Cinemart Cinemas

An added bonus is Eddie's -- an old fashioned ice-cream and soda fountain shop right across the street on the corner of 72nd and Metropolitan. After the movie, go get a malted... or better yet, a real old fashioned New York Egg Cream!!!

A rare treat. Personally, I find the theater itself a bit disappointing in it's current 5 screen configuration. But, Eddie's makes up for a lot.

The theatre's address is 106-03 Metropolitan Avenue. It was originally known as the Metropolis and first opened on February 12, 1927 as a subsequent-run movie house with 1,300 seats, under the ownership of "indie" exhibitor Joseph Grasky. The Metropolis was an almost instant disaster and remained closed for four years until another "indie," Morris Kutinsky, re-opened it in 1931 under the new name of the Inwood. The change didn't improve its luck, and the Inwood closed and re-opened several times under different ownerships before it was finally re-born as the Cinemart.

There was a time when The Cinemart was the most popular discount house in Queens. It was not unusual for the lines to be around the corner.

In the 1950s for a time it ran silent films as the Inwood Art Theatre. I have an ad clipping of a run of Chaplin's THE GOLD RUSH which had a very long play in 1959. PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, with live piano accompaniment, were listed as the upcoming program.

The Cinemart might have gotten a lot of people as a low price place but my memories of it when I was in Ozone Park in the 80s are bad.

It was dirty and a dump. The bathrooms were disgusting and dirty. A true craphole. But the real thing which made my family and I stop going there forever was one Sunday going to see Little Mermaid my wife had a rat run over her freaking foot when the movie started. Yes rat! God damn rat!She was too shocked to scream, She and me ran out to complain and we met this nasty faggot jack ass manager who treated us like we were criminals not customers. Pieces of sh*t.
Screw that. Goodbye Cinemart forever and I still havent gone back. I'm in Elmhurst
now and go to the Midway alot. Its a cool place.

I'm surprised he would treat suck classy people with such low regard. But then again I'm sure your language was as proper as it is in the above post. The Midway is fine, the Cinemart gets a totally different upscale crowd.

I worked as an usher at the Cinemart during the late seventies for about four years, when it was still a one screen palace. Before vhs rentals hit, this was the inexpensive route to catching a hit film the second time around. When Dudley Moore's TEN hit our theater, it stayed with us for about a month. The line went down the block and around the corner every Saturday night. Often I would be out on the street with my royal blue jacket with gold trim, walking down the line, asking people to have their money ready for when they reached the turnstile (yes, turnstile!). I knew every part of that house. Even climbed on a small decaying ladder which lead above the ceiling to a large crank that lowered the enormous chandelier way back when they used to clean it (probably the 40's).

I have some shots of the Cinemart from the outside, before it was split and will try to dig them up.

J.Azzara
June 5, 2004

Thanks for the info on the interior jazzara. I can't believe it is now a fiveplex.
I remember it when it was a single screen theater, but didn't go there often as it always seemed to play "weird" movies.

The theatre's official website:
http://www.cinemartcinemas.com/chc/cinemart/

Here is a list of films I played at the Cinemart starting 5/5/89. This was an odd time, we were a twin that played alot of first run art films and first run Disney product. In between we would fill in the blanks with moveovers from other theatres. This was around the time the theatre switched from a bargain house to regular prices, although for a short time we used to charge $3 for the moveovers until it all got too confusing.
5/5/89 1- Getting it Right 2- Ny Stories & High Hopes
5/12 1- New York Stories 2- Rescuers (eve) High Hopes
5/19 1- Adventures of Baron Munchausen 2- Cousins
5/26 1- Shes Out of Control & Major Leauge 2- Munchausen & Rainman
6/9 1- Major League & Roadhouse 2- Rainman & Pelle the Conquerer
6/16 1- Say Anything 2- Rainman & Major Leauge
6/23 1 & 2- Honey I Shrunk the Kids
7/14 1- Peter Pan 2- Honey i Shrunk the Kids
7/28 1- Peter Pan (eve) Great Balls O' Fire 2- Honey
8/14 1- Peter Pan (eve) Women on Verge of Nervous Bkdwn 2- Honey
8/18 1- Cheeta (eve) Eddie & Cruisers 2- Honey (eve)Women on Verge
8/25 1- Cheetah (eve) Wired 2- Honey (eve)Women on Verge & Dead Poets Scoiety
9/1 1- Cheeta (eve) Dead Poets Society 2- Honey (eve) Luck Up & Womwn on the Verge
9/8 1- Cheeta (eve) Dead Poets & Women 2- Honey (eve) Millenium
9/15 1- The Abyss 2- Honey (eve) Turner & Hooch
9/22 1- Turner & Hooch & Peter Pan 2- Milo & Otis (eve) Ghostbusters 2 & See No Evil
9/29 1- Lethal Weapon II 2- Turner & Hooch & Milo and otis
10/6 1- Peter Pan (eve) Lethal Weapon ll 2- Milo & Otis (eve)The Package
10/13 1- Lethal Weapon ll 2- Milo & Otis (eve) In Country
10/20 1- Gross Anatomy 2- Milo & Otis (eve) Casualties of War
10/27 1- Gross Anatomy 2- Milo & Otis (eve)Old Gringo & Uncle Buck
11/3 1- Gross Anatomy 2- Sex Lies & Videotape & Old Gringo
11/10 1 Gross Anatomy 2- Drugstore Cowboy (exclusive in Queens)
11/17 1- Little Mermaid (start of a 6 month run) 2- Drugstore Cowboy
11/24 1- Little Mermaid 2- True Love (exclusive)
12/15- 1- Little Mermaid 2- Little Thief & True Love
12/22 2- Prancer (eve) True Love & Crimes and Misdemeanors
1/5/90 2- All Dogs go to Heaven (eve) True Love & Crimes and M
1/12 1- Little Mermaid (eve) Crimes & Mis 2- All Dogs (eve) Blaze & Christmas Vacation
1/19 1- Little Mermaid (eve) Steel Magnolias 2- Henry V & Always
1/26 1- LM (eve) Henry V 2- Steel Magnolias & Always
2/16 1- LM (eve) Steel Magnolias 2- My Left Foot
3/2 1- Mystery Train 2- LM (eve) My Left Foot
3/9 1- My Left Foot 2- LM (eve) Stella
3/16 1- LM & Left Foot 2- The Handmaids Tale
3/23 1- LM & Bad Influence 2- Handmaids & Left Foot
4/6 1- Ernest Goes to Jail 2- LM (eve) Handmaids Tale & Left Foot
4/13 1- Ernest (eve) Blue Steel 2- LM (eve) Left Foot
4/20 1- LM (eve) Left Foot 2- Ernest (eve) Nuns on the Run
4/27 1- LM (eve) Ernest & Left Foot 2- Spaced Invadors
5/4 1- LM (eve) Too Beautiful For You (exclusive) 2- Spaced Invadors
5/11 1- Last Exit to Brooklyn (exclusive) 2- LM (eve)Too Beautiful & Spaced Invadors
5/25 1- Longtime Companion (exclusive) 2- Last Exit, Torn Apart, Space Invadors
6/1 1- Longtime Companion 2- Without You Im Nothing & Last Exit
6/8 1- Longtime Companion 2- Without You, Last Exit, Cook Thief Wife Lover
6/15 1- Longtime Companion & Cook Thief 2- Driving Miss Daisy & Q&A
6/22 1- Betsys Wedding 2- Pretty Woman

According to newspaper advertising, this is now being operated by Creative Entertainment. When did that change take place? Creative Entertainment is the same company that runs the Ridgewood, Jackson Triplex, Plaza (Corona) and Coliseum (Manhattan), among others.

