Breeze Theatre

The Point Breeze Theatre was announced in April of 1911 and was a low budget independent venue playing vaudeville and movies. It changed operators prior to launch. The South Philadelphia venue opened on Christmas Day 1911 for Fred G. Nixon-Nirdlinger Circuit with vaudeville acts including Rand’s Musical Dogs and new motion pictures. The opening advertisement said it was “The big theatre with the little entrance” with all seats located on a single floor.. Though not confirmed, the original architect appears to have been E. Allen Wilson.

The venue was redesigned by architect Charles F. Schaef in 1922 and included a new Wurlitzer “K” photoplayer as the operation moved more toward presenting motion pictures and de-emphasizing vaudeville. Two new Simplex projectors were installed in the refresh. The Point Breeze was co-operated with the Pastime Theatre two blocks away. Robert H. and Rose J. Hexter operated the sound era Point Breeze Theater which became the Breeze Theatre.

In 1940, the Hexters were part of two lawsuits against major film distributors. One suit was about monopolistic booking practices and the other was over a studio’s refusal to book “All Quiet on the Western Front” after an agreement had been reached.

The theatre’s 30-year lease appears to have lapsed in 1941 and was renewed incorporating a major makeover. The theatre was one of a group of theatres to receive a Streamline Modern style refresh in 1941 to the plans of architect David Supowitz.

The Breeze Theatre is believed to have been overtaken by the A.M. Ellis Theaters Co. chain in around 1944. The Breeze Theatre was closed on April 13, 1952 with Richard Basehart in “Decision Before Dawn” & George Reeves in “Superman and the Mole Men". It was razed and the site became a parking lot and gas station.

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