I learned this weekend of the closing of the theatre where I saw
hundreds and hundreds of films during my lifetime. After doing a web
search I learned it closed on September 3.
It was 44 years after opening its doors on Wednesday, May 15, 1963.
The first film to play at the theatre "The Day Of Wine And Roses" it
was the flagship in the Goldman Theatre chain a single theatre at
first it later was split in half and became a twin, more additions
were added to the original building over the years until eventually
becoming the AMC Orleans.
I had not been to the theatre since around 2000 when the decline in
quality became too much to ignore, AMC is partly to blame for not
fixing things but the neighborhoods has been going downhill for over a
decade now. From what I can gather AMC's lease was not renewed and the
theatre will be demolished to make way for a Target department store,
something that really isn't needed in the area.
This brings the number of movie theatres in Northeast Philadelphia to
a paltry two. The AMC Franklin Mills 14, and the horrendous UA Grant
8, otherwise you'll need to travel to the suburbs or downtown to
Center City. This was the last of the theatres I went to as a child
and young adult growing up in NE Philly. The Devon, The Mayfair, The
Castor, The GCC Northeast, and now the Orleans.
all of them are now gone and the neighborhoods are all the worse
because of this lose.
There is a lengthy thread on this site where you can follow the rumors
of the Orleans being closed back in 2004 all the way through until it
finally happened. Some impassioned film goers, some history and
memories the Orleans and about other theatres in the area as well. The
site itself covers theatres from all over.
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/3328/
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