The Cinemart was a treasure back when it ran films for a buck. As a kid, I recall seeing classic cimedies there like Chaplin's The Gold Rush and The Marx Brothers in A Day At The Races and A Night At The Opera.

After one renovation, probably in the sixties, the Cinemart's first floor was re-designed with illuminated portraits of silent era movie stars.

What is now Eddie's Sweet Shop used to be Witt's Ice Cream. I remember elderly Mr and Mrs Witt who seemed to have stepped out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Their ice cream was all hand made in the back of the store.

Warren - it is probably being operated by its independent owner since Creative Entertainment is only a film booking agency and has nothing to do with operations. Another client of theirs is the esteemed [LOL!] City Cinemas chain, a real estate development company masquerading as a theatre operator.

Even though I live closer to Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, I occasionally take a stroll to the Cinemart on Metropolitan Ave to check out a good movie. I recall an elaborately carvered, impressive Coffered ceiling in the entranceway, painted black, gold, red, & white. I probably saw that ceiling two years back.

Last summer, however, I noticed "heartbreaking" industry standard, paper-thin, lackluster paneling concealing that ornate ceiling. If the Coffered ceiling was in place since the theater was built in the 20's, why cover it up now, or cover it at all? Conclusion: Some people just don't know what's good! Can we convince the theater to remove that modern eyesore? That would feel so good! By the way, the intricate design of the carved ceiling balances sound so much better than modern accoustical tile. E-mail unlockthevault@hotmail.com if you want to talk some more.

The first attraction for the newly re-opened Inwood was Charlie Chaplins "Modern Times".

I believe this holiday matinee was from 1959, the theatre was still the Inwood. It would then become the Cinema Art for awhile before becoming Cinemart. I have all the files from 1958-1995 and someday hope to compile a complete playlist.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Heidi.jpg

The classic baddie "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" played at the Cinemart Christmas week of 1964 for matinees only.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/SantaClausConquerstheMartians.jpg

1953 the owner of the Inwood blamed the President for the theatres closing.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Cinemart1953TaxClosing.jpg

April of 1959 the Inwood was presenting "Birth of a Nation" and "The Great Train Robbery".

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/BirthofaNation4-17-59Cinemart.jpg

I'm sure the hand written dates on these clips are off slightly because when the print of "Modern Times" was seized they threw in a show of Chaplin & W.C. Fields shorts.
Incidently "Modern Times" was doing great grosses, when they seized the print there were 450 people in the theatre on a week night.


http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/ModernTimesPrintSeized.jpg

This is the show that was rushed in when the theatre lost the print of "Modern Times".

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Chaplin-FieldsReplacementshow.jpg

I remember reading that business about the Modern Times seizure at the time it happened. The Birth of a Nation must have been the severely truncated version, about half its original length and with added soundtrack, that was re-issued decades after the 1915 release. That accounts for the showings every two hours with a short included. The tinted integral version is available on video and I think DVD today from Kino.

A low point for the Cinemart in 1972.
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"Barnard L. Sackett presents..." ? I'm sure he must have been a protege to Cecil B. DeMille - <grin>

Perhaps City Cinemas could do a film festival at the Village East: "The Films of Barnard L. Sackett - A Retrospective" - LOL!

He actually does have a listing on IMDB.

If memory serves he (or someone with almost the same name) did movie reviews on KYW radio in Philadelphia, then opened a very small theater in Philly called the Sackett Screening Room, which started out as a revival house but soon changed to gay porn.

6/59 the Inwood was playing a French double bill "The Red Inn" and "Caroline Cherie". The ad advertised the next double bill of silent classics with live piano, "Son of the Shiek" and Street of Sorrows"
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Christmas of 1970 this film played three packed weeks. Remember that catch phrase?
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/LoversOtherStrangers.jpg

"So, what's the story, Richie?"

It's odd, that picture was from Cinema 5 Releasing, yet it isn't playing in any Cinema 5 theatres in New York. We played it for months at my General Cinema in Ohio, an 1100 seat house, and it was always sold out. It was an excellent film...

Lovers and Other Strangers was from ABC Pictures Cinerama Releasing
Remember the interesting horizontal layout of their showcase ads when they mainly showcased thru the RKO's in the early 70s

Feb. of 1968 the Cinemart had "Cool Hand Luke"
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/CoolHandLuke.jpg

This 1959 double-bill seems so lurid for it's time, but would probably get a G rating today.
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Illicit Love is the 1949 Italian film Ho sognato il paradiso, released in the U.S. in 1952 with another title: Streets of Sorrow.

In 1964 the Cinemart was part of this huge neighborhood run of "Mad Mad World".
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1963 a cheapie kids matinee
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My first time to the Cinemart Cinema was late January or early February 1969 to see a double feature of "Where Were You When The Lights Went Out ?", a comedy about the Nov 9 1965 NYC blackout starring Robert Morse, and "Hot Millions", a crime mystery starring Peter Ustinov. It was one cinema then. I returned in August 1976 to see "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". Still one cinema, and pretty shabby looking. I was next there in late April 1984 to see "The Right Stuff", after finding out that, for me, "Terms Of Endearment" at the Arion was The Wrong Stuff. It was a twin by then, in much better condition. I could hear the bass from the soundtrack of "Footloose" pounding through the wall during the quiet moments of "The Right Stuff".

Other films I remember seeing there : "Psycho III", July 1986, "The Last Emperor", 30 April 1988, "Jacknife", with Robert DeNiro and Cathy Baker, early April 1989, "The Little Mermaid", early December 1989, "Bad Influence", late March 1990, "Red Corner", Saturday 1 November 1997, and, most recently, the Spielberg / Tom Cruise "War Of The Worlds" Saturday August 6, 2005, preceded by an ice cream sundae at Eddie's Sweet Shop.

