stone Cold Crematory and possibly a laundromat, the last not fully clear yet. Highland Development Group, based in Elkins Park, is who’s doing the conversion.
If you would like to see this historic theater building — one of the last in existence in Philadelphia designed by the acclaimed 20th century theater architect William Harold Lee — be rightfully restored to being a movie theater once more, now is an excellent time to let your views be known. And one way you can do so is by attending the Holmesburg Civic Association’s next meeting, to be held at 7 P.M. at the Holmesburg Community Center at Rhawn and Ditman Streets this Tuesday, November 15, 2005. But be forewarned, the Civic Association’s president, Fred Moore, appears to be 100% opposed to the idea. Though I have yet to say it, and I’m not saying it now, those whom I’ve discussed Mr. Moore’s strange position with all believe he has received kickbacks from the new owners of this building to support their plan to make it other than a theater, even though that is what this historic building is most suitably designed to be. I myself will not be attending this Tuesday’s meeting, but I will do all in my power to block the new owners' plan by going over the misdirected civic association’s head and make use of other means that are available to me.
Meantime, if any of you have an open and amiable dialogue with Mr. Bryan Krefft, please encourage him to assert this theater building’s historic importance more than he has. This, in turn, will help me make the case that this is not just any building, and therefore shouldn’t be allowed to be used by its currrent owners in whatever way they see fit. As I say, it is one of the last few William H. Lee buildings left standing in this city. Jenkintown has one, Narberth has one, Bryn Mawr has one, Gettysburg has one, and Easton has one, and they’re treating the ones they have as if precious gold. And ours is too, if we dare to give it a chance to be. But that precious gold we have in our midst can be gone in a flash if we stay silent. As I say, this is the time to speak up if you want to rightfully see it become a theater once more, for believe me, you will not like the alternative the current owners have planned for it. No one who’s thinking clearly would.
If you would like to see this historic theater building — one of the last in existence in Philadelphia designed by the acclaimed 20th century theater architect William Harold Lee — be rightfully restored to being a movie theater once more, now is an excellent time to let your views be known. And one way you can do so is by attending the Holmesburg Civic Association’s next meeting, to be held at 7 P.M. at the Holmesburg Community Center at Rhawn and Ditman Streets this Tuesday, November 15, 2005. But be forewarned, the Civic Association’s president, Fred Moore, appears to be 100% opposed to the idea. Though I have yet to say it, and I’m not saying it now, those whom I’ve discussed Mr. Moore’s strange position with all believe he has received kickbacks from the new owners of this building to support their plan to make it other than a theater, even though that is what this historic building is most suitably designed to be. I myself will not be attending this Tuesday’s meeting, but I will do all in my power to block the new owners' plan by going over the misdirected civic association’s head and make use of other means that are available to me.
Meantime, if any of you have an open and amiable dialogue with Mr. Bryan Krefft, please encourage him to assert this theater building’s historic importance more than he has. This, in turn, will help me make the case that this is not just any building, and therefore shouldn’t be allowed to be used by its currrent owners in whatever way they see fit. As I say, it is one of the last few William H. Lee buildings left standing in this city. Jenkintown has one, Narberth has one, Bryn Mawr has one, Gettysburg has one, and Easton has one, and they’re treating the ones they have as if precious gold. And ours is too, if we dare to give it a chance to be. But that precious gold we have in our midst can be gone in a flash if we stay silent. As I say, this is the time to speak up if you want to rightfully see it become a theater once more, for believe me, you will not like the alternative the current owners have planned for it. No one who’s thinking clearly would.
