Towers Theatre
714 South Broadway,
Camden,
NJ
08103
714 South Broadway,
Camden,
NJ
08103
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Last day of commercial operation was March 3, 1953, with “Montana Belle” on the screen. The next night, a Hadassah group used the theater for screenings of an Israeli film, “Faithful City.” After that the Towers was permanently closed.
December 23rd, 1939 grand opening ad posted as well.
I show it opening in on November 23rd, 1914
Towers opening Sat, Nov 21, 1914 – 12 · Courier-Post (Camden, Camden, New Jersey, United States of America) · Newspapers.com
The Towers opened in 1912 by Newton Rodney and likely had a 20-year lease or two 10-year leases closes unsuccessfully in 1931 during the Depression. The Ellis Circuit wanted to open a new theater and — during a major period in theatre renovation in the late 1930s around the country, they decided to refurbish the Tower. It reopened on December 24, 1939 and was architected by David Supowitz of Philly. Varbalow Circuit took on the struggling theatre which finally closed as the TV era was underway in 1953. The theatre was razed in 1955.
Here is another repaired link for the dvrbs photo:
http://tinyurl.com/53zv33
I would say “lost cause”.
Ken, are there still many beautiful old buildings in downtown Camden that someday could be restored like in Detroit and Buffalo or is it a total lost cause like in East St. Louis, Illinois and Gary, Indaina?
Status should be closed/demolished:
Broadway stretches through the heart of Camden, a wide street lined with struggling shops and rotting rowhouses, a three-mile tour of desperation and lost hope. Prostitutes flit between vacant stores and abandoned banks, plying an older form of commerce, while drugs are sold on side streets. The old Towers Theater at Broadway and Pine has been replaced by a Citgo gas station. This road has been down a long time – many of the businesses that didn’t burn during the 1971 riots fled.
I have posted newspaper ads from 1928 and 1942 on my website. The name in the ads is TOWERS. Likewise, the 1950 photograph shows TOWERS on the marquee. I do not believe that at anytime the Camden theater was known as the TOWER…. a look at the building shows TWO!!!
If I come across an newspaper ad with the TOWER name, I will notify Cinema Treasure at once.
There is, of course, a TOWER theatre across the river on 69th Street in Philly/Upper Darby.
New page up as of 4/5/04 www.dvrbs.com/CamdenNJ-Movies-Towers.htm
Phil Cohen
Camden NJ
Architects: Hoffman-Henon Co.
Another postcard (1920):
View link
Photo from 1950:
View link
Managed by Lee F. Harvey, 1940-1950
Different editions of Film Daily Yearbook give several seating capacities:– 1941;1,200, 1943;1,700 (both edition give the name of the theatre as the Towers) and the 1950 edition has the Tower Theatre with 1,420 seats.