1329 Pennsylvania Avenue
West Baltimore City, Maryland.

 


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   The Royal Theatre in West Baltimore was the most famous theatre of all the theatres along Pennsylvania Avenue. The Avenue, as it was known, was famous for the clubs and theatres which extended from about the 900 block all the way to 2400 block , where it intersects North Avenue.  The Royal Theatre not only showed movies, but had live shows, which included many of the famous black entertainment acts, from Billie Holiday to Count Basie. The Royal was a stop for many of the black entertainment companies as they made their way from Washington D.C. to the Apollo Theatre in New York City. 


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     By the early 1970's, the Royal Theatre was nearing the end of it's run. The photo above , on the left, shows Pennsylvania Avenue before everything in this photo was torn down. The Royal was torn down in the 1970's, and the New Carver , which was also known as the Diane Theatre survived into the 1980's, but was also torn down. The photo to the above right shows the Royal in it's heyday ( circa 1920's ) , with Fats Waller on stage.

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  Current shots of the Royal Theatre site today.The theatre was torn down as part of a Urban Renewal Program and nothing of the " Old Pennsylvania Avenue" exists today . A small park has been erected near the site


   Old programs for the Royal Theatre , circa 1931 and 1956.






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