Elmwood Theatre

I took photos while passing the Elmwood on a bus, & will share it with everyone shortly. I will try calling the Elmwood’s Rock Church once again, & see what they have to say concerning the historic facade elements presently chiseled off. I advise fellow members to do the same, so I’m not the only one calling in.

According to a 9/14/06 CraigsList posting, the Rock Church is seeking interns, and needs sound & video lighting for what they refer to as “a beautifully renovated historic theater.” While our wishes for the restored auditorium may have been granted, it baffles me as to how they can refer to it as “beautiful” & “historic,” and fail to restore the exterior as well (from what I’m observing). Please follow: View link

I think the classic Elmwood sign will stay, but then again, there’s no telling what may happen without landmark status. It might be a good idea for the sign to get designated. Thanks, “ShortyC!” I’ll consider it based on a few more calls.

I recall the tilework on the Sunnyside elevated removed in the late 1990’s, & cleaned and reinstalled. Does anyone think that the Elmwood would remove the terra cotta lintels and tilework above & in between the windows, clean/repair them, and reinstall it at the site? I rarely see restoration conducted in that manner. It would be a miracle (but since I see stucco being applied to the now unadorned facade, I doubt it).

Would the scenario be the same if “the religious volunteers” at the Rock Church broke their mother’s invaluable China set???

The author of two articles from January 2006 were Nicholas Hirshon of the Daily News & Adam Pincus of the Times Ledger. respectively, the links are as follows:

View link

View link

In the articles, references are made to religious volunteers caring for the property, quotes from Councilwoman Helen Sears, & the Community Board. Warren and I are quoted.

I will contact the media shortly. Hopefully, a follow-up story will be out, and our frustrations will be put on the table.

Thanks, Ed! It would mean a lot if everyone can call in & voice your concerns and frustrations with the Elmwood’s Rock Community Church. They can be reached at (718) 651-2950.

The DOB permit below indicates that they’re “repairing” the facade with stucco & “dryvit.” I learned that if the word sounds cheap, that’s what it is!

View link

Their recent actions crushed many of our high hopes & contradicts restoration plans indicated in the Daily News article from last winter. Instead of working with the community, they’re working against them. SHAME ON THEM! Please call in & post your progress report. Thank you!

Looks like we lost another one…..they are currently dropping like flies now!! In the last year alone, the Trylon, the Elmwood, and so many others….the Commodore in Brooklyn at Broadway and Marcy is currently on death watch. Demolition permits were just issued, and the Hasidum that bought the theater (a working theater just 3 or so years ago), have destroyed the interior, and now the whole building may be coming down.
They are currently dropping like flies!

Here’s a noteworthy ad from November, 1928. The claim of being “Long Island’s Only Atmospherical Playhouse” was true unless one considered Brooklyn as part of Long Island. Brooklyn already had two atmospherics, Loew’s 46th Street and the independent Fortway. In Queens, the Queensboro would soon lose its exclusivity with the openings of the Keith-Albee Flushing in late December and Loew’s Valencia in January. Note also the mention of “Parking Space for 3,000 cars.” I doubt if there were even 3,000 car owners in that part of Queens in those days, and they were hardly likely to visit the theatre at the same time:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/fazil.jpg

In this June, 1950 ad, the Elmwood was the leader of the Interboro Circuit in western Queens. Although the Elmwood was “first-run” at that time, it was only for Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Rego Park, and only for programs that originated on the Loew’s circuit. The same programs could be found at Loew’s Woodside, Plaza, Prospect, Hillside, and Willard, as well as at the Skouras Forest Hills and Randforce Maspeth. And the same programs had played a week before that at Loew’s Triboro in Astoria and a week before that at Loew’s Valencia in Jamaica:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/hobart650.jpg

That IS an amazing photo, Warren! Is the peaked house at left one that was actually demolished for Macy’s, or is it the one that stayed put because the woman who owned it wouldn’t sell (causing the “notch” in the round building that still exists). That house was eventually demolished years later, but which one is it in this photo?

Here’s The Daily Star’s coverage of the Queensboro’s gala opening night in September, 1928. The photo gives an unclear view of the roof sign, which apparently was framed by a narrow border of animated lighting. That frame was removed when the roof sign was renovated in 1946 for the re-named Elmwood Theatre:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/qgala.jpg

Passed by the theater last night on my way home and had my camera with me. Unfortunately, it was getting too dark for me to capture any decent images of the state of the Elmwood’s facade. I’ll have to get back there in daylight soon! Meanwhile, here are two shots showing the extensive scaffolding that surrounds the facade as well as the rooftop sign:

Corner of 57th and Hoffman
Rooftop sign

The light wasn’t sufficient for me to make out the window lintels NativeForestHiller mentioned in his post of June 27th. All that scaffolding didn’t help matters. It was just about 9pm when I took these photos and a door down on 57th Ave (just where the construction shedding ends under the fire escapes) and people seemed to be straggling in with bibles in tow for an evening service. I might have popped in had not been pressed for time. I know that taking interior photos is prohibited by the church, but I am curious to see for myself how things are going on the inside. I also now see that I might have been able to snap a detail of the windows above the marquee that are not obscured by scaffolding to investigate Native’s concerns, but again, I was a bit pressed for time.

Native… I think we might just have to be patient regarding the nature of the restoration efforts. Could it be that the lintels were in poor shape or posed a falling threat and were removed for safe keeping and/or restoration? I’ll try to get better images in proper daylight this week or weekend.

One of the tiny but distinctive ads that the Elmwood used to run in The New York Times after becoming a “first-run” theatre in the spring of 1949. The bookings were first-run for the area, but not for Queens. They were day-and-date with the third tier of Loew’s theatres, which comprised the Hillside, Woodside, Willard, Plaza, and Prospect. Loew’s Triboro occupied the second tier, and Loew’s Valencia played a week ahead of that:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/elmwood49.jpg

Yep, Shep’s short stories provided the impetus for the film, Jeffrey1955.

Some of my posts, like this one, only incidentally relate to a specific theater. This was my one and only experience at the Elmwood, off the beaten path for me as I moved to CA in ‘78, but I do recall its severe lack of heating during the late '83 cold snap. Took about a third of the movie for my feet to regain some semblance of feeling! BklynJim became FrostbiteJim.

Two items on Jean you may or may not know. One, he did a cameo in this. Late in the movie when Ralphie returns to the department store to see Santa, he and his brother get on line. A gent in a black overcoat, a fedora and a mustache w/goatee firmly intones, “Hey, kid! The line ends back there!” Listen to the voice – that’s Shep.

The second is why in his writings he always referred to his beloved hometown of Hammond, Indiana, “Hohman.” Just learned myself that Hohman was the name of a popular movie theater in Hammond! LOL!