Drake Theatre

A new direct link to a 1989 image of the Drake Theatre. By that time, the boxoffice had been moved to the sidewalk, with a turnstile entrance. The original boxoffice was in the right wall of the lobby, with a ticket taker stationed at the entrance to the rear of the auditorium (which ran parallel to Woodhaven Boulevard):View link

I enjoyed going to the drake. The theatre was not that big so you had a good view of the screen. The last movie I had seen there was – THE LAST STAR FIGHTER- . I miss the good days of sitting there and watching a movie.

That’s an interesting question, but a cursory search indicates that the name Rego Park was already in use by the 1920s:

From the history of the Resurrection Assumption Church, http://www.rachurch.org/history.htm

In 1925, Rego Park was, simply, a nameless stretch of country where, approximately, ten farmers -most of them of the old German and Dutch stock — raised truck vegetables which they sold in Manhattan. Sixty-third Drive was a cow path — none of the present streets existed — and the farmhouses had neither gas nor electricity. The Rego Construction Company had purchased three farms, which comprised approximately forty-five acres. The name “Rego Park” was adopted to mean “Real Good” – a description of the quality of the homes they intended to build. This farmland was bounded [triangularly] by 63rd Drive, the Long Island Railroad, and a line of about 200 feet east of Eliot Avenue. Many of our “pioneer” parishioners were the proud purchasers of these homes when they were completed.

Meanwhile, Rego Park was springing up like an adolescent youth. The cornerstone of P.S. 139 was laid in 1928, and the school was opened in 1930. Next, the Lutheran Church of Our Saviour was opened in 1931. Noticeably, 63rd Drive also appeared to be shaping up. Families were rapidly moving into this lovely and convenient section of Queens and so, in keeping pace with this development, his Excellency, Bishop Thomas Molloy addressed the spiritual needs of his people. Therefore, in 1926, Rev. Francis Scullin was appointed to found a parish in what was, then, the outlying section of St. Bartholomew’s Church in Elmhurst. There were many problems facing Father Scullin [and his parishioners] foremost, of course, was finding the most suitable location to build a church that would serve all the people. A temporary church was constructed by the parishioners on 55th Avenue in Elmhurst. It was called the Church of the Ascension of Elmhurst. Over the years, improvements have been made to this very “homelike, and "peaceful” church. The probable date of the first Mass was February 28, 1926. … The first wedding took place on June 19, 1926. The groom was George Renhardt and his bride, Eleanor Coddington. Father Scullin “officiated” at their marriage.For the convenience of many parishioners, arrangements were made to schedule the Sunday Mass celebration in the Rego Park Community Club House, on 62nd Avenue.

Thus there was already a Rego Park Cumminty Club House in 1926. Also, note that the 63rd Drive-Rego Park station of the IND subway was so designated when it opened on Dec. 31, 1936.

Jan 1968, almost in release for 3 years

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My memories of the seedy Drake Theater are not favorable at all. In the late ‘60s, they ran a number of foreign softcore X films, mostly in B&W. I watched a few out of curiosity, but they were pretty bad, especially when the moviemakers tried to throw in some redeeming social value. There was even one (“491” or something like that) with a Biblical connection! I’d seen other non-erotic films there, but upon leaving the Drake, I always felt that I needed to shower, and real fast!

I didn’t realize they showed stuff like that at the Drake!

Here is a pair of soft X’s from 1972. The company that released them Marvin was a releasing company that put out hundreds of horror, action and soft porn flicks in the 70’s and 80’s. They distributed for dozens of independent companies. At the end of the Rivoli’s life (then the UA Twin) when UA was sabotaging it, the booker for UA said to me “we should have renamed it the Marvin 1 & 2 because that’s all the f%$^* we book in there”.
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Warren – can I use your 1986 shot of the Drake for a Rego Park Forgotten NY page? Please write to me. Thanks – Christina ()

Thanks, Warren and Jeffrey1955, for your answers. Warren, I thought that 589 Woodhaven Boulevard looked suspicious. Perhaps that was the address before the hyphenated Queens “Philadeplphia” street address system of numbered streets and avenues took effect. Thanks, Jeffrey1955, for your personal details. It’s a good idea to to include your year of birth in your handle on this board, so other moviegoers can gain some sense of what your movie-going experience might be.

The sixth comment on this page is my first comment on the Drake Theater, as “Peter.K”, on 14 April 2004. I somehow logged myself out, and had to log back in as “PKoch”.

The address in the introduction is incorrect. The Drake was/is situated at 62-90 Woodhaven Boulevard.

That ad illustrates a funny thing I recall from living in the area in the 60s and 70s: Lefrak City would never acknowledge it was actually in Corona. Hence, the ad lists both Drake and UA Lefrak City under Rego Park — of course, they’re (relatively) nowhere near each other!
I think the Drake was my favorite of all the theaters in the area. It just always seemed so cozy and comfortable. Some of the names mentioned above are very familiar, but I honestly can’t remember whether I saw The Ipcress File, or Wait Until Dark, or Butch Cassidy, or any of the other pictures of the mid-late 60s or early 70s at the Drake, or the Arion, or someplace else. It was basically wherever my father decided to drive. But I do have a distinctive memory of one of the theaters — probably the Arion — having peeling paint all over the ceiling, on the rare occasion when they turned on the lights.
And wow — “London Lenny’s” — there’s a name I had completely forgotten! Did I ever actually eat there, or just go past? I have no idea!

Having worked at numerous neighborhood houses I was surprised when around 1965/66 when we went to the Drake to see The Iprcrss File it had no ticket taker, just a turnstile at the entrance. It was the only time I went to the Drake. When in New York and visiting the are we often go to “London Lenny’s” restaurant which is not far from the theatre.

Here is a 1986 image of the Drake. By this time, the Drake had a sidewalk boxoffice with turnstile. The original boxoffice was in the center of the right wall of the lobby. A ticket taker was stationed at the entrance doors to the auditorium:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/95536f94.jpg