Going back to the late 50’s does anyone recall a pizza parlor on the NW corner of Graham Ave/Scholes St? It was in a double storefront in the Maujer Street Housing Development. Great place to grab a pie after a movie at the Rainbow. If childhood memory serves, it ranks with the best of DiFara’s.
According to Ken’s photo,m the frontage seems fairly large for a neighborhood house located on a residential street. Tompkins Ave. at the corner, is a larger thoroughfare but not a major artery.
Thanks Al for the reference to the American Musical schedule in 1974. Going through the pages of that VV edition, the head spins at the humber of summer film festivals, including the Carnegie Hall Cineam & Cinema Studio. In addition to the art house fare, you could catch a double feature of Bananas & Sleeper for a buck. So much for technological progress with Netflicks & On Demand.
Saw one of the Pink Panther movies here in the summer of 1975. It had a great GV ambiance, better than the tacky commercialism of 8th Street although the Art & the 8th St. Playhouse were constant haunts. Can’t imagine what it was like to have had the Loews Sheridan across the street.
In the mid 60’s you didn’t have to leave a six block stretch of B'way to feast on the schedules of both the New Yorker & the Thalia. There was little need to go beyond the neighborhood.
Snagging a copy of the Thalia’s schedule in the 1960’s was a rite of summer. One could spend hours poring over the incredible scheduling of classic double features. Mind boggling that this could be done before the advent of the PC. In addition, acquiring the film rentals must have been a mammoth task in itself. Although I’m a packrat, it’s unlikely that any of these schedules survived in my packing boxes nearly 50 years later.
Thanks B'way for the picture series on the Second Ave. El. It’s clear that the El trains throughout the borough defined the physical grid of Manhattan, and how urban renewal was a factor of taking down the el lines and redesigning blocks and neighborhoods.
Also blows me away that in 1939 World’s Fair goers could reach Flushing Meadow on the 2nd Ave. El.
The photo shows what a jewel box the Playhouse was. As much as I’ve enjoyed the Brooklyn Heights twin across the street, it has all the charm of a auto mechanic’s garage.
I happened to walk by the Kenmore site a couple of weeks ago. The temperature was soaring and I missed walking past a theater lobby and getting a blast of cold air. What a pity that the Flatbush movie palaces are all shuttered, although there is slim hope for the Loews Kings. The urban turmoil of the ‘70’s was a major contributor to the demise of these theaters and although it is easy to blame population shifts and major crime, we also have to consider the lack of product. Apart from the occasional Star Wars / Lady Sings the Blues / French Connection / James Bond movies, Hollywood (and the breakdown of the studio system) could not come up with enough product to consistently sustain these venues. The blax-sploitation flicks and the kung fu movies were sure to attract the very element that would want to act-out the violence and the mayhem represented on screen. With the increased availability and affordability of air conditioning and color TV, why go out. All in all, I could have dashed into Models for a quick respite from the blistering heat.
Curious how one social service program is pitted against another if indeed the Alhambra is suppose to give way to affordable housing. City contracts have paid for upgrades to the site to accomodate the day care center and keep it in code compliance. This investment would be lost if the program closes. Is there no other site in Bushwick where the housing program can be realized? Even in its current use, the theatre building is still serving the community.
Grand Street Settlement held a rally on the steps of City Hall a few days ago protesting the closure of the day care center despite the critical need in the community. Both the landlord and city negotiators appear to be deadlocked.
I’ve only watched Citizen Kane on the small screen. Having been to the Republic, I can imagine the even greater impact of seeing that film in such a grand setting.
Good insights from John D. Sub-sub run nabes had a smaller operating “nut” than the larger palaces so from an economic perspective, it was not unusual for the Rogers, like the nearby Grand & Graham survived the much grander Republic and the Alba.
What a fitting tribute to such a spectacular setting. If only we could convince the church owners to upgrade the theater name. United Palace is such a clunker!
Sorry that this theater closed but I could only tolerate going there once. The closet-sized theaters and the overall tacky environment made other alternate locations worth an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
The UA Sheepshead Bay 14 is a place to see a movie, but not necessarily the place to enjoy the movie. The expansion and upgrade about 8 years ago only made matters worse. I share Gringe’s memories of the Century’s Brooklyn theaters with the exception of the Kings Plaza hodge-podge.