There is a small ad here from 1963 when the Cinemart was a revival house similar to the Cinema Village.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/DavidLisa.jpg

The Cinemart and most of the other neighborhood housed in Queens and Long Island advertised in the Long Island Press. This was an evening paper.
http://photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/?action=view¤t=73Nabes.jpg

The Cinemart and most of the other neighborhood housed in Queens and Long Island advertised in the Long Island Press. This was an evening paper.
http://photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/?action=view¤t=73Nabes.jpg

For many decades, Queens had two daily newspapers, the Long Island Press, which had HQ in Jamaica, and the Long Island Star-Journal, based in Long Island City. They were under the same ownership but not distributed in the same areas. If I recall correctly, Union Turnpike was the dividing line. Areas west of Union Turnpike got the Star-Journal, and everything east of it received the Press. Eventually, the Star-Journal closed and the Press took over its distribution areas. When the Press finally folded, Newsday took over its coverage of Queens, but has never, IMHO, done a very thorough job.

I found the certificate of occupancy # 27577 for this building. The date appears to be 1/5/27 which would agree with the opening date of Feb. 1927 given by Warren in the second comment dated Mar 5, 2004 at 2:17pm. Its listed as a Motion Picture Theater/Stores/Office Building.

To my comments about the LI Press and Star-Journal, I should have added that when both newspapers were operating, the movie advertising was different and you usually didn't find the same theatres in both. Even when you did, the ads were different. The Star-Journal concentrated on the theatres in western and northern Queens, while the Press had mostly the theatres in eastern and southern Queens.

I had to do a double take earlier tonight as I noticed the ad for a new movie called "Dirty Love" in the New York Times... the list of theaters at which the film is being screened included the "Cinemart Twin" in Forest Hills!!! For a few brief confused moments I wasn't sure if it was 1985 or if the theater had been miraculously reduced from 7 screens to 2!!! Of course, I quickly realized this was nothing more than a common printing error... but figured this was as good a place as any to make note of it.

Call it a slow Friday evening...

Even in the 80's good films had "legs". In this ad the Cinemart is playing "An Officer & a Getleman" it was in it's 31st week. It had played the Trylon for 27 weeks and then we got it along with the Arion. We played it for 6 weeks and still sold out on Saturday nights. At some point it also played the Haven and then the Drake.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/OfficeGentleman.jpg

Christmas 1983 Jedi re-opened on the neighborhood run while playing 70mm at the Warner.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/Jedi.jpg

Yes, and there is also Academy Award nomination-induced re-release at the end of the old year, and / or the beginning of the new one. I remember the Christmas 1983 Jedi re-opening in Manhattan theaters.

The director of "Why We Fight" recently spoke at the Cinemart Cinemas.

An article about the Cinemart Cinemas was published in today's Daily News. Apparently they're going to reveal the ornate ceiling in the entryway in coming weeks.

http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/story/399660p-338622c.html

Reporter Nicholas Hirshon of the Daily News recently wrote a story about the Cinemart; the link can be found above.

I am hoping to correspond with Cinema Treasures member "jazzara" (J. Azzara) who was an usher at the Cinemart during the late 1970's, and posted on June 5, 2004 about photos before the theater was twinned. However, that was the only posting & no photos were shared since.

I am a Forest Hills preservationist who is working with the owner of the Cinemart to assist him in the restoration of an ornate coffered ceiling from 1925 in the entryway/lobby, that was concealed with industry-standard paneling. This is one of the many activities I hope to accomplish in honor of Forest Hills' 100th anniversary this year. For more information regarding the Cinemart and my restoration goals, please follow a March 15th Daily News article by reporter Nicholas Hirshon.

www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/story/399660p-338622c.html

I would appreciate it if anyone can share photos of the interior/exterior prior to the 2002 renovation (1925-2001). This will assist us in the restoration. If you don't have any photos, I would appreciate any bit of advice as to where I can find some. Thank you! Please e-mail Michael at unlockthevault@hotmail.com

I've never liked the name Cinemart. I suppose it was intended to equate the cinema and art, but the name has always reminded me more of a supermarket.

I think it originally was called the "CinemaArt Theater", and that evolved into "Cinemart".
I agree, I also don't care for the name.

Silent horrors with "live" piano accompaniment:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/inwood1959.jpg

I know what you mean, Warren, about the name "Cinemart". Kinda sounds like "Mini Mart" to me.

Silent horrors with "live" piano accompaniment:

Like the scene in the film "Schindler's List" in which the Nazi soldier is playing Mozart on the piano while the ghetto Jews are being shot up by other Nazi soldiers, and Krystallnacht is happening all around.

Thanks for posting the link to that clip, Warren. Film Forum in lower Manhattan used to have live piano accompaniment to silent films during certain screenings.

Our sensibility has changed so much since 1917 that we, or at least I, now have to watch a commentary to understand what was so scary about "Caligari" when it first came out : Cesare, the sleepwalker, slowly but surely sneaking up on a sleeping victim, totally unaware of him, and hence, totally vulnerable TO him. Hence, the danger and the horror of it. It's similar to the shower scene in "Psycho" that way.

Instead of "Cinemart", "CinArt", which sounds like "sin art" ?

1972 the Cinemart was part of this Universal Blue Ribbon run of "Silent Running" and "Andromena Strain". These usually opened at the Midway which must have had another booking.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/EasyRiderre-issue.jpg

One of the longest runs the Cinemart ever had was 56 weeks of "A Room With A View". On the Friday we hit 52 weeks Cinecom paid for a huge cake that we served to the customers that day.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/RoomWIthaView.jpg

This was one of the longest engagements the Cinemart ever played, 56 weeks. On the one year anniversary Cinecom paid for a huge cake that we served to the customers and the staff
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/RoomWIthaView.jpg

We were on the Cinecom run and played this turkey that was shot on videotape and converted to film.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/JuliaNJulia.jpg

I heard they were restoring this theater. Any word of what the interior looks like?

I have been going to the cinemart for many years . I remember in the 70s going there every fri night with my friends and seeing jaws, star wars and alot of other good movies. You couldnt beat the price
$2.00 for admission . I'm so glad that the theatre is still there and I go often.

The cimemart reminds me of when I was younger , where you could just go in to a movie sit back and forget about everything on the outside.

Fox kept this in release till almost 1970 both single and double. At one point it was even paired with "Planet of the Apes" and then under "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls"
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/ValleyNeighborhoodrun.jpg

NY Times Mar 12, 1927

"THEATRE MEN BUY FOREST HILLS HOUSE; Small & Strassburg Add Metropolitan Avenue Property to Their Chain.

Small & Strassburg, who own and operate a chain of theatres in Brooklyn, have added to their holdings the Metropolis, a motion picture theatre occupying a plot 135 by 110 feet on Metropolitan Avenue, Forest Hills".

