RKO Hamilton Theatre
3560 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10031
3560 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10031
8 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 105 comments found
Here’s a 1980s tax photo from the Municipal Archives: lunaimaging
so is this theatre landmark protected? who actually owns it today? I’m interested to know if that’s the reason why there are stores all around the ground level but there is such a massive un-used (and potentially valuable) space just behind it just decaying. i guess it just costs too much money to re-habilitate the space and the owners are just happy to rent the ground floor commercial space.
Wow, great spread of photos and article!
I recently photographed the Hamilton. Check out the post at After the Final Curtain
We’re working to make pasted links automatically turn into hot links. New site, new software. Thanks for your patience while we work on this.
Very cool! Thanks!
On this day only in 1948, the RKO Hamilton and the RKO Regent in Harlem shared eye-bulging comedian Mantan Moreland as headliner of the vaudeville bill added to that night’s film program. After performing at the Hamilton, Moreland was whisked by taxi to the Regent. He could also be seen on screen that night at both theatres as chauffeur Birmingham Brown in Monogram’s “The Chinese Ring,” his first “Charlie Chan” mystery with Roland Winters as replacement for the deceased Sidney Toler. Co-feature was “Smart Politics,” with Gene Krupa and His Orchestra and Freddie Stewart & The Teen Agers.
Thank you KenRoe. And thank you Kevin for posting. The last shot is incredibly tragic. That graffiti was not there on the boxes when I was there. However, the fact that there is not even more “artwork” makes me think that whatever entry way used by the “artists” (I am being invredibly nice) has been sealed. Frustrating though, that this sort of thing happened and that the perpetuators do not realize what it is they are defacing.
I thought there was nothing left of the interior of the Claremont. This is very exciting news. I grew up in a building designed by the architect of the Claremont.
I tried to cut and paste the address above but it took me to a Wikipedia page. I would love to see your recent pictures.
I wonder how many old, abandoned theatres there are still left in New York. I mean there is this one, plus Loews Kings, Loews Canal, I think a couple of old RKOs….would be interesting to know how many are left.
I forgot to ask, were was this new graffiti? Was it the theater? There was some up in the dressing rooms but that is all I remember.
Dear Mr. Bradon,
I was fortunate enough to have spent a good deal of time in the Hamilton back in 2006. It sounds to me like the space is in the same condition now as I saw it back then. I am glad that you saw beauty that this space still possesses, even in it’s current condition. I remember feeling like I had just smoked 2 packs of cigarettes when I finally did leave.
I have noticed over the years, looking at blueprints of other theaters of the same vintage, that corners were cut to save money in areas that were not open to the theatergoer. No risers on stairs to save money or steeper staircases to save save space for example. The projection booth was not original to the theater and was added later, hence the awkward access ladders.
I hope that you took pictures of your adventure and that the property manager remembered how to turn on the lights (he did not remember how to in 2006).
I spent about four hours inside the theater on 4/9/11.I will add to this blogging site.It now is sporting fresh grafitti inside as well as outside on the fire escape area wall.The lead paint and asbestos haven(no one is interested in acquiring this property for this reason). Noticed some wonderfull unsafe features like the front of the balcony is olny about 1 foot high and there was never a railing there for safety.The stairs to the dressing room are small and steep.The projection booth can olny be entered via a metal ladder there is one on each side of the booth.There are pidgens living in it compleat with nest and eggs.They enter through a open window.Some of the theater seats have ashtrays on the rear near the top how cool!As previous bloggs tell any thing of value grew legs and walked out,brass railings,exit signs gone along with all of the toilets and urinals.The original audio amplifer is in the projection booth it is built into the room on I beams and some electrical meters and dimmers are still intact inside.The switching board for the stage lights is still behind the stage.Some interesting features were included in the theater.There are two large double doors behind the stage one on each side suitable for driving through and exiting the rich and famous.On each side there are 3 booths (no safety rails here either).They each have there own stairs and coat closets,suitable for the upper class to remain exclusive.The rear area has 3 doors in a row and there looks to be a ticket area and a coat room for common people.This makes 3 enterance areas for the theater.This theater after 98 years is still tremendous and one of the most awe inspireing adventures I have taken.It still has the energy it is famous for.Kevin Bradon.
Does anyone know what happened to the mural above the proscenium?
View link
with the 2000 NYCLPC Landmark Designation Report
Kevin, for other buildings, How do you determine the film number? Is it arranged by section and lot? Did youview both the 1930’s verion, and the 1980’s version?
For those in need who go to 31 Chambers Street to veiw the Hamilton RKO shot.This will save some time, its on film #E-1388 section 2078 lot#1.One grainy shot taken from the midway in front of the now C-Town market.Showing retail stores on the first floor.Also on the same film is a good shot of the Bunny theater at 3589 Broadway,with billboards above the building selling beer and cars.I an seeking any information as to what the front Broadway building of the Hamilton was used for there are odd looking lighting fixtures on the third floor remaining.I am a 13 year area resident of the
The mechanics of most theatres are identical as is building and fire code.
Gravity is not just a good idea, it’s the law.
Bwaynightowl….I remember a similar opening being made in the fire curtain of the RKO keiths in Richmond Hill. They cut a doorway into the old curtain there, currently used as a bingo/flea market.
Two exterior photos as church can be found here: View link
On 12/24/06, Life’s Too Short asked why the fire curtain had an opening in it instead of being raised.
View link
Without actually seeing it, my experience tells me it was probably brought in and tied off as a security measure. Most theatres still have fire curtains although they probably aren’t asbestos. Unlike the Empire Theatre on 42nd St that had an image of the Half Moon sailing up the Hudson (I helped to strike it), this fire curtain isn’t decorated or particularly interesting. Fire curtains are by nature very heavy and are counterweighted. The pipe ends travel in “smoke pocketsâ€, L-shaped angle iron that prevent the curtain from billowing upstage in the event of a fire in the flys.
I presume that what happened here was that the last one out of the stagehouse either removed weights from the arbor before bringing in the curtain which would leave the pipe greatly out of weight and almost impossible to raise. Or the curtain was flown in and the arbor chained off at the top. Either way, it would leave access to the stage limited the house fire doors left and right which could be locked. Without the means to raise the curtain, the only option would be to slice into the curtain and cut the bottom batten or pipe.
Do they still use the old auditorium for a warehouse, or is the whole auditorium now used for retail? What remains?
Here’s a street view from google of the Hamilton:
View link
Is this theater still used as a warehouse, or do they now use the whole auditorium for retail?
Here is a google street view of the Hamilton:
View link
Welcome Kalimba! Sorry I’ve gotten to reading your post so late, I hope you’re still around. I’d REALLY like to hear your re-collections of the old Hamilton Heights as I’ve lived here all of my life, all 22 years that is. I’ve always been curious to hear or see how it was like……the population/race of the neighborhood, the crime, the safety, the quality of life, the businesses, the subway….do you have an e-mail?
Dear Life’s Too Short,
That is indeed sunlight streaming through the open exit doors, I know because I took that picture. When I was fortuanate enough to visit the theatre the property manager, who knew nothing about the property, could not figure out how to turn the lights on so he opened the fire doors on the south side of the auditorium.
The collection of original pictures, that I took, can be found in the many links I put up above or in a better link that Ed Solero generously put up for us (and made viewing the original pictures that I took easier to view). If there is any problem I will gladly repost the pictures that I took as I wanted to share them with other CT members.
I am sorry that some of the pictures are dark but as I said there was no light in the theatre when I took the pictures. I posted them believeing that this is how I saw it and it was a “better than not having them at all†situation
Gary Dennis
Movie Place NYC