LATEST UPDATE (Nov. 11, 2005): In my ongoing effort to see that this theater building be rightfully restored back to being a theater once more, I am constantly being told by those who apparently don’t know any better that because I’m not the owner of it I have no right to any say in helping determine its fate. However, just as it’s true with original art that purchasers of it cannot do whatever they want with it simply because they “own” it, so, too, does this same principle apply to certain buildings as well. And I fail to see why this particular theater building should be any exception, given how it does possess tremendous potential of being restored to a movie theater once more, and a state-of-the-art 21st century style digital theater at that. In my proposal, what remains of the original theater would stay perfectly intact while all new that would be added would harmoniously blend with that. And in terms of what the restored theater shall be called, I would prefer that it be “Pennypack” rather than by its original name, the Holme Theatre. For that is the name it held when it was last a movie theater, after all, and given how Pennypack Park which it was renamed after continues to be Holmesburg’s most positive aspect, it appears its being renamed that back in 1946 was a very wise decision. And with the restored theater being called “The Pennypack” this will open the way to and will justify its interior decor having all Pennypack Park themes throughout, ranging from the use of photo murals of beautiful Pennypack Park scenes both in its lobby and auditorium area, to having a massive photo image of a Pennypack Park scene imprinted on the screen’s curtains themselves. For all told, my belief is that by taking the theater in this direction it will help to boost both Pennypack Park plus dramatically turn around Holmesburg’s long-suffering consumer business district, whose current authorities I’m very eager to see overruled. Think of it if you will as a major symbolic gesture of putting a long-awaited end to the longstanding occupation that has overshadowed and greatly harmed Holmesburg throughout most of my lifetime and likely your own as well.
When I first began this effort, greatly inspired by the recent success of the newly restored Ambler Theater in Ambler, PA, I was told by Fred Moore, President of the Holmesburg Civic Association, that “Holmesburg isn’t Ambler.” And right he is, albeit in a way he apparently has no realization of and perhaps never shall. For Holmesburg isn’t Ambler in that its destiny is to become a thousand times greater than Ambler could ever possibly hope to be…
It’s a tricky situation right now, with the current owners of that building — plus apparently the area politicians and Holmesburg Civic Association head — determined to see it be made a mini-mall that has a Dollar Tree Store, Pizza Hut. upscale coffee shop, laundromat plus some light retail all in one, whereby everyone on the consumer end throughout Northeast Philadelphia wants to see it become an all-new digital movie theater instead. As everyone who lives around here knows, there’s too many dollar stores. pizza shops. laundromats. etc., as it is, but at the same time way too few movie theaters. As I guess you heard, the AMC Orleans will be closing next June to be replaced with a big Target Store. So when that happens there won’t be any movie theaters around at all. And this despite the tremendous success the newly restored Ambler Theatre in Ambler, PA and the Colonial Theatre out in Phoenixville are currently enjoying. Both theaters are doing wonders to turn around their surrounding long slumping consumer business districts. As for Holmesburg’s consumer business district — the stretch of Frankford Avenue between Hartel and Stanwood — it’s been in an economic slump since the 1950s. the same year the Pennypack Theater ceased being a theater. And in no way will a Dollar Tree, Pizza Hut, laundromat, and coffee shop introduced at that site solve this dilemma in any way. In fact, due to what is known as oversaturation it will have the exact opposite effect, each identical type business sapping strength away from the other. And when the inevitable occurs as a result of this oversaturation, the business owners along there will go begging for government bail outs (i.e., your and my tax dollars) to help them revive their struggling businesses. Now we could tell the business owners along that stretch this, but they pretty much know it already, and don’t care when your and my tax dollars are wrongfully used to line their own pockets, and without any benefit to you or I as the taxpayer whatsoever. All told, it’s a type of racketeering going on along that stretch at the current time, and with we the taxpayers not being given chance to say no to it. Complain to area politicians about it, and with a dumb look they’ll just say, “Well, they’re operating within the law,” totally missing the whole point, of course. For it’s not as if we the taxpayers can continue having our taxdollars thrown away for nothing this way, while they all seem to think we’re a bottomless well in that regard. And by our not speaking up and saying we want a movie theater there instead, we’re letting them. For right now with too few movie theaters in this area it’s a case of undersaturation in that respect. Yet how many consumers around here right now are saying: “Alas, if only there were more dollar stores around here, pizza shops, laundromats and so on”? If you know of any please let me know…
The fact that you would love to see a movie theater there once more brings it that much closer toward reality and away from wishful thinking. In fact, with the advent of digital cinema technology, it would be far more economically feasible to make that historic building a theater once more than what its current owners have planned for it — a laundromat, Pizza Hut, Dollar Tree Store, plus retail shops all within that single building — as if Holmesburg, where this theater building is located, isn’t oversaturated with those type businesses already. Meantime, did you know that at this moment there aren’t any digital theaters at all anywhere in the Philadelphia area? The closest one is up in Elizabeth, NJ, over 61 miles away. Contrast that to Ireland, which currently is converting all its theaters throughout the entire country to be digital. So if Ireland can get with digital, why can’t we? The answer with existing theaters in operation in the Philadelphia area right now appears to have to do with current commitments they have. But in the Holme Theater’s case it has no such commitments, given how it’s not served as a movie house for well over half a century now. Meaning that it well could become Philadelphia’s first digital theater if all parties involved on the Philadelphia side of things give it that chance to be — and quite possibly with little to no cost to them. So stay posted.
