Mecca Theatre
227-241 Avenue A,
New York,
NY
10009
227-241 Avenue A,
New York,
NY
10009
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William Gabel
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Purchased by MetLife, for the aforementioned building of Stuyvesant Town, in 1943, the theatre’s address was 227-241 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009 (?).
Since the address, and indeed, the section of Avenue A upon which it rested, no longer exists, it will not map properly and I can’t be certain of the zip code.
Mecca Theatre on Ave. A Sold for $170,000; Site Included in East Side Housing Project
NY Times April 23, 1943
The Mecca Theatre and the adjoining stores occupying the west side of Avenue A from Fourteenth to Fifteenth Street, have been acquired by the Acropolis Holding Corporation, a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, as part of the site for the big post-war housing project which the insurance company will erect on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
There was a small movie theater at 235 Avenue A as early as 1908. According to the Trow’s Business Directory, it was run by one I. Decristofore in 1908 and one Joseph Totora in 1909 (probably Italian nickelodeon operators). The Graves' Motion Picture Theater Directory of 1918 lists the house under the name Fingers (?) Theater.
Like many independent theater owners, Charles Steiner lost control over most of ‘his’ theaters in the mid 1930s as a result of the Depression and unfair competition from Hollywood-owned theaters.
In 1922, the theater at 235 Avenue A was known as the East Side Beauty Theater.
The American Motion Picture Directory;1914-1915 edition lists a Royal Theatre at 235 Avenue A.
Perhaps ladies could get a free permanent wave and facial while attending the East Side Beauty Theatre.
There are two Mecca Theaters for New York City on the theater organ list. A Moller theater organ opus 1361 size 2/13 was installed in the 14th Street (Mecca) Theater in 1912. Note: $4,00.00; With 65-note roll player; see opus 4629; Moved in 1918 to Prospector Theatre Brooklyn, New York.
The “other” Mecca Theater had a Moller theater organ opus 4629 size 3/14 installed in 1926. Note: $10000.00; Opened as 14th Street Theatre; see opus 1361.
Was the Mecca Theater also known as the 14th Street Theater or did the Mecca replace the 14th Street Theater?
There was a New 14th Street Theater located at 235-237 E 14th Street. It was built in 1915 and operated by the SWS chain, which also ran the Sunshine Theater and the American Movies Theater.
The New 14th Street Theater is listed here as the Metropolitan Theater. The 14th Street Theater on the theater organ list is even older. The information on the organ list seems to imply that the Mecca and 14th Street Theater are one in the same theater.
A silent era theater list which can be seen here, lists both a 14th Street Theater and a New 14th Street Theater. Another mystery to be solved.
The Mecca Theatre & Building proved a flop from the start, and was sold at public auction in 1928 for $286,000, according to reportage in The New York Times. In addition to the 2,000-seat auditorium, the building had 16 stores, plus a pool hall and offices on the second floor. The property occupied the entire block front on the west side of Avenue A between 14th and 15th Streets. The frontage was 206.6 feet on Avenue A and 94 feet on each side street. The Mecca Theatre was dark for long periods, and was then used as an indoor tennis court and finally a furniture warehouse before demolition in 1945 for the building of Stuyvesant Town.