The opening day ad had incredible snob appeal. Nonetheless I regret that this theater was not around long enough for my adult enjoyment. I pass Lever House with some frequency, and there is occasionally a tinge of resentment that this landmark replaced the original Normandie.
On the 50th Anniversary of the release of Psycho, I recall being spooked out of my wits by a childhood friend while seeing this movie at the packed Rainbow.
I saw Psycho in my local movie house with a middle school buddy who tapped me on the shoulder and shouted “BOO!” at a critical moment in the movie. Of course I jumped half-way out of my seat. Fellow moviegoers were either too engrossed or freaked-out to comment on the disturbance.
Like you ECR, my kids grew up in the surrounding neighborhood and their fondest memories from the 80’s is “playing on the block”. In Midwood, the Century theaters including the Midwood, the Elm, the Nostrand, the Avalon, the Mayfair, along with the Kingsway, and the Kent (not a Century house) had a devoted following of kids and adults and were a safe destination within the immediate neighborhood. These theaters helped define the neighborhood and afforded residents the chance to come together.
It may be no accident that Crazy Eddie’s home entertainment empire started across the street from the Kingsway but as you point out the rise in technology has led to the closure of the above theaters except for the Kent. As a result movie viewing has become an isolative experience, separate from any audience interaction. Most playdates now involve indoor activities and most front yard (few remaining) activities or just hanging out on the stoop are no longer in evidence.
Movie going, as opposed to movie viewing, as a social phenommena no longer exists.
Pretty depressing, pretty distressing – feels like seeing movies in a bomb shelter. Last night the theater was packed given some pretty strong product. Staff were polite, but were inexperienced in how to direct the ticket holders. The lobby is stark and offers no distrations while you are waiting. Going through the old photos posted, there have been a good number of marquees at the main entrance, most fairly elaborate. The latest is little more than an illuminated sandwich board. Given the sad state of marquee listings especially at the AMC Loews houses, which refer you to Fandango instead of identifying the features, there’s something to be grateful for.
Going back to the late 50’s does anyone recall a pizza parlor on the NW corner of Graham Ave/Scholes St? It was in a double storefront in the Maujer Street Housing Development. Great place to grab a pie after a movie at the Rainbow. If childhood memory serves, it ranks with the best of DiFara’s.
According to Ken’s photo,m the frontage seems fairly large for a neighborhood house located on a residential street. Tompkins Ave. at the corner, is a larger thoroughfare but not a major artery.
Thanks Al for the reference to the American Musical schedule in 1974. Going through the pages of that VV edition, the head spins at the humber of summer film festivals, including the Carnegie Hall Cineam & Cinema Studio. In addition to the art house fare, you could catch a double feature of Bananas & Sleeper for a buck. So much for technological progress with Netflicks & On Demand.
Saw one of the Pink Panther movies here in the summer of 1975. It had a great GV ambiance, better than the tacky commercialism of 8th Street although the Art & the 8th St. Playhouse were constant haunts. Can’t imagine what it was like to have had the Loews Sheridan across the street.
In the mid 60’s you didn’t have to leave a six block stretch of B'way to feast on the schedules of both the New Yorker & the Thalia. There was little need to go beyond the neighborhood.
Snagging a copy of the Thalia’s schedule in the 1960’s was a rite of summer. One could spend hours poring over the incredible scheduling of classic double features. Mind boggling that this could be done before the advent of the PC. In addition, acquiring the film rentals must have been a mammoth task in itself. Although I’m a packrat, it’s unlikely that any of these schedules survived in my packing boxes nearly 50 years later.
Thanks B'way for the picture series on the Second Ave. El. It’s clear that the El trains throughout the borough defined the physical grid of Manhattan, and how urban renewal was a factor of taking down the el lines and redesigning blocks and neighborhoods.
Also blows me away that in 1939 World’s Fair goers could reach Flushing Meadow on the 2nd Ave. El.
The premiere attraction for the 1952 opening was Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, a film that has been drawing a lot of attention lately.
The photo shows what a jewel box the Playhouse was. As much as I’ve enjoyed the Brooklyn Heights twin across the street, it has all the charm of a auto mechanic’s garage.
Terrific view of what appears to have been the original marquee; quite elegant. Also liked the summer straw hats!