GOOD NEWS! At least partially… Though no plans are in place to transform the Pennypack Theatre building back to being a movie theater once more – at least yet – the building stands on solid ground for now in that its new owners have no plans of razing it. And in preparing it to serve as a movie theater once again, the parking lot just adjacent to the theater building’s own parking lot – the one at the corner of Welsh Road & Frankford Ave with the giant billboard signs – has just been purchased by the building’s new owners and will be added onto its own parking lot to make it that much bigger. So now the big challenge is to convince the new owners that their building is ripe for being made a movie theater once more, this time a digital theater, given how right now the closest digital theater is over 61 miles away in Elizabeth, NJ. Digital will enable that theater to air live sportscasts as well as the latest movie fare, so given that factor I’d say yes, it’s ripe for becoming a theater once more. And if you all agree, please let it be known. And the sooner the better.
Well-crafted movies, when viewed on the big screen and in the context of a well managed theater, can do more to lift the spirits, inspire and positively motivate people than anything else I can think of. So with that it comes with great sadness to have to report that the Holmesburg Civic Association, plus apparently every single Northeast Philadelphia-based politician who has any say in the matter, stands adamantly opposed to allowing the classic old Pennypack Theater — designed by architect William Harold Lee — to be reopened as a movie theater once more. And with no rational reasons given why.
Meantime, you who reside in the rest of Pennsylvania who have a special and well-run disliking of Pennsylvania Speaker of the House John Perzel over the insane salary increase he and the other Pennsylvania legislators voted for themselves this summer just passed should know this closed up theater is part of his district, while meantime I read in the paper just the other day that Pennsylvanians in other parts of the state can’t understand why Philadelphians — the ones who keep voting him back into office — are so passively accepting of his corruption. And all told I will admit that those who reside in his district are a pretty spiritually dead lot right now. Yet how can they be otherwise with few if any things to lift their spirits up or enable them to see the bigger picture? (No pun intended.) For the churches around here, plus the schools, jobs, shopping outlets, libraries, bars, restaurants, athletic fields, parks and TVs-watched-at-home can’t do that, at least not in and of themselves.
But movie theaters, when well run, can do wonders. And here’s the Pennypack Theater just begging to be brought back to life in that capacity.
But no, those who regard themselves as the “powers that be” say we can’t have that because rumor has it it’s owners wish to convert it to a Dollar Store instead. And this in an area that has too many of such type stores already. Ah, but Dollar Stores sure do wonders for the spirit don’t they? (Being facetious.)
2ND CORRECTION: It’s http://www.holmesburg.com/ (must include the slash on the end)
CORRECTION: The official URL for the Holmesburg Civic Association is http://www.Holmesburg.com, not –.org as originally posted.
As a long time Holmesburg resident I’ve been pushing recently, namely through the Holmesburg Civic Association, to have Holmesburg follow Ambler’s lead and have the old Pennypack Theater restored back to being a movie theater once more. Though it’s still not certain if its current owners will go for it or not, or if Philadelphia City Councilwoman Joan Krajewski, who seems to really have it in for movie theaters, will allow it to happen or not. But if you think it’s a good idea, please contact the Holmesburg Civic Association’s President Fred Moore to let him know that you support the proposal. He can be reached through the http://www.Holmesburg.org website.
Currently, as of August 2005, the former theatre is still standing. It was a furniture store most recently.