Butler Theatre

129 E. Jefferson Street,
Butler, PA 16001

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Harris Amusement Co., Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp.

Architects: John Adolph Emil Eberson

Styles: Art Deco, Atmospheric

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News About This Theater

The Butler Sam Warner (SW) Theatre

The Butler Theatre was built for the Harris Amusement Company and opened September 23, 1930 with Dorothy Mackaill in “The Flirting Widow” and a Laurel & Hardy comedy. It was decorated in an Atmospheric Style with Art Deco features. By 1941 it had been taken over by Warner Brothers Circuit Management Co. It was closed July 20, 1965 with “The Yellow Rolls-Royce”. It was demolished later in 1965 and the site is a parking lot.

Contributed by KenRoe

Recent comments (view all 24 comments)

atmos
atmos on July 31, 2007 at 7:13 am

The Eberson archives at the Wolfsonian in Florida have this listed as the Harris Theatre with an album containing 31 photos.

Patsy
Patsy on July 31, 2007 at 12:56 pm

atmos: Can one access this Eberson archives, online?

Patsy
Patsy on July 31, 2007 at 1:04 pm

atmos: I would like to see some of the 31 photos. I have never read or heard that the Butler Theatre was the Harris Theatre though it could very well be true. Where the Harris Theatre is listed does it also give the name Butler Theatre?

atmos
atmos on August 1, 2007 at 6:21 am

Patsy:it would seem that as it was built for the Harris Amusement Co it was given the tentative title of Harris Theatre but was eventually named the Butler.The Wolfsonian does have a website but no access to photos.They have photos of most of his atmospherics.They are located in Miami but you would need to visit them in person to see any photos and make an appointment.I am hoping to pay them a visit next year.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on October 13, 2012 at 2:03 pm

This weblog post features a photo of the Butler Theatr. The caption mistakenly says that the theater was torn down in 1960, though the movie on the marquee was released in 1965.

This house might have been a replacement for (or rebuilding of) the Butler Theatre that was mentioned in the October 23, 1915, issue of Motography:

“The new Butler theater, formerly the Orpheum, in Butler, opened the twenty-third of September.”

RSM3853
RSM3853 on February 14, 2013 at 8:34 am

The last film to play at the Butler Theater was “The Yellow Rolls-Royce” during the week of July 14-20, 1965.

hughdeery
hughdeery on August 21, 2013 at 9:59 am

Oops, Not the Fisher house, but we purchased the McDonald House at 218 First St where this was the dining room chandelier.

Beau63
Beau63 on March 17, 2015 at 11:07 am

The Butler Theater was built in 1929 by Harris Amusement Co. and the Warner Brothers theater chain bought it soon after it was built. It was touted as “one of the finest in Western PA”. It once hosted band leader Glenn Miller & Sally Rand the fan dancer. The Butler Theater only showed first run Warner Brother films and its companion the Majestic Theater showed the second run Warner Brother films. The theater was razed in 1965 to make room for PNC’s drive thru bank. Info from Butler Eagle Progress 1994 March 25 & 30. – See more at: http://clcing.blogspot.com/2010/08/butler-theater.html#sthash.YjiqriOs.dpuf

atmos
atmos on April 29, 2017 at 8:07 pm

Opened 23 Sep 1930.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on July 13, 2024 at 5:05 pm

Opened with “The Flirting Widow” (unknown if extras added).

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