Kingsway Theatre

946 Kings Highway,
Brooklyn, NY 11223

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Showing 76 - 100 of 109 comments

theatrefan
theatrefan on June 26, 2005 at 11:22 am

The Kingsway was originally part of the Century Circuit, which included the following Brooklyn Theatres: Avalon, Patio, Midwood, Mayfair, Marine, Albermarle, Farragut, Nostrand, Rialto, Elm, College, Triangle, Vouge, Parkside & Quentin.

benardo
benardo on May 21, 2005 at 6:18 pm

Dear all;} Mike mentioned some posts up about a mural on old Brooklyn that hung at the Kingsway. Does anyone remember anything about that mural? We are searching for a mural that once was at Brooklyn’s Borough Hall and are curious if it could be the same.

Thanks to all!

Leonard

MikeRadio
MikeRadio on May 13, 2005 at 3:06 am

Ok Sorry I am wrong about thw twinning. I was about 7 back then, and just remembered the theatre was closed for renovations (said that on the marquee) and then it reopened, and all I remember is that SILENT MOVIE with Mel Brooks was the first feature to play upstairs in theatre 2.

I am too young to remember the triangle.. heard about it though.

I remember thinking how great it was when the theatre was twinned because I thought they would do the same to the Mayfair and Avalon. Avalon is a drugstore now. Mayfair was torn down to make a McDonalds.

I saw EARTHQUAKE IN SENSORROUND at the Mayfair.

Me and friends used to sneak into the Kingsway by saying we wanted to see the manager, so they’d show us to the manager’s door right next to the entrance, then we would dart up the stairs to a movie.

bad kids.

celluloid
celluloid on April 14, 2005 at 5:50 pm

Mike…
The Kingsway first made into a quad in ‘82 when the backstage area waa made into a theatre with “Annie” being the first movie shown in that auditorium then turned fiveplex in '84 just in time for the release of “Ghostbusters”.

theatrefan
theatrefan on March 27, 2005 at 6:51 am

Touro College now occupies the entire second floor space, where the balcony and bathrooms used to be in the former RKO Century Kingsway Theatre. It looks like the entire building is now fully occupied, it’s a shame we don’t have a theatre to go to anymore.

cheap
cheap on December 21, 2004 at 10:53 am

the kingsway was at its peak in the 1940s
crowds would line around the block to see ;make mine music'
‘the best years of our lives;’ ‘a stolen life’ ‘laura; ;state fair;
'song of the south’‘dragonwyck’ ‘up in arms; 'walk in the sun'
the kingsway of the 40s featured mostly warner brothers and twentieth century fox films

albertpeckman

MichaelAnthony
MichaelAnthony on November 30, 2004 at 3:48 pm

I remember when they first started to empty out the area where the entrance to back stage was. They emptied out tons of old costumes, probably from the old vaudville days. Sadly, all those garments when directly into a dumpster. Its a crime, when this sort of thing happens. Its like finding a time capsule, and just destroying it, and not realizing what it could reveal about our own self…

Michael Furlinger
Michael Furlinger on September 27, 2004 at 9:22 pm

i dont ever see this as an art house not the crowed.

jays
jays on September 25, 2004 at 10:24 am

this was a very nice theatre as a twin I saw “Star Wars” as a kid only 8 or 9 yrs. young this theatre was breathtaken. I could only Imagine it during the single screen days. I saw it in the downstairs auditorium. I’ve went to this theatre quite a few times it wasn’t that bad a pretty cool nieghborhood theatre in fact if it were still open I’d still go there even though I live in Jersey. They could’ve done a lot with this theatre if anything this couldv'e been an arthouse.

Orlando
Orlando on September 18, 2004 at 3:36 pm

This was not the first theatre to be twinned in Brooklyn. Prior to this was the Benson, Rugby, Beverly (by Golden) and the Alpine (by Loew’s). Century was a bit slow at twinning their propeties. The Rugby was done in 1974 and the Benson a year earlier. The Beverly was done in 1975-6 and didn’t last to long after the twinning.

naaaatt
naaaatt on September 17, 2004 at 8:03 pm

Mike Radio: Remember the small Triangle and the independent Jewel bet. E.7th & 8th on Kings Highway?

