There is no current building. If you’re going by the map on this page, it’s completely wrong; this theater was much farther uptown and would have been torn down for the construction of the Showboat, if not before. Since St. Charles Place no longer exists, Google probably just put a marker at some random spot on the Boardwalk.
What is the 36 Broadway/Devon trolley car doing at 119th Street on the South Side? Just taking its regular route that began at 119th & Morgan and ran about 25 miles, mostly on State Street and Broadway until it ended at Devon. This through-routing appears to have lasted from 1937 to 1955, when buses replaced streetcars on the State Street segment. So if you didn’t like the attraction at the Normal, you could go see what was playing at the Granada…
Here is an issue of the Reading Eagle with a story on the demise of the theater on Page 1 and some of its history on Page 3. The fire that put the theater out of business came on May 19, 1978; the November 20 fire mentioned in the description just caused a little more damage to the ruins.
As for James Maurer, per the story he was operating the theater as a burlesque house in 1964, when he and two strippers were arrested in a raid. Sometime between 1974 and 1976 he bought the theater building; he is reported to have leased it to a Trenton, New Jersey company in September 1976, leading to the return of burlesque at the Park. However, Maurer must have still been involved in the operation of the theater as he was arrested in another raid in January 1977. On May 3, 1978, the city declared the theater and the adjoining Daniel Boone Hotel unfit for human habitation. Maurer appealed the ruling and both businesses stayed open, but the fire rendered the appeal moot.
The other picture in the photo section shows the flip side, which reads “GOOD FOR ONE ADMISSION.” So it’s a token—maybe a freebie, maybe something you had to drop into a turnstile for entrance.
An entrepreneur wants to open a “tattoo and gallery” business in the theater building; looks like it would be in what was once the entrance area. Philly.com story here.
I’ll take a guess at what might have been playing: Loretta Young in “The Accused” with Robert Cummings, and “The Countess of Monte Cristo” (Sonja Heine’s last feature).
Vineland Development Corporation is now operating the theater, basically renting it to promoters for shows. This philly.com story is about downtown Vineland in general, but has a few paragraphs about the Landis.
Last day of operation: September 19, 1963. Last features were “The Great Escape” and “Never Let Go.”
New official web site.
There is no current building. If you’re going by the map on this page, it’s completely wrong; this theater was much farther uptown and would have been torn down for the construction of the Showboat, if not before. Since St. Charles Place no longer exists, Google probably just put a marker at some random spot on the Boardwalk.
Sale expected to close soon, not to Carranza but to some unidentified party. Another DNAInfo story here.
For some reason that link goes to the page just before the targeted page. Scroll down, folks, I’m not messing with it any more.
Another try for a link to the nice view of the front.
For some reason it was very hard to select that URL without getting more characters than I wanted, or fewer. Anyway, here’s a clickable link.
“Hyde Pk.”? They couldn’t afford an A and an R? Now, Williamsburg, that you can use an abbreviation for…
Link to the demolition story. Link to a second-day reaction story.
What is the 36 Broadway/Devon trolley car doing at 119th Street on the South Side? Just taking its regular route that began at 119th & Morgan and ran about 25 miles, mostly on State Street and Broadway until it ended at Devon. This through-routing appears to have lasted from 1937 to 1955, when buses replaced streetcars on the State Street segment. So if you didn’t like the attraction at the Normal, you could go see what was playing at the Granada…
The tattoo shop is a non-starter, at least for now.
Ballroom dance studio and banquet hall planned for the Alvin; renovations scheduled to begin by month’s end. DNAInfo story here.
Irene: Here is the page that explains how to make links on Cinema Treasures.
Studio Movie Grill opens today.
Here is a reminiscence from a member of the family that owned the theater in the 1940s and ‘50s.
Here is an issue of the Reading Eagle with a story on the demise of the theater on Page 1 and some of its history on Page 3. The fire that put the theater out of business came on May 19, 1978; the November 20 fire mentioned in the description just caused a little more damage to the ruins.
As for James Maurer, per the story he was operating the theater as a burlesque house in 1964, when he and two strippers were arrested in a raid. Sometime between 1974 and 1976 he bought the theater building; he is reported to have leased it to a Trenton, New Jersey company in September 1976, leading to the return of burlesque at the Park. However, Maurer must have still been involved in the operation of the theater as he was arrested in another raid in January 1977. On May 3, 1978, the city declared the theater and the adjoining Daniel Boone Hotel unfit for human habitation. Maurer appealed the ruling and both businesses stayed open, but the fire rendered the appeal moot.
The other picture in the photo section shows the flip side, which reads “GOOD FOR ONE ADMISSION.” So it’s a token—maybe a freebie, maybe something you had to drop into a turnstile for entrance.
Another step toward the demolition.
Blog post with an ad from the day after the opening and a circa 2011 picture here.
An entrepreneur wants to open a “tattoo and gallery” business in the theater building; looks like it would be in what was once the entrance area. Philly.com story here.
What Philly’s getting in place of the Boyd: a 27-story apartment tower. Inga Saffron of the Inquirer has absolutely nothing good to say about it.
I’ll take a guess at what might have been playing: Loretta Young in “The Accused” with Robert Cummings, and “The Countess of Monte Cristo” (Sonja Heine’s last feature).
Vineland Development Corporation is now operating the theater, basically renting it to promoters for shows. This philly.com story is about downtown Vineland in general, but has a few paragraphs about the Landis.
Alderman has OKd a plan to convert the theater into a storage facility and turn its parking lot into a park. DNAInfo story here.
Named by Landmarks Illinois to their 2015 Most Endangered Historic Places list.