Palestine Theater
11 Clinton Street,
New York,
NY
10002
11 Clinton Street,
New York,
NY
10002
2 people
favorited this theater
The Palestine Theatre was opened in 1926. Seating was provided for 750 in the orchestra and 469 in the balcony. It was sold at auction in February 1932. A sub-run neighborhood theater on the Lower East Side, it was part of the Brandt chain by 1943. Was probably a casualty of the introduction of TV in the early-1950’s.
The entrance, foyer and lobby was demolished in 1971. The bulk of the building backing onto 180-186 Suffolk Street remains today, converted into use as a day-care center.
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Recent comments (view all 19 comments)
The Palestine used an advertising address of Clinton Street near Houston. Here is a 1940 paper programme that would have been four pages when folded. The first image shows the title page at right. The movies were a mix of fairly recent and oldies:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/pal01.jpg
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/pal02.jpg
Cool, Warren!
This brought me back.
I could have sworn it was on Avenue B, but the facts speak louder (and clearer) than memories.
Despite its name, the Palestine was a mainstream movie house, but Yiddish films were probably shown there from time to time. The Palestine was one of four cinemas on the Lower East Side that were built around the same time in the 1920s and originally operated by Harry Blunderman and Charles Stemer. The others were the Mecca, Apollo (later leased to Loew’s), and the Ruby. I believe that all have listings at Cinema Treasures…What is the evidence for the later name of Winston? The theatre is still listed as Palestine in the 1957 Film Daily Year Book, which was the last of those annuals to carry names and addresses of New York City cinemas. It seems possible that the name was changed to distance the theatre from political and religious debate over the partitioning of the so-called “Holy Land.”
Into the 60’s the Palestine was renamed the Winston.
Perhaps in honor of Winston Churchill, who played a major role in the partition of Palestine?
The NYT had the theater in the wrong borough in this July 1951 article:
2 BANDITS ROB THEATRE; Brooklyn Telegraph Office Also Held Up by Lone Raider
Two armed men held up the manager of the Palestine Theatre, 11 Clinton Street, Brooklyn, yesterday afternoon, bound and gagged him and got $377 from the office safe.
I went to the Palestine/Winston when I grew up on the Lower East Side. They played a lot of sci-fi movies, such as ‘War of the World" w/Gene Barry & “When Worlds Collide” by George Pal. On the corner of Houston & Clinton, there was a lunchonette, where we got lime rickeys and pretzels.
I went to movies at that theater, on the west side of Clinton Street just below Houston, at least once a week in the early-mid 1960s. At that time it was known as the Winston. Admission was cheap, seventy-five cents, for two movies. As I recall, the fare was a mixture of 1950s and 1960s films, I would say A and B type films.
I remember this theater growing up on the lower east side – I lived in the projects on Columbia Street and Houston Street. My friends and I used to go there and spend the day for less than $.75 on at least 2 movies and it included the popcorn and the drink. I have fond memories of this place. later in life as a teenager I worked in a movie theater in Brooklyn NY called the Granada on Church Avenue off of Nostrand- I guess the theater was in my blood. Thanks for the memories.
Seems to me that the status of this theater should be updated to “Demolished.” It looks like the facade seen in the street view above is nothing but a brick wall, behind which there appears to be an accessory lot for one of the adjoining buildings.