The RKO Stanley Warner’s Stanley theatre was closed in early 1970. the last movie to play at the Stanley was “Viva Max”. After it closed, RKO Stanley Warner had only 2 theatres left in Center City Philadelphia, The RKO Stanley Warner’s Palace Theatre, and The RKO stanley Warner’s Boyd Theatre.
The RKO Stanley Warner’s Palace Theatre was closed in 1971. The RKO Stanley Warner’s Boyd Theatre was sold to Sam & Merton Shapiro’s Sameric Theatres Corporation on November 1, 1971, and reopened on December 14, 1971 as “Sameric Theatre”.
I believe the Sameric Theatres Corp. opened the addition that housed auditoriums #2 and #3 in late 1982 or early 1983.
When ROCKY III opened in 1982, it was still called “Sameric Theatre” When Return Of the Jedi opened in May 1983, it was now called “Sameric 3 Theatre”.
By the time ROCKY IV opened in 1985, it was “Sameric 4 Theatre”, with the original RKO Stanley Warner’s Boyd Theatre, now called “Sameric 4 Auditorium #1” still intact.
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.
I never disputed the that this theatre was a Budco Theatre. Before 1974, The Inquirer didn’t list the Budco Theatres as “Budco xxxx”, they listed them as “xxxx”.
They didn’t do this for General Cinema until 1975, they were listed from 1970 to 1975 as “Cinema xxxx” or “xxxx Cinema”, but it confused someone who would think a particular theatre was owned by Budco Theatres or General Cinema Corporation.
The only reason the Sameric Theatres were listed as “Eric xxxx” is because they had the Eric name on the front of their theatre, with the exception of the King Theatre and the Terminal Theatre, not counting the center city theatres.
The former REG Crossbay I 3 Theatre is closed. The REG Crossbay II 7 Theatre is still open, and as on 8/25/2005, was showing: The 40 Year Old Virgin, Red Eye, Valiant, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, Four Brothers, The Great Raid, and The Skeleton Key.
If Budco operated this theatre, they why are newpaper ads from 1943 to 1963 has this listed as a Stanley Warner Theatre?
The Inquirer also has this theatre listed as shuttered in 1970, between the months of July and December.
Budco, along with General Cinema, Gulf States, and soon, Loews Cineplex (Loew’s, Cineplex Odeon, RKO Century Warner, Plitt, Walter Reade) are a part of AMC Entertainment Inc. (AKA Durwood Theatres, AMC Theatres)
Does anyone know if the singage on the Union Square Stadium 14 says Regal, or if it stills says “United Artists”?
Some of the ads for films in the NY Post still list this as UA Union Square Sttadium 14, but the main listing list it as “Regal Union Square Stadium 14”.
Either way, i’d just call it “REG Union Square Stadium 14”
The Ambler was never mentioned in the Philadelphia Inquirer from the 1970’s as a Budco theatre. It was always mentioned as a Stanley Warner or a RKO Stanley Warner theatre. I am not disputing what the Ambler’s website said.
The REG Montgomeryville 7, as well as the AMC 309 Cinema 9 Theatre that further down on Rt. 309, are examples of old movie theatres that are still operating. (REG Montgomerville 7 opened as Eric Montgomeryville Theatre, the AMC 309 Cinema 9 opened as Budco 309 Cinema Theatre, on the same grounds with the Budco 309 Drive In
A theatre that used to have really good popcorn was the UA Sameric 4 Theatre, when it was owned by Merton Shapiro’s Sameric Theatres Corporation. Also the former Parkwood Twin Theatre had really good popcorn, as well as the long-gone UA Feasterville 4 Theatre, when it too was owned by Sameric.
the AMC/Loews combine will most likely sell off the E-Walk 15. The AMC Empire 25 is one of AMC theatres top theatres, along with the AMC Neshaminy 24 (in Bensalem) and the AMC 30 In The Block (in Orange, CA)
The interior of the Cinema I & II (GCC Northeast 4) is pretty much demolished from the fire, but the outside is still standing. This eyesore should be demolished.
It safe to say the Los Angeles area won’t have to sell off any of the AMC or Loews Cineplex theatres, since neither chain is the dominant chain in the La market. the same can’t be said for Chicago, NYC or Boston.
In Boston, AMC and Loews Cineplex are the two dominant players in the market and after the merger, will own all the theatres in Boston.
In NYC, Loews Cineplex is the dominant player (through mergers with Walter Reade and RKO Century Warner), and AMC has 2 theatres (The AMC Empire 25 Theatre and the AMC (Former GCC) Bay Plaza Cinema 13 Theatre.
Out in Philadelphia, a former Cinerama theatre is being restored. the RKO stanley Warner Boyd Theatre, which was also known as Regal Entertainment Group’s United artists Sameric 4 Theatre. This cinerama house (it was one of the first cinerama theatres on the east coast, along with the RKO Stanley Warner’s Warner Cinerama & Penthouse Theatre.
