Bellevue Theatre
2212 N. Front Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19133
2212 N. Front Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19133
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The $125,000 Bellevue Theatre launched for Milton Rogasner and St. Charles Amusement on December 10, 1914. Charlie Chaplin’s “The Tango Tangle” opened the theatre shown on its Radium Gold Fibre screen and accompanied by its new Haskell pipe organ with echo effect. The theatre appears to have ceased operations at the exit point of a lease at the 15 year mark.
Heartbroken to report that this building has been completely demolished and replaced with eyesore new construction condos. I really wish that someone could’ve removed the stucco from the facade and restored this building to its original glory. Condo listing here: https://jg-realestate.com/listing/2212-n-front-st-2/
A description of the Bellevue Theatre and a 1916 photo of the entrance appear in this post from The PhillyHistory Blog. A sign above the entrance boasts of the Bellevue’s “Wonderful Echo Organ.”
The facade of the Bellevue Theatre had a wide two story high arch with a vaulted barreled ceiling. The box office was located under this arched area. A verticle sign read BELLEVUE and rose above the surrounding buildings. ‘Showing The Best Photo Plays’, ‘Matinee Daily’ and ‘The House Of The Wonderful Echo Organ’ were advertised from a sign above the roof line. The theater had seating for 830 and was built in 1915. In 1923 the Bellevue received a new floor and a new sign. After closing as a theater the archway was enclosed and the space became a Quaker City Motor Parts store. Today the façade has been completely stuccoed over with a single flush door in the center. There is not a clue to what is inside! If anyone knows, please share who the architect was and in what style the Bellevue Theatre was designed. Also, when did it close?
That entrance still exists
Google hadn’t made it to this neighborhood when I added the theater. You can’t see any of the decorative features in the first photo:
http://tinyurl.com/4qkkc2s
Here is a photo from the Irvin Glazer theater collection:
http://tinyurl.com/mpbydl