Bucks County’s Independent Movie Houses

Back in the day, going to the movies was an ideal low-pressure date; no one was required to be socially adept or even to talk to his or her partner as the film rolled. While that may still be true for the latest blockbuster at some anonymous multiplex, independent movie theaters draw different audiences—those whose goals might be to enter an architectural icon; to forego the car in favor of a walk through town; or to experience, learn, share, and debate the films themselves and how they were made. Watching what is on the screen is usually only one part of the movie-going encounter.

The Bucks County area is rich with its three independent movie theaters, whose founders, staffs, and, in some instances, members are devoted to the medium of film: the Newtown Theater, the County in Doylestown, and the ACME Screening Room in Lambertville.

Newtown: the oldest
The Newtown Theater is housed in the old Newtown Hall on North State Street, a community building that began life in 1831, as an assembly hall hosting dances, concerts, graduations, theatricals, and church services. Its first film was shown in 1906, making the Newtown Theater the oldest continuously running movie house in the country. When television threatened movie theaters’ popularity, Newtown Hall was rescued in 1953, by the Community Welfare Council of Newtown (CWCN), a local philanthropic organization.

In 1972, movie buff Amos Farruggio and his wife, Marjorie, rented the theater from CWCN and kept it going through Amos’s death in 1980, and Marjorie’s death in 2005. To keep the community facility open and operating for recitals, parties, presentations, and live theater as well as the movies the Farruggios and their loyal patrons so loved, CWCN trustees created the nonprofit Newtown Hall Theater Corporation.

Today, the Newtown Theater shows movies 365 days a year, right in the heart of the town’s historic district.

“We try to keep it mostly first-run films, a blend of family and good-quality movies,” says Eric Silverman, the theater’s administrator. “People need a safe place where they can send their kids and not have to worry about them.”

The old brick assembly hall is no multiplex—despite its upgraded projection equipment and digital sound. And even with the balcony, old posters, and a lot of aura, it is just as clearly “not an Art Deco movie palace,” says Silverman. “It’s a very down-home, comfortable family place.”

Starting at Thanksgiving, classic holiday movies are shown right up to the weekend before Christmas, when the theater always presents It’s a Wonderful Life. In May, the theater hosted a local documentary of the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Crooked Billet. The Newtown Arts Company will present its live production of Nunsense starting June 3, and running through June 9.

The Newtown Theater is located at 120 North State Street in Newtown. For more special events, live shows, and movie offerings and to find out about show times, visit the website at www.NewtownTheater.com, or call the box office at 215.968.3859.

The County: the most historic theater
The County Theater started as a lovely blue and yellow Art Deco movie house in 1938. The fact that it is still a lovely blue and yellow Art Deco movie house and not an empty storefront is attributable to visionary community leaders and the support of individuals, businesses, and grant-making organizations.

The County was opening only intermittently by early 1992, when John Toner, Executive Director of the film society, Closely Watched Films, was approached by community leaders to operate the theater. Toner had been showing classics and new independent films in schools and community auditoriums around the town, and he had developed an extremely loyal audience. He accepted; the group entered into a lease-purchase agreement with owner and local businessman Jonathan Rudolph; and several months of refurbishment later, the County reopened on February 3, 1993, with a showing of Enchanted April.

And then the hard work began.

“We had two years to raise the money to buy the theater,” says Jim Sanders, Director of Development. “At the same time, we were putting in capital improvements to the seats [and] projection system and paying our rent.” But a strong capital campaign netted the needed funds.

“We purchased the theater on April 1, 1997, and began fundraising and more renovations immediately.” That year, the group installed a host of improvements. In 1998, the iconic neon tower came down for renovation and was reinstalled; the canopy/marquee was rehabbed in 2000. In 2009, major renovations were made to the lobby, auditorium entrances, and projection system, which now allows the theater to show high-definition digital as well as 35mm films.

Just steps from the acknowledged center of Doylestown, the County Theater’s rebirth has paralleled—some would say “initiated”—the economic resurgence of the borough.

“When we started, it was the belief that if this building were saved from the wrecking ball, it would attract revitalization, and it did. This was at the beginning of the art house film movement, so there was a demand for our product—smaller independent films, classics, as well as first-run movies. A key to our success was that people could step out their door[s] and walk into our theater.

“Now we realize we have something to give back: we can help other film organizations get started, and we are seen as a viable and vital resource.”

In 2005, the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission selected the County to represent the Commonwealth’s historic theaters and featured it on a poster honoring the more than 100 theaters that have been saved.

The County is a member organization, offering discounts on tickets and various levels of recognition. As a member of the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce, it also co-sponsors the Chamber’s annual Bucks Fever Film Fest. [To mark the theater’s 10th anniversary, BFFF will be presented on October 10, 2010.] 

“In this economy, we rely more and more on the generosity of individual members and friends for our operating funds,” explains Sanders. “In this environment, it’s the individuals who will step forward to support us.”

Find out what’s showing, get on the mailing list, or join at www.CountyTheater.org. The theater is located at 20 East State Street in Doylestown.

ACME Screening Room: the youngest
Although young in years, the ACME Screening Room has a strong cultural heritage behind it in this little river town across the Delaware. Founded in 2008, by Sara Scully, Program Producer, and the Friends of Lambertville Library, in partnership with the City of Lambertville, the nonprofit grew out of the library’s adult programming needs in the realm of film. In addition, Scully and others wanted to add film to Lambertville’s culture of fine art and fine food.

“When we first started out, we thought we’d just be a weekly film series of excellent indie features and documentary films,” says Scully. “That was until we did our first documentary film-and-discussion, meet-the-director event. It was inspiring to see how hungry audiences are for a learning opportunity, to come together and exchange ideas.”

ACME regularly brings in cutting-edge indie films with speakers and guest directors to engage the audience. Scully also creates partnerships with local community organizations when a film’s issues or message dovetails with the organization’s nonprofit, non-political-campaign mission. This way, the organizations’ and ACME’s programs gain recognition and value within the community.

Scully works with a dedicated group of volunteers: individuals, businesses, and the Friends of the Library. The old ACME Supermarket on Union Street—city-owned, municipal courthouse by day—houses state-of-the-art digital projection and 5.1 surround sound systems purchased by a grant identified by Mayor Dave Del Vecchio. The City of Lambertville has donated the use of the building for ACME’s weekend programs.

This summer, ACME will present Artist Visions’ Film Festival, Thursday through Sunday, July 22 to July 25.

“The festival will celebrate the creative visions of filmmakers from Hunterdon, Bucks County, and beyond,” says Scully. “It will feature outdoor film screenings and live music on the river at Lambertville Station, video installation in the center of town on the Wachovia Bank building, local student film festival at ACME, interactive multimedia ‘Visual Treasure Hunt,’ community storytelling project and city-wide events at galleries and shops. The festival will also feature a nightclub-style party at Rago Arts on Saturday, July 24, with live music by Lambertville-based Jac.”

To learn more about the ACME Screening Room and upcoming events, or to become a contributing member, log on to the website at www.NickelodeonNights.org. 

 Story by Anne Biggs