Pocono Cinema and Cultural Center
88 South Courtland Street,
East Stroudsburg,
PA
18301
88 South Courtland Street,
East Stroudsburg,
PA
18301
3 people
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Boxoffice, Feb. 23, 1970: “Ponco Theatres, consisting of the Skyline Drive-In in East Stroudsburg, the Grand Theatre in East Stroudsburg and the Sherman Theatre in Stroudsburg, Pa., has been sold by Jack Luckey, owner-operator for the last ten years, to Tri State Theatres of Matamoras, Pa. Tri State Theatres is owned by Irving Hulst, who now operates a circuit of theatres in Pennsylvania and New York state.”
The Grand Theatre was once destroyed by a fire in the Spring of 1929. It was rebuilt, restored, and reopened on January 9, 1930.
After the Grand Cinema closed in 1986, the theater sat abandoned for a decade. It wasn’t until ten years later in 1996 that the Grand was renovated and renamed the Pocono Cinema by John and Carolyn Yetter, unfortunately it almost turned down. They only operated the cinema for six months, and throughout the following few months, other former employees tried to take over the business by leasing it but failed after less than a year.
Throughout time, the Pocono received some ups-and-downs. In mid-2008, after the Pocono Cinema had closed for the third time in less than two years, the theater re-opened as a non-profit organization as the Pocono Community Theater. And in November 2015, the Pocono Community Theater was renamed “Pocono Cinema and Cultural Center” to better reflect its mission statement.
As of 2023, the Pocono Cinema & Cultural Center ran mainly first-run features, although there were some classic matinees added. Only some independent features were also added as rare occasions, since it was formerly an art house back when the theater was known as simply “Pocono Cinema” in the late-1990s and early-to-mid 2000s.
But Cinemark Stroud Mall It’s very close, there are still options to go see a movie
With the Poconos movieplex gone, this is the only theater in town.
@fordraff – enjoyed your review of John Ireland / the scarf for IMDB. Right on.
Please read A History of the Movie Theaters in Monroe County to get accurate information on the Pocono Cinema’s history. What is today Pocono Cinema began its existence as The Academy of Music on Tuesday, July 8, 1884. Theater that showed 1st movies in area. The book above is available for sale at the Pocono Community Theater, Carroll & Carroll Booksellers, Monroe County Historical Association and the Quiet Man Bookstore.
An 800-seat house called the Grand Theatre was operating in East Stroudsburg in 1908, when it was included in the list of American theaters published in the September 5 issue of The Billboard. The Pocono Cinema’s building could date from the 1900s, though the front looks a bit plain for the era. The Grand Theatre of 1908 might have been this theater or a predecessor of the same name.
This theater is indeed open; there is a picture accompanying this article about theaters in the area: View link
THIS FINE CINEMA IS OPEN AND IT STATUS SHOULD BE CHANGED TO REFLECT THIS!
After being closed for nearly six months, the Pocono Cinema is reopening this week as a non-profit community theater.
Going non-profit allowed the cinema to fundraise $30,000 for renovations and to utilize volunteers.
The community will be paid back by bringing people downtown to patronize shops and restaurants.
The previous operator ran out of money after only a year. The building’s owner and former operator ran it for a couple of months before closing it down last April.
Read more at WNEP Newswatch 16 and at the Pocono Record.
Yetter closed it again for “good” on May 1, 2008.
The new owner had to give it up after only a year of ownership, and The Grand closed Nov. 9, 2007.
John Yetter, the man who ran the theater as Pocono Cinema for 10 years before selling the business in 2006, and the man who continues to own the building â€" reopened it on Nov. 21, 2007. He is actively trying to sell the property, but has pledged to keep the movie theater open until he does. He would like to see a non-profit organization take over the theater’s operations.
The theatre has changed ownership this past summer and is now called The Grand Cinema and Coffee Shop. It continues the same programming as its predecessor.