Kingsway Theatre
946 Kings Highway,
Brooklyn,
NY
11223
946 Kings Highway,
Brooklyn,
NY
11223
15 people
favorited this theater
Opened on April 27, 1921, the one time RKO Kingsway Theatre last operated as a five screen movie house. Since closing in early-2001, it has been transformed into retail space.
Contributed by
Phil Goldberg, William Gabel
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Recent comments (view all 110 comments)
The Kingsway Theater at 946 Kings Highway was listed as a B.F. Keith’s Theater in the 1924 Brooklyn Eagle Almanac.
The year given for these photos of the RKO Century, which should be an aka name is 1986.
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The Kingsway also had a smaller marquee on another side of the building. RKO Century was just the name of the operating company. The theatre was now known as the RKO Century Kingsway as the result of a corporate merger:
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I never thought this theater would go out of business, because the area is still stable. It is unbelievable how few theaters remain in Brooklyn. I remember this theater always being crowded with lines, unlike the Avalon theater (long gone) which was only around 5 or 6 blocks away on Kings Highway and never drew well. My fondest memory of the Kingsway was seeing “How the West Was Won” there, one of my favorite films, when it left Broadway and made it to the outer borough “showcase” theaters in 1963 or ‘64. My father attempted to take us to see “Thnderball” there in 1965 but we could not get in. (We saw it a the Rialto on Flatbush Avnue instead.) I never liked this theater much after they divided it into 5 theaters. The last thing I can remember seeing there was “Robocop” in 1987. As stated, I was very surprised that this theater went out since I always remember it doing very well.
Very nice looking theatre from the outside.
I agree with Gary C. above, I can’t believe that the Kingsway didn’t survive. The neighborhood, from what I hear, is still fine, so what’s the issue? Don’t people go to the movies anymore? I’ve read all the comments about the Kingsway being twinned, but the date of that happening varies with people’s memories. I’m sure it was NOT a twin when I saw “The Rose” there in 1979.
The Kingsway definitely was a twin in 1979. I remember one time when I went to see a movie there in the upstairs theater. After the movie ended, us the audience filed out of the theater and as we went downstairs to the exits, a couple of guys (I think they were teenagers, I’m not sure. They could have been in their early 20s. I was 10 years old in 1979) emerged from our crowd on the stairs and immediately ducked into the theater that was playing Kramer vs. Kramer, a 1979 movie. For the life of me, I do not recall the movie I saw upstairs, but because Kramer vs Kramer was a drama about adults and divorce, I wasnt interested in seeing that movie (my own parents were divorced, but that wasnt the reason why I didnt want to see it). I didnt watch Kramer vs Kramer until many years later on tv.
I recall that they used to show some of big boxing matches (ali vs frazier)on closed circuit tv. they used to charge $30 a head which was an insane price back then and still sell out the place.
Does anybody happen any of the Kingway from the 90’s or right before it closed? The comic shop I frequented for the early part of my childhood was attached to the Kingsway until around 1996 when it moved down the block.
I worked for Cineplex Odeon for a few years. Correct me if I’m wrong but I remember the Kingsway had an auditorium that had it’s own separate entrance around the corner from the main lobby. Always thought that was odd. I’m sure the separate entrance was do to an engineering obstacle when the Kingsway was multiplexed.