Sameric’s auditorium #1 was the former Boyd Theatre, which had all incarations of Cinerama until it was moved in the late 1960’s to William Goldman’s Randolph Theatre (which closed in 1971 with Tora! Tora! Tora! as the last film).
It would be great if a cinerama style theatre was built in Philadelphia, that uses cinerama, imax, 70mm, 35mm and digital formats.
Irvin R. Glazer’s book: Philadelphia Theatres has the Northeast 4 Theatre opening in 1955. He also has Goldman’s Andorra opening in 1962 and Goldman’s Orleans opening in 1963, and GCC Franklin Mills 10 opening in 1991. I know for fact that GCC Franklin Mills 10 opened after April 1990, but before July 1990, so i would assume his imformation was wrong.
When the Mainstreet / RKO Missouri was converted into the Empire I & II, AMC Theatres was then known as Durwood Theatres. From 1963 to 1969 this theatre was known as Durwood’s Empire I & II. After 1969 it was AMC Empire Twin, and in 1980 the AMC Empire 4. 6 years after the AMC Empire 4 closed, AMC opened the AMC Empire 25 Theatre in New York City.
There are only 2 theatres that National Amusements had built in “The Bridge” concept, The Bridge 17: Cinema De Lux and IMAX Theatre, in Los Angeles, CA, and The Bridge 6: Cinema De Lux, on the SW corner of 40th and Walnut Streets in Philadelphia, PA.
The Eric’s Place Theatre is still rotting away. Nobody wants to build inside the theatre. The two theatres near it were converted into other uses, the Arcadia Theatre in now a Mandees womens store, and the Stanley Warner’s Karlton / William Goldman’s-Budco-AMC Midtown Twin theatre is now the Prince Music Theatre.
City Cinemas website still has the demolished Sutton Twin listed.
Playing at Cinema 1, 2, 3 this past week: The Brothers Grimm, Must Love Dogs and Wedding Crashers.
The RKO Stanley Warner’s Stanley theatre was closed in early 1970. the last movie to play at the Stanley was “Viva Max”. After it closed, RKO Stanley Warner had only 2 theatres left in Center City Philadelphia, The RKO Stanley Warner’s Palace Theatre, and The RKO stanley Warner’s Boyd Theatre.
The RKO Stanley Warner’s Palace Theatre was closed in 1971. The RKO Stanley Warner’s Boyd Theatre was sold to Sam & Merton Shapiro’s Sameric Theatres Corporation on November 1, 1971, and reopened on December 14, 1971 as “Sameric Theatre”.
I believe the Sameric Theatres Corp. opened the addition that housed auditoriums #2 and #3 in late 1982 or early 1983.
When ROCKY III opened in 1982, it was still called “Sameric Theatre” When Return Of the Jedi opened in May 1983, it was now called “Sameric 3 Theatre”.
By the time ROCKY IV opened in 1985, it was “Sameric 4 Theatre”, with the original RKO Stanley Warner’s Boyd Theatre, now called “Sameric 4 Auditorium #1” still intact.
I just looked at the Willy Wonka ad, and it list this theatre as National General’s Raceway Cinema.
The Sameric Theatres chain was owned by Sam and Merton Shapiro. The name “Sameric” came from Sam Shapiro, and his grandson Eric, who died in 1971.
RKO Stanley Warner’s Midway theatre was owned by Sam Shapiro, so was RKO Stanley Warner’s Uptown Theatre.
Today, the legacy of Budco Theatres and Sam & Merton Shapiro’s Sameric Theatres lives on as AMC Theatres and Regal Entertainment Group Theatres.
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.
I never disputed the that this theatre was a Budco Theatre. Before 1974, The Inquirer didn’t list the Budco Theatres as “Budco xxxx”, they listed them as “xxxx”.
They didn’t do this for General Cinema until 1975, they were listed from 1970 to 1975 as “Cinema xxxx” or “xxxx Cinema”, but it confused someone who would think a particular theatre was owned by Budco Theatres or General Cinema Corporation.
The only reason the Sameric Theatres were listed as “Eric xxxx” is because they had the Eric name on the front of their theatre, with the exception of the King Theatre and the Terminal Theatre, not counting the center city theatres.
The former REG Crossbay I 3 Theatre is closed. The REG Crossbay II 7 Theatre is still open, and as on 8/25/2005, was showing: The 40 Year Old Virgin, Red Eye, Valiant, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, Four Brothers, The Great Raid, and The Skeleton Key.
If Budco operated this theatre, they why are newpaper ads from 1943 to 1963 has this listed as a Stanley Warner Theatre?
The Inquirer also has this theatre listed as shuttered in 1970, between the months of July and December.
