Folly Theatre
15 Debevoise Street,
Brooklyn,
NY
11206
15 Debevoise Street,
Brooklyn,
NY
11206
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 41 of 41 comments found
In 1928 as part of a Fox foursome presenting vaudeville with a feature movie:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/foxfour.jpg
In May, 1923, Fox’s Folly was part of a 30-theatre city-wide engagement of “Down to the Sea in Ships” after the epic ended an exclusive three-month run on Broadway:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/downtosea.jpg
A 1935 trade directory lists the Folly as owned and operated by Folly Amusement Holding Corporation. In the 1937 volume, it is listed as owned and operated by Lyric Frolics, Inc., a subsidiary of the Springer Circuit (a company that specialized in theatres that were in their death throes). In the 1941 volume, the Folly is merely listed as “closed,” with no other information.
I don’t have room in my scrapbook to re-display the Folly photo, but if you contact me privately at .com, I will send you a copy. It’s possible that the Folly was closed for alterations at the time of the ad. That was the case for the Ridgewood Theatre, which also wasn’t listed.
Warren recently posted on the Alba webpage a listing of Fox Brooklyn houses from Sept. 14, 1930. The Folly was not listed. Since it was listed in the 1931 FYDB, had it already been spun-off from Fox?
Any idea when the Folly actually closed? This question has come up in regard to another site, the Aster. I recall in the mid 50’s there being a Friendly Frost appliance store on the corner of Graham Ave & Debevoise St., a fairly modern looking (stark/plain) structure that would not have gone back to the turn of the century.
Warren, any chance you could re-post the above picture, as the link has expired. Thanks!
Here’s an early photo of the Folly, taken before William Fox took over the theatre: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/609b9ca9.jpg
According to the Brooklyn Eagle the Folly was a Richard Hyde’s new
and magnificant Theater and it would open on October 14,1901.
The Manager of the Folly would be a Mr. Clarke who had worked for
Mr. Hyde a number of years.Many prominent folks would attend and
be well cared for by the management.A good orchestra had been engaged
and they would make the Folly the most popular Theater in Brooklyn.
The opening weeks bill would be Tom Lewis and Tim Ryan in a sketch
“Mixed Tenant’s” revised by Mr. W.J.Hyde;the Three Mortons,Sam,Clara
and Kate,favorite dancers George Felix and Lydia Barry in the sketch
“The Vaudeville”.
Jackie Gleason was from the Bedford section (I photographed his old house on Chauncey street). The name Bedford Stuyvesant stuck in the 1920’s or 30’s. He would come back to visit from time time, many people remember him coming back to play Pool (There was pool hall on Broadway, a couple blocks from the RKO Bushwick). He would also visit his old buddy who worked at 81st precinct (across the street from the old Empire).
The FDYBs apparently erred in reporting the address as Debevoise Avenue. It was almost certainly Debevoise Street, which intersects with Graham Avenue just above Broadway. An ad for The Folly in the October 27, 1901 issue of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle gives an address of “Graham Ave. near Broadway.” Debevoise Avenue is a considerable distance from that site. I suspect that The Folly’s original entrance was on Graham Avenue, and that it was later moved around the corner to Debevoise Street. Or, like many large theatres in those days, The Folly might have had two entrances originally and one was eventually closed when no longer needed.
The 1926 Film Daily Year Book claims that the Folly was situated at 12 Graham Avenue, and had 1,975 seats. By the 1931 edition, the listing had changed to 21 Graham Avenue and 1,800 seats. In the 1936 edition, it suddenly changed again to 15 Debevoise Avenue and 1,700 seats. Is it possible that by 1936, the original Folly had closed and the name was given to another theatre in the area?
That’s what I like about Cinema Treasures, some people take everything that is written so personally as if one can’t make a statement without always being corrected or attacked.
I didn’t claim that the Folly was Fox’s first theatre. I said that it was “one of the first.” Although I often complain about misuse of the word “the,” it seems that in this case the theatre was actually known as The Folly, not Folly. I’m presently looking at a photograph that shows two vertical signs and an attraction board with the name “The Folly.” Perhaps “The” was dropped after Fox took over. I can’t imagine Fox’s The Folly or The Fox Folly.
Actually, it was his second, the Comedy Theatre was his first at 194 Grand Street. It was a former 1850’s “speakeasy” that had fallen into ruins by 1903. The Folly, his second undertaking, was leased to William Fox at first and then sold to him, I believe. The Comedy which became the Metro in 1937 lasted until 1953. The Comedy opened in 1918 or thereabouts, closed in 1929. It remained closed until 1937.
The Folly was one of William Fox’s first theatres, though it was already long-established when he took it over circa 1904-05.
The Folly Theatre seated 1750 people.