Guide to the Penn Theater, Pittsburgh, Pa. Records, 1927-1964 AIS.1968.06
Arrangement
Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Penn Theater, Pittsburgh, Pa. Records
Creator
Penn Theater (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Collection Number
AIS.1968.06
Extent
15.63 Linear Feet(19 boxes)
Date
1927-1964
Abstract
This collection contains the records of the Penn Theater for the years 1927-1964, with the bulk being from the period of 1945-1964. Penn theater was part of Marcus Loew's chain of movie houses constructed in the 1920s. Entertainment at the Penn from 1927-1964 included movies, stage shows, closed-circuit televised fights, and theatrical plays.
Language
English
.
Author
ASC Staff. Revisions occurred to the finding aid as a part of the encoding process in January, 2004.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System Archives & Special Collections Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
History
Located in Pittsburgh on the northwest corner of Sixth Street and Penn Avenue, the Penn Theater was part of Marcus Loew's national chain of movie theaters. Loew's Penn Theater was constructed on the site of the nineteenthth-century Hotel Anderson, which was demolished in 1925. Motion picture magnate Marcus Loew hired the architectural firm of Rapp Rapp to design the theater. Built in 1927 in the French Baroque style, the theater could seat nearly 2,700, and matched the grandeur of its sister theaters in Chicago and New York. The 50-foot lobby with a grand marble staircase was enveloped by tall Corinthian columns, imported silk damask draperies, and European crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. Artwork by Renaissance masters hung on its walls. The theater's pipe organ, which was destroyed in a flood in the late 1930s, was one of the largest of its time and was touted to be "the greatest musical instrument the world has ever known."
The Penn theater was scheduled to open on Labor Day, however Marcus Loew died on that day and the opening was postponed. On opening night, September 6, 1927, a live stage show and vaudeville acts preceded the opening silent film, Adam and Evil. Pianos and orchestras were used since sound was not yet created for movies. It was hugely successful. Soon the Penn was nicknamed Pittsburgh's "Temple of Cinema" and was regarded as the most magnificent theater between New York and Chicago. In addition to movies, Penn showed news reels, short-cartoons, and short-comedies. By the 1950s, the theater had begun to slide into decline, and, with competition from television, had a harder time filling its seats. For a brief period in 1957-1964, as an answer to financial woes, Penn aired boxing matches on closed-circuit television. The theater also ran two plays, the Sound of Music and Milk and Honey, in 1963. Unable to turn a profit any longer, it began to fall into disrepair.
With the advent of television, declining attendance and the rising costs of maintaining such landmarks, the Penn Theater was forced to shut its doors in 1964. The building sat vacant for five years. Destined to be demolished to make way for a parking lot, the building was nearly destroyed until the Pittsburgh Symphony intervened. The Symphony was searching for a new home, having outgrown Carnegie Music Hall and the Syria Mosque, the economic advantages of recycling the Penn were beneficial. The structure that was Loew's Penn Theater in 1927 was renovated and dedicated as Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts in 1971, a gift to the Pittsburgh Symphony Society from the Howard Heinz Endowment.
Scope and Content
This collection contains the records of the Penn Theater for the years 1927-1964. Most of Series I is the correspondence of Penn Theater managers Frederick Kunkel, William Moclair and various representatives of film, television, and theater, arranged in alphabetical order. Series II consists of records relating to the administration of the Penn Theater for the years 1927-1964. The majority of records are in the form of receipts that indicate transactions for particular services. Series III consists of advertising statements for the years 1951-1964. Penn Theater advertised on televison, radio, and newspaper. Series IV consists of records relevant to the theater's entertainment for the years 1927-1964. Making up the majority of records are receipts that document the weekly events at Penn for these years. Series V contains records pertaining to the concessions and services at the Penn Theater for the years 1957-1964. Concession reports and totals explain what items, mostly refreshments, were purchased and sold at the theater.
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Acquisition Information
These records were a gift of Mr. Hillard Kreimer, April 12, 1968.
Preferred Citation
Penn Theater, Pittsburgh, Pa., Records AIS.1968.06, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Previous Citation
Penn Theater, Pittsburgh, Pa., Records AIS.1968.06, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Penn Theater, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ais 68:6, Records, 1926-1963, Archives of Industrial Society, Hillman Library, University of Pittsburgh and Fulton Theater, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ais 68:6A, Records, 1962-1963, Archives of Industrial Society, Hillman Library, University of Pittsburgh
Processing Information
This collection was processed by ASC Staff in 1968 and then further processed and arranged by Andrew Newmanin January 2004.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Andy Newman in February, 2004. Information about the collection title and the controlled access terms was extracted from the MARC record in the University of Pittsburgh catalog Voyager ID number: 1416617
Copyright
Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
