Podcasts

Philadelphia Motion Picture Hall of Fame

From the glorious Tyson Theater in Northeast Philadelphia, MOVIEHOUSE PRODUCTIONS is proud to present its honorees for the Philadelphia Motion Picture Hall of Fame. All our stars were born in the City of Brotherly Love, except for Siegmund Lubin. Though born in Europe, Mr. Lubin produced his body of work in the Philadelphia area.

Our Honorees:

Lionel Barrymore, the House of Barrymore

Mary Carr, star of early silents and talkies

Mae Clarke, Jimmy Cagney’s “Grapefruit Girl”

Broderick Crawford, Academy Award Winner and 1950’s television star

Laird Cregar, Philadelphia’s largest gift to Hollywood

WC Fields, Film Comedian

Larry Fine, Philadelphia “Stooge”

Janet Gaynor, the very first star of “A Star is Born”

Grace Kelly, “East Falls” Gift to Hollywood

Siegmund Lubin, Silent Film Pioneer

Jeanette MacDonald, Film Songstress

Hugh Marlowe, science fiction film king

David Raksin, film composer

Penny Singleton, filmdom’s “Blondie” and performer advocate                                                                             

Life Achievement Award:

The Philadelphia Motion Picture Hall of Fame presents its Life Achievement Award to David Supowitz. A prolific theater architect and son of South Philadelphia, Mr. Supowitz designed our striking Art Deco venue, the Tyson theater.

Not credited in our video, but very deserving of recognition:

Philadelphia’s Central High School Alumni Association, photo of David Raksin

Hollywood Diva, Biography of Jeanette MacDonald, Edward Baron Turk

Moviehouse Productions is proud to present “Philly’s Golden Age of Television and Beyond”. The video is a heartfelt tribute to Philadelphia’s standout role in the birth of commercial television, 1930’s-1950’s.

Drawing on the stories of Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Famers interviewed many years ago, we are ever grateful to John Lyons, Harold Pannepacker, Jack Steck and Alan Tripp.

Our video opens with stories of TVs early experiments at Philco Corporation. We follow with vignettes about many stars who graced our Admirals, Philcos, Muntzs, Silvertones and GEs.

“Golden Age” watchers will remember warmly “Wee Willie Webber”, Alan Scott, Phil Sheridan, “Uncle Pete” Boyle”, Lee Dexter, Willie the Worm, Gene London, American Bandstand, and Sally Starr.

Our “Lest We Forget” segment includes salutes to several more local small screen personalities. “Golden Age” also tunes in a New York City feed with memories of our 1950’s network favorites.

Viewers were limited to just a few channels long ago in comparison to the hundreds of choices today. But, what we watched long ago was often more thrilling as we delighted in things “totally new”. What fun to view with our family and friends.

Sit back, watch and smile!

Encore MOVIEHOUSE PRODUCTIONS presentation.

It still holds true. Those who don’t address the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them.

Watch  “At 60 Years …” by clicking here.

Join baseball historian John Rossi and Moviehouse Productions host “Radio” Rick Spector for “Remembering Johnny Callison”.

When one had “choose up” baseball games in Philly during the early 1960’s, nearly every kid wanted to be “Johnny”. Callison could run, field, hit, had a rifle arm, and for a medium size man he had great power. He looked like a movie star. Callison almost led us to a World Series in 1964. For too few shining years, Johnny Callison was clearly the major sports idol of our city.

In this Moviehouse Production, we present several short stories:

• A remembrance of Central High School’s class of 1905’s twenty-fifth reunion. The men of Central voiced opinions about 1930’s most controversial topics.
• A trip to Northeast Philadelphia’s Devon Theater, the city’s last single screen movie house.
• Two from Broad and Olney- Visits to a pair of landmarks – the Widener Memorial School for Industrial Training and the Henry S. Frank Memorial Synagogue.

 

         Sixty Second Street and Woodland Avenue, Southwest Philadelphia, 1944

Much of Southwest Philly history is lost. Carol McGehean currently resides in Bucks County. We are pleased that Carol spent some time with Moviehouse Productions to share some memories of growing up on Milan Street,  near the intersection of 71st Street  and Elmwood  Avenue. Click on this “pdf” file to read: Carol McGehean’s Memories of Growing Up in Southwest Philadelphia

 

The Felton Theater is an important landmark in Philadelphia’s Feltonville section, located at 4800 Rising Sun Avenue. Feltonville is a neighborhood south of Roosevelt Boulevard in the vicinity of Wyoming Avenue.

Judy Katz Schwartz grew up at 4601 “C “street in Feltonville during the bleakest days of the Great Depression. After school days ended, Judy and her friends flocked to the Felton to have fun and stay out of trouble, entertained by Shirley Temple films.

A contributor to the “Cinema Treasures” website remembered the Felton screening German language films, as the “Felton Kino”.

As most neighborhood theaters began closing with the advent of television, the life of Felton evolved. For a time, the shuttered movie house stored Eric Theater chain popcorn and soda machines. The Felton then lived on as a troubled night club. Today, the building serves as a church.

The Felton opened in 1919. In a flight of fantasy, Moviehouse Productions presents a dual celebration. First, the one – hundredth anniversary of the Felton Theater to salute a century of movie memories , and Kirk Douglas’ hundredth birthday , one of the screen’s greatest personalities.