There was a rumor that the fire was intentionally set in order to collect insurance money. The first fire burned a small hole in the roof, visible from the Market-Frankford El. The next fire wiped the place out completely. Sad because though it wasn’t a movie theater, it still held great memories for those of us who frequented it (Phila. Warriors Roller Derby)
Talk about adding insult to injury — my family and I have vacationed in Wildwood every summer for the past 22 years, and though we’ve never stepped foot in either the Shore or Blaker, it was truly sad to see it gone. Now, whaddya bet they build another stupid condo in its place?
But with all the hoopla surrounding the Boyd’s future, if the building has been dormant for so long — and given its age — is it still structurally sound? From the photos I’ve seen, it still looks great for the most part, but then I’m no engineer.
The only thing I can recall about the Benn was the curtains – or lack thereof. They stayed in the open position partly because the rod was snapped in half above the screen. Nice look for a movie theater, no?
Heck, there wasn’t anything I didn’t like about the Boyd, lights and all! Even the smaller chandeliers that hung from the main ceiling on either sides of the screen added a touch of class. Another question: what were those 14 circular plaster designs called that hung directly above the stage? Always intruigued me.
We all would hate to see the demise of the Boyd (like the Spectrum!) but what I would give to own one of those fixtures if they began selling off the interiors. Before the Milgram was demolished, people were buying its wall fixtures. They weren’t ornate, but very ‘70s chic. I’m surprised nobody bought the old Goldman vertical bow-tie-looking wall fixtures (too big, I guess) but they were my faves.
And what is the proper name of the circular motif centered above your head on the balcony underside? 30th st. Post Office has one of them at each entrance, as did the Boyd, Nixon, Fox, and a few other theatres. In some places it was encased in class, others not.
My wife thinks I’m nuts because she doesn’t quite share the same enthusiasm we do for places such as the Boyd. For her, a theatre was just a theatre. She went to see the film and not much else. But even as a child, I was fascinated by 3 things other than the actual film: the ray of light extending from the projectionist’s booth onto the screen, the lighting fixtures within the auditorium, and the credits rolling with the curtains closed (I still think that’s terribly cool!)
Speaking of lighting, the present-day hanging circular fixtures beneath the Boyd balcony — they’re “upgrades,” aren’t they? They look too modern for the Art-Deco period. Always wanted one for my dining room, with orange & white lights and a dimmer of course.
Has anyone mentioned SenSurround yet? Forgive me if it has, but I heard it was discontinued because the vibrations were causing cracks in walls and other damage to the theatres in which it was utilized. Any truth to that? The only two movies I can recall that used that SenSurround system were “Earthquake” and “Rollercoaster,” and I believe it may have been used for parts of “Towering Inferno” but not sure. Help?
Let’s say that the Boyd is saved from the wrecking ball, and a company is hired to begin and/or finish the rehabilitation. How closely do you feel they can restore the building to its former glory? Also, how much work actually remains to be completed (percentage-wise)? Let’s just hope that there are enough blueprints and quality photos from yesteryear to aid the artists in breathing new life back into this wondrous facility.
Can remember riding the bus and seeing the workmen beginning to demolish this place — that’s my only memory of it. Does anyone know anything about “Theater 1812” on Chestnut St.?
We didn’t get to this theatre until the late ‘60s after it had been modernized. I recall the drop-ceilings with fluorescent lighting mounted above them, yet the bulbs weren’t visible from the floor (trust me, as a kid I looked for them!) and always thought the decor was really cool. Hated when Roy Rogers took it over, but at least it still kinda resembled a theatre (remember the giant red neon RR sign where the screen was?) And Mandee’s just destroyed the place. ARRRGH!
That was the beauty of growing up in West Philly during the late ‘60s thru mid '70s — The Capital. It was “the place to be” for good movies especially if you didn’t want to travel to Center City. I lived one block away on 53rd & Thompson. The big neon “CAPITAL,” the unusual zigzag auditorium, the wondrous curtains, the popcorn, the cheesy Kung Fu flicks (Enter The Dragon!) Yeah, sweet memories!
My mom and I were there one day in the early ‘70s and my neighbor had to buy a ticket just to come get us because our washer overflowed and water seeped over into their house. The last movie I saw there was “Scarface” in '84.
I too was there when they were selling contents of the theatre. I vividly recall a woman who either bought or was very close to buying the golden railing that lead to the balcony area. I purchased – and still own – my initials from the marquee at $2.50 each. Took a stroll around the balcony area and up to the projectionist’s booth because my mom never wanted to sit that high! Darn it — where were digital cameras in 1980?
Hi, everyone. Call me crazy, but I adored those “vertical bow tie” lighting fixtures inside the auditorium. They emitted an orange glow during the film, then white during intermission. And above it were two floodlights (yecch!) on each fixture. When they were demolishing the place in ‘84, I stood on the steps of the old Meridian Bldg. and watched part of my childhood vanish before my eyes. Among the films I saw there were “Claudine,” “Meatballs,” and “The Dirty Dozen.” It was probably my 2nd-favorite theater (Boyd, #1!)
And yes, when it “twinned,” it was horrible. We could hear the audio of the film next door through the wall, and they had the nerve to paint the wall color from dark green to white.
Is that demolition date correct? I think the State may have been around slightly longer than 1967, possibly ‘68 or even '69.
