My grandmother and my mother worked at the Rainbow circa the 1950s-1960s. My grandmother lived for decades on nearby Meserole Street and the theatre was clearly visible from her front windows. Family lore has it that while filling in for my grandmother’s shift one day, my mother was confronted by an armed robber who stole the day’s receipts. Although there was an buzzer/intercom she could have used to notify management that there was a problem, she chose not to use it, as the manager’s response would have been clearly heard by the robber. My grandmother became aware that there was trouble at the theatre after seeing the police from her window.
My grandmother and my mother worked at the Rainbow circa the 1950s-1960s. My grandmother lived for decades on nearby Meserole Street and the theatre was clearly visible from her front windows. Family lore has it that while filling in for my grandmother’s shift one day, my mother was confronted by an armed robber who stole the day’s receipts. Although there was an buzzer/intercom she could have used to notify management that there was a problem, she chose not to use it, as the manager’s response would have been clearly heard by the robber. My grandmother became aware that there was trouble at the theatre after seeing the police from her window.
There is a photo of the Rainbow in the collection at http://www.housingauthority.lagcc.cuny.edu/nycha/