I don't know how true that New York Times item is. Compare the contents with my post above of March 5, 2004. By the time of the NYT story, the Metropolis had already been open for almost a month under "indie" management. I suppose it's possible that S&S bought the theatre after that, but I've never seen the Metropolis listed among theatres owned by S&S. Also, S&S would soon be taken over by William Fox, and I never saw the Metropolis listed as a Fox theatre either. Also, the NYT story spelled the name of one of the owners of S&S incorrectly. It was Strausberg, not "Strassburg."

I don't know how true that story is either. Maybe S & S planned to take over this theater but it never occurred. Speaking of Strausberg, I found two people named Strausberg mentioned in connection with the Interboro circuit. Were either one of them part of Small & Strausberg?

"May 25, 1947-Samuel Strausberg of 443 Crown Street, Brooklyn, president of Beth-El Hospital, Brooklyn, and of Interboro Theatres, Inc., died Friday night in Doctors Hospital after an illness of four months. His age was 65".

"Dec 8, 1980-Solomon M. Strausberg, president of the Interboro movie theater circuit and honorary first vice president of the Brookdale Hospital Center in Brooklyn, died Saturday at the center. He was 73 years old and lived in Manhattan".

Samuel Strausberg was the original Strausberg of S&S. After Fox bought S&S, Mr. Strausberg later formed the Interboro Circuit, which he ran until death. His successor was his son, Solomon M. Strausberg, who had been working for the company all his adult life. Solomon's failing health caused him to shut down the company. All of the theatres were sold, some of them to Loew's.

Thanks for the explanation. I was just curious why there were two Strausberg's mentioned for the Interboro Circuit. Now I understand.

Does anyone know the architect of the original Metropolis? I believe it was Harrison G. Wiseman, but an article in the March 10, 1927 issue of the Forest Hills-Kew Gardens Post says "Harrison G. Wilson," which is probably an error. I doubt that there were two theatre architects with the same monogram and the same uncommon first name. Wiseman did at least two other theatres in 1927, Loew's Oriental and the Leader, both in Brooklyn...The Post article says that the Metropolis cost $350,000 to build: "It is modern in every detail and nothing has been omitted that will contribute to the comfort and convenience of its patrons. The decorations are carried out in French gray, old rose and gold. A huge crystal dome has been installed in the center of the house. All of the seats are on one floor. On the second floor there are luxurious lounging rooms for the use of the theatre's patrons. A $30,000 Wurlitzer organ has been installed, which will alternate with an eight-piece orchestra in furnishing music during the running of the pictures. The latest in heating and ventilating devices are part of the equipment of the Metropolis, and include two large ventilating fans and thermostatic heat control, making it possible to keep the theatre at an even, comfortable temperature at all times. The opening day [March 10] program includes 'Blonde or Brunette,' starring Adolphe Menjou, and a Hal Roach comedy, 'Why Girls Say No.' There will be special music by the Metropolis concert orchestra."

The architects name wasn't on the c/o that I found but I would go with Harrison G. Wiseman.

Seating as a five screen theater:

Theater#1-196
Theater#2-192
Theater#3-92
Theater#4-160
Theater#5-176

Total seats-816

Small & Strausberg did operate the Metropolis from the start, acquiring it after construction had been completed in order to protect its own Forest Hills Theatre on Continental Avenue. S&S was also in the process of building a new theatre in Kew Gardens on Queens Boulevard near Union Turnpike. The three theatres would give S&S total domination of the area and spare it from having to bid against rivals for product. S&S continued to operate the Metropolis until June, 1929, when S&S's takeover by Fox Theatres went into effect. The Metropolis was losing money and also had been cutting into attendance at the Forest Hills. Fox decided that it needed only one theatre in that community and opted for the better-situated Forest Hills. Fox delayed the opening of the Kew Gardens until autumn to insure a steady flow of product for its "100% talking" policy. The Metropolis would remain closed for nearly two years in the wake of the Wall Street "crash" and the bankruptcy of Fox Theatres. Skouras Theatres, which was formed to take over some of the ex-Fox theatres, had no interest in re-opening the Metropolis or the Kew Gardens (by then converted to miniature golf). Morris Kutisker bought the Metropolis, changed its name to Inwood, installed new Western Electric sound equipment, and re-opened the theatre on March 12, 1931, with a policy of late-run double features at "moderate" prices.
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The Inwood's "off-beat" art policy was getting naughtier and naughtier by the time of this 1961 booking: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/inwood61.jpg

Here's an image of a raffle ticket for a drawing held on the evening of November 3rd, 1932, at the Inwood Theater for an Essex automobile.

Not sure if it was the 1932 or 1933 model that was being offered, but, for kicks, here's an image of the '32 Terraplane sedan from Essex. The model was introduced in '32 so it couldn't have been anything older. Pretty nice giveaway for depression-era patrons, no? I wonder what the occasion was?

The image of the raffle ticket is from Michael Perlman's collection (CT member "NativeForestHiller")... I wonder if he has any historical information to add here regarding that evening's drawing.

Thank you very much for posting my raffle ticket online! I appreciate the detail. I hope you're having a great "Thanksgiving weekend!" If I come across anything additional, I'll be sure to post.

Just re-reading some of the comments on this theater... So, it opened with 1500 seats all on one level, but now sports an aggregate capacity of 816 per Lost's post 10/25/2006. That's some 700 seats lost to the construction of partition walls and foyers leading to the various auditoriums.

As I recall, when one enters the lobby, the concession stand is on the left wall and on the right are entrances to two of the theaters, each on either side of a passageway that leads further back (towards the front of the old auditorium) to a smaller foyer where the entrances to the remaining 3 theaters are located. On either side of the concession stand is a winding stairwell leading up to the rest rooms. The stairwell closest to the lobby entrance doors leads to the men's room, while the stairwell at the far end of the lobby (and on the other side of the concession stand) leads to the ladies room.

Warren posted some information back on 10/25/2006 regarding the "luxurious lounging rooms" on the second level. Unless that was merely advertising hyperbole, I guess those lounges have been closed off to the public. As best as I can recall, the stairwells I described above currently lead patrons directly into the toilet rooms.

Finally, does anyone know whatever came of the idea to remove the modern acoustic tiles in the lobby and reveal the original 1927 coffered ceiling? Michael Perlman posted some info regarding these plans back in March of this year, including a NY Daily News article on the matter.

Someone posted a link to the Cinemart Cinemas website but that link doesn't work anymore. This is a current link to their website. On that website, under "About Us" you will see the following:

"The Queens Historical Society gives the Cinemart the distinction of being the oldest continuously operated independent theatre in the borough. Built in 1925, Cinemart began life as a 1500 seat single screen showplace called Metropolis but soon renamed the Inwood. Cinemart is the last of a generation of independent neighborhood theatres.

