Theater has been sold to Downtown Development Group LLC; they plan to renovate and present concerts, comedy shows and movies. Tribune Chronicle story here.
Follow-up article says that the landlord needs to close the theater to do structural work on the plaza around the building. They claim that it will reopen as a cinema at some point.
Last ad for the Guild in the Tribune looks like February 22, 1964, with “Lost Souls” and “Nature’s Playmates” on the screen. By April the venue was presenting live theater as the Hull House Sheridan, which appears to have lasted only through the end of that year.
Last day of operation as a cinema was September 19, 1985 with “American Ninja” and “Teen Wolf,” both of which were also playing at suburban theaters. Plitt’s advertising for the Chicago at the end seems to have become sporadic at best—on the Saturday before the closing, their display ad notes an all-night Bruce Lee marathon at the Chicago but does not mention what might have been playing at other times. A Tribune story on the day after the finale alludes to $2.50 tickets and lots of martial arts films, so it’s likely that the theater was no longer a true first-run house.
On the front of that sign it Looks like it says “Sun Ray Drugs,” which was a drugstore chain based in Philadelphia at that time. Possibly the drugstore took over the theatre space?
Philly.com story on downtown Westmont includes a picture of the theater. Planet Fitness has moved in, keeping the marquee but apparently changing the colors.
A 2008 Shreveport Times article says that at the center’s opening the two auditoriums were named the Grand Theater (135 seats) and the Celebrity Theater (49 seats).
Yes, the Stanley Warner theater chain was spun off from the studio by 1951. The full corporate history isn’t easy to trace, but in 1967 Stanley Warner was acquired by Glen Alden Corporation, which already owned RKO Theatres and combined the two chains as RKO-Stanley Warner. Some time later another merger created RKO Century Warner, which was acquired by Cineplex Odeon, which eventually sold its US holdings to AMC. By then I suspect that virtually all of the original Stanley Warner properties had been sold off or closed, but if The Saturday Evening Post could trace its history back to Ben Franklin’s print shop then I suppose you can say that AMC is Stanley Warner’s successor.
The picture reminds me so much of the Chicago Theatre and the Loop Theater—the little semi-storefront just to the right of the huge palace. Wonder if anybody thought to play the Schwarzenegger/Devito “Twins” in one of these.
Judging by the Street View, this building was demolished sometime between October 2016 and June 2017.
Daniel Talbot died yesterday (12/29/17). He was in his early 90s and had been married to Toby Talbot for 68 years. Variety obit here.
Theater has been sold to Downtown Development Group LLC; they plan to renovate and present concerts, comedy shows and movies. Tribune Chronicle story here.
Follow-up article says that the landlord needs to close the theater to do structural work on the plaza around the building. They claim that it will reopen as a cinema at some point.
The future of the Uptown: as murky as ever. Crain’s Chicago Business story here.
Last ad for the Guild in the Tribune looks like February 22, 1964, with “Lost Souls” and “Nature’s Playmates” on the screen. By April the venue was presenting live theater as the Hull House Sheridan, which appears to have lasted only through the end of that year.
Last day of operation as a cinema was September 19, 1985 with “American Ninja” and “Teen Wolf,” both of which were also playing at suburban theaters. Plitt’s advertising for the Chicago at the end seems to have become sporadic at best—on the Saturday before the closing, their display ad notes an all-night Bruce Lee marathon at the Chicago but does not mention what might have been playing at other times. A Tribune story on the day after the finale alludes to $2.50 tickets and lots of martial arts films, so it’s likely that the theater was no longer a true first-run house.
February 11-17, 1966. The features are “Hell Is For Heroes,” “Apache Uprising” and “5 Branded Women.”
On the front of that sign it Looks like it says “Sun Ray Drugs,” which was a drugstore chain based in Philadelphia at that time. Possibly the drugstore took over the theatre space?
Hidden City Philadelphia updates the Lansdowne’s status, with current pictures and one vintage photo.
Theatre to close September 13; building sold, new owners will convert it to a commercial and residential complex. CBC story here.
New marquee has been installed; local news site on Facebook has several posts with pictures.
In memory of Adam West, here’s a shot of the premiere of the 1966 Batman movie at the Paramount.
Pretty sure the corner panel says “KID SHOW SAT 2 PM” but the other panels are just too blurry for me, even when zoomed.
Philly.com story on downtown Westmont includes a picture of the theater. Planet Fitness has moved in, keeping the marquee but apparently changing the colors.
A 2008 Shreveport Times article says that at the center’s opening the two auditoriums were named the Grand Theater (135 seats) and the Celebrity Theater (49 seats).
A change in operators here as Live Nation signs a 10-year lease; they’ll begin hosting concerts in July. Delaware Online story here.
Mazie in 1946. Identified as “Maise, Queen of the Bowery” on this page of post-WWII New York photographs, about halfway down.
March 29-April 11, 1972.
Delsea Drive runs from the DELaware River to the SEAshore.
Yes, the Stanley Warner theater chain was spun off from the studio by 1951. The full corporate history isn’t easy to trace, but in 1967 Stanley Warner was acquired by Glen Alden Corporation, which already owned RKO Theatres and combined the two chains as RKO-Stanley Warner. Some time later another merger created RKO Century Warner, which was acquired by Cineplex Odeon, which eventually sold its US holdings to AMC. By then I suspect that virtually all of the original Stanley Warner properties had been sold off or closed, but if The Saturday Evening Post could trace its history back to Ben Franklin’s print shop then I suppose you can say that AMC is Stanley Warner’s successor.
Looks like this one is now occupied by The Friendship Circle, an organization for people with special needs.
The picture reminds me so much of the Chicago Theatre and the Loop Theater—the little semi-storefront just to the right of the huge palace. Wonder if anybody thought to play the Schwarzenegger/Devito “Twins” in one of these.
Here is the story on the demolition. This piece says that the building was essentially gone by December 2016.
Signage proposals for the renovation: They’re going for a 1930s look.