Keswick Theatre
291 N. Keswick Avenue,
Glenside,
PA
19038
291 N. Keswick Avenue,
Glenside,
PA
19038
5 people
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The theater also played Young Frankenstein, The Exorcist and other 1st run films.
I was an usher here from 1973-1975. Films we played included The Sting, A Touch of Class, American Graffiti. Worked there for Me. Mel Koff,who taught me a lot about the film business. He was a great guy to work for.
Facebook page fore the Keswick Theatre, spelled “re”. Old photos in their photos page.
https://www.facebook.com/TheKeswickTheatre/?tn-str=k*F&hc_location=group_dialog
^ You’re welcome.
Thanks Michael Coate for that wonderful compilation!
HowardBHaas… I believe you’re mistaken about the Keswick. A 3-projector run of “Windjammer” is cited in the Showcase Presentations in Philadelphia article if you want playdate details.
Mel, who owned the theater gutted the booth and installed the euipment for cinarama. I was their. My father made all the signs for the theater inside and out. This WAS after its run in Philly
NO, the Boyd was the only 3 projector true Cinerama venue in the Phila area.
Don’t forget when Cinarama left Philly it later came to the Keswick. The 35mm projectors were taken out and the 3 system cinarama was installed.
Hey veyoung52, it was called the Warren theatre in 1960 when Windjammer played there in Atlantic City. It was supposed to start July 29, 1960. In the same month I also see articles about it being demolished in the fall 1960.
From the Montgomery News:
After opening its doors in 1928, the Keswick Theatre has become a favorite historical landmark in Glenside. To help make sure the theater is part of the community for years to come, it is undergoing renovations, which began June 25.
More at: http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2012/07/30/glenside_news_globe_times_chronicle/news/doc501690d431cda398420019.txt?viewmode=default
I am glad that this beautiful theatre was able to be saved and is supported so its future looks good.
2 June 1956 Box Office magazine (can find online) p 99 has a photo of Keswick auditorium redone after fire
On August 4 1990, I was the driver of the tour bus that brought Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd to the Keswick during what may have been their last east coast tour by motorcoach. The band at that time was conducted by Frank Tiberi, and tickets went for $17.00 and $14.00.
I not only got to hear this great band play every night for about 3 weeks, but I also got to play frisbee with them in the parking lots as well!! Quite a gig!
Also have an excellent photo of the poster in the front theater showcase, as well as a front theater view with the band’s name on it – leave a reply should you like me to e-mail them to you.
The original organ in the theatre was an Aeolian Organ – 3 manual 11 ranks – Opus 1689 . It was installed in 1928. The current organ is
a Moller Organ, Opus 5230 , installed as 3 manuals 19 ranks in the Sedgwick Theatre, Mt. Airy ,Pa. in 1928.
There is a new book, just published by Arcadia in the ‘Images of America’ series “The Keswick Theatre” by Judith Katherine Herbst.
It tells the history of the theatre from opening to present day with over 160 historic photographs.
Nice close up of marquee:
View link
what a treasure. beautiful, intimate setting to see a wide array of entertainment. every bit as good as philly’s tower theater, w/o the traffic hassle. get there 90 minutes before show time, have a nice meal and beverage of choice at one of the very close by eateries, and pretty much just drive away after the show is over. because of the limited seating (approx 1500) traffic concerns are nil. wish I would have ‘discovered’ this gem earlier. have seen such names as: george carlin, traffic, buddy guy, jonny lang and others. look forward next month to seeing the madman himself-ian anderson with jethro tull. accessibility is pretty good, ‘bout 10 minutes from the penn turnpike. do not miss out on an opportunity to check this place out if given one
Correction: that’s Warner, not Warren in Atlantic City. And at that time the Lancaster Opera House was the King.
More techno-history: National Theatres, distributor of the 3-panel CineMiracle film “Windjammer,” booked the film into several Philadelphia-area theatres after its run at the Boyd. With 3 portable interlocked 35mm 6-perforation projectors in the regular booth, “Windjammer” was shown at the Keswick (probably without CineMiracle’s tradmark mirror system) on a flat screen that covered the entire front wall. A single “combined” track was used that mixed down the original 6 channels of sound. It ran concurrently at what is now the Opera House in Lancaster, PA and the Warren in Atlantic City.
The Keswick Theater and the little row of shops adjoining it are designed in the Tudor Revival style. (I don’t have a photo to submit, but the official website at www.keswicktheater.com has a few pictures.)
I grew up in the Glenside area of Pennsylvania and watched many movies at the Keswick in the late 1960s, including my first James Bond picture (“You Only Live Twice”.)
Incidentally, we called it “kes – wick”. It wasn’t until years later that I visited the lake district in England and found that the “proper” pronunciation is “kes – ick.”