Merben Theater
7145 Frankford Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19135
7145 Frankford Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19135
4 people
favorited this theater
Showing 18 comments
The Merben Theater was opened on August 16, 1950 with “The Big Hangover.” It closed with the Philly favorite, “Rocky,” on October 6, 1977.
I saw Jaws there when it first came out in 1975. It played there for a year right before the theatre closed. I remember that cavernous auditorium well. There was a terrible thunderstorm that day, and it made the movie even more scary! Tomorrow I’m going to see it again on the big screen for the 40th anniversary, although I’ll be 3000 miles away from where I first saw it. It’ll be awesome!
Grand opening ad at http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%2023/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer%201950/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer%201950%20a%20-%202420.pdf
also in the photo section
Funny,I saw “OLIVER” with my Cousin when visited me in Georgia from Ohio.
I saw “Oliver” at the Merben when I was a kid visiting my cousins in NE Philly. I recall it being a decent sized theater in relativly good shape at the time. I do remember it being on the narrow side which limited the size of the screen, especially for ‘scope presentations.
Sam’s son Merton ran the Sameric Corporation after Sam died. A grandson, Eric died young & was memoralized by the naming of so many of the theaters as Eric. I don’t about others.
I read in the MIDWAY Theater entry that MERBEN name came from the first three letters of his sons' names.
Magaziner was the architect. Shapiro was the client. The Boyd theater later knew Shapiro as he who bought it in 1971 for the Sameric Corporation. Irv Glazer’s hardback book on Philadelphia theaters makes clear that Shapiro was the client.
I agree with Jack. The Merben was completely razed and a parking lot occupies what was auditorium area. The walkway between the existing buildings was the entrance/boxoffice area.
I didn’t know that the Concord Roller Rink was NOT a theater. It looks as though it was converted into a roller rink.
Nearly the entire Merben building was taken down for use as a parking lot. The storefronts along Frankford Avenue that were in front of the Merben were kept. The Merben was at 7145 Frankford Ave. The Mr. Storage place at 7049 used to be the Concord Roller Rink. I understand the Concord was originally planned to be a theater, but was actually built specifically for use as a roller rink. (I spent many Saturdays in the 70s at the Concord and the Merben.)
For what its worth, 7049 Frankford was sold in September 2005 for $1.2 million.
Either way, this theatre was ,as I recall, that Sam Shapiro owned seperately from his Sameric Theatres chain.
The 2 Sam Shapiro theatre building owned propteries, the Midway Theatre and the Uptown Theatre, were leased to Pacific Theatres' RKO Stanley Warner Theatres division, until they closed, in the Midway’s case, 1977-79.
hdtv267, Is the storage building at 7149 the old skate rink? It looks like it was a movie theater at one time. rg
hdtv267, I was on Frankford Ave. today and the Merben is the medical office. The next block down at 7149 is a building with the marquee made over and what appears to be the lobby the entrance to the storage area which would be the aud. IS this the old skate rink. rg
The shell of this theatre is a storage center with the upright sign still there. The name MERBEN is gone. The medical center is next to it.
The property is now a medical office building and parking lot.
Saturday May 6.1961 this theatre was playing “BEN HUR” Exclusive N.E. showing. 2 Shows 1:30 and 8pm. Roadshow engagement. rg
i have 2 great memories of the MERBEN THEATER.in the early 70’s they screened “the alamo” and “gone with the wind”.i wasn’t around in 1940 so seeing “gwtw” on the big screen was a great thrill.
I remember a large projection booth positioned below the balcony but elevated off of the orchestra floor. There were also television sets on view in the downstairs lobby for those who wanted to view this latest wonder. It didn’t go out with a whimper, though. One of its final attractions, “One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest,” ran for what seemed to be months on end.