Movie theaters were usually preceded by the so-called opera-house. In Europe, a building labeled as an opera house was indeed a structure in which traditional operas were performed. The genre of 'traditional opera' has been an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score incorporating elements of spoken theatre such as acting, costumes, scenery and dance. In America, at the turn of the century from the Nineteenth to the Twentieth, buildings known as opera-houses were venues in which a wide variety of entertainments, including music, vaudeville acts and public speaking events, were performed.
In the borough of Saxton, the Bossler Opera House, at 813 Lower Main Street, was a notable addition to the town's businesses. The Opera House was formally opened with a dedication ceremony held on Thursday, 23 February 1905. The inaugural production was a performance of the variety comedy show 'Joshua Simpkins.' The show was described in a New York newspaper in April 1905 as: "the four-act New England Comedy drew a large house at Union Hall last evening and furnished two hours of wholesome fun for the theater patrons." The advertisement for the show when it appeared at Thibodaux, Louisiana in 1900 alerted prospective theater-goers to "special scenery, mechanical effects and thrilling saw-mill scene. . ." The production at Saxton included a live orchestra conducted by F. W. Cochran. The Opera House did fine business during the nearly two decades that it was open. The site of the Bossler Opera House is currently occupied by McCahan's Pharmacy.
An opera house was opened in the small village of Langdondale, in Hopewell Township in the early 1900s. The Opera House was located in the first floor of a building constructed by the Patriotic Order of Sons of America, who used the second floor. The Langdondale Opera House was said to have a stage that measured twenty-eight by forty-five feet. It could seat approximately five hundred. The venue hosted many and a variety of community events including town meetings, lectures, plays, high school graduations and banquets.
No opera house has ever been noted by any of the early Bedford County historians to have existed in Bedford Borough. In fact, none of them ever mentioned the one in Saxton either. So the absence of mentions does not prove that there were no other opera houses in use at the 'Turn of the Century.' There does exist mention in the 05 December 1902 issue of the Bedford Gazette that: "The Penobscot Indian Medicine company is giving a series of entertainments in the opera-house." Neither the location of that building, nor the form of 'entertainment' presented by the Penobscot Indian Medicine company are noted in the newspaper advertisement. The fact that the notice gave the name 'opera-house' in lower case letters, rather than with a specific name (such as Bossler's in Saxton), and without any street address, would suggest that it was well known in the borough. Apparently it was assumed that everyone knew where the opera-house was located.
The 1885 through 1906 Sanborn Fire Insurance maps show the 'McCullough Hall Stage' on the second floor of the building at 136 East Pitt Street in Bedford Borough. In 1912, the Sanborn map shows the second floor occupied by the 'Armory Stage'. No historical information exists to tell whether that 'stage' functioned as a theater or 'opera-house' stage or if it was used only for public speaking events. By 1924, the site was occupied by the 'Lodge' and apparently no longer was used as a 'stage.' As motion pictures became popular, the older opera houses were converted into movie theaters. [See below, under Spence's Theatre.]
There have been movie theaters in Bedford County as long as the medium has been popular in America, i.e. since the 1920s. Most of the boroughs had a standard movie theater as soon as they became popular and some regions had drive-in theaters.
The first drive-in movie theater in Bedford. County was constructed at the south end of the town of Cessna. The construction of the drive-in was estimated at $70,000. The drive-in was announced in November 1949 with the planned construction to be accomplished by the spring of 1950. The drive-in at Cessna was formally named the Moonlight Drive-In. A newspaper article stated "Construction of Bedford's first 'Drive-in Theatre' will begin at once, and the $70,000 theatre will start nightly programs as soon as possible in the spring. . ." The theater opened on Friday, 02 June 1950 with the showing of the movie Canadian Pacific.
A tract of land adjoining (to the west of) the Five Gables Restaurant was purchased from Ralph Watkins. The landscape formed a natural amphitheater. Ramps and speakers / amplifiers for five hundred cars were installed.
