Standard Theater
1124 South Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19147
1124 South Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19147
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Wax Circuit
Architects: J.J. Hitchler, Angus S. Wade
Firms: Rowe & Dagit
Previous Names: Gibson's Standard Theater, Gibson's New Standard Theater
Nearby Theaters
Built as the South Street Baptist Church. On September 8, 1888 it was converted into the Standard Theater by architects Rowe & Dagit. On April 21, 1913 it was acquired by John Gibson and was renamed Gibson’s Standard Theater presenting vaudeville & movies to an African-American audience. In 1920 it was renamed Gibson’s New Standard Theatre. It was closed in 1934, but later reopened after alterations had been carried out by architect Angus S. Wade and was operating as a full time movie theatre. By the early-1940-’s it was operated by the Wax Circuit. Closed again in 1954 when it suffered hurricane damage when the ceiling collapsed. It was demolished soon after and the site was used for parking..
The former location is now a vacant lot. There is a historical marker at the location which may refer to this theater.
Contributed by
Ken McIntyre, Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Here is a 1927 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/olscgr
The Temple University site has some photos of damage to the theater after Hurricane Hazel, around 1954. If you look at the Theater of the Living Arts page, I posted the Standard photos a couple of years ago.
Here are the 1954 photos:
http://tinyurl.com/qfo8wn
http://tinyurl.com/peu6rq
The venue was converted to a theatre and had its first grand opening as the Standard Theatre on September 8, 1888 on a 25-year lease. On what is believed to be a new 20-year lease, it had a grand reopening as the New Standard Theatre on April 21, 1913 under new, African American exclusive operation mostly staging live plays and vaudeville shows. John T. Gibson brought top acts including Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, and Ethel Waters to the Standard’s stage. Gibson also programmed the Dunbar Theatre. Gibson was financially decimated by the Great Depression selling off both of his theaters.
Under new operators, the Standard would mix film into its programming and the venue would be wired for sound becoming a full-time movie house over it final twenty years from 1934-to-1954. The Standard closed during Hurricane Hazel on October 15, 1954 when - during its final showing, Cleo Moore in “Bait” - part of the ceiling collapsed including the roof’s wood beam supports injuring two patrons. The first fifteen rows and roofline were basically destroyed in the storm that necessitated the veteran building’s demolition soon thereafter.