In the early sixties, a New York art exhibitor acquired the theatre and renamed it the Cinema Art with plans to use it as the Queens leg of his art cinema circuit that included the Cinema Village in lower Manhattan and the D. W. Griffith (now the 59th Street East) on the Upper East Side. The booking policy drifted into more studio fare and the theatre was converted into a twin theatre in the early seventies. Later on, the theatre whose name in the meantime had become shortened to Cinemart was expanded and completely renovated into five screens with Dolby Digital sound system, new projection equipment and seats. The latest addition is a cozy café-lounge with a working fireplace where patrons can enjoy light meals and beverages while waiting for the movie to start".

Did this theater open in 1925 or in 1927 as posted in the second comment from the top of this page? There should also be an aka name of Cinema Art.

I thought 1927 was the date. I think Warren had a specific date and Lost, you posted about a '27 C/O you had found. As for the passage you quoted from the website... they are wrong about the place being twinned in the early '70's. That should be the early '80's. I remember going to the Cinemart as a single theater to see a double feature of "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles" around 1980 or so. I wonder if the "cozy cafe-lounge" refers to the adjacent restaurant. I always thought it was a seperate enterprise, but last time I was in the area, I did notice that the place looked like it was under new management and included some new cinema-themed decor. I believe they have some sidwalk seating during the warm-weather months.

I believe that it is 1927 Ed. The second comment is one source for 1927. The c/o that I posted on Aug 29, 2005 is source number two and the NY Times piece that I posted on Oct 13, 2006 all give the 1927 date. When I see a history page on a theaters website with conflicting dates, I start to have second thoughts. I figured that I would ask just to make sure. Their webpage needs to be updated.

I also see that a photo on that page seems to show the ugly acoustic-tile ceiling in the lobby. I still wonder if that's come down yet... or if it ever will.

As per interior restoration plans at the Cinemart, my correspondences with the owner have been put on hold. The owner is devoting most of his time to his recent acquisition, the Alpine Theatre in Brooklyn. He stepped in the last minute to prevent that theater from becoming a chain store. That theater is being restored & renovated to accomodate screens & performance spaces (art house). For the Cinemart, we hope to pick up from where we left off later this year or next.

I've never found Queens Historical Society to be a reliable source of information about Queens theatres. I doubt that its archives about theatres contain anything more than clippings of newspaper articles, many of which contained errors. The Metropolis first opened in 1927. It seems possible that it "was built in 1925" and sat vacant for up to two years, but I somehow doubt it. I also wonder about the Inwood being called the "Cinema Art" before "Cinemart." I have never seen advertising for Cinema Art. Has anyone?

This theaters website is the first place that I have seen the name "Cinema Art" used for this theater. I'm beginning to wonder how accurate any of the information is on their history page. Maybe someone will find an ad that shows this theater advertised as "Cinema Art"

Quote:
The Queens Historical Society gives the Cinemart the distinction of being the oldest continuously operated independent theatre in the borough.

Isn't that distinction held by the Ridgewood Theater?

I think you are correct. The second oldest continuously operated independent theater in the borough is the Cinemart.

Would the Ridgewood be disqualified as a "continuously operating independent" due its history under the Fox banner? "Independent" might be the operative word in this distinction. Check out Warren's post of March 5th, 2004, near the top of the page... it seems this theater has been run by a succession of "indies" from the start.

Perhaps the Queens Historical Society adheres to classifications set up by the movie industry for Greater New York, which for decades listed the Ridgewood Theatre as being in Brooklyn. In fact, even today, the Ridgewood Theatre is still listed in Brooklyn in some newspaper ads and program guides.

Those are two very good possibilites. The Ridgewood was a "chain" theater and it was advertised as being in Brooklyn. Two technicalities that would disqualify it as being the oldest continuously operated independent theater in the borough of Queens. Maybe the Queens Historical Society isn't aware that Ridgewood is located in Queens. The debate continues. :)

"Maybe the Queens Historical Society isn't aware that Ridgewood is located in Queens."

Maybe, Lost Memory. I think Ridgewood tends to slip through the cracks in PBS documentaries about Brooklyn and Queens because it sits on the border between them. I mean the "New York The Way It Was" shows and the Dick Hartman and Barry Lewis "Walk Through" shows, which are excellent. In the one on Brooklyn, Lewis DID mention Ridgewood while standing on the Marcy Avenue platform of the Bway el, in connection with German immigration spreading out from the Yorkville section of Manhattan into Bklyn and Queens.

I never thought I'd end up quoting a song by Cher, but her Top 20 hit, "Half Breed", is relevant :

"The Indians said that I was white by law, white men always called me Indian squaw."

There is also the fact, previously mentioned, that Ridgewood seems or tends to want to be associated with Queens, and the adjoining Queens neighborhoods of Glendale, Maspeth and Middle Village, rather than with Bushwick and Brooklyn, in terms of public services.

Re : the documentaries : I realize that they can only do so much in 1 1/2 to 2 hours, and cannot possibly cover EVERY neighborhood in each borough.

Cinemart Cinemas might be the oldest continuously operated "independent" theater in the borough of Queens according to the Queens Historical Society, but the Ridgewood theater has the distinction of being THE oldest continuously operated theater in Queens, period. The block that the Ridgewood theater is located on has always been part of Ridgewood, Queens even though the Ridgewood theater was listed in Brooklyn ads.

Both theaters should get some sort of recognition from the Historical Society. The Ridgewood theater is in its 90th year and Cinemart Cinemas will be 80 years old in a few months. I think that is an incredible feat for both theaters to have achieved.

Lost Memory, I agree. Thanks for your post.

Perhap's both theatres should receive land mark status fella's.

mikemovies, I agree.

I will now go to the Ridgewood Theater page to see what's going on with it.

I would like to see landmark status for the Cinemart, but the exterior has been altered extensively, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission will not take action in designating it. The Trylon Theater's exterior had few alterations, and the LPC declined (in violation of the Landmarks Law). The Ridgewood Theatre is the highest candidate. It is generally best NOT to involve the owners in such preservation efforts. It's the LPC's role to reach out & speak with the owners once a property is being considered, prior to calendaring it for a public hearing. Calendaring grants temporary legal protection of the property. Perhaps the Cinemart retains original facade elements beneath the newer facade. However, after spending lots of money to renovate, I doubt the owner will reverse the alterations. Historic properties, however, most often yield greater property values. The Forest Hills Theatre's exterior would be a great landmarking candidate, as well as the Midway in Forest Hills, & Fair Theatre in Jackson Heights. The Elmwood was until now. I am working on a bunch of Request For Evaluations to send to the LPC for consideration. Any other theater that comes to mind? Please share your thoughts. Thanks!

Thank YOU, NativeForestHiller !

