Comments about Brooklyn Paramount Theatre in Brooklyn, NY

Mike (saps) on August 26, 2008 at 11:30 am

I scoured the LIU website and there was nothing new about either the athletic enter or the Paramount. Stayed tuned.

Warren G. Harris on August 26, 2008 at 6:15 am

The 8/22/08 article in the Brooklyn Eagle is merely a rehash of previous reportage. It has absolutely nothing new to say about the future status of the theatre.

Vito on August 26, 2008 at 4:49 am

Very exciting news, but I agree the article did not give much information. More news to come I hope. Perhaps it is time for one our crack Brookyn CT reporters to go to the theatre and snoop around for more ino.:)

LuisV on August 25, 2008 at 10:40 am

This article just recently appeared in a local Brooklyn periodical “The Brooklyn Daily Eagle”:

On This Day in History: August 22
Paramountâ€\s Last Picture Show
by Brooklyn Eagle (), published online 08-22-2008

BROOKLYN â€" As the curtains closed over the screen on August 22, 1962, the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre at Flatbush & DeKalb Avenues was history. The last feature film at the famous movie palace was John Wayne in Hatari. Attendance on closing night in the 4,126 seat theatre was about 300. Its grand opening as the first movie theater built in America expressly for sound pictures was on November 24, 1928, with the feature Manhattan Cocktail starring Nancy Carroll and Richard Arlen.

Over 4,000 patrons came to gaze in awe at the theaterâ€\s vastness and baroque splendor; its $3 million collection of paintings, sculptures and antiques; and the assemblage of theatrical and political personalities who attended the opening. Gracing its ornate stage during its reign as the mecca of Brooklyn entertainment were such celebrities as Frank Sinatra, Liberace, Rudy Vallee, Ginger Rogers, Bing Crosby, Eddie Cantor, George Jessel, Mae West and most of the big band era orchestras. In later years the Paramountâ€\s stage was the site of rock & roll shows such as Little Richard and Bill Haley and the Comets, emceed by popular disc jockey Alan Freed.

Long Island University took over the building and in 1950 converted the office tower to classrooms and administrative offices. When the theatre itself closed 12 years later, the grand lobby, a copy of the famous Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, became LIUâ€\s student cafeteria; the orchestra seating area became a gymnasium where the LIU basketball team plays with spectators seated in bleachers where the balcony patrons once sat. The â€œMighty Wurlitzerâ€ pipe organ, second in size and sound only to the two in the Radio City Music Hall, has been lovingly restored by the Theatre Organ Enthusiasts group and was still played at the basketball games until recently. Now, with the opening of its new athletic center, LIU announced plans to use the space as a theater once again.

The sunburst proscenium, the side bays representing visions into the formal gardens of French royal palaces of the late 18th century, and the ornate ceiling are still visible and worth a look.

This story doesn’t go far enough. When LIU says that it will resuse the space as a theater, what exactly does that mean? Will the seating be restored? Will the theater be refurbished? Will it be used for films, live theater, concerts or all three? What is the timetable? In my opinion, the reporter did a poor job. If you’re going to announce the return of one of Brooklyn’s most treasured and storied theaters you should provide actual news and not just a history lesson.

kcwb on June 25, 2008 at 12:41 pm

I am an architecture student, recently graduated from Columbia University. My final thesis project was a history of this wonderful theater. It has such an interesting story; I never knew that one building could endure so much, bankruptcy, robberies, and a bombing, while also achieving such heights of success. Then again the Brooklyn Paramount is so much more than just a building! My advisor has encouraged me to continue the project even after graduation, and honestly, Iâ€™m not ready to let it go. My ultimate goal would be to take the 60 pages of writing and photos I have already and make a small publication, exhibit or website to draw attention to the theater and its role in the community throughout its history, as well as its preservation needs.
What I think the project is lacking most acutely is a more vivid description of what it was actually like to go to this theater. Iâ€™ve done my best with newspaper articles and photographs, but Iâ€™d really like to hear any stories or memories that people who were there while it was still operational. I tried to create an oral history component earlier but, ultimately everyone I talked to gradually revealed that they had been to the Fox not the Paramount. Everyone except for my grandma, who saw Debbie Reynoulds and Jane Seymour perform in the 40s.
I would love to hear any memories or suggestions for this project! I feel guilty that I have been reading this discussion board for an entire year, taking suggestions about where to find old pictures and information without contributing anything, but to make amends I will see if I can post some pictures that my photographer friend took, and my entire project, which I self-published through LULU. If anyone is interested in Alan Freed, this book called Big Beat Heat is interesting and has good replications of marquees and photographs, including one of Little Richard backstage at the Paramount.
As a final note to LIU girl, do you happen to have the contact information for the archivist of the Brooklyn Campus? Is it still Janet Marks? I became friends with her last year doing other research, she was actually the one who showed me the old auditorium, but I lost her number and canâ€™t find it anywhere on the website or from calling the library. Youâ€™re so lucky that your school has such a special space, and youâ€™re right about how respectful everyone is of it. I also want to thank you guys for being so welcoming and generous by allowing other people in to see it!

Warren G. Harris on May 18, 2008 at 6:20 am

Yesterday’s NY Daily News had a special advertising supplement about the 125th Birthday Celebration of the Brooklyn Bridge. A brief mention of the Brooklyn Paramount and its history was accompanied by a photo of the New York Paramount. Oy vey!

markp on April 6, 2008 at 8:59 am

I seem to remember running a movie based on that 1956 image posted above. If memory serves me, I think it was in 1978, and was called “American Hot Wax.” If that is the movie, and the events followed true, than it really was a great time to be around.

