Lyric Theater
548 W. 18th Street,
Erie,
PA
16502
548 W. 18th Street,
Erie,
PA
16502
1 person
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This was one of two main neighborhood theaters in what was largely an Italian neighborhood, the other being simply called the Eighteenth Street Theater (see entry).
The Lyric Theater opened in July 1915, and operated thru to 1954.
Contributed by
David Stear
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
The Lyric was actually one of three theaters in a two block stretch of W 18th St. It was a small theater, seating maybe a few hundred in a very long and narrow auditorium. The building also contained apartments above the theater. In its day, it was known as the “Ranch House” due to all the western movies shown there. Kids got in for 10 cents and you got a penny candy as ‘change". when CinemaScope came along in 1953, the LYric closed because it was too small and it was too expensive to upgrade. The American Theater just down the block closed about the same time for the same reasons. The 18th Street Theater, the largest of the three, continued showing movies until 1961. It is now a warehouse. The other two were torn down years ago.
My great grandfather, Harry Hammond was the manager of the Lyric Theater for many years. His son, my grandfather, Theodore E Hammond helped him. Their family lived in one of the apts above the theater. I hope to find a photo of the Lyric Theater
I was going through microfilm and found out that this theatre originally opened in July 1915. The ad simply states it as the “New Theatre”. I’ve posted three things regarding this information in the pictures section.
Does anyone out there know if there were long tapestries hanging in the lobby of the Lyric?
Ads for the Lyric stopped in 1954