Regent Theatre
1019 Parade Street,
Erie,
PA
16503
1019 Parade Street,
Erie,
PA
16503
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Located in an area close to downtown, the Regent Theatre opened in December 1920, and closed in 1959. New management took over in 1960 and it soon began screening adult movies. It ended its days as an adult theatre closing in 1973.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
This theater was demolished years ago. At the end it was showing “Art” films and was really in a deplorable condition. The story goes that a patron had a heart attack during a show and the fire department was called, this was before paramedics. When the house light went on, the fire chief looked around and immediately shut the place down, it was that bad. This was sometime in the late 50’s or early 60’s and it was demolished soon after.
We went to this movie theater in the 40’s. It was our neighborhood theater, it was called the rat house. Everyone knew when you said you were going to the rat house you were going to see a movie. You could be sitting there and all of a sudden you would feel something furry on your ankles. Kids being kids we started the rumor of rats in the Regent, hence its name. What we did feel walking through were actually a cat. Admission was 25 cents. To the left of the theater was a store, in this day and age it would be called a convinience store. We would go in and for a quarter you could get 5 full size candy bars or a wonderful full bag of penny candy that usually sold 2 for a penny. What a bonaza that was, lasted through the double feature, serial, and cartoon. Yes, your parents got rid of you for a whole Saturday or Sunday afternoon. What fond memories, rats and all. LOL
This was the first theater in Erie to show X rated movies in the early 1960’s. At that time no one would admit going there.
Depends on one’s definition of “X rated” Barely R rated, at least in 1967. Very tame. The marquee had the words “Art Movies First Run” Just movies of girls undressing down to undies with background music playing. Most patrons smoked. I suspect there might have been illegal activity in the men’s room. I heard the place burned down.
A photo of the Regent Theatre in Erie appeared on page 4 of the November 20, 1920, issue of the regional trade journal Pittsburgh Moving Picture Bulletin (link.) The caption notes recent improvements to the house costing $22,500, so it had probably already been in operation for some time.
The first ad for the Regent appeared on December 3rd, 1920 and closed in 1959. New management reopened it in 1960 and started to show adult movies later in 1960 until it closed in 1973. Ads posted.