Lyceum Theatre

Joe Vogel on November 16, 2019 at 5:15 am

The Lyceum Theatre was in operation by 1908, and is listed in the 1908-1909 edition of the Cahn guide as a 771-seat ground floor house. The Lyceum is listed at 213 Market Street in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory. Two other movie houses were listed at Kittanning; The Electric Theatre, also on Market Street, and the Grand Theatre, no location given. The Lyceum was the subject of this item in the September 30, 1916 issue of The Moving Picture World:

“Kittanning’s Lyceum Reopens.

“Kittanning, Pa.—After undergoing an extensive remodeling process, the Lyceum theater, Kittanning, Pa., has been reopened to the public with high class feature pictures exclusively. The improvements to the house cost $15,000 and include much new equipment of the latest type, In addition to beautiful decorations throughout. A more convenient and up-to-date seating arrangement has been installed and the gallery removed. The theater was formally opened under very auspicious circumstances and all indications point to a successful business. Andrew Condoleon is the owner and W. J. Marrian, a well known Pittsburgh man, is house manager of the Lyceum.”

It seems likely that the opening of the new Wick Opera House in 1913 forced the Lyceum, formerly a stage house, to reorient its programming to moving pictures.