Esquire Theatre
5717 N. Broad Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19141
5717 N. Broad Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19141
3 people
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It’s now a Dollar Tree.
Photo of the Esquire in the day uploaded.
well according to these pictures from American classic images. theater was open for business in August of 80 showing the shining…
The theater reopend briefly in 1981 by Rusty A Miller who also reopened the Benn on Woodland Ave and the 69th St in Upper Darby. All were short lived. Update information above to show this information.
Strong memories of the Esquire. I would take my mom there to try to distract her from her grief after my dad’s passing. Saw “Man for All Seasons”, “Bonnie & Clyde”, “Z”…among others. Worked at the White Tower across the street and danced at Wagner’s Ballroom with the Geator with the Heater.
During the 1950’s & early 1960’s the manager of this theatre was LOU WAKSHUL who went on to be manager of the Goldman Theatres all new ORLEANS THEATRE on Cottman Ave in NE PHILA
From Boxoffice magazine, January 1948:
PHILADELPHIA – Meyer B. Strouse, manager of the Grange Theater, died suddenly early Monday at the age of 70. Strouse, who was associated with many other Stanley Warner theaters here during his career, was active in a number of civic organizations.
The function should be changed to restaurant, which it is, arguably, even if it serves bad fried chicken.
The theater is now a fried chicken place. The second link is a 1980 photo.
http://tinyurl.com/c9cllu
http://tinyurl.com/c8lg97
This theatre was closed by Budco Theatres in 1979, and was opened by Stanley Warner Theatres as “Grange Theatre” in the 1930’s or 1940’s.
In the 1950s a new circular marquee replaced the one shown in the above-mentioned photographs.
When CinemaScope was installed, the screen was fitted in front of the proscenium with movable masking but without screen curtains. Sometime in the late 50’s/early 60’s, William Goldman, the owner, added curtains in what was then his favorite color for theatre yard goods: Cinerama burgundy-red. I always like the lit sign that appeared at the end of the lobby before entering the single-floor auditorium: “Silence is Golden”. In those days, it worked.