Post-$600K Renovation, 1st Motion Picture Ever Screened At Newtown Theatre To Show Again

NEWTOWN, PA — History buffs rejoice: the Newtown Theatre is reopening after a four-month renovation by celebrating its storied past.

On Dec. 3, the theatre will host a special fundraising event to screen original 35mm footage of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. This was the first motion picture ever screened at the theatre, according to a news release.

The Newtown Theatre will show the footage on an 1898 Edison Projecting Kinetoscope — the same type of projector used 115 years ago to kick off the local cinema's screenings.

The event will also include a screening of the 1928 silent comedy "Bare Knees" with a live organ accompaniment: plus a pre-screening banquet of wine, beer, dessert, and live music from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.

"Help celebrate our reopening by attending this one-of-a-kind event!" Newtown Theatre representatives wrote.

Two big names on the local film scene will host the screener: film historian and former Newtown Theatre projectionist Lou DiCrescenzo, and operations director for Renew Theaters Jesse Crooks.

"DiCrescenzo and Crooks will also share the history of the projector and the footage with the audience," according to a release.

The event will serve as a first look at the $600,000 theatre renovations, which will include a new sprinkler system, new acoustic tiles, freshly painted and plastered walls and ceilings, new carpeting, new vintage-style red seats, and new hardwood flooring "minus the old gum." According to the theatre website, community members also stopped by on Oct. 8 to sign the undersides of the floorboards with secret messages — meaning the new floor retains the community stories of the old.

Newtown Theatre also got an ADA-compliant upgrade to bring the theater's accessibility up to snuff, by way of a new single-user restroom and a wheelchair lift and bigger porch out front. The renovations are scheduled to be completed by Dec. 1.

The fundraiser will host only 150 people, with tickets going for $75 per person online. Masks are required in the theatre, except when eating and drinking.