City Line Center Theatre
7600 City Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19151
7600 City Avenue,
Philadelphia,
PA
19151
8 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 41 comments
Closed November 21, 1990 with “Memphis Belle” and “Goodfellas.”
Thanks, Kevanos for the diagrams & all your documentation! I don’t know re usher room. I was a child, but recall the stage, the screen, the huge seating capacity, the popcorn machine next to the auditorium doors as there was a walk back to the lobby with concessions, and of course, lasting long after I was inside, the ticket booth and the passage with movie posters that led to the theater’s back.
Howard, I posted a couple of diagrams of the theater from both the original and twinned layouts. These are based on an analysis of Google Satellite images, photographs and my memories. I remember people mentioning that the theater had an “Usher Room” and I think that it was near the front of the theater, probably by the screen. Do you know exactly where it was?
Looking at the footage that I have from House 1, I believe that some sections (closer to the back of the theater) had older seats while other sections had slightly newer seats. This would make sense because the seats in the back would get less use and thus last longer. The older seats resemble the seats that can be seen in the older pictures of the untwinned theater.
hi mike and hdtv if your a member of the vintage 69th st or you know you’re from broomall or growin up havertown you will see there.
Where on Facebook Bob C?
i have a video you can see on facebook that honors the memory of our local suburb theatres an the majestic philly theatres no longer with us. please check it out
the seats might be original when they twinned the ardmore in the 70s they used the seats from the 1965 renovations. now seeing this theatre was built in 1949 they probably looked like ardmore pilgrim gardens as well as the replaced brookline seats from 1960s and the wynnewood seats.
Yes Howard and Mike, that is correct. I don’t remember exactly how they were controlled. I vaguely remember a box on the left side of the projection booth by the breaker panel, with switches on it.
On this YouTube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNnfu4uwCco I have posted some of the raw footage with ambient sound. One of the shots is the full tracking shot from lobby to screen. I will also try to post a screen grab of the full screen.
I’m not sure how to calculate the dimensions of the newer screen. I believe that the seats are original and the isles were not changed when it was twinned. If this is so then count five seats to right in the middle front section. That should be the right side of the newer screen. A couple feet to the right of the left front exit should be the left edge of the newer screen.
Howard theater 1 masking opened left to right. Theater 2 masking went down just fro the top.
Kevanos, thank you for the improvement! I had noticed the recent prior link didn’t hold up well on HD computer. This is so much better. I saw an image of the larger auditorium 1 screen. To show scope films did it expand left & right or was it narrowed from top & bottom from masking? Can you estimate the screen’s height & how wide (at its widest, for a scope film)? I’d welcome a screenshot of that screen & auditorium. Other than the screen, it is very nice to see all the other details in the improved video.
In 1987 I worked for the theater as a Part Time Manager. At that time I was a film major at Temple U. and one night I stayed late and shot a video for a Production class. I just re-edited it from the master tape and CD. Here is a new link to this version on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy8l6Rq6yHg
Thank you for the new link!
Saw my first 3d movies here! House of Wax revival, Comin At Ya, Parasite. Also Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, Prom Night, Halloween 2, a friend walked out of Bachelor Party when the scene with the dominatrix came on, First screening of the Twilight Zone movie (3rd in line), Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Superman 2 Purple Rain
August 31st, 1949 grand opening ad at http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%2023/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer%201949/Philadelphia%20PA%20Inquirer%201949%20a%20-%207145.pdf
and in the photo section.
I was a frequent visitor to this theater in the 50’s. living just 1 block away on 77th st. My wonderful memories include saturday afternoon matinees like “The Blob” and a lot of the great “horror movies” of the era. Ist of course was lunch nest store at the Sun Ray drugs store…usually a grilled cheese, and a lime Rickey. I believe the matinee was a nickle! I also recall the theater decked out for a movie I saw with my parents, Judy Holiday, in “The Bells are Ringing”. The entire lobby had telephones, I thought…wow how cool! Later I took a girlfriend to see another Steve McQueen movie, Bullit…was she mesmerized! The last movie I saw there was a matinee…Woodstock.
Anyone here remember the Saturday kiddie matinees in the ‘60s? All the neighborhood kids would meet there (some after synagogue), for whatever was showing. It cost a quarter dollar, another 15 cents for popcorn. I now teach film history, but, as Pauline Kael would say, I lost it at the City Line Center theater. Best memory: “The Great Escape”, after which we decided to set up a POW camp in the woods, and tunnel our way out. Worked on it for about two days. So, anyone….?
Kevanos, the link to Youtube video doesn’t work anymore? I enjoyed that video & would like to see it again.
How could I forget these other titles- Harlem Nights, Tango & Cash, Cage, Best of the Best, Married to the Mob, The Exorcist III, Little Shop of Horrors, Hercules, Blazing Saddles (1981 rerelease), Pink Cadillac, Best Seller, The Curse, Vamp, Demons, Cobra, The Fog, Love at First Bite, A Force of One, Dead Bang, Disorderlies, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Porky’s Revenge, Under the Cherry Moon, Big, Honey I Shrunk the Kids and Tougher Than Leather. By the way, my real name is George and maybe some of you former employees might remember me. I worked at the ACME supermarket in the same shopping center from 1985-89. I fondly remember Anthony (don’t know his last name) who started as an usher but became a manager around ‘88 or '89. I went to high school with Jamie, one of the ushers ('85-'86). Who was the old lady who ran the place in the early '80s?
I am a lifelong movie geek and the City Line Theater will always be one of my favorite movie houses. I saw so many great flicks there in the 80s- Sharky’s Machine, Clash of the Titans, Superman II, Any Which Way You can, The Jazz Singer, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, Conan the Barbarian, The Sword and the Sorcerer, Amityville II: The Possession, Lethal Weapon 1 and 2, The Hidden, RoboCop, Full Metal Jacket, Commando, American Ninja, CHUD, Exterminator 2, Get Crazy, Easy Money, The Outsiders, The Dark Crystal, Aiens, The Fly, Big Trouble in Little China, Tequila Sunrise, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Beaches, The Private Eyes and Earthbound (double feature),Nightmare on Elm Street 1 and 3, Night Patrol, Police Academy 1 and 3-6, Pet Sematary, Grandview USA, The Terminator, The Cotton Club, City Heat, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Lost Boys, The Fourth Protocol, Hamburger Hill, Hellraiser, Scrooged, Honkytonk Man, Children of the Corn, Angel, Death Wish II, Spies Like Us, Enemy Mine, First Blood, The Earthling, THe Last Flight of Noah’s Ark and 101 Dalmatians (double feature), Bachelor Party, Purple Rain, Cocoon, Christine, Sudden Impact, Heartbreak Ridge, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Black Widow and Over the Top. It’s a long list to be sure, but I have a great memory when it comes to movies.
i have 3 tickets from the CITY LINE MOVIE THEATRE , that theatre went out when LAWRENCE PARK BARKLEY SQUARE PILGRIM GARDENS were all closing between 1990-1993 very sad.
Here is a 1983 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/c7jrx4
Well here is a look at the center today http://www.home.earthlink.net/~kevink12/today.jpg and here is a look which includes the ghost of the past. View link .
Google exactly
Boxoffice September 17, 1949
enter page 38
to see the exterior at opening!
If you google exactly
“Boxoffice May 6, 1950"
enter page 111
American Seating ad with photo of seating area City Line Center (as well as Philadelphia’s Randolph Theatre)