The Embassy Theatre, Lewistown, PAPhotograph copyright by Kevin Scanlon, all rights reserved,
used by permission
New Year’s Eve was filled with the joy of the unexpected this year. After leaving a family gathering at my brother’s house in Lewistown, PA, Kevin and I drove through town to see if we could catch a glimpse of the big Hartley’s potato chip bag which was to be dropped at midnight to usher in the New Year. The “Great Chip Drop” was launched in 2006 as an attempt to organize an annual New Year’s Eve celebration at Monument Square in the center of the downtown business district.
The Great Chip Drop, New Year's Eve, Lewistown, PAPhotograph copyright by Kevin Scanlon, all rights reserved,
used by permission
As we cruised through town, what caught our eye was not the big chip bag suspended above the town square, but the bright lights of the Embassy Theatre Marquee. We hadn’t planned to actually stop, only to drive past and have a look. But, after seeing those colorful bulbs lit and flashing, we had to photograph it. The last time I’d seen that marquee working was sometime in the early 1970s.
The Embassy Theatre, Lewistown, PA
Photograph copyright by Kevin Scanlon, all rights reserved,
used by permission
Photograph copyright by Kevin Scanlon, all rights reserved,
used by permission
The Friends of the Embassy Theatre, a nonprofit group which managed to save the theater from the wrecking ball in 1991, has done a beautiful job of restoring the façade and marquee, and in 1998 the theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The preservation of the Embassy Theatre greatly benefits the downtown area of Lewistown, particularly since many of the buildings in the central business district on Market Street east of Monument Square were razed as part of a 1970s urban renewal project to modernize the downtown shopping district. This shopping district later began to resemble a modern ghost town of empty storefronts after Wal-Mart moved into the area and built a superstore at the edge of town.
Interior Restoration Begins, Embassy TheatrePhotograph copyright by Kevin Scanlon, all rights reserved,
used by permission
Work has recently begun on the interior restoration of the Embassy. It has taken since 1991 to get this far toward the goal of restoring the building for use as a theater and community arts center. Funding for the nonprofit organization is through grants, fundraising events, business and corporate gifts, and private donations. More information can be found at the Friends of the Embassy Theatre website.
Interior, View from balconyPhotograph copyright by Kevin Scanlon,
all rights reserved, used by permission
As we stood on South Main Street and photographed the marquee, we had the good fortune of bumping into a friend who asked if we wanted to see the inside of the theater. Did we ever! Minutes later I was standing inside the doors I’d passed through long ago for Saturday afternoon matinees as a young girl. This was the theater where my dad took my little brother and me to see “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken” in 1966, and where I went with friends as a teenager to see “Gimme Shelter” in 1970 (what a difference four years can make during those formative years). Now on New Year’s Eve, four decades later, I was walking across a concrete floor where my shoes had once sunk deep into thick red carpet, climbing the now bare wooden stairs to the balcony where the projector is miraculously still intact and housed in the projection booth which divides the uppermost balcony area.
Second Floor, Stairway to balconyPhotograph copyright by Kevin Scanlon,
all rights reserved, used by permission
The Friends of the Embassy Theatre still have a lot of work ahead of them, and I look forward to the day when the restoration of the interior is complete and the theater is once again in use. This is exactly the kind of venue which could revitalize the downtown as a destination. I anticipate once again buying tickets at the octagonal box office for a live performance or movie, entering though one of the eight wooden doors to the foyer and passing through the second set of doors to the inner lobby where two grand staircases lead to the balcony.
Projection Room InteriorPhotograph copyright by Kevin Scanlon, all rights reserved,
used by permission
It was long after midnight when I finally fell asleep after the excitement of our impromptu tour. The New Year of 2011 had already begun when I finally drifted into a deep sleep filled with dreams about the Embassy Theatre.
Box Office, Embassy TheatrePhotograph copyright by Kevin Scanlon, all rights reserved,
used by permission
(Click on images for larger view.)
- All photographs copyright 2010 by Kevin Scanlon, all rights reserved, used by permission
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4 comments:
Welcome back Dory. Sound like you had a most interesting New Year's. I wonder how many neglected and decaying theaters there are around the country. Would make an interesting photography project, or perhaps there's a story or two there somewhere.
Hi Edd -- yes, I agree these old theaters would make a great photography project. No doubt there are many stories to be discovered and told about them too. We've photographed a few over the years, so maybe I'll dig through the files and see what I can find to post here from time to time. How about you? Do you have movie theater images in your archive?
No, I don't. The nearest thing I have is some family snapshots from the late 50s early 60s of the drive-in theater owned by my uncle's family. It was unusual in that the family lived in the base of the screen. I have actually slept inside a movie screen.
The theatre was torn down some years ago. I have some fond memories of my visits there--perhaps I will post something about that. Looking forward to see what you have on the subject.
Wow, living inside a movie screen -- now there's a story! I'd love to see some photos and posts about that drive-in theater on your blog.
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