Biltmore Theatre

The Biltmore Theatre was located at 464 New Lots Ave. and it seated 1710 people.

I lived around the corner from the biltmore in the 1930s I went there every saturday as a child untill 1939 .If I can help you contact me at standux@comcast.net
Stanley Glugover

I think this was the theater that my mom used to go to on Tuesday or Thursday nites so that she could get these dishes... they had gold trim and she'd drag my sister (this was in the forties) with her .... my mother finally got the entire set! ... wasn't there another theater close to the Biltmore... maybe on Livonia Ave. in East New YOrk? let me know... great memories ... Suzie

The other theater near Livonia Ave was called The Supreme... also gave out dishes... anyone remember this? Suzie

I believe the Biltmore was torn down, didn't see it on my last trip to Brooklyn. It was near Wyona Street, right?

Seeing the names of these theatres caused a pain through my heart--I lived in Brownsville and East New York from birth through beginning college in 1963. I lived in the Brownsville Houses, Schenck Ave, Williams Ave. Barbara (Miller) Griffin

The Supreme Theater located at Livonia and Williams Aves had a large East New York following. A block away between Alabama and Georgia Aves also on Livonia, Fortunoff Dept. Store got it's start.

I was born and lived in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. (I live in San Francisco today.) My parents moved us when I was 7 in 1960, to Union St in Crown Heights. I recall the Biltmore and saw my first movies there, with my older sister. I think it was the Wolfman or the Werewolf. Sorry to see its demise so long ago. It was a huge place. But the neighborhood did go downhill pretty rapidly. I recall also the Carroll Theatre on Utica Ave. Does anyone know if that's still around? - Martin C.

Yes the Carroll Theater building is still there. Believe it's a church now.

The Carroll is listed on Cinema Treasures:
http://www.cinematreasures.org/theater/6729/

The Biltmore first opened in 1927, and had Charles Sandblom as architect.

Biltmore has been torn down for about 4 years now. I used to see double features of great 50's style monster movies there as a kid. My older sister fell in love with Elvis on other days. Wonderful place to grow up. Candy store two doors down.

Does anyone have images of the interior/exterior?
What is standing in its place?

the biltmore was a beautiful theatre
it had a carved ceiling
and in the rear balustrudes framing the seats
it featured 20th century fox, universal and columbia films
i remember in the 40s seeing plenty of betty grable films
and bette davis productions
the biltmore also featured warner brothers films
i saw films with the buddys of the era-jack carson and dennis morgan
i returned to the biltmore in the midsixties
on nove mber 9 1965-the day of the blackout i saw ship of fools and ill take sweden with bob hope
i continued to go to the biltmore until it close for good in 1969.
it made me feel like i was a kid again
on the corner of the b

My father was an office manager for the Randforce movie chain which owned and managed the Biltmore Theater. We lived in East New York so this was my neighborhood theater. My sister worked at the concession stand and I spent many a Saturday afternoon there. On other Saturdays, I would ride around with my father to many of the theaters in the chain to chat with the managers, collect cash, stock the vending machines, hang out in the projection rooms or sit in the back row, wait for my father while watching the movies.

hey abe i heard there was a shul on the second floor of the biltmore
is that true?

A C/O for a new building at this address was issued on December 6, 1927. Purpose of building: 1715 seat motion picture theater. Owner was Weingarten Construction Co. Architect was C.A. Sandblom.

In the Muppets Take Manhattan, out in 1984, they have the Biltmore set for where they perform at the end of the movie. In the movie, they make it look like it's in the theater district in Manhattan with crowds and Biltmore is clearly seen on the side of the marquee.

I remember seeing the 3 Stooges in person at the Biltmore in the early 60's. The kids went totally beserk, screaming and applauding. It was one of the best moments of my childhood. My day camp took us kids to see "7th Voyage of Sinbad" there one summer (1958). Candy counter was against the back wall.

I lived on Wyona Street, right next door to the Biltmore. On Saturday nights, I sold newspapers under the marquis. Next dorr was a candy store and Murray's Pool Room. On Saturday, for 25 cents, you got a double feature, 25 caroons, serial (Flash Gordon, Three Stooges, Buck Rogers, etc.), MovieTone news and coming attractions. When Mr. Siegel was the manager, there was a birthday club with live performances (Three Stooges, Claribel, etc.) After the movie "broke" on Fr iday and Saturday nights (about midnight), everyone poured out and headed for Rogers for burgers, milk shakes, or a frappe.

Note to Barbara Miller. Did you go to PS 213? Were you friends with Ronnie Wright.

From Howard Topoff. If you hung out at the Biltmoere Cornwer, please contact me and say hi at htopoff@vyc.net

htopoff@vtc.net

I would lve to hear from anyone who hung out at the Biltmore theater, ate pizza at Ninos, and burgrs at Rogers.

Howard Topoff

A Wurlitzer theater organ opus 1847 style "H" was installed in the Biltmore Theater on 2/23/1928.

Howard - I believe you graduated from Jefferson in 1959. Did you know a guy named Lenny?

1973 Photo

1976 Photo

I lived on miller ave between livonia and riverdale ave .The biltmore was a couple of blocks over. My family moved to east new york, brooklyn in the mid 1960's . I remember going to the biltmore to see james bond movies.If you remember there was a brasneer appliances store across the street and the chinese resturant on the other side. After the movies we would go there to eat .I now own my parents house ,the biltmore is now gone replaced with a junior supermaket.I have watch the neighborhood change over the years.The biltmore was to only movies theater in east new york on new lots ave. We have a new theater on linden blvd a miltiplexs theater where the old TSS store used to be. I will alway remember the biltmore theater and the good times seeing movies there .

I grew up in East New York, Brooklyn and outside of home,school and Hebrew School, I think I spent more time in this theater than anywhere else. I spent virtually every Saturday there or the other local ENY movie theater, the Kinema. I still remember this theater clearly despite not being in it for about 44 years. It is the only theater that I can remember that had its own custard making machine and sold delcious vanilla custard. I remember the layout of the theater clearly, even the location of the men's room and water fountain.
I saw so many great films there with my family or friends: The Ten Commandments, Spartacus, Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the first Bond film: Dr. No, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Hitchcock's Psycho and The Birds, etc. etc. I remember my parents taking me to see Journey to the Center of the Earth there the Friday night of Christmas week and loving it so much that I went back to see it again the next afternoon with my friends. I remember the Saturday matinees, especially one where this theater showed 4 straight hours of cartoons. What wonderful memories. I lived about ten, twelve blocks away and when I got older sometimes I would walk there myself or take the bus down New Lots Ave.
I also remember that there was a Finkelstein's pool hall next door. I had a Mrs. Finkelstein as my 5th grade school teacher at PS 202. Many of us always wondered whether she was married to or related to the person who owned the poolhall.
Great times at a great theater and wonderful times to be growing up in Brooklyn and the U.S. in general.