Frank DeLorca, can you add anything to iobdennis' description of the interior of the Midway?
I remember the Midway as having the coldest air conditioning of any theater I’ve ever been in including the downtown palaces.
My recollection of the Midway dates to the mid 1950’s onward to 1965, as I recall there were 5 aisles in this behemoth of a showplace.
Art S. do you have any other specific memories of the Cameo? Saturday afternoon matinees, dish nights, manager, candy-pop corn machines, ? Please check the comments on other Port Richmond theaters: Belgrade, Clearfield, Richmond, Allegheny, anything you can add will become a lasting legacy to a neighborhood of theaters like no other.
Only the top photo posted at philadelphiabuildings.org is that of the Belgrade Theater. The 2 other photos are of a beer distibutor. The Belgrade did not stand alone nor did it have parking. The theater stood directly at the sw corner of Belgrade and Auburn Streets in Philadelphia Pa. Brick row homes and businesses;namely, Spina Bakery were neighbors to the Belgrade.
Remodeled in 1937, the Belgrade was one of the first theaters to use glass block sructurally and decoratively.
The Belgrade showed Polish language movies in the 1950’s to accommodate its Polish Port Richmond neighborhood. Students from St. Adalbert Catholic School(Polish) often made field trips to the Belgrade to view the Polish films.
The Belgrade temporarily suspended movie operations during World War I and became a sewing shop that manufactured uniforms for
American troops.
A Mr. Owens was the first owner of the Belgrade; hence, its name Owens Theater and Owensies a neighborhood nickname.
ken mc, do you have any memories of the belgrade that you can share on this forum?
some fine photos of the clearfield are on phillyhistory.org; search 2500 e. clearfield st.
ken mc, do you have any other memories of the clearfield? would like to hear them, thank you.
earlaney, did the ushers wear uniforms? would you please describe them?
Frank DeLorca, can you add anything to iobdennis' description of the interior of the Midway?
I remember the Midway as having the coldest air conditioning of any theater I’ve ever been in including the downtown palaces.
My recollection of the Midway dates to the mid 1950’s onward to 1965, as I recall there were 5 aisles in this behemoth of a showplace.
Art S. do you have any other specific memories of the Cameo? Saturday afternoon matinees, dish nights, manager, candy-pop corn machines, ? Please check the comments on other Port Richmond theaters: Belgrade, Clearfield, Richmond, Allegheny, anything you can add will become a lasting legacy to a neighborhood of theaters like no other.
Only the top photo posted at philadelphiabuildings.org is that of the Belgrade Theater. The 2 other photos are of a beer distibutor. The Belgrade did not stand alone nor did it have parking. The theater stood directly at the sw corner of Belgrade and Auburn Streets in Philadelphia Pa. Brick row homes and businesses;namely, Spina Bakery were neighbors to the Belgrade.
Remodeled in 1937, the Belgrade was one of the first theaters to use glass block sructurally and decoratively.
The Belgrade showed Polish language movies in the 1950’s to accommodate its Polish Port Richmond neighborhood. Students from St. Adalbert Catholic School(Polish) often made field trips to the Belgrade to view the Polish films.
The Belgrade temporarily suspended movie operations during World War I and became a sewing shop that manufactured uniforms for
American troops.
A Mr. Owens was the first owner of the Belgrade; hence, its name Owens Theater and Owensies a neighborhood nickname.
Bello is the neighborhood equivalent to Belgrade.
In its Port Richmond, Philadelphia neighborhood, the Belgrade was known by other names: Bello, Owens, Owensies,and Hero.