Basic info on the Sameric theater, and many photographs of Philadelphia’s most famous movie theater.  By A. Solether

Website advocating the historical importance of Philadelphia’s famous Sameric Theater (formerly Boyd Theater), including many pictures of the old picture palace. By A. Solether

Sameric Corp., which sold the Boyd Theater in 1988, claims that the fight over the status of theater as a historical structure forced it to sell the building for less than fair market value.  Courts have upheld the law allowing the designation of buildings as historical structures but have rejected the Boyd Theater’s designation as such.  The new owners of the building intend to convert it into stores.  By L. Pardue

United Artists, the current owner of the Boyd Theater, AKA Sameric 4, are in the process of selling the theater to real estate investors despite efforts to preserve it as a historical structure. By L. Pardue

Glazer, Irvin R. “Philadelphia Theatres, A-Z.”  New York, Westport, CT, London. Greenwood Press: 1986.  p. 70-71

According to Glazer, the Boyd was the “only Art Deco first-run moving picture theatre erected in the city” of Philadelphia.  In 1963, the Boyd underwent a transition from the three-projector Cinerama system to a single-projector system, though Glazer only mentions the three projection booths being installed.  He also mentions, interestingly, that “when Cinerama product was no longer available, the Boyd had a brief period of porno.”  By A. Migdail

This is an article from the Philadelphia Inquirer briefly reviewing the films playing at each of the major Philadelphia theaters during the Christmas season, from “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” at the Boyd to “Kings of the Sun” at the Goldman.  It is interesting to note that, in 1963, theaters made a somewhat long-term commitment to an individual movie (whereas today, most theaters play more than one film) so that the theaters in the article are often listed before the film that is playing.  By A. Migdail

Philadelphia Inquirer.  2 Jan 1963: 17
Philadelphia Inquirer.  4 Jan 1963: 21
Philadelphia Inquirer.  9 Jan 1963: 17

These advertisements from the Philadelphia Inquirer show the kinds of movies that the theaters in Philadelphia were playing in 1963.  The Viking seems to have been a more family-oriented theater, showing a lot of Disney movies (the Castaways, the Sword and the Stone, etc.)  Obviously, “Daniella By Night” was being shown in art theaters, of which there were at least a few in Philadelphia.  Notice the emphasis on “Cinerama” in the advertisement for the Boyd’s “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm.”  The Boyd Theater was, in fact, well known for being Philadelphia’s Cinerama theater though, in December of 1963, the Boyd switched from the three-projector Cinerama technique to the single-projector “70mm Cinerama.” (see also the review of “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad World”).  By A. Migdail 

Central City theaters are now organized into one larger cohesive advertisement. All are owned by Stanley-Warner. Includes the Stanley, Boyd, Fox, Earle, Aldine, Stanton, Karlton, Keith’s, Palace, and Victoria theaters. By Alexis Tryon

A website that brings attention to the Boyd theater in Philadelphia and asks for support in restoring it.  By Peggy DeAngelo