RE: Saving Philadelphia's Movie Palace!
Weekly Press, Letters To The Editor
On June 11, 2002, I organized the Committee to Save the Sameric. On that day, we told the Philadelphia region that it should not lose its last movie palace, the Boyd, built in 1928 as an Art Deco masterpiece, and recently known as the Sameric. The accomplishments of hundreds of volunteers for our first year were quite visible. Demonstrating in front of the theater every Saturday, we obtained more than 5000 petition signatures. Mayor Street visited the theater and endorsed our cause. We distributed flyers, began our website (http://www.SaveTheSameric.org) and held public forums in Center City with slides about the Boyd and movie palaces nationwide. Wildly successful was our first fund-raiser, a presentation at International House of the silent "The Show-Off" (1926).
Incorporating as the Friends of the Boyd, we obtained approval for nonprofit organization status from the Internal Revenue Service. And, we retained business and architectural experts to translate Hollywood fantasy into economic reality.
What have we been up to in the last twelve months? We have continued our Philadelphia themed film fund-raisers, one per each decade, at International House. WC Fields "International House" (1933) was followed by the "The Philadelphia Story" (1940) and recently by Grace Kelly's "The Swan" (1956). Our noted guest speakers included Robert Venturi, Ed Bacon, Grace Kelly's niece Meg Packer, and Gene London. Before each film and at meetings, we've presented newly discovered Boyd photos that range from the 1930's to the last decade.
Having found and retrieved in the last twelve months historic artifacts from the Boyd, we plan to exhibit them in a reopened theater. Discovering the original Art Deco upholstery of the seats means all seats will again have Jazz Age upholstery. We inventoried the theater's decorations, and obtained estimates on restoration of the theater to its original Art Deco glory.
Earlier this year, the owner of the theater, the Goldenberg Group, installed work lights, brilliantly illuminating the theater's interior. Since January, I have led ten tours of the theater, ranging from a half dozen government officials from Chile, to 85 members of Young Involved Philadelphia. Everybody visiting the theater has been in awe of the theater's architecture and its history. The importance of preserving the Boyd was reinforced this Spring, when upon my nomination, the local architects organization awarded the Boyd, along with the Uptown Theatre, the AIA Landmark Building Award, an award previously awarded to such Philadelphia landmarks as the Lit Bros Department Store Building, the Naval Home, and the PSFS tower on Market Street.
Very important, a feasible plan to restore and reopen the Boyd has been put forth, with Clear Channel as the intended operator for musicals and concerts. Like many other large corporations, we found that Clear Channel has its detractors, but they have a tremendous track record of restoring and programming movie palaces in other cities. We have emphasized that in return for public funding, community access to the theater should be provided with a film program, public tours, and other public benefits.
We have not ignored our neighbors. With representatives of the theater owner, we met with the Board of Rittenhouse Row, the Design Advocacy Group, and the residents of the William Penn House to discuss reopening plans for the theater. We persuaded a developer who planned to demolish 1900 and 1902 Chestnut, the lovely Art Deco neighbors of the theater, to instead plan to restore the buildings.
Our organization has become more professional, with more skilled volunteers, our own bank account, solicitation registration with the Commonwealth, longer mailing lists, and a wonderful donated logo.
We were recently startled to discover that June 11 represents not only the day we began our organization two years ago, but also the day the ground was broken for the construction of the Boyd theater in 1928! With our public advocacy and our fund-raising, we will work with the Goldenberg Group and Clear Channel to ensure an authentically restored movie palace is enjoyed by future generations. This year marks the 75th Birthday year of the Boyd, and we aim for many more to come.
To volunteer, donate, share historic photos of the Boyd, or be kept informed by weekly email updates, visit http://www.SaveTheSameric.org
- Howard B. Haas, Chairman
Friends of the Boyd