Family Theater
1311 Market Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19107
1311 Market Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19107
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp.
Architects: William Harold Lee
Previous Names: Apollo Theater, Bijou Dream Theater
Nearby Theaters
Contributed by
George Quirk
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
This is a photo from the Philadelphia Architects & Buildings site. The quality of the photo is not the best, unfortunately. Since Frank Rizzo was running for mayor, as seen in the second floor placard, the shot may be circa early 1970s. The photo is from the Irvin Glazer theater collection:
http://tinyurl.com/yst3vn
I remember this theater from the early eighties. The area around Reading Terminal was pretty shabby at that time. It appears that there have been a lot of improvements since.
This 1911 photo shows the Fairyland Theater at 1311 Market:
http://tinyurl.com/o57mmg
This is the theater building in 1960. Unfortunately the bus is blocking the view of the marquee.
http://tinyurl.com/qmhbvl
In the middle of a 1972 story about Chicago’s lower-priced theaters, Dan Rottenberg takes a break to tell a tale about a visit to the Family. It’s completely in keeping with the theater’s reputation. Link; you may have to scroll a bit to center the page in your browser.
28-year old mass murderer Howard Unruh so much enjoyed a double-feature at this theater of THE LADY GAMBLES and I CHEATED THE LAW on September 5, 1949 (both films had been in release for several months) that he stayed for three showings each, before walking along his neighborhood street the next morning and killing 13 people (Unruh was taken alive, incarcerated for insanity, and died in custody in 2009).
From the Motion Picture Herald March 29, 1941
The Family theatre, Warners' all-night motion picture theatre in downtown Philadelphia, was completely wrecked by fire early Sunday morning during the 14 hours it was closed for its weekly cleaning. Only the projection booth and the sound equipment in the rear of the theatre escaped damage. Albert Plough, Warner district manager, estimated the damage at approximately $25,000
In the late 70’s early 80’s it was a porn theater.
Beginning in the 1970s, the place became an adult movie theater. As part of the outside display, there was a giant neon sign of a naked woman banging on a bass drum that said “Apollo” on it (it actually portrayed movement). I believe it can be seen briefly at the beginning of the 1981 Brian Depalma and John Travolta film “Blow Out”.
The Family Theatre is a mention in Senator Arlen Spector’s book, (I’ll get back to you on the name of the book). Spector describes an incident where a young man goes into the theatre & the vice cops arrested him for lewd act(s). Spector came to the rescue for the man in Court.