Bristol Riverside Theatre

120 Radcliffe Street,
Bristol, PA 19007

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Bristol Riverside Theatre (Official)

Additional Info

Architects: T.R. Remer

Firms: Hoffman-Henon Co.

Functions: Performing Arts

Previous Names: Bristol Theater, Bristol Art Theatre

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 215.785.0100
Manager: 215.785.6664

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Bristol Riverside Theatre

Replacing an older Riverside Theatre which was destroyed by fire in the mid-1930’s. The 648-seat Bristol Theater was built in 1937, opening of February 9, 1938. In 1966 it was renamed Bristol Art Theatre and became an adult cinema which closed in 1984. Renovated and reopened in 1986 as Bristol Riverside Theatre.

Contributed by Bristol Riverside Theatre

Recent comments (view all 4 comments)

jackferry
jackferry on March 4, 2006 at 6:28 am

This renovated theater has a website at www.brtstage.org

My grandmother worked selling tickets at the Bristol Theater in the early 1970s when they showed porn. As she used to say “Well, the money’s clean.”

acer42
acer42 on July 17, 2007 at 8:25 pm

The Bristol Theatre opened on February 9, 1938. It replaced the old Riverside Theatre which was closed following a fire in the mid 30s. The theatre was built by the Soblosky’s under the Grand Amusement Company which also operated the Grand Theatre in Bristol. The architect was T. R. Remer who was associated with Hoffman-Henon of Philadelphia. The theatre’s capacity was more like 850, not the 302 that’s listed above. When the theatre opened in 1938, it became the Paramount, Columbia and Republic film exhibitor in Bristol with a few sub-runs from the Grand Theatre.

I attended this theatre from 1950 until the early 60s. The first film I saw here was “King Solomon’s Mines”, a M-G-M film that normally would have played the Grand. But around 1950, film distribution arrangements changed, and a few M-G-M titles played the Bristol, this being one of them. During the 50s, the Bristol Theatre became the principal theatre in town as the Grand slipped into oblivion. In 1966, the theatre became the Bristol Art Theatre showing porn for another 18 years. It closed and was again resurrected as the Bristol Riverside Dinner Theatre which has been very successful.

Matthew Prigge
Matthew Prigge on May 20, 2012 at 2:55 pm

The article linked by Ken says the final program here include Up, Up, and Away… this film was also on the final bill of Milwaukee’s X-Rated Princess theatre.

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