Movies
1154 Main Street,
Hellertown,
PA
18055
1154 Main Street,
Hellertown,
PA
18055
4 people
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Opening night:
Found on Newspapers.com
This reopened as The Movies on September 5th, 1968. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/sauconvalley/mc-hellertown-theater-dental-office-20150415-story.html
Head on shot uploaded.
(The Morning Call, December 14, 2003) Historic Hellertown movie theater gets new owner at auction – CFO for prior owner vows not to tear down art deco-style building.
By Matt Assad Of The Morning Call
The Movies building in Hellertown sold for $117,000 at auction Saturday, but the sale didn’t move the Main Street landmark any closer to renovation.
Then again, it didn’t move it any closer to demolition either, because it was bought by Ramzi Haddad, the chief financial officer for the building’s owner, Abe Atiyeh.
Atiyeh, a Bethlehem developer and owner of several senior housing complexes, bought the 1940 theater last year for $160,000, and Haddad said he was simply protecting the investment.
“You can’t even buy a house for a $117,000.” Haddad said. “I have to think about what I want to do with it, but I know I’m not going to tear it down.”
That’s what Rosana Rao wanted to hear most. Rao is a Hellertown gallery owner who has been looking for civic-minded investors to revive the 500-seat, 8,000-square-foot theater.
“Well, at least this gives us more time to put together a group that can save it,” said Rao, who has organized a group to try to save it. “This is better than letting it fall into the hands of someone who wants to tear it down.”
People from around the region once flocked to what was then known as the Sauconia after it was built by John Kofler in 1940. The art deco-style theater remained open until Kofler’s daughter, Elle, died early last year.
But in recent years the theater, which seats almost 600, had trouble drawing crowds, with its leaky roof staining the ceiling and walls, and its inefficient heating system keeping the place at a temperature more suitable for hanging meat.
Atiyeh bought it last December, with plans to turn it into a community center where bingo and school plays could be held. He replaced the roof and made a few repairs, but he abandoned the planned renovation and decided to sell it at auction.
The noon auction drew more than 50 people, but only a few serious bidders.
Auctioneer Joe Setton starting the bids at $300,000, but it was clear the dilapidated building wouldn’t fetch that when the first bid didn’t come until Setton dropped the number to $50,000. For five minutes, Angel Bas of Hellertown and Ed Hill, a Hellertown paving and excavating company owner, outbid each other, driving the price up to $110,000.
That’s when Haddad jumped in with rapid-fire bids, each time upping Hill’s price, and sending a clear message that Hill was not getting the building unless he went much higher.
Hill wouldn’t do that.
He said if his bid had won, he would have explored all options, including demolition.
Bas said he planned to turn it into an upscale restaurant and dinner theater that could have opened as quickly as 30 days after closing the sale. Bas said he hopes in the coming months to find other partners and approach Atiyeh and Haddad with a new plan to buy it from them.
“I know we can save it,” Bas said. “We just need a chance.”
Sued them over a leaky roof? What an evil old lady.She must have the owner of the Highway 21 Drive-in in Beaufort,S.C.also.
Now that is streamline for sure,thanks for the photo.
From Hellertown an undated postcard view of the Sauconia Theatre.
a film clip of the theater here http://www.vimeo.com/15182257
<iframe src=“http://player.vimeo.com/video/15182257” width=“400” height=“300” frameborder=“0”></iframe><p>“The Movies” theater Hellerttown PA from Winfield Heckert on Vimeo.</p>
Was the creepy Basement full of old one sheets? I hit a Gold mine in an “OLD CREEPY BASEMENT” in the MILLER THEATRE.
I worked at this theater sometime in I think 1997 or 98. First of all, though I liked the theater, the owner (an old woman named Ellie or something) had let the place fall into serious disrepair. She had even rejected offers by the local Vo-Tech kids who had volunteered to fix the ceiling for free. It seems she harbored some disillusions about how the theater was going to be saved, or maybe she just didn’t care. She seemed to love the Theater, but she paid us all less than minimum wage and everyone hated her. The last movie I worked during was “Rugrats: The Movie.” Creepy basement, horrible rest rooms.
This theater is clearly seen in the motion picture “The Florentine.” I believe it is Chris Penn who is seen walking in front of it.
The seats and equipment were removed and sold several years ago. I think that the owners had planned on making it a banquet hall. It is art deco on the outside and rather plain on the inside. It seems to me that 35mm film reels were used as wall sconces in the auditorium.
A photo of the theatre as the Sauconia:
View link
Does anyone have info for the current owner. Im interested in this building.
Thanks
Nice little theatre, I attended an auction there a few years ago. At the auction a fellow who owned a Pizza Hut put a bid in and then another guy bid and bought the theatre and it turned out to be the existing owner of the theatre? I was in town awhile ago and in the store front on the right appeared to be new projection/platter equipment? does anyone know the status of the theatre?
I had the opportunity to tour this theater during spring of 2003. Repairs had recently been completed to the roof area of both the auditorium and lobby. The current owners had completed some interior work in the lobby area to repair damage done due to the leaking roof.
The theater restrooms are located on opposite sides of the auditorium, in the basement. Both were in total disrepair. The art deco auditorium had dark red seats that appear to have been installed during the 1950 era, many were in good condition. Much of the auditorium was in pretty bad shape, many ceiling tiles were missing and water stains along both walls, although the owners were beginning to repaint the walls white. The screen and sound system were gone. The HVAC system did not appear to work. There was still an old projector in the booth but it appeared to be in pieces.
The building also has two small storefronts on the left and right side of the lobby. These were in very poor shape, mostly from the previous roof leak. The storefronts would probably work as new restrooms for the auditorium.
Unsure what the owners have planned although they were considering some type of community center.
Another small image can be seen View link