On February 22nd, 1940, the Inwood had a "Gala Re-Opening." I wonder how long it had been closed? Perhaps for years in the wake of the Depression, which had ended by this time:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/inwood40.jpg

Which raises an interesting question : which NYC theaters closed during the Depression, and which remained open, and why ? I understand that some were able to remain open with events such as "Dish Night" for the ladies.

The vast majority of NYC cinemas remained open throughout the Depression. Those that closed for long periods of time were usually the minor "nabes." Some of the big palaces like the Roxy and Brooklyn Paramount and Fox had brief closures early in the Depression but re-opened under new managements.

Thanks, Warren.

Another Depression victim that I neglected to mention was the Queensboro Theatre (later Elmwood) in Elmhurst, Queens. From 1930 to 1940, I would guess that it remained closed for about 80% of that period. With 2,200 seats, it was much too large for the under-populated area that it served, and it could get only get late-run movies. When the Queensboro was open, it was with stage plays or bingo games. Even after the Depression ended, the Queensboro remained mostly closed until 1946, when the Interboro Circuit took over and re-named it the Elmwood. From 1940 to 1946, there were only several short-lived seasons (two or three months each) of stage plays from the "Subway Circuit."

I came across 2 NY Times articles that may be of interest:

1. "Small & Strassburg Add Metropolitan Avenue Property to Their Chain" (Metropolis Theatre), March 12, 1927

2. "Sign Assails Theatre Tax - Forest Hills Show Owner Says It Forced Closing of House" (Inwood Theatre & Pres. Eisenhower's decision not to lift the 20% tax on tickets), August 31, 1953

I don't know how to post a PDF file on this forum. If you're interested in obtaining the article, please e-mail me at unlockthevault@hotmail.com & I'd be happy to share it with you. Also, if you can share suggestions on how to post PDFs, I'd appreciate it. - Michael

Mike....I posted the free portion of the March 12, 1927 NY Times story back on Oct 13, 2006. I'll post it here again:

"NY Times Mar 12, 1927

"THEATRE MEN BUY FOREST HILLS HOUSE; Small & Strassburg Add Metropolitan Avenue Property to Their Chain.

Small & Strassburg, who own and operate a chain of theatres in Brooklyn, have added to their holdings the Metropolis, a motion picture theatre occupying a plot 135 by 110 feet on Metropolitan Avenue, Forest Hills".

posted by Lost Memory on Oct 13, 2006 at 11:42am

1-Load the PDF file into the Acrobat Reader.
2-Choose the Graphic Select Tool on the toolbar or menu. (Depends on your reader version)
3-Place the box around your document.
4-Click the Edit menu and then choose Copy.
5-Open your Paint program.
6-In Paint click the Edit menu and then choose Paste.
7-In Paint click the File menu and choose Save As. Pick the file type (JPEG or JPG would be best).

You will need a place to host the file such as Photobucket. A CT member explained how to do this on another theater page. I want to give that person credit for this procedure but I can't remember who it was. :)

Actually, the Ridgewood Theater-Cinemart "controversy" of the oldest CONTINUOUSLY operating theater looks like it's solved right here, the "Brooklyn" controversy of the Ridgewood noitwithstanding, it appears the Cinemart was closed for a little while in between....

The Cinemart Theatre is about ten years younger than the Ridgewood Theatre, so even if it had operated continuously from opening, it still wouldn't have been for as long as the Ridgewood.

Thanks, Lost Memory for your help! As soon as I have a chance, I will follow your advice & post the links.

The Ridgewood Theatre wins the crown!

Just to be clear, the Cinemart was attributed with being the oldest continuously operating INDEPENDENT cinema in Queens. Even with closures in the 1930's, that distinction may very well be valid. See the thread above regarding this topic beginning with a post by Lost Memory on November 29th.

I have never been here, but its matinee prices have to be one of the biggest bargains in NYC. Weekday matinees for $5. Not bad. I thought about doing a double-bill tomorrow, checking out NOTES ON A SCANDAL in Kew Gardens and PERFUME at this theatre. The one drawback is that, according to the theatre's recorded announcement, once you get off the subway at 71st & Continental then you have to take a bus.

I live in Forest Hills & walk to the Cinemart quite often. You can walk about 4 blocks east along Austin St to Ascan Ave, and then approximately 10-12 blocks past the trestle to the Cinemart on Metropolitan Ave. It seems as if the mild weather will continue, and if you're up for walking, it also gives you the opportunity to explore the beauty of the Tudor-inspired Forest Hills Gardens community. Please let us know your thoughts. Hope this helps!

I've enjoyed that walk many times, Michael, most recently, Saturday April 4, 2004, except that my destination, rather than the Cinemart, was Jahn's Ice Cream Parlor in Richmond Hill, so I continued south through Forest Park.

Remember Eddie's Sweet Shop for great ice cream a few steps from the Cinemart!

I haven't taken that route to Jahn's, but ate there in 1999 and March 2006. Although unofficial, that is a landmark within itself which might be included in the potential Richmond Hill historic district, if the LPC acts soon. After attending movies at the Cinemart, frequenting Eddie's Sweet Shop is a treat! I believe it's been in existence since 1909, and it has a completely intact interior with marble, stools, a mosaic inlaid floor, great woodwork, and an ornate tin ceiling. I would say the only modern addition is a TV.

This film had been out of circulation for many years until its 1973 re-release
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/KinginNewYork.jpg

Yes, PaulNoble, I remember Eddie's Sweet Shop very well. I last ate there August 2005, before seeing the Tom Cruise "War Of The Worlds" at the CineMart. I had a discussion with the owner / manager about how much better he was doing than Jahn's in Richmond Hill.

NativeForestHiller, you're probably right about Eddie's Sweet Shop.

Remember Sun Classics? They would 4 wall the theatres and do massive non-stop advertising. Most of the theatres were independents but I see a few UA's in this ad. We played all of these because we always got at least a break even house allowance and did incredible on concessions.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/LifeTimesofGrizzlyAdams.jpg

Thanks, RobertR.

Ditto, RobertR. I remember them as Sunn (two n's) Classics. I was not aware that Grizzly Adams was one of their films (if they also had a hand in the network TV show of the same name, then surely it was their biggest moneymaking franchise), but I do recall the quasi-documentaries "In Search of Noah's Ark" and "In Search of Historic Jesus"... which leads me to wonder if they were behind the TV series "In Search Of..." that Leonard Nimoy hosted in the late '70's. Another title that comes to mind was the low-rent "Hangar 18" which was advertised as a startling and revelatory documentary but turned out to be a cheesy sci-fi flick starring Gary Collins, of all people!

It seemed like Sunn Classics had a feature or two out in theaters just about every summer in the mid-to-late '70's. Clunkers to be sure, but I'd take any one of those inept low budget turkeys today over the technically competent but formulaic fodder that is foisted upon us these days.

