Thanks, Warren.
Of course, all Queens addresses are hyphenated—I guess I will lose my Queens citizenship over this flub, and have to apply for day-visas when visiting from Brooklyn!
This theater was operating around 1960. I remember seeing “The Mysterians” here at age 9 or 10—a Japanese schlock-fi space dud—but not to my young eyes, as it scared the bejesus out of me!
It was probably there at least a few years earlier, and most likely decades earlier, as I vaguely remember it as somewhat run down in 1960. It survived at least a few years later, but I moved from the neighborhood after that.
It was adjacent to one of the earliest federal housing developments, Queensbridge Houses, opened by FDR and LaGuardia in 1939. The neighborhood was otherwise almost completely industrial, so the chances are that this theater was built because Queensbridge Houses were built there. A link for further research is the Greater Astoria Historical Society:
<http://www.astorialic.org/>
I do remember white uniformed “matrons” who would keep us kids in some semblance of order at Saturday matinees. No food throwing, or sitting in the adult section.
And, that was my “first,” in a long line of never-ending love stories—the movies!
Thanks, Warren.
Of course, all Queens addresses are hyphenated—I guess I will lose my Queens citizenship over this flub, and have to apply for day-visas when visiting from Brooklyn!
This theater was operating around 1960. I remember seeing “The Mysterians” here at age 9 or 10—a Japanese schlock-fi space dud—but not to my young eyes, as it scared the bejesus out of me!
It was probably there at least a few years earlier, and most likely decades earlier, as I vaguely remember it as somewhat run down in 1960. It survived at least a few years later, but I moved from the neighborhood after that.
It was adjacent to one of the earliest federal housing developments, Queensbridge Houses, opened by FDR and LaGuardia in 1939. The neighborhood was otherwise almost completely industrial, so the chances are that this theater was built because Queensbridge Houses were built there. A link for further research is the Greater Astoria Historical Society:
<http://www.astorialic.org/>
I do remember white uniformed “matrons” who would keep us kids in some semblance of order at Saturday matinees. No food throwing, or sitting in the adult section.
And, that was my “first,” in a long line of never-ending love stories—the movies!
Paul Sheridan
Brooklyn, NY