I went to college in West Philadelphia. I probably walked by this building numerous times, not realizing it was a theater at one time. That part of Lancaster Avenue wasn’t the best neighborhood in the early eighties. I don’t know what it’s like now.
In 1963, the Capitol was operated by Rome Theaters, a Baltimore-based chain. Other theaters in the chain at that time, all in Baltimore, were the Apollo, the Broadway, the Harlem, the Leader and the Rialto.
The Plaza was part of the Earle C. Strebe chain in the early seventies, along with the Palm Springs Theater and the Ramon Drive-In in Palm Springs. Strebe also ran theaters in Big Bear Lake, Crestline and Lake Arrowhead at that time.
The Ritz was part of the Fred T. McLendon chain in the early seventies. I’m not sure from the history here whether the Brewton sign was first up during the transformation to community bulletin board. Did it ever actually operate as the Brewton Theater?
Here is an April 1950 ad from the Oakland Tribune:
http://tinyurl.com/2qxcqs
Here is a 1949 ad from the Waterloo Courier:
http://tinyurl.com/2nbpbm
Here is a 1949 ad from the Waterloo Courier:
http://tinyurl.com/2u45d8
Here is a 1949 ad from the Waterloo Courier:
http://tinyurl.com/2qfqh8
Here is a 1949 ad from the Waterloo Courier:
http://tinyurl.com/2qaawe
Here is a 1949 ad from the Charleston Daily Mail:
http://tinyurl.com/2nvbut
Here is a 1949 ad from the Charleston Daily Mail:
http://tinyurl.com/2bvkty
Here is a June 1943 ad from the Marion Star:
http://tinyurl.com/267t8a
Here is a 1950 ad from the Sheboygan Press:
http://tinyurl.com/288n9c
Here is a 1950 ad from the Shebogan Press:
http://tinyurl.com/298hh9
Here is a 1951 ad from the Joplin Globe:
http://tinyurl.com/2lcrxw
Here is a May 1950 ad from the Progress, a local paper:
http://tinyurl.com/yv85ls
Status should be closed.
The Strand was part of the Schine Circuit in the early sixties.
I went to college in West Philadelphia. I probably walked by this building numerous times, not realizing it was a theater at one time. That part of Lancaster Avenue wasn’t the best neighborhood in the early eighties. I don’t know what it’s like now.
In 1963, the Capitol was operated by Rome Theaters, a Baltimore-based chain. Other theaters in the chain at that time, all in Baltimore, were the Apollo, the Broadway, the Harlem, the Leader and the Rialto.
Rome Theaters was the operator of the Harlem in the early sixties. President was H. Paul Rome.
Listed as the Los Altos in the 1970 motion picture almanac. Operator was Sunny-Mount Theaters, William B. David president.
It was listed as the Sunnyvale in the 1970 motion picture almanac. The operator was Sunny-Mount Theaters out of San Francisco.
The Campbell was listed in the 1970 motion picture almanac. It was part of Sunny-Mount Theaters, a San Francisco-based chain.
The Plaza was part of the Earle C. Strebe chain in the early seventies, along with the Palm Springs Theater and the Ramon Drive-In in Palm Springs. Strebe also ran theaters in Big Bear Lake, Crestline and Lake Arrowhead at that time.
It looks like nine screens according to the website. Did it lose a screen during a remodel?
The 1970 motion picture almanac lists the Lake and Peter Pan Drive-Ins in Big Bear Lake as operated by Earle C. Strebe Theaters of Palm Springs.
Correct. It appears that your information was accurate for once. 8)
The Ritz was part of the Fred T. McLendon chain in the early seventies. I’m not sure from the history here whether the Brewton sign was first up during the transformation to community bulletin board. Did it ever actually operate as the Brewton Theater?