Jordan Theatre
52-54 Shenango Street,
Greenville,
PA
16125
52-54 Shenango Street,
Greenville,
PA
16125
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 52 comments
Once again C.T. Has helped me Identify a theater from photos I took years ago. I have added those shots to the photo section. Thank you once again C.T. !
Undated photo added courtesy of Sid Terror’s Haunted Film Vault Facebook page.
I also grew up in Greenville and still live here although i was not born till 1963 some 20 odd years after the Jordan was built i saw many films there seeing these pictures brought back the memories of a child’s amazement and wonder of going to the movies thank you i thought i’d never see it again in my lifetime.
I grew up in Greenville, and still live no more than 25 miles away…..Chuck, you are right….back in the day this was a very nice theater….seeing the pictures of it certainly takes me back!
No,no i just saw the movie mentioned and I remember us playing at a General Cinema that i was the assistant manager at. A lot of these movie titles you forget and then you see them pop up on CT.
Mike, you were the manager at the Jordan back in 1982?
THat 1982 picture with"SIX PACK" playing brought back memories,that is the only movie that we sold standing room only.thank goodness the Fire Dept, wasn’t around. I mean people paid 3.50 a seat to see Kenny Rogers and a bunch of kids.AND STOOD UP.
Joe: The Jordan model photo was fascinating to see! It’s just a shame the community doesn’t still have this lovely art moderne theatre.
A photo of a model of the Jordan Theatre was published in Boxoffice, January 5, 1946. The new theater was “…to be dedicated this month” the caption said. The architect of the Jordan was the prolific Victor A. Rigaumont.
Chuck: Thanks.
“Key features include double doors w/circle windows (3 circles on each door)….” My hometown theatre which was a Blatt Brothers theatre had this same original door description though they were replaced with more modern doors in the 60’s before it was demolished in the 80’s.
ken mc:I’ve been told by a fellow CT member that the Blatt Brothers were out of Pittsburgh PA.
Here is an item dated 11/9/04 from the Valley Independent:
Theater Named for Veteran to be Razed
GREENVILLE (AP) â€" A movie theater named for the first Greenville resident killed in World War II will be rubble by Veterans Day. Crews began preparing the Jordan Theater for demolition on Monday, and workers were to demolish the building today and Wednesday.
Opened in 1946, the theater was named for Cpl. James Jordan. Greenville’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3374 is also named for Jordan. The 1,200-seat theater has been vacant since the 1980s.
From Boxoffice magazine, May 1950:
GREENVILLE, PA-The Jordan Theater will offer no further films here on Sunday. Earlier, representatives of the Greenville Ministerial Association petitioned Blatt Brothers, operator of the theater, asking that Sunday shows be discontinued. The Jordan had been operating each Sunday in violation of the Sunday referendum. Manager Gilbert Cooke had paid a $50 fine each week for six weeks. The petition to theater owners was signed by nine local churches, and seven from surrounding areas.
The Jordan is featured with several b/w photos on Cinema Tour. The PA community of Greenville has forever lost their “gem”. And this summer I plan to pay Greenville a visit to see just where this theatre once proudly stood.
I just sent an email to the President of the Greenville Historical Society, Marie Julian. If you wish to read what I wrote, my email is
Greenville is in Mercer county.
Here’s a link to their Historical Society.
http://www.greenvillehistoricalsociety.org/
http://cinematreasures.org/news/12281_0_1_0_C/
And I wonder what is on that piece of land now?
It is either Erie or Venango County. Greenville is south of Erie PA about an hour. The round circles in the front doors were so art deco, too. Such a shame that Greenville has now lost that theatre to the ages.
Patsy… What county in Pa. is Greenville located in? Any idea? The reason I ask is. If one would write the historical society of that county, they may have photos of the Jordan. Maybe more then what are on CinemaTour. I tried this with the counties in my area of Pa. Also I wrote the the historical society of San luis Obispo in California for pictures on the Fremont..still waiting for those.
The photo of the interior glass block wall was very unique and so art deco.
JBaker: Interesting post and nice to read that you married a candy girl and are still married to this day. Wish the Jordan had done as well as the community lost a unique art deco theatre. Have enjoyed seeing the posted photos of this theatre on Cinema Tour.
I grew up in Greenville and worked as an usher at the Jordan from 1972 thru 78. I also spent many hours up on a ladder changing the letters on the marquee. This was the best job a kid in Greenville could have. Many of my friends worked there and we all hung out at the theater when we weren’t working. Of course I fell in love with a candy girl and we are married to this day.
The Jordan had seen better days when we worked there but it was obvious that it was once a beautiful theater. It had many Streamline / Art Moderne architectural features including port hole windows in the doors and a multicolor lighted glass block wall along the rear of auditorium. Many of the interior and exterior surfaces were curved with rounded edges. A picture of Corporal Jordan who the theater was named after hung in the lobby.
The movie screen was curved and advertised as a “Giant Curved Screenâ€. Truth be told, the manager told me that it was ordered too large so they had to put a curve in to make it fit. I remember the projection booth had a couple of big old Simplex projectors with arc lamps. My friends and fellow employees spent a good bit of time in the booth when we weren’t working and the projectionist would let us do “change overs†from one projector to the other.
I’d love to see any pictures you have or to hear from any other former employees.
Brothers Charles and John Blatt were still running the Jordan in 1963, according to the motion picture almanac of that year. The Blatts also operated the Mercer Square Theater in Greenville. I don’t believe that theater is listed on CT as of yet.