Silver Star Playhouse
223 Park Row,
New York,
NY
10038
223 Park Row,
New York,
NY
10038
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Yes, Bway. The one behind it is the Venice.
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Here’s a great photo of the Park Row theater in it’s early days. There’s another theater a few buildings now, but can’t make out the name of it. Anyone know?
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The Film Daily Yearbooks list this as the Park Row in 1945 and the Silver Star in 1946.
Here is a link to the photo featured in “By the El”
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The 1995 hardcover “By the El: The Third Avenue El at Mid-Century” Stelter book referenced by J.F. Lundy was out-of-print (and out-of-price range!) until recently. A softcover second edition, complete with modern updates, has been published and is available for a modest $19.95. The theater shots alone from this book were worth every penny. I was able to secure a copy last December at the NYC Transit Museum Annex store in Grand Central Station. Hopefully, some CTer with access to the book and a scanner can post a pic of the Silver Star atop this page.
[As an aside, should I mention the new Chinese Christmas film sequel to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon?” is called “Crouching Reindeer, Hidden Log?]
Ouch…
The Silver Star was located a very short distance from the Venice Theater on the smae side of the street. The Venice showed late run double features and at the end also showed Chinese movies. A color photo showing both is in the book “By the El” by Lawerence Stelter.
The Silver Star Theatre, as it was also known at some point in the 1940s, specialized in Chinese films. The theater name and marquee were written entirely in Chinese characters, translated this week by a lady friend of mine. (Thank you, Linlin!)
It is not listed in my 1944 redbook edition of the “Complete Street Guide to Manhattan and the Bronx,” but for whatever reason, many other prominent NYC theaters were omitted. The Park Row address above agrees with its proximity to Chinatown: Pell, Mott and Doyers Streets are all within rock-throwing distance. Silver Star was accessible by two elevated lines which shared trackage in lower Manhattan from South Ferry to Chatham Square, the station closest to the theater – the 2nd Ave. El (until 1942) and the Third Ave. El (until it, too, ceased NYC operations May 12, 1955).
A brief shot of the Silver Star Theatre – in color – is available on Mark1Video’s VHS tape, “New York Els Vol. 1.” (It also has one of the Variety Photoplay Show Theatre on 3rd Ave. & 14th St.) I plan to obtain the DVD version in the near future and hopefully can transfer a pic of each to their respective CT pages. Stay tuned…
The Rome Theatre is listed in Film Daily Yearbook’s;1926 and 1927 editions with a seating capacity of 400. In the 1930 edition of F.D.Y. a seating capacity of 366.
By the 1941 edition of F.D.Y. it is listed as the 366 seat capacity Park Row Theatre (same in 1943)
In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. it is listed as the Silver Star Playhouse with 365 seats. Not listed by 1957.