Maspeth Theatre
69-20 Grand Avenue,
Maspeth,
NY
11378
69-20 Grand Avenue,
Maspeth,
NY
11378
5 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 69 of 69 comments
KenRoe, just as I said above. So that must be it. “The Mad Dancer.”
Using a magnifying glass, I can make out the word ‘Mad’ on the bottom line of letters. Looking that up on Internet Movie Database, I came up with Ann Pennington “The Mad Dancer” (1925) as a likely reading on the marquee.
Any film may be researched on the Internet Movie Database :
www.imdb.com
Here’s a wild stab. The second line looks like it could be “(The)Mad Dancer,” a 1925 film. The first line might be performers in the film, but I couldn’t connect the Imdb-listed credits with anything resembling the first line. But I am almost certain the second line reads “in Mad ——–”.
Unfortunately it is to fuzzy for me to read too.
Anyone out there know about the Juniper Diner that was locatted on the corner of 69th Stret & Grand Aveue before the LIE swept it away.
It was across 69th Stret from Weber’s Drug Store.
The Dinerguy
Ok Guys and Gals… The Maspeth Theater was the theater where we would go on Saturday or Sunday Afternoons. It was the first theater ( and I think the only one where I had my face slapped for getting “fresh”. This was when Grand Avenue still had the Car Barns. It was also the theater where I used to get free dishes for going to the movies. Sorry but those were the days ( late 40’s-early 50’s)
Was back to Maspeth for our 50th Class reunion and saw so many changes, but the Maspeth Theater was still there.
I worked at the Maspeth Theatre in 1948-9.
Usher, ticklet-taker, etc.
It was part of the Randforce “chain"
The Oasis Theatre was part of the chain.
I got paid 45 cents an hour- part time.
Seeing movies over & over again nade me movie fan for life
Dinerguy
Thank you very much Robert for that information. Does it still have any of it’s original interior visable inside?
It’s a bingo hall now.
I remember this theater quite well. We would always pass it on our way home from visitng my late aunt in Greenpoint. I haven’t been there in quite some years now, as my aunt moved over to New Orleans to be with her daughter (my cousin) about 15 years ago, and has since passed on.
I should really get over there and trace our monthly steps again one day.
What is the Maspeth Theater being used for now?
I’ve seen the Idle Hour in the Cinema Tour listing I have for Queens.
Unfortunately, no address is given.
I think Metropolitan Playhouses needed some help reading a map, because the Maspeth is 1.6 miles east of the Bklyn Queens border along Grand Avenue / Street, and because Maspeth does not sit on this border, as Ridgewood does. I would imagine this happening to the Ridgewood and RKO Madison, or even the Oasis, near the Ridgewood-Maspeth border, rather than the Maspeth.
I take it that the result of the Maspeth rarely being mentioned in the Queens newspapers, and being one of the borough’s least-known theatres, was a major factor in its closing.
The bookers there are mostly former RKO bookers.
Thanks, RobertR and Warren, for this information.
Florin Creative is a private booker for independant theatres. They booked the Ridgewood for the Diaz brothers when they aquired the theatre from UA.
Warren, thanks for mentioning Randforce Management once again. I seem to recall the Ridgewood Theater referred to as “Randforce’s Ridgewood” in the NY Daily News in May 1969 in an ad for a re-release of “Psycho” in that month and year. Later, it was referred to as “Florin’s Creative Ridgewood”.
While on the topic, I remember CBS TV was to have shown “Psycho” on a Friday in October 1966, in the 9 to 11 p.m. time slot. There was even a closeup segment in “TV Guide” on it with a picture of Anthony Perkins. Much to my disappointment, another film, “Kings Go Forth”, was shown instead. Stations indeed reserve the right to make such last-minute changes.
Yes it still is used for bingo, I passed there last night.
I used to go there as a kid. No balcony. I think seating capacity was larger, maybe 900-1200.