State Theatre
39 E. Main Street,
Newark,
DE
19711
39 E. Main Street,
Newark,
DE
19711
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The Newark Historical Society has the two large STATE (theater) signs. The National 5 & 10 store on Main Street, periodically displays the STATE signs in their large windows.
Many times, my wife and I were the only people for a show…remember Fellini’s Armacord in particular. The projectionist yelled down to make sure we were comfortable during the previews. Before the theater was torn down, the “destruction” company opened up the back wall and gave the public 1 hour to take anything that was left. I personally loaded the center front row of seats (row of 6) into my pickup; but, have no documentation as verification (other than the original gum under the seats). There was a large art-deco clock (φ 3') high on one wall that I would have loved to take. I remember it was the first thing the wrecking ball hit. Ouch!
The last manager of the State Theater would go on to own the chain of video rental stores called Video Americain. Newark had one of the locations with two more in the Baltimore area. Unfortunately, the chain closed in 2014.
On most Saturdays during the early sixties my parents would give us kids $.50 each ($.25 for the movie and $.25 for candy). Loved that old theater and lots of good memories. Sad that it was torn down.
The July 6, 1929, issue of Motion Picture News said that the new State Theatre in Newark, Delaware, had been designed by Philadelphia architectural firm Hoffman & Hennon.
My mother and father in law met at the State Theater prior to dating. They did get married, had 6 daughters and are still married and alive as of July 5, 2014.
I fell in love with Haley Mills in 1962. I was 9 years old and she stared in the film “the Castaways"at the State Theater. What a great place to watch a Saturday Matinee. Abbot & Costello, Jerry Lewes,old cowboy movies. My dad went there as a kid too. After the movie we would go to the Delux Grill next store for a cherry soda. Newark was great back then. Fell sorry for the kids now. Can’t have memories like we did.
The NRHP nomination form for the State Theatre says that it opened in May, 1929. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The State Theatre was built by Louis Handloff, who had operated a small theater on Main Street called the Hanark for several years. He closed the Hanark Theatre when the State opened. Handloff also bought the Newark Opera House, an 1885 theater that sometimes showed movies during the silent era.
An organization called Video Americain says that they operated the State Theatre as a repertory cinema from 1979 until mid-1986.
clockwork orange showed here in Summer of 1980…
Nice picture.
The State was built around 1935 & fitted out for vaudeville as well as movies. It was a handsome house, but lack of maintenance put it in physical decline by the Seventies. Under David Bartholomew, and then Barry Solan, it played great films through the early Eighties. There were also live stage shows, including George Thorogood several times. Through some pretty crappy real estate machinations it was allowed to go vacant & deteriorate further before being torn down. The site sat vacant for years as the “Field of Dreams” before a mini-mall went up. Another loss for Newark, which never really seemed to care about its historic buildings anyway.
My grandfather, William Clancy was the manager of the State Theatre in Newark for at least 30 years. My dad said he remembered seeing the famous cowboys of the time with their horses on stage at the State Theatre.
There is another 1981 photo on this site:
http://tinyurl.com/n5hdjh
I made the drive several times down from Wilmington as a high-school student in the late-‘70s, early '80s to catch revival fare. I believe I saw A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and CASABLANCA there, as well as several midnight showings of Rocky Horror. Yeah, I remember seeing preview after preview for THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME, typical college student fare for a revival house. Was there an oculus in the facade of the theater or the interior? Maybe I’m just remembering a round art-deco mirror in the interior. I believe the State was the sole revival house in Delaware at the time ('70s-'80s).
The State was quite popular with the college students. From time to time, I remember seeing music acts being presented. (I believe I saw the Kiss Clones playing there one night. I am not certain, but I believe there was some sort of skylight system over top of the stage that had been painted black in later years.
The theatre was closed and there were two mysterious arson related fires, with the second fire creating enough damage to “justify” tearning down the popular landmark.
I love it! Great picture…I bet my mom went there around this time (she was around 10 then)…it is a real shame that a group didnt take an interest and try to refurbish the theatre…
Here is a photo circa 1950:
http://tinyurl.com/6esw8o
Thanks for the info…It really stinks that it was torn down!