New Oakland Theatre

The Oakland Theatre was built during the Great Depression by Adolph Zukor, the founder of Paramount Pictures. On December 13, 1930, the Evening News of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania announced ground had broken the day prior on the new $3,000,000 theater. Based on the comment above, it looks like it didn’t last long if it was indeed gutted by February, 1932. I’ve added a photo of the New Oakland Theatre, which also shows the original Oakland Theatre right next door. In the photo, you can see both the old Oakland Theatre and the New Oakland Theatre buildings, and note the spelling of the word Theatre is consistent with both venues. The New Oakland Theatre was operating at least by July 29, 1932, when the Lebanon Daily News reported that Lina Basquette, Hollywood actress fell off the stage of the New Oakland Theatre while appearing on a vaudeville tour with Jack Dempsey, the one-time heavyweight champion boxer. The photo I’ve added shows the New Oakland Theatre was time-bombed on April 30, 1934, allegedly due to labor disputes. There were four theaters bombed that evening; the Arcadia Theater, 823 East Ohio Street, North Side; the New Oakland Theater, 213-215 Atwood Street, Oakland; the Atlas Theater, 2603 Perrysville Avenue, North Side; and the Colony Theater, 720 Broadway, West Park. In this same photo, it is apparent that the old Oakland Theatre is still for sale, and movie posters are hanging over the building’s facade, along with a for sale sign beneath. You might just be able to make out the movie poster at the top left; it is for the 1933 MGM film Dinner at Eight, which featured eight stars including Marie Dressler, Lionel & John Barrymore, Jean Harlow and others. The fact that the original Oakland Theatre is also missing its facade could suggest it too was bombed. The Pittsburgh Press reported on May 10, 1934 that there had been a rash of theater bombings in Pittsburgh in the early 1930s, when at least 17 theater bombings took place.