Astor Theatre
722-728 W. Girard Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19123
722-728 W. Girard Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19123
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp.
Architects: John Adolph Emil Eberson
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Nearby Theaters
The Germantown Theatre was built in 1905 as a legitimate playhouse on the corner of W. Girard Avenue at N. Franklin Street. In later years it operated as the American Theatre, Astor Theatre and Lyric Theatre and presented Yiddish plays. It ended its days as a movie theatre, and was was demolished.
In it place rose this late John Eberson-designed theatre opened in 1940 as the Astor Theatre, operated by Warner Brothers. The opening movie was “It All Came True” starring Ann Sheridan & Humphrey Bogart. The theatre could seat 1,422, all on a single level. Interior decorations were carried out by Rambusch Inc. The Astor Theatre closed in the 1970’s and was razed in August 2016.
Contributed by
Bryan
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
Was mentioned by Bob Hope on the Dick Cavett Show DVD.
The phillyhistory.org site places this 1961 photo at N. 7th and Girard. It looks like there is a Girard Theater at that spot, but it’s hard to tell exactly.
http://tinyurl.com/qa76zt
If memory serves, a cartoon version of the Astor showed up in an animated Bill Cosby special in the ‘70s. Bill and friends had to go under the terrifying Ninth Street Bridge to get home after watching a movie there. I think the cartoon Astor looked reasonably like the picture shown here, with the name at a point up at the top.
To kencmcintyre, The Girard theater was in the 600 blk of Girard Ave on the north side of the street and the Astor was in the 700 blk of Girard Ave on the south side of the street. To RickB, I remember going to the Astor with my brother at the age of 9 or 10, and it was scary going under the 9th St bridge. It was so dark even during the day. And the stories about the green/turtle lady hiding under it added to the terror.
Article about demolition- http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/northern-liberties/blighted-building-will-disappear-at-franklin-girard
Rebuilt and reopened on June 19th, 1940. Ad uploaded.
The last mention in the archive is a help wanted ad on May 29th, 1974.
When we’d visit my grandparents at 7th & Poplar in the early-to-mid 1950s. I’d often go to the Astor. I remember seeing Mickey Spillane’s ‘I, The Jury’ and also ‘The Maze’ in 3D, both in 1953, when I was 8 years old.