Ellwest Stereo Theater

New York, NY

155 West 47th Street

, New York, NY 10036 United States

(map)

Status:	Closed
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Unknown

Function:	Unknown
Seats:	35
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Unknown

This tiny XXX porn house was created from converted retail space on the ground floor of a multi-level parking facility just east of Seventh Avenue and facing the stage door and fire exits of the venerable Palace Theater. A C/O indicates that theater space was first created here in February of 1969 with an amended C/O in '73 still indicating a small theater in addition to stores and parking.

Ellwest also concurrently operated a small porn theater around the corner at 723 Seventh Avenue (near 48th Street and adjacent to the Metropole Cafe) under the same name. Both theaters were subject to aggressive police raids during the efforts by the Lindsay Administration to clean up the mid-town area of such establishments. However, a NY Times article from July of '73 indicates that a State Supreme Court had issued a restraining order in favor of Ellwest Theaters and against the police sergeant who had most aggressively taken action against the theaters.

In that Times article, an Ellwestemployee described the decor as being very clean and featuring "wall to wall carpeting and red drapes". Another employee also claimed that the theaters featured only "soft, soft-core pornography", but confiscated film from the projection booth was ruled by a judge to be most definitely hard-core.

Any additional information about this theater would be greatly appreciated.

Contributed by Ed Solero

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I just want to turn my notification on here. But, I did submit both Ellwest Stereo Theaters to CT. This was the second one I submitted. I hope the other wasn't deleted because they both had the exact same name.

I also wanted to add that it appears Ellwest Stereo Theaters ran a number of porn houses in cities across the country, including Seattle, Phoenix, Dallas and Nashville. A search of the name on google returns a number of legal decisions from lawsuits that were tried at the circuit court level in several States. I wonder if any of those cinemas are listed here under different names...

I am somewhat familiar with this parking lot and can recall looking down on it from my room at the Doubletree Suites Hotel when I stayed there overnight on several occasions over the last 6 or 7 years. It's a fairly large facility with rooftop parking in addition to the indoor levels. Several storefronts line the ground floor inlcuding a deli and a coffee shop. The theater would have been at the western most edge of the building, closest to Seventh Avenue.

posted by Ed Solero on Nov 8, 2006 at 4:35pm

Even though this theater closed in 1973, the building is still listed as having a theater in 1974. This theater might have closed in 1973 and another theater opened here or the same theater opened under another name. You know how those porn operators are. They are big believers in recycling. :) Anyway, the seating above sould be set to 30.

posted by Lost Memory on Nov 10, 2006 at 6:04am

Talk about being confused. The above comment belongs in the other Ellwest Stereo Theater. LOL

posted by Lost Memory on Nov 10, 2006 at 6:16am

Ellwest also had a location in downtown Baltimore, on Guilford Ave. near that city's infamous "Block." The site is now occupied by a garage.

posted by Randy Brown on Jun 14, 2009 at 7:56am

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