The Hollywood Theater - Dormont, Pennsylvania

KEYSTONE OAKS HIGH SCHOOL

H OME

HOLLYWOOD THEATER

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Dormont, Pennsylvania

1 975 K.O. FRESHMAN UNDEFEATED TEAM

HISTORY OF THE HOLLYWOOD THEATER
The Hollywood Theater is the last of three theaters that once stood in the Pittsburgh suburb of Dormont, PA. The building was first constructed in 1925
and has undergone one major reconstruction and several remodelings. During the multitude of ownerships and operators, the Theater’s doors have been
shut for a total of 17 years of its lifetime.

The Theater first opened as a silent picture house in 1926 under the control of Edward James Murray, a founding member of the Hollywood Amusement
Company. The building had two store fronts that housed several tenants over the years, among them a flower shop and a dry cleaners. In the basement
was a bowling alley that some referred to as “Murray’s Bowling & Billiards”. The most impressive portion of the building, however, was its lavish
atmospheric auditorium, with over 1000 seats, a balcony, courtyard interior, and stars in the ceiling. “Where the moon and stars shine” was an
appropriate tagline for the new Theater, used greatly during its early years. The architect of the original building was Charles R. Geisler of Pittsburgh.

The Theater was purchased by Warner Bros. Theatres, Inc. on June 11th, 1930. Operation continued as usual until 1932 when doors were closed for
remodeling and upgrade. Upon reopening November 2nd, 1934, the Theater had received its first sound equipment and a new screen, among other
remodeling and redecoration. On February 11th, 1939, Warner Bros. Theatres, Inc. transferred ownership to its subsidiary, Northeastern Theatres, Inc.

The doors of the Theater were again closed on April 19, 1948 for yet another remodeling and upgrade. This time, however, the interior of the theater was
completely removed except for superstructure. Architect Victor A. Rigaumont designed the reconstruction which removed the store fronts and bowling
alley, expanded seating of the auditorium (still over 1000), and removed the atmospheric effect in favor of a more modern style. The front facade of the
building remained, however the original cast-iron marquee was replaced with an impressively lit Warner Bros. themed marquee.

Warner Bros. again transferred the theater to a subsidiary in 1953; this time Stanley Warner Theatres. Doors remained open until another extensive
remodeling in 1966, when new seats, fabric, wallpaper, and a wider screen are installed. A green and gold color scheme would now welcome theater goers.

In 1967, operation of the Theater transferred to RKO-Stanley Warner Theatres, Inc., after the merger of RKO Theatres Corp and the Stanley Warner
Theater group by parent-company Glen Alden Corp. The “WB” from the theater’s marquee is reportedly removed at this time.

1973 would see yet another transfer of ownership of the building, this time to Cinemette Theaters, Inc. Cinemette operated the Theater until 1979, when
they defaulted on a majority of their loans. Major creditor, Ernest Stern, purchased Cinemette Theatres and their assets at this time, adding them to his
already extensive network of Pittsburgh theaters.

In the early 1980s, Potomac Avenue is widened and the Borough of Dormont pays for the removal of the large Warner Bros. era marquee.

On April 18, 1987, Ernest Stern ceases operations at the Theater. Stern had recently sold most of this theaters to Cinema World, but had retained a
handful of theaters, among them the Hollywood.

The doors opened again on June 1st, 1990 under the management of Neighbor Cinemas, Inc., who leased the building for a trial year. President David
Bevilacqua previously renovated and reopened the Rex Theater, another Pittsburgh theater. Business was booming with over 2000 people frequenting
the Theater per week. Not long after opening, the Theater received a sound upgrade on September 13th.

April 2nd, 1995 was the final day of operation under Neighbor Cinemas, but doors were not closed long. Rick Stern, son of the late Ernest Stern and now
the building owner, reopened on June 1st under the control of his CineMagic name.

The doors were closed yet again on April 2nd, 1998, and the building was purchased by the Keystone Oaks School District and the Borough of Dormont at
sheriff’s sale for extensive back-taxes.

On March 5, 2001, the building was purchased by a group under the name Hollywood Partners, LLC. However, the Theater would not see its doors opened
again for quite some time.

March 30th, 2007 finally saw the reopening of the Hollywood after almost 10 years. The building, now operated by The Bradley Center of Mt. Lebanon,
Pa, undergoes a complete renovation. The lobby is made larger, and new paint, fabric, and seats are installed. A digital projector that can play DVDs is
introduced alongside a classic 35mm projector. A little over a year later, on Monday May 26, 2008, the Theater closed yet again.

The Theater reopened on July 10, 2009 under Motion Picture Heritage Corporation, but closed less than a year later on June 1st, 2010.
A year later, the Friends of the Hollywood Theater opened the doors on May 4th, 2011, and has been consistently been playing movies and hosting events
ever since.