There was a rumor that the fire was intentionally set in order to collect insurance money. The first fire burned a small hole in the roof, visible from the Market-Frankford El. The next fire wiped the place out completely. Sad because though it wasn’t a movie theater, it still held great memories for those of us who frequented it (Phila. Warriors Roller Derby)
Talk about adding insult to injury — my family and I have vacationed in Wildwood every summer for the past 22 years, and though we’ve never stepped foot in either the Shore or Blaker, it was truly sad to see it gone. Now, whaddya bet they build another stupid condo in its place?
But with all the hoopla surrounding the Boyd’s future, if the building has been dormant for so long — and given its age — is it still structurally sound? From the photos I’ve seen, it still looks great for the most part, but then I’m no engineer.
The building still stands, but the marquee is gone altogether.
The only thing I can recall about the Benn was the curtains – or lack thereof. They stayed in the open position partly because the rod was snapped in half above the screen. Nice look for a movie theater, no?
Heck, there wasn’t anything I didn’t like about the Boyd, lights and all! Even the smaller chandeliers that hung from the main ceiling on either sides of the screen added a touch of class. Another question: what were those 14 circular plaster designs called that hung directly above the stage? Always intruigued me.
We all would hate to see the demise of the Boyd (like the Spectrum!) but what I would give to own one of those fixtures if they began selling off the interiors. Before the Milgram was demolished, people were buying its wall fixtures. They weren’t ornate, but very ‘70s chic. I’m surprised nobody bought the old Goldman vertical bow-tie-looking wall fixtures (too big, I guess) but they were my faves.
And what is the proper name of the circular motif centered above your head on the balcony underside? 30th st. Post Office has one of them at each entrance, as did the Boyd, Nixon, Fox, and a few other theatres. In some places it was encased in class, others not.
My wife thinks I’m nuts because she doesn’t quite share the same enthusiasm we do for places such as the Boyd. For her, a theatre was just a theatre. She went to see the film and not much else. But even as a child, I was fascinated by 3 things other than the actual film: the ray of light extending from the projectionist’s booth onto the screen, the lighting fixtures within the auditorium, and the credits rolling with the curtains closed (I still think that’s terribly cool!)
Speaking of lighting, the present-day hanging circular fixtures beneath the Boyd balcony — they’re “upgrades,” aren’t they? They look too modern for the Art-Deco period. Always wanted one for my dining room, with orange & white lights and a dimmer of course.
Has anyone mentioned SenSurround yet? Forgive me if it has, but I heard it was discontinued because the vibrations were causing cracks in walls and other damage to the theatres in which it was utilized. Any truth to that? The only two movies I can recall that used that SenSurround system were “Earthquake” and “Rollercoaster,” and I believe it may have been used for parts of “Towering Inferno” but not sure. Help?
Let’s say that the Boyd is saved from the wrecking ball, and a company is hired to begin and/or finish the rehabilitation. How closely do you feel they can restore the building to its former glory? Also, how much work actually remains to be completed (percentage-wise)? Let’s just hope that there are enough blueprints and quality photos from yesteryear to aid the artists in breathing new life back into this wondrous facility.
Can remember riding the bus and seeing the workmen beginning to demolish this place — that’s my only memory of it. Does anyone know anything about “Theater 1812” on Chestnut St.?
We didn’t get to this theatre until the late ‘60s after it had been modernized. I recall the drop-ceilings with fluorescent lighting mounted above them, yet the bulbs weren’t visible from the floor (trust me, as a kid I looked for them!) and always thought the decor was really cool. Hated when Roy Rogers took it over, but at least it still kinda resembled a theatre (remember the giant red neon RR sign where the screen was?) And Mandee’s just destroyed the place. ARRRGH!
That was the beauty of growing up in West Philly during the late ‘60s thru mid '70s — The Capital. It was “the place to be” for good movies especially if you didn’t want to travel to Center City. I lived one block away on 53rd & Thompson. The big neon “CAPITAL,” the unusual zigzag auditorium, the wondrous curtains, the popcorn, the cheesy Kung Fu flicks (Enter The Dragon!) Yeah, sweet memories!
My mom and I were there one day in the early ‘70s and my neighbor had to buy a ticket just to come get us because our washer overflowed and water seeped over into their house. The last movie I saw there was “Scarface” in '84.
I too was there when they were selling contents of the theatre. I vividly recall a woman who either bought or was very close to buying the golden railing that lead to the balcony area. I purchased – and still own – my initials from the marquee at $2.50 each. Took a stroll around the balcony area and up to the projectionist’s booth because my mom never wanted to sit that high! Darn it — where were digital cameras in 1980?
Hi, everyone. Call me crazy, but I adored those “vertical bow tie” lighting fixtures inside the auditorium. They emitted an orange glow during the film, then white during intermission. And above it were two floodlights (yecch!) on each fixture. When they were demolishing the place in ‘84, I stood on the steps of the old Meridian Bldg. and watched part of my childhood vanish before my eyes. Among the films I saw there were “Claudine,” “Meatballs,” and “The Dirty Dozen.” It was probably my 2nd-favorite theater (Boyd, #1!)
And yes, when it “twinned,” it was horrible. We could hear the audio of the film next door through the wall, and they had the nerve to paint the wall color from dark green to white.