Major Theater

New York, NY

277 Canal Street

, New York, NY 10013 United States

(map)

Status:	Closed
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Unknown

Function:	Retail
Seats:	599
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	David M. Oltarsh
Firm:	Unknown

The Major Theater was known under a few names during it's life. In later years it was known as the Cinema Giglio and may also have been known as the Canal Cinema at some point, though not to be confused with the Canal Theater further away on Canal Street. It is currently in the bustling part of Canal Street in the heart of Chinatown as Chinatown continues to eat up most of what is left of Little Italy.

It showed Italian language films when it was known as the Cinema Giglio. After the Cinema Giglio closed, it showed Chinese language films for a brief period before being converted to retail.

Today, much of the exterior still exists of the Major Theater, including the marquee, although the interior has been converted to retail and flea market like space. Much of the ornamentation still exists. When first entering, you can easily tell you are in the lobby of an old theater, right down to some mirrors on the walls. Once passing into the main auditorium of the small theater, it still screams theater as much of the ceiling plasterwork and columns still exist. Perhaps much of the walls also still exist, although mostly covered by pegboard for the merchandise now in the space.

Contributed by Chris

YOUR COMMENTS

This may have been the Canal Cinema in its final days, specializing in Chinese-language films.

posted by philipgoldberg on Jun 18, 2004 at 11:40am

Does anyone know when the Major theater, and later the Canal Cinema closed to movies? I'm assuming it was probably the late 80's or 90's? The way the interior looks, it couldn't have been "that" long ago, as the mirrors are even still on the walls in the former lobby area.

posted by Bway on Jun 21, 2004 at 7:41am

This theatre was designed by and named for David Oltarsh, who held the rank of Major in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War I. The 600-seat theatre at the corner of Broadway and Canal Street opened in 1927 and was built in the belief that the opening of the Holland Tunnel nearby would bring business to the only cinema in the area. The Major proved unsuccessful and Oltarsh sold his interest, though the cinema operated under many managements after that into the 1980s...Fred Oltarsh, of course, is best remembered as the architect of the Rahway Theatre in New Jersey, which he built right after the Major and opened in October, 1928.

posted by Warren G. Harris on Aug 14, 2005 at 4:30am

A Wurlitzer organ Opus 1786 Style B was installed in the Major Theater on 11/17/1927.

posted by Lost Memory on Sep 29, 2005 at 2:59pm

Wow, this little theater actually had a Wulitzer!?

posted by Bway on Sep 29, 2005 at 5:50pm

Does anyone know around when they stopped showing movies in this little theater?

posted by Bway on Jun 5, 2006 at 6:27am

A certificate of occupancy dated August 6, 1979 shows a 600 seat theater at 277 Canal Street. That is the last c/o that I could find that shows a theater at this address. This doesn't mean that the theater was still operating in 1979, it just means that a theater was still located at this address in 1979 and it wasn't converted to retail yet.

posted by Lost Memory on Aug 21, 2007 at 10:20am

This was still operating as the Canal Cinema in the summer of 1978.

posted by AlAlvarez on Jan 28, 2008 at 1:12pm

It would be difficult to find an exact closing date for this cinema. Its final bookings were Chinese movies, which weren't advertised or promoted in the mainstream, English-language press.

posted by Warren G. Harris on Jan 28, 2008 at 1:29pm

Operating as Cinema Giglio in 1963.

posted by AlAlvarez on Mar 22, 2008 at 4:35pm

Did it go to chinese cinema after 1978?

posted by Bway on Apr 16, 2009 at 9:37am

Here's a google street view of the Major Theater. It's marquee still up:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=277+Canal+Street,+New+York,+NY+United+States&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=40.72508,-74.00146&spn=0,359.983671&z=16&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=40.719078,-74.001434&panoid=GgaLzngTfcLcda2qLwF2gg&cbp=12,15.799047593352366,,0,-6.826544021024968

posted by Bway on Apr 16, 2009 at 9:54am

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