King Theatre
419 E. King Street,
Lancaster,
PA
17602
419 E. King Street,
Lancaster,
PA
17602
2 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Chertcoff
Architects: Drew Eberson, John Adolph Emil Eberson
Functions: Housing
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: King and Queen Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The King Theatre was opened on April 27, 1950 with Marjorie Main & Percy Kilbride in “Ma and Pa Kettle Go To Town”. All seating was on a single floor. It was later twinned. It closed on May 2, 1982 with Walt Disney’s animated feature “Robin Hood” & Chuck Norris in “Silent Rage” The facade and marquee of the King Theatre survive, although the interior has been converted to residences.
Contributed by
Gerald A. DeLuca
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Recent comments (view all 46 comments)
I lived in Harrisburg and my parents took me to Lancaster to see WINDJAMMER at the King Theater. It probably had the largest screen in Lancaster until it was twined.
Actually there was a new theater, the Eric? – in the new Lancaster Square on the second block of N. Queen St. It probably had the largest new screen in the city until it too was split in half and it was like watching a movie in a long shoe box.
Before the split I saw DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER on the huge Eric Panavision screen about six times.
The King outlasted most of the old theaters in Lancaster, most of which were razed in the “redevelopment” of the ‘60s, after which the Eric rose out of the ashes.
Boxoffice of April 22, 1950, named John and Drew Eberson as architects of the King Theatre, which was then being rushed to completion.
The Eric rose out of the ashes, but could never replace the Capital (formerly called the Hippodrome), the Hamilton, the Boyd (formerly called the Colonial), and the Grand located on the other side of the street. The Boyd had two balcony’s and the Capital had one balcony. The Hamilton and Grand were both one floor theatres. When the King Theatre opened it had one of those curtains only on a smaller scale that was like the Radio City Music Hall curtain. However, when the screen was made larger for Cinemascope presentations that curtain was replaced with the standed center opening traverse curtain. The King was still a palatial theatre for being built in the 1950’s. The slope of the floor to the screen was very steep. If they put snow in the aisles, it would have been a good sledding hill!
No, DennisZ, I very much agree about the Eric.
I lived on the 2nd block of North Queen for a short period and saw all of these great theaters torn down around me. It was like living in a war zone!
I was the last one in my apartment building, “The Last of the Mobile Hot Shots”…. :)
I also remember the nights the wrecking ball hit the Brunswick. It was a sturdy old building and did not go down easily.
I had a second floor apartment right down from the Grand and remember seeing several Preminger films, “The Cardinal,” “In Harm’s Way,” there. Also some of the Corman/Poe films. I remember it had a good wide screen.
I was only able to attend all of those theaters for a short time after moving to Lancaster, then came the blitz! What an incredible waste.
Do you know when the Hamilton closed? I remember the entrance, a kind of shadowy exterior vestibule, and it always fascinated me. I never got to see the interior.
I’d like to add some of these theaters to CT but I don’t have a lot of details.
I add to this album of vintage movie theaters and memorabilia from time to time:
View link
Thanks Penway.
Thank you. I set it up as a kind of still photo documentary moving from the Pa. theaters I grew up with through to the vintage theaters that managed to survive out here in LA and California.
I wish I had more Pa. photos. It’s especially difficult to find photos of neighborhood theaters it seems.
I do include some newspaper ads from some Harrisburg theaters which for me is a vivid reminder of their era.
A bit belated comment, but yes I remember when “THE KING” was equipped to show “Windjammer” in Cinemiracle. Reserved seat show like all the big screen attractions, and was just glorious that this attraction had come come to Lancaster (certainly more available than the Boyd in Philadelphia or the Town in Baltimore) Remember it was Saturday night and so exciting to be there. Don’t know that they ever had any other 3 strip attractions there. Shortly thereafter Harrisburg opened the Trans-Lux with 70mm Cinerama and the big shows went there.
This opened on April 27th, 1950. Grand opening ad posted.
The King Theatre closed for the final time on May 2, 1982 with Walt Disney’s “Robin Hood” in Screen 1 and Chuck Norris’s “Silent Rage” in Screen 2.