Manos Theater

I watched movies there in the early 60’s. I remember Paul Shannon from the Pittsburgh TV show Adventure Time who came ther to promote the “Magic Sword” movie. Also, entertainment would set up on the street corner by the theater. One act was a guy who would wrestle animals in a circus cage.

Through the 1940s, Boxoffice sometimes hyphenates the name of this theater, sometimes calls it the Harris Manos Theatre or Harris' Manos Theatre, and sometimes just calls it the Manos Theatre. The theater was built by Michael Manos in 1939, and then leased to the Harris Amusement Company until 1949.

The November 8, 1939, issue of Boxoffice reveals that the Manos Theatre was designed by architect Victor A. Rigaumont. Arnold Picchi of Tuckahoe, New York, was the decorator. Both John Harris and Michael Manos were present at the opening night ceremonies, November 7, 1939.

The March 18, 1949, issue of Boxoffice ran an item about the Manos circuit which included the information that the Harris circuit’s lease on the Manos Theatre in Jeannette would expire on October 1, and that Manos would then take over operation of the house. After 1949, Boxoffice always calls the house the Manos Theatre, and the name Harris never appears in conjunction with it again.

The overview says the theater was on Clay at 5th Street, so the address currently given is wrong. The only modern building near Clay and 5th is on the northeast corner, so that must be where the theater was. The building there now has a 5th Street address, but the theater’s address was probably 421 Clay, extrapolating from the address of the flower shop up the block at 415.

The Manos Theater in Jeannette suffered major damage in a fire on January 10, 1979, according to a front page article in The Jeannette News-Dispatch issue of January 11, 1979. At the time, the theater was showing “National Lampoon’s Animal House.”

I remember in 1968 when I lived up on Wylie Ave they set up a music booth on the street right next to the Manos Theater. They played Richard Harris song MacArthur Park over and over again. I don,t know if it was some kind of promotion or what, but I really liked that record. I was 15 years old and liked music then more than movies. I think the Graduate movie was playing at the Manos then, but not positive about that. Funny thing tho, I never went to see a movie at the Manos, we only lived in Jeannette a short time, but I liked the town then. I had cousins who lived there then, so I came back to visit now and then. It’s a shame now what the town looks like and what it’s become. Does anyone else remember the music booth when it was next to the Manos.