Landers Theatre
The ashes of the Baldwin Theatre, which burned on January 6, 1909, were not yet cold when the plans for a new theatre on Walnut Street were actualized. The Landers Theatre was designed by architects John and Carl Boller and was built in 1909 by John and D.J. Landers and R. W. Seward. Built for $100,000, the brick and terracotta building has been in continuous use either as a legitimate theatre or a motion picture house since it opened with the musical THE GOLDEN GIRL staring Lillian Russell on September 18, 1909.
The Landers Theatre was part of the Orpheum circuit of theaters, showing vaudeville and "tab" or tabloid shows with a different show each week. The Weaver Brothers and Elviry were regulars at the Landers, before they went on to make movies. Some other famous performers who appeared here were George Cohan, Lon Chaney, John Philip Sousa and Lillian Russell. In 1915 "Birth of Nation" was shown in the theater and afterward silent movies were a regular feature with musical or drama productions playing between the motion pictures.
Explore Related Categories