RobertR
RobertR on August 20, 2004 at 5:18 am

This place was never kept up properly, with the right management it could still be open. Not everyone in Brooklyn is a fan of the Sheepsead Bay.

Michael Furlinger
Michael Furlinger on August 19, 2004 at 10:42 pm

THE KINGSWAY IN TH E 90S WAS THE STEPCHILD OF RKO / CINEPLEX ODEON THERE BOX OFFICE # WERE NEVER WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN . A nice local theater.Theater 5 was a strange set up but was the nicest in the theater.

theatrefan
theatrefan on July 30, 2004 at 8:30 am

Here is a quick Kingsway update: There is now a Jennifer Convertibles/Leather Store in the former backstage-stagehouse area of the Kingsway, directly behind the Walgreen’s Drug Store. Someone is also working on building something in the former upstairs theatre part as well, sheetrock walls are being put in.

theatrefan
theatrefan on June 25, 2004 at 6:00 am

Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Kingsway’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 433 seats, Theatre 2: 429 seats, Theatre 3: 315 seats, Theatre 4: 550 seats, Theatre 5: 450 seats.

HomegaMan
HomegaMan on June 22, 2004 at 9:19 am

I can’t believe this theater finally closed. When I lived on West 13th street we would go there all the time to see the movies. The last movie I saw there was “The Haunting"in 1999 (which was a major dissapointment). But I saw "Spice World” there and I saw “Titanic” there and I saw “Wild Things” there. I also saw “Hoffa” there with Lisa when I was going to Brooklyn College. Sad news indeed.

MikeRadio
MikeRadio on April 10, 2004 at 7:25 pm

Wow… Warren you are a wealth of knowledge….

Can I ask you.. what is the history of the Goldens chain? I worked at the Oceana for awhile… (I know we are on the Knigsway site)

Mike

MikeRadio
MikeRadio on April 10, 2004 at 12:38 pm

Does anyone remember the old brand in Ny “Red Carpet Theatres” and also “Blue Ribbon Theatres”?

If so, which theatres carried those names.. I only vaguley remember comemrcials ending with “Now playing at a Red Carpet Theatre near you.”

What other brands were there back then…. and is Loews not owned by Sony any more?

Orlando
Orlando on April 10, 2004 at 8:04 am

You forgot the Oceana and Sheapshead Theatres.

William
William on April 10, 2004 at 7:02 am

During the mid 40’s the Century Theatres in Brooklyn were: Albemarie, Avalon, College, Elm, Farragut, Kingsway, Linden, Marine, Mayfair, Midwood, Nostrand, Parkside, Patio, Quentin, Rialto, Tivoli, Triangle, Vogue.

MikeRadio
MikeRadio on April 10, 2004 at 6:33 am

Warren,

I will always remember it as the CENTURY Kingsway….

I also rem,ember the CENTURY Avalon, and Mayfair…. which others were DCentury theatres in Brooklyn at that time???

MikeRadio
MikeRadio on April 10, 2004 at 6:32 am

Ron,

I see the area all the time… I grew up there and am back through there once a month. it is a fine area.

And, YOU are the ignorant and uneducated person on here. People can type whatever they like here, and if you have a problem you should explore some professional help choices, and not attack people on a message board that you do not know.

You obviously have some sort of strange problem so please keep it to yourself.

RobertR
RobertR on April 7, 2004 at 6:48 am

Michael if only you saw the area this theatre was in you might re-think your ignorant and uneducated comment.

MikeRadio
MikeRadio on February 19, 2004 at 11:10 am

The upstairs consession standf was rarely used… Only on weekends years ago when they had very full house…

The please was a dump at the end, but mos tplaces that are not kept up become that…. It would have been a great theatre to save and keep.

Brooklyn’s first “twinned” theatre!

RobertR
RobertR on February 17, 2004 at 12:13 pm

So much could have been done with this theatre, not everyone who lives in Brooklyn wants to go to The Sheepsead Bay. On the weekend the exit is backed up onto the Belt Parkway.