Loews Cineplex Fortway Theatre
6720 Fort Hamilton Parkway,
Brooklyn,
NY
11219
6720 Fort Hamilton Parkway,
Brooklyn,
NY
11219
14 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Cineplex Odeon, Fox Circuit, Interboro Circuit Inc., Loews Cineplex
Architects: Charles A. Sandblom
Functions: Supermarket
Styles: Atmospheric, Italian Renaissance
Previous Names: Fortway Theatre, Fox Fortway Theatre,
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Sep 29, 2005 — Supermarket May Be Built on Fortway Site
- Jul 28, 2005 — Brooklyn's Fortway Theatre Gutted
Opened on October 21, 1927 with Pat O'Mally in “The Rose of Kildare” plus an added attraction “Building the Fortway” a film showing various stages of construction of the theatre plus four acts of vaudeville on the stage: Rialto Four, Gates & Jordan, Norman & Webb and Edward Bernard.
The Fortway Theatre had a beautiful Atmospheric style interior, where electric stars used to twinkle on the dark blue ceiling. The Fortway Theatre originally had a Kilgen 3 manual 9 ranks theatre organ. By 1930 it was operating as the Fox Fortway Theatre. There was a small stage in front of the proscenium. The theatre was triplexed in the 1970’s, and divided into a 5-screen multiplex in 1982. Screen 1: 448 seats, Screen 2: 390-seats, Screen 3: 388-seats, Screen 4: 210-seats and Screen 5: 219-seats.
The Fortway Theatre was closed by Loews Cineplex in June of 2005. The final movies were Cayden Boyd in “The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl-3D”, Cedric The Entertainer in “The Honeymooners”, Adam Sandler in “The Longest Yard” and Amber Tamblyn in “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”. The building stood unused until June 2007 when it was converted into a supermarket.
Contributed by
ERD
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 113 comments)
It really is a shame it’s gone, it was a very nice theatre to catch a film. I wonder if there is anything left after it became the supermarket?
That auditorium looks so wide; how was it divided for the triplex, and then where were the other two added screens?
As a Five-plex I remember the main auditorium level had two smaller screens carved out on the extreme left & right side, what is the center section in the photo was the big main auditorium which sort of had the shape of a Y, there were also two theatres in the original balcony section as well. Flanking the original proscenium were these two female figures that I had taken pictures of, I will have to post it here, I nicknamed them the “Nymphs of Celluloid” I wonder whatever happened to them? There is also a photo of them in Ben Hall’s Book: The Best Remaining Seats.
Listed as Fox Fortway in 1930 neighborhood directory displayed here
Grand opening ad:
Pleas update, total seats 1792 Theatre 1. 526 Theatre 2. 423 (Balcony) Theatre 3. 421 (Balcony) Theatre 4. 212 Theatre 5. 210
Once operated by Cineplex Odeon.
The official name of this theatre when it closed was the Loews Cineplex Fortway Theatre, please rename.
Any of the original interiir survives?
I grew up in the neighborhood. I remember the theater being renovated when Cineplex Oden took over from Golden. If I can remember correctly the renovation took place in 1989. The theater had already been split into 5 screens by then. Pretty sure that much of whatever was “original” was gone by then. I worked at the Fortway in the mid 90s. There were some behind the scenes spots that had some original columns and arches. I remember an old out of use bathroom “lounge” with urinals in the staircase landing between the 1st floor and one of the two upstairs theaters. Either theater 2 or 3. I’m sure that prior to being multiplexed, it was just the landing between the 1st floor and the balcony. I’ve never stepped foot into the supermarket that has been at the location for almost 20 years. I can’t imagine that any of the original theater interior still exists. But who knows.