Regional Theaters

This page is a work in progress and will be updated as more information becomes available. If you have information about any item on this site, corrections, or suggestions, please email them.


Jump to:

Municipality:
Frackville, Mahanoy City, Mount Carmel, Pottsville, Shamokin, Shenandoah, Tamaqua

Operating companies:
Buckley Amusement Enterprises, Chamberlain Amusement Company, Victoria Amusement Enterprises, Magazzu

William Harold Lee



Frackville Theaters


Garden Theater
NW corner of South Lehigh Avenue & Oak Street (PA Route 61)
Capacity: 700
Built: circa 1870
Previously operated as: the Jack Harris Theater, the J.J. Kehler Theater, and the Jim White Theater
Operated by: Michael Kerrigan
Closed: 1968
Demolished: 1968
Current site: Hess gas station


Victoria Theater, North Lehigh Avenue
Built by: Michael Kerrigan
Current site: Frackville Library





Mahanoy City Theaters


Elks Theater, 133 East Center Street
Capacity: 625
Operated by Buckley Amusement Enterprises
Closed.


Victoria Theater, Center & Main Streets
Capacity: 1570/1325
Built by Chamberlain Amusement Company
Opened: March 9, 1925
Closed: 1981
Demolished: early 1997


Hersker's Family Theater, East Center Street
Possibly built around 1888
former Vaudeville house




Mount Carmel Theaters


Victoria Theater, Northwest corner of Third and Pear Streets
Design: William Harold Lee
Capacity: 1600
Built: circa 1920 by Chamberlain Amusement Company
A large screen update added in 1953
Operated by Victoria Amusement Enterprises by 1963
and Magazzu Enterprises by 1967
Closed: 1980s
Demolished: 1980s
Current site: First National Bank drive-in



State Theater, Southeast corner of Hickory and Third Streets

Capacity: 650
Operated by Buckley Amusement Enterprises




Hollywood Theater, 39 North Oak Street
Capacity: about 200?
Operated as a movie theater in the 1930s, a bowling alley until the mid 1950s, then a pizzeria.
Current occupant: The Hollywood Pizza and Bakery




The Majestic Theater, Southeast corner of Third and Oak Streets
Closed and demolished by the 1920s;
Building replaced by The Guarantee Trust and Safe Deposit Company





Pottsville Theaters



Capitol Theatre, 218-220 N. Centre Street
Design: William Harold Lee
Capacity: 2718
Opened: November 21, 1927
Closed: mid 1970s
Demolished: August 1982
Current site: Capitol Parking Deck

Hippodrome Theater, 111 East Market Street
Capacity: 1016
Built: before 1920s?
Closed: March 1950
Demolished: 1956

Hollywood Theater, 7 South Centre Street
Capacity: 1025
Built: 1916 as the American Theater
Opened: 1924
as the Hollywood Theater
Closed: October 1969

Majestic Theatre, 209 North Centre Street\
Design: William Harold Lee
Capacity: 224
Built: 1910
Opened: 1910
Closed: 1930
Used as a farmer's marker from 1939 - 1995
Current site: Performing and Cultural Arts Center (as Sovereign Majestic Theatre)







Shamokin Theaters



Vintage postcard of Independence Street in Shamokin
showing the Victoria and Majestic Theaters in the center



Victoria Theater, 46 West Independence Street
Design: William Harold Lee
Capacity: 1700
Built: 1918
by the Chamberlain Amusement Company
Operated by:
Victoria Amusement Enterprises by 1963
and Magazzu Enterprises by 1967.
Closed: early 1990s.
Demolished: July 1999.
Current site: Rite Aid Pharmacy parking lot.
The Victoria had arrangements with 20th Century, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, United Artists, and also shared Paramount features with the Capitol Theater.


Majestic Theater, 42 West Independence Street
Design: William Harold Lee
Capacity: 1000(1941) and 930(1950).
Built: late 1920s
Operated by Buckley Amusement Enterprises
Demolished: 1960s
Replaced with a J.C. Penny department store,
current site of Rite Aid Pharmacy.
The Majestic shared Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer features with the Victoria Theatre until the early 1950s, and later showed Republic, Allied Artists, Monarch, and other B studio films.


Capitol Theater, 43 East Independence Street
Design: William Harold Lee
Capacity: 1138
Opened: circa 1920
Closed: circa mid-1960s.
Demolished.
Current site: Wendy's Restaurant.

The Capitol Theater had booking arrangements with Paramount, Universal, Columbia and Warner Brothers.







Shenandoah Theaters


Capitol Theatre,
132-138 North Main Street (corner of Main and Coal Streets)

Capacity: 1500+
Built: 1947
Closed in 1983
Current use: Restaurant


Lyric Theatre, Jardin and Center Streets
Capacity: 480
Operating by 1933-1938
Closed by 1945
Current use: restaurant/bar






Tamaqua Theaters


Victoria Theater, Broad Street
Designed by William Harold Lee
Capacity: 700
Closed: 1980s.
Demolished.
Operated by Victoria Amusement Enterprises in 1963.




Majestic Theater, Broad Street
Designed by William Harold Lee
Capacity: 1140
operated as a movie theater until the late 1960s with a hotel was located on the upper floors.
Currently a senior citizen apartment building.





Buckley Amusement Enterprises
  • State Theater in Mount Carmel
  • Capitol Theater in Shamokin
  • Majestic Theater in Shamokin
  • Elks Theater in Mahanoy City



  • Chamberlain Amusement Company, later
    Victoria Amusement Enterprises of Shamokin
    In 1963,
  • Victoria Theater, Mahanoy City
  • Victoria Theater, Mount Carmel
  • Victoria Theater, Shamokin
  • Victoria Theater, Tamaqua



  • Magazzu Enterprises of Mount Carmel
    Peter Magazzu's office was on Third & Pear Streets in Mt. Carmel.
    In 1967,
  • Angela Theater in Coaldale
  • Andrea Theater in Lansford
  • Natalie Drive-In in Natalie
  • Valley Drive-In in Hometown
  • Victoria Theater in Mount Carmel
  • Victoria Theater in Shamokin
  • Victoria Theater in Tamaqua


  • Michael Kerrigan
  • Garden Theater in Frackville
  • Victoria Theater in Frackville
  • Hi-Way Drive In on Route 54 in Fountain Springs, Butler Township (est. 1938)



  • William Harold Lee Started his career as an architect with the Shamokin Lumber Company.

    No comments:

    This site uses some content from the English Wikipedia.
    Where appropriate, the content of the Coal Region Notebook
    is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.