Aurora Theatre

The Aurora Theatre opened in November of 1910 as a neighborhood movie house & vaudeville theatre in North Central Philadelphia seating 600 patrons. Manager F.K. Moulton-Plessner made the trade magazines in 1915 for inventing a new approach to screen lighting which made for brighter presentations at the Aurora Theatre.

The Aurora Theatre transitioned to sound and would come under the operation of the Viola Theatre Company run by David S. and Mary M. Moliver. The couple also operated the Regis Theatre and the Viola Theatre. The Aurora Theatre was modernized twice in 1932 and 1947 taking on the New Aurora moniker briefly after each refresh.

Of the Moliver’s theatres, the Viola Theatre was the first to close at the end of 1947. The Regis Theatre and Aurora Theatre had such steep drop-offs in 1950 that the Molivers declared bankruptcy closing their remaining two theatres. In court, they blamed the advent of television for the lack of patronage. The Regis Theatre closed in August of 1950. The last advertised show at the Aurora Theatre was September 10, 1950 with a double-feature of Zorita in “I Married a Savage” and Wallace Ford in “Freaks”. The Aurora Theatre’s closure also appears to coincide with the expiry of a second, 20-year leasing period.

After failing to find a new owner, the Viola Theatre was auctioned off in 1952. The Aurora Theatre and the Regis Theatre became houses of worship which were the buildings' functions as of the 2020’s.

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