Budco, along with General Cinema, Gulf States, and soon, Loews Cineplex (Loew’s, Cineplex Odeon, RKO Century Warner, Plitt, Walter Reade) are a part of AMC Entertainment Inc. (AKA Durwood Theatres, AMC Theatres)
REG Crossbay II 7 Theatre is now the only Crossbay theatre still open. The REG Crossbay I 3 Theatre (Randforce’s Crossbay Theatre) closed 6/23/2005
Does anyone know if the singage on the Union Square Stadium 14 says Regal, or if it stills says “United Artists”?
Some of the ads for films in the NY Post still list this as UA Union Square Sttadium 14, but the main listing list it as “Regal Union Square Stadium 14”.
Either way, i’d just call it “REG Union Square Stadium 14”
The Ambler was never mentioned in the Philadelphia Inquirer from the 1970’s as a Budco theatre. It was always mentioned as a Stanley Warner or a RKO Stanley Warner theatre. I am not disputing what the Ambler’s website said.
The REG Montgomeryville 7, as well as the AMC 309 Cinema 9 Theatre that further down on Rt. 309, are examples of old movie theatres that are still operating. (REG Montgomerville 7 opened as Eric Montgomeryville Theatre, the AMC 309 Cinema 9 opened as Budco 309 Cinema Theatre, on the same grounds with the Budco 309 Drive In
A theatre that used to have really good popcorn was the UA Sameric 4 Theatre, when it was owned by Merton Shapiro’s Sameric Theatres Corporation. Also the former Parkwood Twin Theatre had really good popcorn, as well as the long-gone UA Feasterville 4 Theatre, when it too was owned by Sameric.
the AMC/Loews combine will most likely sell off the E-Walk 15. The AMC Empire 25 is one of AMC theatres top theatres, along with the AMC Neshaminy 24 (in Bensalem) and the AMC 30 In The Block (in Orange, CA)
The interior of the Cinema I & II (GCC Northeast 4) is pretty much demolished from the fire, but the outside is still standing. This eyesore should be demolished.
It safe to say the Los Angeles area won’t have to sell off any of the AMC or Loews Cineplex theatres, since neither chain is the dominant chain in the La market. the same can’t be said for Chicago, NYC or Boston.
In Boston, AMC and Loews Cineplex are the two dominant players in the market and after the merger, will own all the theatres in Boston.
In NYC, Loews Cineplex is the dominant player (through mergers with Walter Reade and RKO Century Warner), and AMC has 2 theatres (The AMC Empire 25 Theatre and the AMC (Former GCC) Bay Plaza Cinema 13 Theatre.
Three theatres that I know of were converted into drug stores. All are in Philadelphia, PA:
1: Stanley Warner’s Aldine / Viking / Rugoff’s Cinema 19 / United Artists-Eric Theatres' Sam’s Place Twin: CVS Pharmacy
2: Mayfair Theatre: Eckerd
3: Parkwood Twin Theatre: Rite Aid and office building
Out in Philadelphia, a former Cinerama theatre is being restored. the RKO stanley Warner Boyd Theatre, which was also known as Regal Entertainment Group’s United artists Sameric 4 Theatre. This cinerama house (it was one of the first cinerama theatres on the east coast, along with the RKO Stanley Warner’s Warner Cinerama & Penthouse Theatre.
Sameric’s auditorium #1 was the former Boyd Theatre, which had all incarations of Cinerama until it was moved in the late 1960’s to William Goldman’s Randolph Theatre (which closed in 1971 with Tora! Tora! Tora! as the last film).
It would be great if a cinerama style theatre was built in Philadelphia, that uses cinerama, imax, 70mm, 35mm and digital formats.
Irvin R. Glazer’s book: Philadelphia Theatres has the Northeast 4 Theatre opening in 1955. He also has Goldman’s Andorra opening in 1962 and Goldman’s Orleans opening in 1963, and GCC Franklin Mills 10 opening in 1991. I know for fact that GCC Franklin Mills 10 opened after April 1990, but before July 1990, so i would assume his imformation was wrong.
When the Mainstreet / RKO Missouri was converted into the Empire I & II, AMC Theatres was then known as Durwood Theatres. From 1963 to 1969 this theatre was known as Durwood’s Empire I & II. After 1969 it was AMC Empire Twin, and in 1980 the AMC Empire 4. 6 years after the AMC Empire 4 closed, AMC opened the AMC Empire 25 Theatre in New York City.
There are only 2 theatres that National Amusements had built in “The Bridge” concept, The Bridge 17: Cinema De Lux and IMAX Theatre, in Los Angeles, CA, and The Bridge 6: Cinema De Lux, on the SW corner of 40th and Walnut Streets in Philadelphia, PA.
The Eric’s Place Theatre is still rotting away. Nobody wants to build inside the theatre. The two theatres near it were converted into other uses, the Arcadia Theatre in now a Mandees womens store, and the Stanley Warner’s Karlton / William Goldman’s-Budco-AMC Midtown Twin theatre is now the Prince Music Theatre.
Does anyone know thow many seats are in each auditorium at Pleasure Island 24?