Penn Theatre

The Woodward Theatre Company purchased a parcel of land in downtown Plymouth in 1926 from George H. Wilcox with the intention of building a first class movie palace.

It would be thirteen years before Harry Lush, employee at the Penniman & Allen Theatre, would purchase the property from the Woodward Theatre Company and begin plans on a theatre of his own. The name of the theatre, which was situated across from Kellogg Park, was changed twice before the building was complete and finally crowned in green neon with the name “PENN”.

The Penn Theatre officially opened on December 4, 1941 with the showing of “Weekend in Havana” starring John Payne and Carmen Miranda. Due to Mr. Lush's dislike of popcorn, the movie house staple was not served at the Penn until 1950 after Mr. Lush moved to California and the theatre was being managed by Margaret Wilson, who became the Penn's second owner in 1964.

In late 1966, plans were drawn to “modernize” the entrance (as it appears today) as well as create a proper concession area in the main lobby. The Penn has stood the test of time, surviving the advent of “a television in every living room” and the appearance of movies in VHS and DVD format. Over the next 58 years the theatre changed ownership several times but dedicated projectionist, Lloyd Oliver, “the voice of the Penn”, remained a constant at 760 Penniman Avenue until 2003.

For more information about the Penn including showtimes visit www.penntheatre.com