Warner Theatre
811 State Street,
Erie,
PA
16501
811 State Street,
Erie,
PA
16501
18 people
favorited this theater
Showing 76 - 100 of 138 comments
Warner Lady,
I am writing a magazine article about the Warner. I would like to contact you and speak more about the theater. Please contact me at
Thanks!
Chuck Sambuchino
Just a note: although the theater still has two carbon-arc projectors vintage 1954, the last time a movie was shown in the theater was in 1999 and it was a one-time event to show off a local artist’s first feature film.
In the 80s there were vintage films shown, but the local “modern” movie theaters could show them more cost efficiently. So it is not used for movies at all now.
I once looked through old microfilms of the Erie newspaper to see the films that played there during the spring and summer of 1965.
Other movies that played at the Warner Theater in Erie, PA
04/28/65 Circus World
05/05/65 Dear Brigitte
05/12/65 Mary Poppins
05/26/65 Girl Happy
06/02/65 The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders
06/09/65 The Train
06/16/65 The Battle of the Villa Fiorita
06/23/65 Zorba the Greek
06/30/65 In Harm’s Way
07/07/65 Cinderella
07/14/65 The Monkey’s Uncle
07/21/65 The Yellow Rolls-Royce
07/28/65 The Sandpiper
Also playing in Erie during these weeks were the following:
Shea’s Theater
04/28/65 Tomb of Ligeia/Operation SNAFU
05/05/65 Brainstorm/The Woman Who Wouldn’t Die
05/12/65 Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors
05/19/65 The T-A-M-I Show/The Time Travelers
05/26/65 Girls on the Beach/Black Spurs
06/02/65 Malamondo/Curse of the Humanoids
06/09/65 Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow/Divorce, Italian Style
06/16/65 Die! Die! My Darling/East of Sudan
06/23/65 Masquerade/The Satan Bug
06/30/65 Zorba the Greek
07/07/65 In Harm’s Way
07/14/65 Cinderella
07/21/65 The Monkey’s Uncle
07/28/65 The Yellow Rolls-Royce
Strand
04/28/65 My Fair Lady
Plaza
04/28/65 The Truth About Spring
05/05/65 Young Cassidy
05/12/65 Dr. No/From Russia, With Love
06/02/65 Mirage
06/09/65 Joy in the Morning
06/16/65 Up from the Beach
06/23/65 Von Ryan’s Express
07/07/65 The Art of Love
07/21/65 What’s New, Pussycat?
Drive-Ins
05/12/65 Fluffy
05/26/65 Mister Moses
06/16/65 McHale’s Navy Joins the Air Force
06/30/65 The Family Jewels
07/07/65 The Glory Guys
07/14/65 Zebra in the Kitchen/Hercules, Samson, and Ulysses
07/14/65 How to Stuff a Wild Bikini
07/21/65 Tickle Me
07/21/65 I’ll Take Sweden
07/28/65 The Sons of Katie Elder
Roxie (second runs & B-films)
04/28/65 The Outrage/The Eyes of Annie Jones
05/05/65 Send Me No Flowers/Sergeants 3
05/12/65 Love Has Many Faces/Stage to Thunder Rock
05/19/65 The Pleasure Seekers/Ready for the People
05/26/65 Strange Bedfellows/The Killers
06/02/65 Kisses for My President/Hysteria
06/09/65 Bus Riley’s Back in Town/Return to Peyton Place
06/16/65 How the West Was Won
06/23/65 Sex and the Single Girl/Young Fury
06/30/65 Dear Heart/Black Spurs
07/28/65 Sylvia/Back Door to Hell
Unfortunately, these are all the notes I have in my research for Erie, PA. Perhaps if I can get to a library again that has old Erie newspapers on microfilm, I will be able to get the rest of the film openings in the 1960s.
Ron: You have wonderful theatre memories of a beautiful Warner that is, thank goodness, still with us.
I remember walking on the street past the Warner in the summer of 1960 and making my parents stop so that I could look at the posters. The theater was showing Walt Disney’s “Pollyanna” and the next attraction was “Bells are Ringing.”
Your barber/Mayor Tullio story was quite interesting to read! I’m pleased that you decided to post it on CT. So I guess many thanks also should go to that infamous Erie barber, too! And going back to the Coat of Arms…I feel the reason that Cass couldn’t confirm nor deny the existence of a Coat of Arms is that her book dealt with the family history and not so much the theatres with her famous family name, Warner. I’m just glad that during her last visit to New Castle PA I told her about the Warner in Youngstown and the Warner in Erie. She and her secretary toured both of them and I feel that I was at least partially responsible for them going to Youngstown and to Erie that weekend last April to see these important Warner theatres. The Warner in Erie was special as it still bears the name Warner, thank goodness.
