Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts
600 Penn Avenue,
Pittsburgh,
PA
15222
600 Penn Avenue,
Pittsburgh,
PA
15222
19 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 28 comments
Description has the wrong opening date…theatre opened September 6, 1927. It was to have opened the day before, but Marcus Loew passed away that day and the opening was delayed in respect.
I plan to see this theatre this summer.
I saw a lot of movies at the old Loew’s Penn, including the original roadshow release of “Cleopatra” (1963), which I saw there several times, sometimes when there were only maybe 20 or 30 people, at most, in that cavernous space, clustered in the central section of the orchestra seats downstairs. Perhaps the last hurrah for business there was the Christmas 1963 release of Disney’s “The Sword in the Stone,” which was very popular. After that, it played mostly reissues. I think I saw “South Pacific” there, sometime in early 1964. After that, it was empty, with the name of its last attraction, “Ensign Pulver,” lingering on the marquee for years.
Although I am late in responding to your question, I worked as an usher for the manager, Larry Knee and Asst. Manager Ron Mc Clellan from 1960 to 1961 when I went in the service. As you entered the theatre, directly in front of you was the concession stand which was the center of the lobby. There was a water fountain but is was off to the left of the concession stand. Working at the Loew’s Penn was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. I was working there when the Musketeer’s appeared. Rest in Peace Annette.
does anyone remember the lower lobby portion (downstairs) of the Penn Theater? I seemed to remember going to a few films there in the early 60’s, and seem to recall a pretty good sized water fountain in the middle of the lower lobby—not a fountain you drink from, just a decorative flowing one. Any information? Or, am i confusing this with another downtown theater in the 60’s?
Click here for an exterior view of the Loew’s United Artists Theatre in 1931.
I am not old enough to ever see a movie here. However, I did see several live shows. I recall hearing a story that the premiere of the made-for-tv movie “Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story” (1980) was shown here. It was embarrassing however because one of the projectors broke down that night, and they had to resort to showing most of the movie with just one projector. This meant bring the house lights up for several minutes in between reels while the next part was threaded.
I love this theatre. As a member of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera I had the pleasure of performing here from 1975-1980. One of the most beautiful theatres I have ever performed in. Front of house, backstage, perfect. Returned to Pgh in 1999 for a visit and was given a tour of the theatre so that I could stroll down memory lane
Lupe Vélez appeared here in person in March 1929 along with the film she starred in, D.W. Griffith’s last silent film which was also a part-talkie, Lady of the Pavements. NEWSPAPER AD from March 30, 1929.
Nice history and photos.
The J. P. Harris chain never owner nor operated the Penn.
Like the MGM films, virtually all major United Artists movies had their Downtown engagements at Loew’s Penn with the obvious exceptions of roadshows such as “Judgment at Nuremberg” and “West Side Story” and the minor films that opened on double bills at neighborhoods and drive-ins.
One US film of great consequence that went straight to the nabes was “Dr. No.” Ironically, when the Bond series caught on, “Dr. No” played Downtown repeatedly on reissue double bills.
Loew’s was apparently leasing the Penn out as early as 1955, when an item in the February 19 issue of Boxoffice said that the former manager of the Penn had been transferred to Loew’s Ohio Theatre in Cleveland, adding that “The Penn was recently acquired by John P. Harris.” (I’m not sure if they were referring to the Harris circuit or to the namesake grandson of the late John P. Harris.)
Two movies that played the Penn in early 1956 were U.A.’s “The Man With the Golden Arm” and Paramount’s “The Court Jester.” Boxoffice of February 4, 1955, also mentions an invitational preview of Paramount’s “Anything Goes” having been held at the Penn. The earliest specific mentions I can find in Boxoffice of the Penn as a United Artists house come from 1961.
The decline in the Penn’s fortunes during the late 1950s is indicated by the infrequent mentions of it in Boxoffice after 1956. Prior to 1956 the Penn was the theater most often mentioned in the magazine’s reports from Pittsburgh.
Virtually wevery MGM movie of any consequence opened first-run at Loew’s Penn. A few minor ones premiered at Loew’s Ritz, often on double bills. (The Ritz was used mainly as a moveover house dfrom the much larger Penn.)
You could count on two hands the MGM films that opened at any other Downtown theater (“The Cobweb,” “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” “Athena,” the roadshow engagement of “Gigi,” etc.).
I don’t know anything about any “local stock company” ever operating the Penn.
Boxoffice of August 24, 1964, reported that United Artists would shutter the Penn Theatre on September 30. Operating losses were cited as the reason. UA had operated the Penn in recent years, the item said, and prior to that the house had for some time been operated by a local stock company. That would explain why the Penn didn’t benefit from all those MGM hits in the 1950s. They must have gone to other theaters that were still being operated by Loew’s.
Pittsburgh press ad from Sept 4, 1927 starts at View link
and for 8 pages after this page at View link
I have a photograph of the console of the 4/22 Robert Morton organ that was in the old Loew’s Penn prior to the 1936 flood that destroyed it and will include it in a later posting as soon as I find it.
Renewing link.
The UA and Loew’s Penn Grand opening ad is on this page at View link
I think that United Artists Theaters owned the Penn in its later years, not Loew’s. But if Loew’s sold it, I don’t know when. Check the Variety boxoffice listings – usually the theater owner is listed with the number of seats, plus a given week’s feature title(s), distributor(s) and gross.
I find it interesting that comments on the theatre site said the theatre went in decline in the 1950’s and thats why it closed in 1964. Keep in mind that Loew’s Penn had the pick of MGM films until the split between Loew’s and MGM in 1959. Most Loew’s theatres through the 1950’s were among the most profitable becuase they played MGM films. Downtown Pittsburgh_movie palaces did well through the 1970’s and played most of the big films on an exclusive run.Theatres that were on decline wouldn’t get an exclusive run booking of “Cleopatra” in 1963 as a reserved seat attraction. “Cleopatra” wasn’t the blockbuster they had hoped for but when it was booked it was the big attraction for 1963.Cleopatra was only booked in deluxe theatres accross the county. I think that Loew’s after the less than blockbuster long run performance of “Cleopatra” made a decision to close the Penn then next year in 1964. The Penn was to large for the average roadshow film which would normally play the smaller Warner with 2000 seats and Nixon with 1800 seats. The larger Stanley was still showing films well into the 1970’s. I don’t know if Loew’s owned the Penn and maybe its lease was up and didn’t renew.brucec
I think this is the rear of the Penn Theater back in the 60s….
http://www.jerryapp.com/arcv2b/ja-t227.jpg
PLEASE DON’T believe the auditorium looks awful or gutted. Most cinema palaces have at least a portion of their once-glorious interiors painted over (as was also true 50 years ago). We attended Loew’s Penn (Heinz Hall) on 12-29-06 for “Rat Pack at the Sands” and we found the Penn to be magnificent. Please find a reason to go there. Few of these Cinema Treasures look as fine in 2006 as the Penn.
The auditorium was nearly gutted when they converted to a concert hall- just the outline of the organ grilles and the rim of the dome remain. I guess they didn’t want anything that could possibly distract from the stage.
I am glad the building still stands. But the auditorium looks awful painted and lighted the way it is in the photos on the Symphony’s web site. Lobby and exterior look OK.
Why did this theatre decline and close by the mid 1960’s when Pittsburg Downtown movie palaces were still getting exlclusive run booking well into the 1970’s.brucec