Colony Theatre
1330 State Street,
Schenectady,
NY
12304
1330 State Street,
Schenectady,
NY
12304
1 person
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The Colony Theater was located on State Street near Elder Street. The Colony, which last operated as an adult theater, closed in the mid-1980s.
Today, the former auditorium of the Colony is used as an auto repair shop. Around 1990, after an arson fire, the former lobby area, including storefronts and apartments, was destroyed and was razed.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft, Joe Masher
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
The Colony was in the process of restoration after it closed in 1985 or 1986 as an ‘adult’ theatre. The place was about to re-open showing classic films, when an arsonist torched the lobby building, which contained 2 storefronts and several apartments. That was around 1990. The lobby building was demolished—the auditorium was spared fire damage due to fire doors and the ‘iron curtain’ booth windows. It was converted into an auto body and repair shop afterward, which it remains.
This is a 1976 ad for the Colony Art when it ran adult movies:
http://gravediggervideo.com/ads/fare7601.jpg
The Colony was screening adult films as late as 1976. Here are some ads:
http://plantweed.blogspot.com/search?q=colony
Here is a July 1968 item in the Troy Record:
Charles McBee, 48, and his wife, Mary, 48, of Latham, who operate the Colony Theater in Schenectady, pleaded innocent in Police Court in that city Wednesday to charges of disseminating indecent material to minors. Their cases were adjourned to July 31 and the couple, represented by Atty. Kenneth Hay of Utica, were freed in $200 bail each.
They are charged with allowing two girls, ages 12 and 13, to enter the theater and view a film in connection with which, in its advertisements, the theater had stated that “no one under 18 years will be admitted.”
More crime stories.