Parkwood Twin

Academy Road and Byberry Road,
Philadelphia, PA 19154

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Additional Info

Architects: John T. Brugger Jr.

Functions: Retail

Previous Names: Parkwood Theatre, RAM Parkwood Twin Theatre, Premium Parkwood Twin Cinema

Nearby Theaters

Parkwood Theatre Artist's Rendering.

Located in Northeast Philadelphia in the Parkwood Shopping Center. The Parkwood Theatre was opened on July 22, 1964 with Shirley MacLaine in “What a Way to Go”. It had 1,400-seats and was equipped to screen 35mm & 70mm films. It was twinned in 1980 and operated as a dollar theatre. It was closed in 1981 as the RAM Parkwood Twin. It reopened as the Premium Parkwood Twin Cinema and by 1983 it was operating as the Parkwood Twin Cinema. It was closed on November 29, 1984 and converted to retail use.

Contributed by Robert Batchelor

Recent comments (view all 13 comments)

Michael R. Rambo Jr.
Michael R. Rambo Jr. on February 25, 2005 at 11:54 pm

When the Leo Theatre closed its doors in the 1980’s, it was not owned by Leo Posel at that point. In 1980 Leo Postel sold the Leo Theatre to American Multi-Cinema Inc. (AMC Theatres), thus marking AMC’s entetry in the Philadelphia region, along with them buying the Bucks County Mall Colonial Theatre, The Premiere Theatre, and The Woodhaven Mall 4 Theatre.

Parkwood, when it finally closed, was owned by RAM Theatre, which also owned, at that point, The Wavery Theatre in Drexel Hill, PA

JamesCraven
JamesCraven on August 29, 2005 at 4:39 am

Today, the area where the Parkwood once was has shops and offices.

Michael R. Rambo Jr.
Michael R. Rambo Jr. on August 29, 2005 at 6:33 pm

These stores, including Rite Aid, and offices were built right in the Parkwood Theatre building. I lived in Parkwood back in 1973-90 when this theatre was opened and when this conversion to stores and offices took place.

john daggett
john daggett on March 28, 2010 at 8:28 pm

This theatre was originally privately owne & was dated prior to the failure of Liberty Bell Race Track. I managed this theatre in the mid 1960’s. This was prior to me joining Mert & Sam Shapiro & their Sameric (ERIC) Theatre Corporation.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on April 25, 2014 at 11:45 pm

Just added an artist’s rendering.

TheALAN
TheALAN on February 9, 2015 at 8:39 pm

In what style was the Parkwood Theatre designed and who were the architects? Also, when in the 1970’s was it twinned and when in 1985 did it close? Please share if you can, and thanks!

Do
Do on July 17, 2021 at 9:48 pm

In the beginning,it was part of a partnership controlled by Messed. Abel,Levison and Koff who also operated the Lawrence park (Broomall) which later was operated by Sameric, and the Keswick (Glenside) which was managed by RAM after the death of Mel Koff in 1976,as well as the Theater 1812 in Center City. Lawrence Park is now a Barnes and Nobles, the Keswick a live concert venue and 1812 is now part of Boyd’s men’s wear store.

rivest266
rivest266 on October 22, 2021 at 3:07 am

This opened on July 25th, 1964

dallasmovietheaters
dallasmovietheaters on March 5, 2022 at 2:29 pm

The Parkwood Theatre was announced late in 1963 in the 1962-built Parkwood Manor Shopping Center anchored by an A&P grocer. The 1,400 seat single-screen theatre had 70mm capability and a Colonial design for Robert Theatre Corp. It was a $450,000 suburban built by Leonard Shaffer Co. John T. Brugger was the architect of the theater.

The venue became the Parkwood Twin Theatre operating as a discount house in 1980 and closed as the RAM Parkwood Twin Theatre in 1981 which had experimented with first-run films. It was reopened as a sub-run discount house under the Premium Parkwood Twin Cinema nameplate with “The Twilight Zone.” It received a minor refresh in 1983 with new silver screens as the Parkwood Twin Cinema.

The twin departed after 20 years at end of lease on November 29, 1984 with “American Dreamer” and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” (The theatre missed on opportunity to close with its opening film - the appropriately-titled, “What a Way to Go.”) In 1986, the space was converted for other retail purposes by the Korman Co. in a $1 million overhaul.

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