NY Times Aug 7, 1942

“3 BEACH THEATRES BOUGHT IN QUEENS; Perial Corporation Acquires Film Houses Assessed at Total of $100,000

Three theatres in Rockaway Beach, Queens, have been sold to the Perial Amusement Corporation by Da-Gel Enterprises, Inc.
They are the Edgemere theatre at Beach Thirty-third St with an assessed valuation of $42,000, land and improvements, sold subject to a mortgage of $25,880; the New theatre in Rockaway Beach Boulevard with an assessed valuation of $28,000 land and improvements, sold subject to three mortgages aggregating $42,000, and the Rivoli theatre in Rockaway Beach Boulevard with an assessed valuation of $30,000 land and improvements, sold subject to a mortgage of $17,246. A purchase money mortgage of $17,000 affecting all three parcels was also executed. Titles were insured by the City Title Insurance Company".

I don’t see the Edgemere theater listed on CT. Would someone like to add it if it isn’t already here?

This is an englargement of the tiny photo displayed at the Queens Chronicle website. By the time of this undated view, the Rivoli was apparently closed, since the marquee says “Visit the New…2 Big Hits.” Note the row of Roman colums above the Rivoli’s entrance. I suspect that an airdome operated there in fair weather. The article says that the Rivoli first opened around 1915, and had 557 seats. The writer also quotes the 8/7/42 NYT story about the about the sale of the three Rockaway Beach theatres, and adds “By the end of the war, however, it became apparent that the new owners were no longer interested in the movie business and the Rivoli was closed. The property remained empty for many years and in 1964, was coverted into the Rockaway Beach post office. The place is unique in Queens County history as the only movie theater that ever became a U.S. Post Office”:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/rivoli616.jpg

Nostalgic coverage in the current issue of Queens Chronicle can be seen here: View link