Norris Theatre
133 W. Main Street,
Norristown,
PA
19401
133 W. Main Street,
Norristown,
PA
19401
3 people
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Had my 10th birthday “theater” party here in 1958. Matinee with 8 other young ladies. I still see the art deco lounge in my dreams. It’s where I fell in love with Art Deco styling.
Visited the Wolfsonian-FIU Museum at 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139 once again last year. This time I finally read the caption for the interesting golden structure at the back of the museum lobby…. then had to look on Cinema Treasures and found this page for the Norris.
Look at the grille above the marquee in the historic photo above, then click on this:
http://www.wolfsonian.org/explore/collections/window-grille-norris-theater-norristown-pennsylvania#
Window panels from the lounge.
More window panels from the lounge.
I wonder how these items from Pennsylvania ended up in Miami.
raymondgordonsears: My grandfather was EVP of Budco. His name was Pat Beck. Based on some of the comments of your’s that I have read, it sounds like you may have potentially had some contact with him. I would appreciate it if you sent me an email to discuss. I never met him, but would like to learn some more about the man I am named after! Thanks!
I show an address of 133 W Main Street for this theatre. 63 E Main was the Grand.
My Grandfather and his brothers built the Norris. Their company was Norris amusments AKA Sablosky Brothers theaters. I actually have a brand new never used ushers flashlight from that theater. Does anyone know where i can find more pictures of it?
All I can say is this was a great theatre. I managed this house in the 60’s to SOLD OUT, Standing Room Only crowds. It was just great. rg
Those links aren’t as I expect. Look at items 2, 3, 4, and 9 (same carpet in the auditorium).
Enjoy today’s revised Intro above, today.
Photos from March 14, 1931 issue of Motion Picture Herald
Exterior
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Entry lobby:
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Foyer:
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Auditorium Facing Stage
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A Florida musuem, the Wolfsonian, shows off the wonderful Art Deco exterior window grille from the Norris!
http://www.wolfsonian.org/collections/index.html
search under Historic Buildings.
There was also an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer a few months ago about the Norris.
RG is right, that this was a terrible missed opportunity. The Inquirer reported that they sensed that at the time, but somehow the theater was lost anyway. There are other examples, too, of theaters helping towns, including the Media theater in Media, the seat of Delaware County. The Media Theater doesn’t host movies, but live theater, and has helped to bring restaurants and life to the main
street there. And, unfortunately, there are NO theaters left in Norristown.
The above commentary is the same argument I’m making right now for another of William Harold Lee’s theatrical creations, the Pennypack Theatre (originally called the Holme) here in the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia, PA’s Northeast. The Pennypack Theatre, built in 1929 in the Art Deco style and with the capacity to seat over 1,300, is in an excellent location to be restored as a movie theater, as it’s both alongside a major thoroughfare plus has no other movie theaters around in close proximity. Add to this that it has its own sizeable parking lot, easily sufficient to make it workable as a theater once more.
Trouble is, its current owners are insisting on converting the historic theater building to be a type of mini mall instead, which, when completed, will have a Dollar Tree Store, Pizza Hut, “upscale” coffee shop. laundromat plus some light retail. In brief, all things that Holmesburg has plenty of already. As for the consumer business stretch where the historic theater building stands, it is hurting like hell and has been ever since the Pennypack Theater stopped being a theater back in the late 1950s.
In terms of its over all size, the theater building is huge, and back in the ‘50s when it stopped serving as a theater it could easily have been upgraded so as to stay competitive, but for reasons unknown it never was. In terms of structure, it sits on high ground not prone to flooding, and its exterior walls appear to be as solid as the day it was built. At the back end it has an enormous stage house, suggesting it was also designed for live performances. Just a stone’s throw from the theater a popular upscale Italian restaurant is currently in the process of expanding. But this restaurant might be overshooting if it’s to be nearby to what the current owners have planned for that theater building. So I basically feel as I’m observing this that Norristown’s stupid mistake is being repeated all over again when it shouldn’t have to be. But with Northeast Philadelphia being the way it is right now, politically and otherwise, what more can I tell you? For I keep pointing out to people that the theater is in an easy to get to proximity from several upscale communities. But those who appear quite determined to convert Holmesburg to pure ghetto are choosing to totally ignore this fact.
Anyway. that’s the basic rundown regarding the Pennypack Theatre for now. And my prediction is that if the current plans for that historic theater building do go through it will be just another stupid Norristown repeat. Alas! Se la vie!!!
The theater was sold and torn down to build a MCDONALD’s which was closed and torn down and is now a parking lot. If the theater was still standing and being run like the County in Doylestown or the Ambler in Ambler it may have turned the town around. (IFFFFF) rg
The Norris in the sixties was operated by Budco Theaters along with the Plymouth cinema (Ridge and Butler Pikes) the Ridge Pike D-I on Ridge Pike and the Vally Forge D-I in King of Prussia. They were grouped under the Schlanger Theater banner. Norris Amusement owned a total of 5 theaters in Norristown. The Norris I think was the best. It had a great balconey but was closed when budco operated it. A giant stage and a pit, everything for live entertainment. The projection booth was very large. At one time it had 3 projectors. a slide projector, spot light and a full light panel. The stage had double curtains and a very large scope screen. rg