Image: 1922 State Orpheum Theater

Description: 1922 State Theater, 6th and Linden Streets Originally opened as the Orpheum Theater in 1906. The Orpheum was the first major vaudeville theater in Allentown (Capacity: 1,421 seats). Live variety shows, it mixed jugglers, song-and-dance teams and acrobats, comedians and other live performers. Allentown was a tryout venue for vaudeville acts and those who did well went to major cities such as Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Famous performers such as Eddie Cantor, Fred and Adele Astaire, Jack Benny, Bing Crosby, Buster Keaton and Will Rogers all played at the Orpheum. By 1920, vaudeville had been taken over by silent films and in 1924 the Orpheum was converted to The State movie theater. It was the third largest theater in Allentown. Converted to sound films in the early 1930s, closed in December 1953 due to declining attendance caused by Television. Purchased for $50,000 by Park and Shop Inc. and torn down in April 1954 to make way for a parking lot
Title: 1922 State Orpheum Theater
Credit: Allentown, 1762-1987, a 225 Year history, Volume II, 1920-1987, Lehigh County Historical Society, 1987. (Holdings of the Lehigh County Historical Society}
Author: Unknown photographer
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No