Good, insightful comments, Ed Solero. Thanks for posting them here.

I have been going to the cinemart since I was 15 (1975)and have seen many good movies there. Going there on the weekends was great , and you couldnt beat the price( 1.50).There is just something about sitting in a movie theater that you dont have with a home theater.They have a new movie theater in glendale and it is outstanding . The seating is very comfortable and spacious with plenty of parking right there. I reccomend it if you enjoy the movies as much as I do.

For a couple of weeks in October, 1960, the Inwood must have been one of the hottest spots on Long Island with this exclusive engagement of two foreign imports. Those were the days before the industry's rating system, and the ad doesn't even specify that the films might be for "adults" only:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/inwoodart.jpg

"The Foolish Virgin," which is top-billed in the 1960 ad that I posted above on 2/3/07, was actually a reissue of a French film that had its American premiere in NYC on December 29, 1938, at Cinema 49
(later known as the World Theatre). The movie was brand new and had just opened a short time before that in Paris.

I must correct an error in my earlier post today about "The Foolish Virgin." Cinema 49 was not an earlier name for the World Theatre. Cinema 49 was actually the 49th Street Theatre at 235 West 49th Street, a 750-seat "legit" playhouse designed by Herbert J. Krapp. Never a success, it briefly served as Cinema 49 before being demolished in 1940, according to Nicholas Van Hoogstraten's "Lost Broadway Theatres."

Re : October 1960 newspaper ad : I wonder how "The Foolish Virgin" was finally "penetrated" in this "penetrating" film.

Here is a modern photo of the Cinemart Cinemas from the Bridge and Tunnel Club website.

That photo must be X-rated. All I saw was a message that I'm "forbidden" to view it.

That link works for me. Okay, try this link and scroll to the bottom of the page for the Cinemart Cinemas photo.

That's better. Thanks!

Thanks so much, Lost Memory, for those images of Metropolitan Avenue. I LOVE that part of Forest Hills, and was last there this past July 8, 2006 !

Was The Cinemart relegated to The Forbidden Zone by Drs. Zaius and Maximus, orang-utans emeritus ?

The Cinemart is having a difficult time competing with other theatres in the area, according to an article by Nicholas Hirshon in the Queens section of yesterday's NY Daily News. The Cinemart recently earned extra money by permitting Time Warner Cable to film a commercial there. "And more shoots may be needed to keep the struggling Metropolitan Ave. theater afloat," Hirshon wrote. "Sal Parete, the Cinemart's general manager for the past 20 years, has tried offering reduced admission prices to children and seniors. He said the theater has a loyal following, but one that is not nearly large enough. Parete, 78, can sympathize with moviegoers who frequent local chain theaters instead. After all, he said, people care about the film they want to see, not theater owners. 'I would feel sorry for the little neighborhood guy because the other guy's got the movie,' he said. 'The first thing you do is look in the paper and ask, 'Who's got the picture?'" The article claims that the Cinemart pays $80,000 in real estate taxes annually. The owner is reported as Nicolas Nicolaou, who also runs the Cinema Village in Manhattan and another cinema in Brooklyn (unidentified in the article).

We were all worried about the Ridgewood Theater in Ridgewood closing when the Atlas Park Terminal Theater in Glendale opened....but apparently, the Cinemart may fall first, a victim of the nearby Atlas Park 8

The unidentified Brooklyn theatre in the article is the Alpine in Bay Ridge, which Nicolaou acquired last year.

To add...of course while I am sure the Cinemart felt a blow after the Atlas Terminal Theater opened, they also get a blow probably from the Forest Hills Theaters like the Midway 9, and the theater on Austin St that used to be called the Continental (I forgot what it's called today).

Bway....Maybe your thinking of the Brandon Twin aka the Continental 1 & 2.

This is the seating for this theater which comes from the Cinemart Cinemas website.

Auditoriums

Screen #1
Capacity: 195 seats
Projection: 35 mm
Sound: Dolby Digital CP500

Screen #2
Capacity: 105 seats
Projection: 35 mm
Sound: Dolby Digital CP500

Screen #3
Capacity: 175 seats
Projection: 35 mm
Sound: Dolby Digital CP500

Screen #4
Capacity: 195 seats
Projection: 35 mm
Sound: Dolby Digital CP500

Screen #5
Capacity: 190 seats
Projection: 35 mm
Sound: Dolby Digital CP500

Total seats: 860

I'm sorry to read this about the Cinemart being in danger from Atlas Park, Midway 9, and Brandon 1 and 2, especially considering the loss of the Forest Hills Cinema on Continental Avenue between Austin St. amd Queens Blvd. and Continental 3 (once the largest movie screen in Queens ?) on Austin west of Continental.

I wouldn't have thought it, considering the distance between the Cinemart and Atlas Park, and Cinemart and Midway 9 and Brandon 1 and 2.

Whereas Midway 9 and Brandon 1 and 2 seems like "Forest Hills Movie Central" in a busy shopping + restaurant + transportation hub (express subway stop + LIRR ststion + bus stops and taxi stand), and Atlas Park is a new multiplex in a busy new shopping center, the Cinemart still seems like the neighborhood movie house, around the corner from quiet residential blocks, and across the street from the venerable and celebrated Eddie's Sweet Shop.

The above being the case, I suppose the Cinemart would have been even more endangered by the multiplex cinema once proposed for the southwest corner of Metropolitan Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard, near where the Home Depot and Woodhaven Lanes are now.

If the Atlas Park 8 is taking business away from Cinemart Cinemas, it can't be because of ticket prices. The Atlas Park 8 charges $10.25 vs $8.50 at Cinemart Cinemas. The advantage that the Atlas Park 8 has is parking. You do pay $2.00 extra to park at the Atlas Park 8 which brings the cost up to $12.25 for one person to see a movie there. Trying to find a parking space near the Cinemart is not easy so many people will gladly pay the extra money to attend the Atlas Park 8. Sometimes convenience outweighs cost. As Peter mentioned, the Cinemart is like the neighborhood movie house. It seems that the neighborhood isn't giving this theater the support that it needs to survive.

Agreed. One thing to note though also is that a theater needs more than just the neighborhood people coming to it to survive. Atlas Park, and the Forest Hills theaters get a lot of outside activity. I myself used to take the subway from Ridgewood to Forest Hills to see movies at the Continental (Brandon) or Midway years back.

Agreed and noted, Bway and Lost Memory. I, too, used to walk and (less frequently) take the subway from Ridgewood to Forest Hills and Rego Park to see movies at the Trylon, Continental, Forest Hills and Midway.

