Feeley Theatre
32 N. Wyoming Avenue,
Hazleton,
PA
18201
32 N. Wyoming Avenue,
Hazleton,
PA
18201
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As an addendum to a post I made earlier this year, according to old newspaper advertisements from the Plain Speaker, Bela Lugosi (Hollywood’s Dracula) appeared in a vaudeville act on the Feeley Theater stage on Mon, Tues and Wed October 18, 19 and 20 of 1948. If anyone out there has more information about his act, any photos from it or any family members who have memories of seeing it, please contact me at Thanks!
December 26th, 1964 reopening ad in photo section.
Hello. I am doing research on the career of Bela “Dracula” Lugosi. I read elsewhere that Lugosi once appeared on the stage of the Feeley in Hazleton in a vaudeville act. If anyone has any information regarding this appearance, please contact me at with whatever information you may have. I appreciate any responses!
Below is a link showing a photo of the Family theater demolition at Broad and Wyoming streets. The roof and stage house of the Feeley theater can be seen in the background. Too bad the photo doesn’t show the Feeley marquee as well.
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This is part of a Washington Post article dated 1/24/32:
Man Kills Admirer of Wife, Causing Panic in Theater
Hazleton, Pa., Jan. 23 (U.P.). — The absorption of 500 patrons in a motion picture at the Feeley Theater was shattered by a pistol shot in the semidark balcony. A man’s body slumped to the floor and another man ran from the balcony.
This article states that the Philharmonic used the Feeley in the fifties before moving over to the Capitol:
http://tinyurl.com/5pmqma
Anyone interested in sharing a memory of the Feeley?
This year is the 40th anniversary of its closing, and we’re planning a story.
visit www.senior-scene.com and take a look at the right side of the page.
The Feeley Theater was owned by my great grandfather Andrew J Feeley and then by my grandmother Marie E Feeley. Although I was only 8 when it closed, I remember being allowed to explore the rooms and hallways of the theater and doing so was a great adventure for me. As a very young child, I remember seeing a live show in which a magician seemed to launch a live snake into the audience just as the house lights went out. I remember being terrified! I also remember seeing “Jaws” at the theater. The Feeley was for me a place of wonder and a concrete connection with my family’s past.
The photos of “The Feeley” brought back some fond childhood memories. I was there fairly often as a child. My aunt took me there to see “Mame” starring Lucille Ball in the mid'70s. It was the last movie I remember seeing there. Around the same time frame they would host “horror” shows featuring live performers. Although I was quite young when it was torn down,I remember they had a difficult time with the demolition. “The Feeley” was billed as being fireproof so the exterior walls were extremely thick. It also featured underground tunnels for emergency evacuations and exits for vaudeville performers. These exits were one block away!
Another exterior picture showing the second marquee can bee seen here.
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I recall seeing a movie at the Feeley with my parents, probably when I was 8 or 9 years old. Don’t recall the movie (other then there was lots of talking), but during the show, there seemed to a bird that kept flying through different scenes. After the movie was over, found out from my parents a bat was inside the theater and had kept flying between the screen and projector. I recall a number of different spotlights came on when the house lights were brought up and seemed to be searching for the way-ward bat. I couldn’t understand why a movie theater would have so many spotlights. At the time, I had no idea what “live” theater was or the Feeley even had a stage.
Attached is a picture link of the interior just before it was demolished.
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