The existence of a Warner Coat of Arms has eluded me for many years and it would be nice to know the real truth someday.
And please let me know if you come across anything in your Warner Theatre and Warner history, in general, research a Warner Coat of Arms. I was told by a theatre owner/manager that there was such a thing and that it was in certain Warner theatres perhaps above the proscenium though when I asked Cass Warner Sperling about this, she could not confirm nor deny.
There is a funny story about that. A good friend of mine runs a hair salon that his father started. Mayor Tullio used to get his hair cut there. When Sal Iaquinto heard that the Warner was to be torn down, he cornered the mayor in the barber’s chair. He wouldn’t finish cutting his hair until he promised to stop the demolition directive. His son told me that Mayor Tullio was stuck in the chair for over 2 hours until he agreed.
Sorry for the typo error as I try to be accurate in my spelling before I submit my posts so should use the preview feature more often I guess. It should read….“interested in purchasing a copy of the Warner Theatre book and its rich history”.
That is wonderful news so keep CT informed of your progress. Do give me a call this summer if you still have my phone number as I’ll certainly be interested in purchasing a coy of the Warner Theatre book and its rich history. Thank goodness this Warner was spared the wrecking ball and we have that grand lady today on State Street in Erie PA. As I recall the late Mayor Tullio was instrumental in making sure the Warner wasn’t demolished. Thank you Mayor.
Good to hear from you, Pat. I am busy working on the history of the Warner Theatre book as we speak. My goal is to have the first draft done by the end of February. I’m fairly far along.
B.
And last Spring I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Cass Warner Sperling, granddaughter of Harry Warner. She was in New Castle PA for the annual Harry Warner Silent Film Festival.
http://academics.sru.edu/warner/index.htm
When touring the Warner in Erie I so recall the Rapp and Rapp quote located in or near the manager’s office just off the lobby area.
Warner Lady: Happy New Year to you and yours. Yes, I recall the tour you gave me and will always appreciate your kind gesture. Last summer I toured the former Warner in Youngstown, but was sad to see that the name Warner, marquee, etc. have been changed though tribute to the Warner Brothers is located in the median outside the front entrance.
If you look up in the ceiling of the auditorium and suspend belief, you will see that it looks like the interior of a tent. It was supposed to imply a tent in the Egyptian desert. It has many gryphons on its walls. These mythological beasts orginated in Crete, Egypt and Greece. The architect, Rapp & Rapp, used the symbols to imply ancient times, specifically Egypt.
Hi, Patsy and all: I haven’t been a member and should have all these years. Patsy knows that I’m the fundraiser for the restoration and expansion of the Warner Theater in Erie. I also gave her the tour. So just a few things: this theater is not considered an atmospheric picture palace. Usually that is the nomeclature for theaters that project clouds, for instance, on the ceiling of the auditorium. This theater I call Art Deco/Egyptian Revival since it has the stylized repetitive pattern of art deco and it has images that refer to Egyptian symbology. As you know, picture palaces were created for a place to escape into fantasy. The architecture of any of them is a bit of mixed metaphor. (continued)
Lost Memory: Thanks for posting the great photo as this Warner is close to my heart for many a reason. Each holiday season they present Home for the Holidays on stage and the setting is beautiful as is the theatre, itself.
The Powers Auditorium in Youngstown OH was formerly a Warner Theatre and the lobby is very similar in design to the Warner/Erie.
This site will take you to information on the first Warner Theatre in New Castle PA.
http://www.firstwarnertheatre.com/index2.ivnu
dyban: If you could post some bright sunshine photos of the Warner exterior with doors and marquee, that would be wonderful! I just printed out one of the evening shots and plan to give it to Cass Warner, granddaughter of Harry M. Warner. There is a possibility that she will get to see the Warner in Erie during her stay as she will be in New Castle PA this Friday for a book signing (Hollywood Be Thy Name) and other events listed on the Harry M. Warner Silent Film Festival website http://academics.sru.edu/warner/index.htm
Spike: Yes, really sweet!
LuvTheater: I see on the membership directory that you just became a CT member so welcome. If you would like to “chat Warner”, my email can be found on my profile page. I attended the Home for the Holiday concert at the Warner last December and it was wonderful.
Ahh, just like the people in Torrington, CT. It’s really sweet that they saved the old gal.
LuvTheater: Yes, the Warner is the jewel of Erie and thanks to the late Mayor Tullio we still have the Warner on State Street. Do you work with the theater or the Erie Philharmonic office? Last summer I purchased a lovely Warner poster and recently had it framed.