Polk Theater

According to RobertR’s Jan'68 “Carmen,Baby” article,The Sunnyside Center (then called Rugoff’s Center) was showing porn? Can anyone tell me what kind of porno was “Carmen,Baby”– was it softcore, hardcore, bondage, fetish…I am amazed that porn was showing up the block from the Sunnyside Jewish Center.

Thanks, KenRoe! That was quick!

Now, what about subway directions for Fair theater and for Cinema Kings Highway?

I have all these same questions, plus one more:

“Hi Warren. In the main auditorium they show ‘legit’ movies…In the back of the theater is where they show the gay and straight porn. They also have small booths where you can, well you get the picture. I think they change the program every Sunday and Wednesday. But that might be for the porn movies…"
[posted by cypress on Nov 18, 2004 at 5:24pm]

“Cypress….I’m confused. In your 3:42 entry yesterday, you said that the Polk did not have a balcony and that the theater needs a good cleaning. Yet at 5:42 you claim that there is a balcony, which is closed off…"
[posted by ErwinM on Nov 19, 2004 at 1:53pm]

“We are an English couple visiting New York in October and are looking to find an adult cinema where we can “play” and be watched. Would this be possible in this movie theater and is it clean and safe?
Can anyone recommend any adult movie theaters in Manhattan? Our email is "
[posted by Shirley&Mark on Aug 24, 2005 at 6:01am]]

One more question: how may one reach it by subway from Manhattan?

The “Ave.” was probably dropped when the street name changed from Polk Avenue to 37th Avenue. I don’t know the date of that change, but I think it was after the end of WWII…Ed, was that blonde “cashier” in evidence when you visited?

I wonder when the “Polk Ave.” lost that wonderful marquee and became the “Polk”? “Little Miss Roughneck” opened in ‘38, so we know it happened after that. In my neck of the island in B'klyn, several theaters underwent facelifts in the pre-Scope post-war years ca.'48-'52. McCourt’s “Queer Street” captures the Polk of that era (the paragraphs on “Don’t Bother to Knock” are exemplary) without calling the theater “Polk Ave.” or mentioning its elegant marquee. That book goes into some detail about the custodian’s hilarious hanky-panky at the time.

Hi

We are an English couple visiting New York in October and are looking to find an adult cinema where we can “play” and be watched. Would this be possible in this movie theater and is it clean and safe?

Can anyone recommend any adult movie theaters in Manhattan?

Our email is

In 1968 the Polk was part of this adults only showcase
View link

I must have been buzzed if/when I wrote that the Polk was in good condition. The place is okay but it isn’t as well maintained as the Fair Theater on Astoria Blvd. I was able to see the old projectors and the owner offered to sell them to me. But I don’t have the money for that.

The Polk Theater received a mention in this week’s (July 18th) issue of New York magazine, as the second of 50 unique-to-Queens sites to consider checking out before the borough (inevitably) becomes gentrified.

There are some wicked descriptions of teen-age, um, activities at the Polk Theater in the widely praised memoir about pre-Stonewall gay life, James McCourt’s “Queer Street” (Norton, 2003). The author grew up on 94 Street in the 40s-50s.

Hi Warren. In the main auditorium they show ‘legit’ movies. This Monday they were playing THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW with Dennis Quaid. In the back of the theater is where they show the gay and straight porn. They also have small booths where you can, well you get the picture. I think they change the program every Sunday and Wednesday. But that might be for the porn movies. In the main room they show a lot of old movies. The theater is well maintained and it is a relaxed atmosphere. They have the balcony but that is closed off. I would love to see the projection room. I bet the old projectors are still intact. Do you know if there was a stage?

I stopped by to see if this theater was still running. It is still open. I went there on 11/15/04. There was this old woman selling ‘tickets’ in the box office. The tickets are threaded through the old ticket machine, but unlike the old days, she doesn’t push a button to dispense them. The place has a musty smell. The small lobby is still intact. It is smaller than most theaters. Once inside I gave the ticket to an ‘usher’. Next to the door on the left is the old ticket collection box. I don’t know what it is actually called. There are still the old concession stand display cases. There are stairs that lead to the restrooms. There is no balcony. There is old paneling on the walls that no doubt hide the original walls. It would be interesting to peel them off. Upstairs is an old phone booth minus the pay phone. The bathrooms are okay. There are also to old scales that don’t work but are probably worth something. The theater looks as if suspended in time. It needs a good cleaning. I once had the opportunity to see the projection room. The projectors are still in place and probably work.