I happened to walk by the Kenmore site a couple of weeks ago. The temperature was soaring and I missed walking past a theater lobby and getting a blast of cold air. What a pity that the Flatbush movie palaces are all shuttered, although there is slim hope for the Loews Kings. The urban turmoil of the ‘70’s was a major contributor to the demise of these theaters and although it is easy to blame population shifts and major crime, we also have to consider the lack of product. Apart from the occasional Star Wars / Lady Sings the Blues / French Connection / James Bond movies, Hollywood (and the breakdown of the studio system) could not come up with enough product to consistently sustain these venues. The blax-sploitation flicks and the kung fu movies were sure to attract the very element that would want to act-out the violence and the mayhem represented on screen. With the increased availability and affordability of air conditioning and color TV, why go out. All in all, I could have dashed into Models for a quick respite from the blistering heat.
I didn’t realize that there was an el running on Rogers Av. until I saw Walter H’s post from two years ago. Anyone have other info on this?
Curious how one social service program is pitted against another if indeed the Alhambra is suppose to give way to affordable housing. City contracts have paid for upgrades to the site to accomodate the day care center and keep it in code compliance. This investment would be lost if the program closes. Is there no other site in Bushwick where the housing program can be realized? Even in its current use, the theatre building is still serving the community.
Grand Street Settlement held a rally on the steps of City Hall a few days ago protesting the closure of the day care center despite the critical need in the community. Both the landlord and city negotiators appear to be deadlocked.
I’ve only watched Citizen Kane on the small screen. Having been to the Republic, I can imagine the even greater impact of seeing that film in such a grand setting.
Good insights from John D. Sub-sub run nabes had a smaller operating “nut” than the larger palaces so from an economic perspective, it was not unusual for the Rogers, like the nearby Grand & Graham survived the much grander Republic and the Alba.
What a fitting tribute to such a spectacular setting. If only we could convince the church owners to upgrade the theater name. United Palace is such a clunker!
Sorry that this theater closed but I could only tolerate going there once. The closet-sized theaters and the overall tacky environment made other alternate locations worth an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
The UA Sheepshead Bay 14 is a place to see a movie, but not necessarily the place to enjoy the movie. The expansion and upgrade about 8 years ago only made matters worse. I share Gringe’s memories of the Century’s Brooklyn theaters with the exception of the Kings Plaza hodge-podge.
The opening day ad had incredible snob appeal. Nonetheless I regret that this theater was not around long enough for my adult enjoyment. I pass Lever House with some frequency, and there is occasionally a tinge of resentment that this landmark replaced the original Normandie.
On the 50th Anniversary of the release of Psycho, I recall being spooked out of my wits by a childhood friend while seeing this movie at the packed Rainbow.
I saw Psycho in my local movie house with a middle school buddy who tapped me on the shoulder and shouted “BOO!” at a critical moment in the movie. Of course I jumped half-way out of my seat. Fellow moviegoers were either too engrossed or freaked-out to comment on the disturbance.
Saw Louis Malle’s “Murmurs of the Heart” there. Enjoyed the movie, but hated having to leave the plush and comfortable lounge area.
Like you ECR, my kids grew up in the surrounding neighborhood and their fondest memories from the 80’s is “playing on the block”. In Midwood, the Century theaters including the Midwood, the Elm, the Nostrand, the Avalon, the Mayfair, along with the Kingsway, and the Kent (not a Century house) had a devoted following of kids and adults and were a safe destination within the immediate neighborhood. These theaters helped define the neighborhood and afforded residents the chance to come together.
It may be no accident that Crazy Eddie’s home entertainment empire started across the street from the Kingsway but as you point out the rise in technology has led to the closure of the above theaters except for the Kent. As a result movie viewing has become an isolative experience, separate from any audience interaction. Most playdates now involve indoor activities and most front yard (few remaining) activities or just hanging out on the stoop are no longer in evidence.
Movie going, as opposed to movie viewing, as a social phenommena no longer exists.
Pretty depressing, pretty distressing – feels like seeing movies in a bomb shelter. Last night the theater was packed given some pretty strong product. Staff were polite, but were inexperienced in how to direct the ticket holders. The lobby is stark and offers no distrations while you are waiting. Going through the old photos posted, there have been a good number of marquees at the main entrance, most fairly elaborate. The latest is little more than an illuminated sandwich board. Given the sad state of marquee listings especially at the AMC Loews houses, which refer you to Fandango instead of identifying the features, there’s something to be grateful for.