Four local Bedford County residents and one from nearby Clearfield County comprised the group behind the construction of the business. Jack Bowser, of Pleasantville; Alfred and Tom Burtnett, who developed the county's first roller skating rink and swimming pool at Chalybeate Park; Jack Thompson, of Bedford; and Kenneth Burtnett, of DuBois. Kenneth Burtnett operated motion picture businesses at Windber and DuBois for twenty-eight years and he was chosen to serve as manager of this new drive-in.
The screen of the drive-in would measure fifty feet by fifty feet and be set in a tower constructed of concrete blocks. At the rear of the theatre, 'shadow-lighting' would provide safety for late arrivals to see to park without obstructing the view of others already in place.
First-run movies were promised at the drive-in. Also, movies would not be cancelled due to inclement weather. Only heavy fog would cause a movie to be cancelled. The theatre would operate every night from May through November, with two shows each night. During each week there would be three program changes.
The drive-in had a number of advantages over a traditional movie theatre. Only the adults in the car were charged, with children under twelve admitted for free. Theatre-goers did not need to dress up. And families could bring their own treats or else purchase food and drinks at a concession stand associated with the theatre. A children's playground was also laid out adjacent to the theatre to occupy younger members of the family who would not be interested in the movie.
The Bedford Theater was the first movie theater operated in the borough of Bedford. The Bedford Theater showed up on the 1924 Sanborn Fire Insurance map labeled as 'movies.' It was located along the west side of Juliana Street on the northwest corner of the intersection of Juliana and Central Way. It was located just to the north of the site of the tavern owned and operated by Jacob Bonnett in the early 1800's. The two-storey cinder block and brick structure that housed the theater is still standing today and currently houses the Ickes Drug store. The brick facade of the theater is still in place. The marquee, on which the names of the movies being shown were listed, was located where the Ickes Drugs sign is currently installed. Three windows on the second floor level have been boarded over and a new storefront has replaced the four bays of double doors of the movie theater. Each individual door consisted of fifteen small glass panels.
The theater originally had an old style 'canopy' roof over the entrance. That was replaced with a 'Zephyr' triangular marquee with ornamental lighting on which the names of the movies being shown would be listed.
The theater was originally called the Richelieu Theatre, constructed and operated by Charles H. Richelieu in the first couple months of the year 1920. The proposed construction of a new movie theater was announced in the January 30, 1920 issue of the Bedford Gazette. The insurance firm of W. S. Reed & Co., would occupy the second floor of the two-storey brick structure.
Harry R. Cromwell purchased the business in the mid-1930s and Charles Martin operated the projector of the Bedford Theater for many years. The Bedford showed mostly 'westerns' and was open only on the weekends.
The Bedford Theater could seat three hundred and twenty-four patrons.
The Bedford Theater operated until the late 1950s. In 1955 the building was sold to Sam Ickes and by 1958, the Ickes Drug store was moved into the present building, after having been located across Juliana Street.
The Pitt Theatre was considered the 'new' movie theater in the borough. Located on East Pitt Street, directly opposite to the Anderson house, the movie theatre was constructed of cinder blocks with a facade of 'Macotta. The building material known more accurately as 'Maul Macotta' was enamel on a steel base. It was an innovative building material developed during the 1930s for the 'art-deco' and 'art moderne' styles of architecture. The building's architects were W. M. Braziell and Joseph B. Smithyman of Pittsburgh. This theater, like the Bedford, was owned by Harry R. Cromwell.
The Pitt Theatre is touted as the oldest continually running movie theatre in Pennsylvania. The theater originally had seating for six hundred and fifty-four patrons It currently has two movie screens and a total seating capacity of three hundred and ninety.
The Pitt Theatre opened on Monday, 06 March 1939 at 4:00pm for a showing of the movie, St. Louis Blues. The theatre was owned and managed by Harry Cromwell. A newspaper article described the theatre "From the dashing colors of the exterior, to the deep-cushioned, luxurious seats. . .from the colorful appointments and the lighting to the just-as-important air conditioning and newest equipment for perfect program presentation. . ." When it opened in 1939, there was seating for 654.