Warren G. Harris on April 6, 2008 at 8:49 am

Call out the riot squad again! Here’s a new direct link to a 1956 image posted above on 3/20/07: View link

TRMiller on January 10, 2008 at 9:13 am

Hi!
I appreciate your looking around. I’ll check into the PBS thing and let you know. Thanks again! I appreciate all the help!
Tom

LIUALI on January 10, 2008 at 8:16 am

hay TRMiller
The lady who might have that info. won’t be in till classes start up again on the 22nd. So I have been going around the school blindly looking till then. Nothing yet however I was told that PBS might have done a special on it so you might want to check that out as well. As soon as classes start I will make a trip up archivist to see if she has anything keep your fingers crossed.

LIUgirl

Warren G. Harris on January 10, 2008 at 7:20 am

Theatres tried to cover all bases in placing ads. It’s possible that the management thought that a movie entitled “Road to Utopia” would appeal to those of the Communist faith. Also, the Brooklyn Paramount might have advertised in the Daily Worker regularly, since its ad rates were probably the lowest of any newspaper in the metropolitan area. And 1946 was before the Communist “witch hunts” started.

SPearce on January 9, 2008 at 10:32 pm

The following ad content ran in the May 10, 1946 NYC edition of the (Communist) Daily Worker. My guess – it was important to someone at this theater to support that newspaper at that time.

B'klyn Paramount Flatbush & DeKalb
Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour
“ROAD TO UTOPIA"
Extra! In Technicolor
"NAUGHTY NANETTE”

TRMiller on January 6, 2008 at 4:21 pm

Hello LIUgirl.
That would be great! Bob West was my maternal grandfather. I never met him as he abandoned his wife and four children and ran off to New York to be with some young starlet many, many years ago! In fact, I never heard grandma mention the name of the starlet so I am not sure who she was! He hung around with many of the famous actors and actresses of the era and was quite popular, so who knows who it might have been. He also played in Chicago and, I believe, Colorado. Obviously there is much more information on this side of his family that his other family, if he has one, might be interested in. So anything you might come up with just might be the thing we need to solve the mystery!
Have a safe day there in the Big Apple!
Tom

LIUALI on January 6, 2008 at 9:23 am

Hi TRMiller

Since I will be on campus all day Monday I will be more than happy to see if I can find it for you.

TRMiller on January 6, 2008 at 4:42 am

Hello LIUgirl.
Do you know if any old photographs of the marquee exist with any of the performers names ‘up in lights’? Or do any other old photographs from the 1930’s to 50’s exist in an archive or library there? I am still looking for information about theatre organist Bob West, who played there many years ago!
Thanks.

LIUALI on January 5, 2008 at 6:18 pm

Hi I am a student at LIU and just so everyone knows LIU is not going to take down anything from the old gym. We use that area for school events as well as to register the incoming freshmen students on LIU day. The cafeteria will remain a cafeteria b/c it is the only one we have on campus and it is an awesome place to have lunch in. I mean the chandeliers are amazing. I know a lot of people believe that we do not care for the history that our school has but we do. No other university has the ambiance that LIU has. Also, Provost Haynes loves LIU and the history that main building has and she would never do anything to ruin or take away from the historic view. Provost Haynes should be given a lot more credit she is an amazing and inspirational women to say the least. Also, if you walk around the 3rd floor of the main building you can see that they kept all the same molding and not for nothing the bathrooms have not been changed in that building they are still theater bathrooms. LIU also has the original posters up from all the old movies they are framed and it is so awesome to look at them. I am sure if you ask for a tour of LIU by appointment they would be happy to do so the main number is 718-488-1000 I mean I would be happy to take pictures and prove it to you. Just let me know.

LuisV on December 27, 2007 at 8:04 am

Wow! Great photos! Though this theater has lost a lot it does look totally salvagable. I assume that the original lobby colors were much darker and varied. It much have been beautiful back in the day.

Ed Solero on December 26, 2007 at 11:53 pm

What a magnificent set of photos, Ken! Rather heartbreaking, actually. Given all that’s gone missing from the original ornamentation, it’s remarkable that so much still remains. With a new gymnasium in place for the university’s basketball team, I’m nervous as to what the future holds for this unique space. Thanks, once again!

Life's Too Short on December 26, 2007 at 8:51 pm

Excellent photoset Ken. Those are the best shots I have ever seen of the grand lobby as it exists today.

KenRoe on December 26, 2007 at 3:13 pm

lostmemory on November 4, 2007 at 8:20 pm

That was after it became a gymnasium.

kencmcintyre on November 4, 2007 at 8:16 pm

Here is an undated interior photo:
http://tinyurl.com/2v4tcr

TRMiller on October 30, 2007 at 5:34 pm

Hello. I am looking for any information about personality theatre organist Bob West. During the 1930’s through possibly 1950, he played theatre organ at the Paramount Brooklyn Theatre, Fox Theatre in Brooklyn, and also theatres in Chicago. We have vintage music with his photo on the cover sheets, and some other family information about him. If you remember theatre organist Bob West, or know of any sources of information or family contacts for him, or any old memorabilia, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you!

Ed Solero on October 26, 2007 at 7:51 pm

Apparently, an auction and dinner dance for the National Marine Educators Association was held at the LIU gym (former Bklyn Paramount) and if you scroll down past the first couple of photos on the page provided by ken mc, you’ll see a few photos of the event. The theatre itself is not the focus of any of the shots, but you can make out a glimpse of some of its remaining architectural elements in the background of one or two of the images.

lostmemory on October 26, 2007 at 7:41 pm

Interior photos of what?

Brooklyn Paramount Theatre

385 Flatbush Avenue Extension, Brooklyn, NY 11201

385 Flatbush Avenue Extension,
Brooklyn, NY 11201