Pal Theatre

The 450-seat Franklin Theatre opened at 400 S. Main Street on January 16, 1913 showing motion pictures and operated by John Franklin. John T. White took on the Franklin Building housing the theater, hotel, and restaurant switching the name in September of 1916 to the Savoy Building including the Savoy Theatre. The theatre was closed for a month in July of 1920 for remodeling. In early May of 1928, the Savoy Building was sold and on May 12, 1928, the Savoy Theatre had its final shows likely reaching the end of a 15-year lease. The theatre was gutted and became a Chevy dealer and ends this cinema treasure’s run as Parmyra was getting a newly-created theater nearby. The Savoy Building would also house Lewis Brothers Funeral Home — the second undertaker in the premises — taking over the hotel portion. In the 1970s, the building was razed and became the Palmyra State Bank.

The Pal Theatre launched on May 9, 1928 at 305 S. Main Street with live shows and then had its first motion pictures taking over the Savoy’s bookings just days later. It was housed in the former Best Brothers' Hardware Company building and converted for use as the Pal. In February of 1930, E.H. Wiesner took on the Pal equipping it with sound using Vitaphone. In 1932, James H. “Oscar” Wesley purchased the theater closing it for three months to make improvements including Synchrofilm to replace disc-based sound. He kept the theater until 1951 when Frank Reller of Reller Theatres took on the Pal.

The Pal and the Franklin/Savoy have no connection in terms of their building or address but the Pal did become Palmyra’s Theatre taking over the Savoy’s bookings.

Note: Previous name listed as Savoy Theatre is in error.