Saturday December 22nd 1984 I saw "Starman" at the Ridgewood Theater. The following Saturday, the 29th (record high of 70 degrees, with old snow still on the ground) I saw "Dune" at the Continental 1 or 2 (now the Brandon). The Saturday after that, the first of the new year, January 5, 1985 (back down to 20 degrees, without the wind chill) it was "2010" on the big screen of Continental 3.

I've taken in my share of movies at the Cinemart, but , truth be told about the theater, the auditoriums are small and not very comfortable and the screen sizes lacking. It's a drap little 5-screener that doesn't book fare that is unique or different enough (like the Kew Gardens) to attract a crowd seeking an alternative to the standard studio fodder flooding the big screens at the newer stadium-style plexes.

Frankly, I visit this neighborhood now - usually with the kiddies in tow - more for Eddie's ice cream than anything else.

An exclusive Long Island engagement during Holy Week in March, 1961: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/inwood361.jpg

so... "robertR" u quite sound like u owned the place in your comments. However i'm pretty sure that i remember u just being the manager, an eployee nothing more. By the way i think you were let go after the place turned into a multiplex. I'm not sure about that but i never saw you working there again

you guys should start going to cinemart more often. the theater's dead. i don't get it. It's a cool place and not only that but there's theater cafe right next to it. It's like a place were they serve pizza, sandwiches, wraps, crepes, salads, drinks and desserts. It's preety cozy and a nice place to hang out before or after a movie. And they got some hot girls working over there.

damn i just realized that i should get paid for this i'm advertising cinemart and theater cafe. hehe

damn i just realized that i should get paid for this i'm advertising cinemart and theater cafe. hehe

damn i just realized that i should get paid for this i'm advertising cinemart and theater cafe. hehe

oh my god i posted the same comment 3 times

I agree with you, cinalpvill, on all counts about the Cinemart. Eddie's Sweet Shop right across the street is part of the deal also.

By "street", above, I meant 72nd Avenue.

I only wish the Cinemart itself was a better physical facility. My thoughts on the place stand pretty much as I posted on March 26th above.

Noted, Ed Solero. I never "leaned" on it heavily enough to be disappointed with it. My main complaint about it, seeing "The Right Stuff" there in late April 1984, was how the thudding rock bass from the soundtrack of "Footloose" in the adjacent cinema, kept coming through the wall in "Right Stuff"'s quieter moments.

But that was so much more enjoyable than what I'd just walked out of, "Terms Of Endearment" at the Arion, that I really didn't care.

Yesterday I went to see the Simpsons at the cimemart. On Wendsay its only 5 dollars to get in so you cant beat that price.I know the atlas theatre is very nice ( I have gone there many times)but there is just something about the cinemart that I really like about it.

Good for you, woodie. 1:20 PM screening of "Bourne Ultimatum" at the Ridgewood on Sat Aug 25 2007 was $ 5 also.

What is it you especially like about the Cinemart, woodie ?

I grew up in Richmond Hill and went to the Cinemart every Fri and Sat night IN THE 70'S. I remember it was only a dollar or 1.50 for movie like Jaws , Star Wars, Deliverence and the Longest Yard.
I ENJOYED THE TIMES WE HAD THERE .

Thanks, woodie. Where in Richmond Hill did you live ?

The last film I saw at the old single Cinemart before it was multiplexed was "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" in August 1976.

The first films I saw there were "Where Were You When The Lights Went Out ?" and "Hot Millions" in early 1969.

YES I REMEMBER SEEING ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST THERE ALSO. I LIVED ON 110 ST NEAR 86th AVE RICHMOND HILL .

Thanks, woodie. That's between Myrtle and Jamaica Avenues. When did you move away from there ? I passed by there many times in 1990 going to and from a gal I dated who once lived at 103-15 110th Street. I remember a sign for a Dr. Cippolina at the southwest corner of Myrtle Avenue and 110th St.

Here are two recent photos of the Cinemart Cinemas, Click each photo to expand it.

Thanks, LostMemory.

Since a number of months have elapsed since the initial rumors of the Cinemart's demise appeared on this page, I wonder how the theater is faring. My wife and I saw "No Country for Old Men" last Friday. While the place was not packed, there were a good number of attendees. Hopefully, the theory that "no news is good news" will apply here and that the Cinemart will survive the "onslaught of Atlas".

Since moving to Forest Hills from Greenpoint a little over six years ago, I have really gravitated to the Metropolitan Avenue part of this neighborhood, eventhough I live right off Queens Blvd. The Cinemart, along with the many restaurants and shops, is a major drawing card and I really hope it can survive.

I'm having trouble reaching the box office. How would someone travel to the Cinemart Cinemas by subway and bus from the 7 train, or any bus subway connection. Decided I had to see Speed Racer on the big screen, even after reading the reviews. I love the Big Screen experience for both large and small films, and if nothing else Speed Racer is a Big Screen sfx movie. Thanks!

By the 1970s, the auditorium had been changed into a modern hodepodge, with pleated draperies covering the side walls and a new screen and curtain hung in front to the original stage area.
The decorative ceiling had been painted over except for one small portion that displayed an original chandelier. I wonder if it survived the multiplexing?:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/inwood70s.jpg

very nice Warren....now if only you could find a photo of the Ridgewood Theater wherever you are finding all of these. They would be great for the people trying to preserve it in it's final hours of hope.

This theater is running 12 films this weekend on 5 screens; that's some wild scheduling. The North Shore in Little Neck has 6 films on 1 screen this weekend.

I made my first trek out here this past weekend to finally catch up with "Brideshead Revisited." I didn't find anything all that distinguished about the theatre, but glad I had a chance to check out another NYC movie theatre.

Good for you, hardbop !

That's some over-schedulling, dantop500 !

I just scanned some pics of the Columbia and did this one of the Cinemart Marquee from its twin days.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Theatres/Cinemart/cinemart.jpg

In today's NY Daily News, Nicholas Hirshon lists the Cinemart as "bliss for bargain-hunters" in the Forest Hills area: "$6 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Patrons pay a $6 matinee price for any film before 5PM Mondays through Fridays. Kids and seniors are charged $6 at all times." Presumably, the $6 on Tuesdays and Thursdays is for all performances, and not just for matinees.

Warren G. Harris sends this link to the Queens Chronicle with a great photo of the Inwood and a story on the history of the theater over the years.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.asp?brd=2731&pag=460&dept_id=575602

Thanks Warren. Hope you as well as the Cinemart, which is doing very nicely.

This scan of a printed copy of the Queens Chronicle provides a more detailed image of the Inwood than the one at their website. The marquee looks original except for the side attraction panels, which probably have been changed from a black background with white lettering to the more modern reverse. The entrance doors and poster cases also look original. The Inwood's current program was the sub-run "Caught" and a revival of "Penny Serenade":
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/inwood49.jpg

Great shot Warren, and welcome back.

Warren, can you please re-post your scan from Sept 4th?