The Pitt Theatre, as a cinema, has operated continuously since it opened in 1939. The theater was opened by Harry Cromwell and his family. The Cromwells lived in the second floor. They sold it to Tom Hickes and Al Prosser in the 1960s and they, in turn, sold it to John Cessna in 1981. The original facade was removed and a veneer of stone formed a new facade in 1981. Mr. Cessna sold the theater to Jeremy Weber and Bo Pratt in December 2007. A renovation of the theater was undertaken in 2008. The concession stand was updated, a web site was created and surround sound was installed at that time. The seats were not changed, and remain as the ones originally installed in 1939. The theater's interior was again renovated in 2011 by then co-owners, Anne Pratt and her son, Bo. They added a second screen; The one screen seats one hundred and fifty and the second screen seats one hundred and nine. The theatre continues to show current movies as they are released.
It should be noted that as much of the original equipment that can be used is still in use. Already noted were the upholstered wood seats. The reel winder in the projection booth, originally installed in 1939, is still in use. An intercom system used for communication with the projectionist is still in use.
The Stuckey Theatre was the only theater to be operated in the Borough of Everett. It was opened in the year 1923 by Asa J. (Ace) Stuckey and John J. Stuckey. T. W. Biddle Jr., of Cumberland, Maryland was the architect. When talkies became popular, the theater was converted to accommodate sound.
At the end of the year 1945, the theater was purchased by Edmund T. (Theodore) Grance, who renamed it the Everett Theatre. The theater specialized in Sunday midnight showings.
The building was constructed of cinder block and brick. The auditorium had a balcony for additional seating. In recent years, the facade of the theater was faced in stone below the marquee. The marquee, still bearing the name 'Everett' has been retained, but the fluorescent lights shaped to match the lettering is no longer attached.
At the present time, the building in which the Everett Theatre was housed is part of the adjacent Granatelli's Restaurant. The facade was given a veneer of stone, which extended onto a portion of the facade of the restaurant, tying the two buildings together.
Saxton's movie theater was located on the southwest corner of the intersection of Catharine and Lower Main Streets intersection. The spot was originally the site of the large home of Jacob Fockler, a co-founder of the town. The site was separated (to the east) by two properties from the Bossler Opera House. The Fockler home was a large, three-storey brick building with a mansard roof. Fockler sold the property in the early 1900's to James McIntyre who opened the Altamont Hotel in the house. The Altamont Hotel was destroyed by fire in 1912.
The site of the hotel was subsequently owned by Thomas J. and Alda Hickes. The Hickes constructed a two-storey brick structure in 1919. The new building housed the Liberty Theatre. The facade was defined by a large archway over the entrance. Through the 1920's, the theater showed only silent pictures with incidental music provided by a player-style piano. The building was destroyed in the fire that destroyed much of the south side of Railroad Street on 26 June 1935. The theater was rebuilt, with a sound system to run talkies, and opened on 25 December 1935. When it reopened, the new theater bore the name of the Aldine Theatre after Thomas' wife, Alda. The first movie to be shown in the new theater was Thanks A Million, starring Dick Powell and Ann Dvorak. The Aldine Theatre continued to operate until 15 September 1978.
The Aldine Theatre was leased to Wesley Drenning for three years, from 1976 to 1979, but it went out of business before the lease ran out. The last motion picture to be shown there was Pete's Dragon on 15 September 1978.
The building is still standing, but it was remodeled in 1981 to house the Saxton Dental Service. The dental business has since been replaced by the Living Hope Grace Brethren Church.
A movie theater was in operation in the borough of Schellsburg in the late 1940s and early 1950s'. It was opened on 13 December 1946. Movies were shown at this theater until at least 1950. The Farm Bureau held meetings in the structure into the 1960's. The name of 'Co-Op Theatre suggests that it was originally constructed by the Farm Bureau. The theater was spearheaded by Paul Brown and Joseph Yantus of Schellsburg.
The theater had a seating capacity of five hundred. A lighted marquee announced the movies that were playing.
In more recent years, the building housed a drug store. The Shawnee Valley Volunteer Fire Company is the current occupant of the two-storey brick structure.
