Falls Theatre
3721 Midvale Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19129
3721 Midvale Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19129
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Located in the northwest Philadelphia district of East Falls. The Midvale Theatre was opened by November 1914. By 1930 it had been renamed Falls Theatre and was equipped for ‘talkies’. It operated as a last run movie theatre until closure in 1939.
It was then used as a grocery store and later utilised for light manufacturing and warehousing. By 2019 it was in office use for computer programmers BuLogics Stratis.
Thanks to Irvin Glazer for information from his hardback book on Philadelphia Theatres A-Z, and to Jay Farrell of Philadelphia for his research.
Contributed by
Howard B. Haas
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Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
This was likely a converted fraternal hall that operated as a silent film theatre called the Midvale from 1914-1929 in its silent era and the Falls Theatre from 1929 to 1939 as a sound venue on a 25-year lease. George Bennethune Theatre Circuit took on the operation of the venue in 1919 with Henry Martin managing almost the entire ten years ending its silent operation.
The venue then operated the final ten years on its lease as a sound theatre in the East Falls neighborhood as the Falls Theatre. Operators Charles Goldfine decided to build a New Falls Theatre nearby - a streamline moderne venue - to better accommodate sound films. During planning, however, that building project became the Alden Theatre launching in 1939. It would operate all 30 years of its 30-year lease and has its own Cinema Treasures page. The former Midvale / Falls Theatre was auctioned off on August 16, 1939 becoming a grocery store.