The Old Home Theatre was constructed in the Borough of Six Mile Run (Coaldale), in Broad Top Township in the 1920's. Preceding it was a Nickelodeon that was opened by Sam Blair in 1914. Unable to get enough business to be profitable, the Nickelodeon closed. The Old Home Theatre was then opened by George Figard. The wood frame structure was two-storeys tall and sported a distinctive a 'boom town' front. Silent movies were shown at the theater at first, and as talkies became popular, the theater began to show them. In 1932, the building burned down, taking with it a general store that stood alongside.
The Shapiro Brothers of Mount Union purchased the store property and on it constructed a new theater at a cost of $12,000. They named the new theater the Shapiro Theatre and held a grand opening on Friday evening, 22 November 1936. Joseph Simon Shapiro, one of the brothers, died before the new theater opened, and his two sons, Robert and Joseph took over the business. They operated the movie theater until 07 February 1953. From 1960 to 27 May 1974, the theater was operated by Greg Crawford.
In June 1979, the theater was purchased by Robert Foster who refurbished it and reopened it under the name of Foster's Theatre. Foster's Theatre held its grand opening on 20 July 1979. In 1986, Foster's Theatre closed for the final time. The building stood vacant for a number of years before being razed.
The Dreamland theater was located along Pitt Street in Bedford Borough in the early 1900's. It was what was considered a 'nickelodeon' flourishing between 1905 and 1915 throughout the nation. Information on the Dreamland is difficult to find. It was mentioned as one of the old theaters in the 23 June 1950 issue of the Bedford Gazette. That newspaper simply stated that it was located on E. Pitt Street. Utilizing the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps of 1906, 1912 and 1924 permits some general assumptions to be made about the theater.
In 1906 and before, a wood frame structure was shown on the southeast corner of the intersection of Pitt Street and Huntingdon Avenue. In the maps of 1901 and 1905, the building was labeled as 'Gro' signifying a grocery store. In 1912, the building, still shown as constructed of wood, was labeled as 'Picture Theatre.' Then, in 1924, the same building, which was enlarged and now shown as being constructed of brick, was labeled as a 'Garage' that could accommodate fifty cars.
We can safely assume that at least for a couple years prior to 1912, and possibly a few after, there was a 'picture theatre' on the corner to the east of the Bedford Hotel / Hotel Washington. There can be little doubt that that was the site of the Dreamland.
As noted in the foregoing section on the Dreamland Theatre, Spence's Theatre was identified in the Bedford Gazette, but no mention of it has been made anywhere else. The article in the Gazette stated, in relation to the Dreamland, that "Farther down the street, on the corner opposite the Ford Garage, was Spence McLaughlin's Theatre." Since reference to this movie theater is hard to find, a search of the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps was undertaken. Assuming that the stone structure that has, for many years, been known as the 'Ford Garage' is the one mentioned by the writer of the Gazette article, the movie theater, or nickelodeon owned by Spence McLaughlin should have been located on either the northeast, southwest or southeast corner of the intersection of Pitt and Richard Streets. None of the buildings on those corners, for any of the years the maps were published, were labeled in the same way that the Dreamland was ~ as 'Picture Theatre' or anything similar. The only building that comes close to possibly functioning as a theater was the one occupying the southwest corner. The 1906 map showed the building as labeled: 'McCullough Hall' with a stage occupying the second floor. As noted in the section above titled, The Opera House, the McCullough Hall could have been considered an opera house, which also could indicate a nickelodeon.
The Silver Lining Drive-In movie theater is the latest movie theater to be constructed and opened in Bedford County.
Despite the fact that drive-in movie theaters had apparently died out with the advent of home dvd systems and the general decline of movie-goers, in recent years nostalgia for fun diversions has brought them back. For many years the closest drive-in movie theater in operation was located near Portage in Cambria County.
The Silver Lining Drive-In was the product of a Chamber of Commerce initiative. While the theater is owned by the Bedford County Agricultural Society (Bedford County Fair), its operation will be managed by the Chamber. The project was started in early 2020 and completed in fifty days. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on 2 July 2020 by Kellie Goodman Shaffer, the Chamber's President-CEO.
Sixty companies from Bedford County worked together and donated much of the materials and labor to bring the drive-in theater to completion.
