Kenmore Theatre
2101 Church Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
2101 Church Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
6 people
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I used to go to the RKO Kenmore as a child in the 70’s and 80’s. If I had Tens of millions of Dollars to spare I’d buy Modells out and rebuild the theater as a community landmark project. It’s sad it closed down the way it did but it’s even more sad what replaced it.
This nighttime photograph of the Kenmore Theatre was taken in 1931 by George Mann of the comedy dance team, Barto and Mann.
I happened to walk by the Kenmore site a couple of weeks ago. The temperature was soaring and I missed walking past a theater lobby and getting a blast of cold air. What a pity that the Flatbush movie palaces are all shuttered, although there is slim hope for the Loews Kings. The urban turmoil of the ‘70’s was a major contributor to the demise of these theaters and although it is easy to blame population shifts and major crime, we also have to consider the lack of product. Apart from the occasional Star Wars / Lady Sings the Blues / French Connection / James Bond movies, Hollywood (and the breakdown of the studio system) could not come up with enough product to consistently sustain these venues. The blax-sploitation flicks and the kung fu movies were sure to attract the very element that would want to act-out the violence and the mayhem represented on screen. With the increased availability and affordability of air conditioning and color TV, why go out. All in all, I could have dashed into Models for a quick respite from the blistering heat.
Does any ornamentation of the theater remain inside? I would like to visit the Models store to see the inside, but won’t bother if there’s nothing worth seeing inside.
2010 photo of the former Kenmore Theatre.
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I was thinking about my above comment about never seeing anything very good or memorable at the Kenmore and I vaguely remembered seeing “From Russia With Love” there. Since this is one of my 5 favorite Bonds, I take back my previous statement.
I did read the previous statements about the eventual fate of the Kenmore and what it deteriorated into and it saddened me. It is so depressing what happens to these beautiful theaters when the ethnic makeup of the area changes. I grew up in East New York and I never really saw my local theaters, the Biltmore and the Kinema, go down the drain since my friends and I had already graduated into going to see movies at “Showcase” theaters in Downtown Brooklyn, Flatbush Avenue and Manhattan. And I stopped going to beautiful theaters like the Loews Kings, RKO Albee and Loews Metropolitan when the areas started changing and getting more dangerous. However I remember being Downtown Brooklyn for some reason in the 1970s and seeing the Albee reduced to showing 2 Kung-fu films. They did not even have a 1 sheet poster for these films so a little ad from the newspaper was cut out and put under the glass where the poster should have been. Utterly pathetic. The picture of the Loews Pitkin from 1970 showing this glorious, mini-Radio City showing 2 low-grade Japanese horror films was sad also.
But even sadder were the stories of murders, metal-detectors, bullet holes and barbed wire at the Kenmore. I have the utmost contempt for the naive, pathetic jerks who actually defend and rationalize this barbaric behavior. And I have little pity on those in the area who allow this type of behavior to take place and then cry and whine to the media about not having anyplace to see a movie when the theater finally gives up and just shuts down. Too damn bad for you.
I went to the Flatbush Avenue theaters a lot during the 1960s and early ‘70s. And while I can remember seeing very good movies at the other theaters, I cannot remember seeing one very good movie at the Kenmore. I can remember seeing a mediocre western “Custer of the West” and a disappointing Robert Mitchum war film “Anzio” there. I just can’t remember seeing one great movie there. Isn’t that strange? I did go with my friends to the premiere of “The Lords of Flatbush” that was held at this theater. I remember that despite living in Brooklyn all my life I still could not understand one word Sylvester Stallone said. If you would have told me at that time that this guy would one day be the highest-paid star in the world, I would not have believed it. The Kenmore was a nice theater, I just don’t have any particularly good memories of the films I saw there.
What’s the latest on this building? Is it gutted?
This is a 1976 photo.
Here’s a January 1947 view with two WB releases on the marquee: View link 341
In this classic ad from November 1933, a legendary star appears to be fondling at least one of her precious assets:View link
On Friday January 26, 1962, the Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly-Joe DeRita) embarked on a three day promotional tour for their latest feature film, THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES. They were accompanied by “The Herculean Giant” (almost 8 foot tall Dave Ballard) and popular DJ Clay Cole, who was one of the stars of the co-feature, TWIST AROUND THE CLOCK.
On Sunday January 28, they appeared at the RKO Kenmore at 4:05 PM.
Warren – could you ever re-post those old pics of the Pogany murals from the Kenmore? The link no longer works and I’m trying to research another mural he did at the back of the lobby of the Eldorado apartment building at 300 Central Park West. Would love to see the Kenmore murals to compare. Thanks so much! And reading these comments has been really interesting and made me wish I could’ve seen the theater.
The Wurlitzer organ from the Kenmore Theater is for sale. More information and a photo can be found here.
Here are new links to ultra-rare images in my scrapbook:
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One of the major problems in recruiting theatre managers has always been that the work is mostly nights and weekends, including holidays. Many people are unwilling to give up their social lives, especially if the salaries are just equal to or less than “normal” day jobs.
In 1988 we had a twwenty year old manager at the KENNMORE he was paid 780.00 a week …That was pret good for 88
I worked on the Loews side when Cineplex was absorbed and we were amazed at how poorly the theatre managers and assistant managers were paid compared to their counterparts at Loews, at least here in the New York market. The merit raise formula had to be re-worked for those managers to bring them in line with wages at Loews. The service staff was certainly not paid any more than the Loews staff and didn’t have the benefits or the incentives that the Loews staff did until they came on board after the merger. To say that they were the highest paid in the country couldn’t be true, at least not in my experience.
The Kenmore Theatre! I went to the Kenmore to see “King Kong” in 1976. My brother and I sat in the balcony. The place was huge and the lobby was beautiful, this was just before the theatre was chopped into a multi-plex cinema. In 1980 I went to a few movies there with my sister and friends and the cinemas were so small and the picture and sound was so limited. Memories… :–)
I never saw the problems you mention Al.These must have come later.
The staff was the highest paid in the country for theaters as were the managers.Two times while i was dm the unions lost the vote to unionize staff.We had very good employee relations.At the time we also had the best theaters in the country and should have charged as such.
Corrupt unions that was not Cineplex Odeons fault.
The one mistake Cineplex had was paying to much as it got theater budgets in hot water.
More about that Mighty WurliTzer Theater Pipe Organ, Opus 1908, a 3 Manual/15 Rank shipped to this theater on July 17, 1928. It next went to Babylon New York. The organ then went to a residence in Erie Pennsylvania. Another Wurlitzer Opus 1961, a 3/11 had been shipped to the Wellmont Theater, Montclair New Jersey on September 29, 1928. It also went to the Erie residence. They both arrived in Erie in 1961 an were “OK”. If you know anything about these organs, please email us!
“Gee Dad, it "WAS” a WurliTzer/WurliTzer!"
The first clause of the opening sentence of the introduction needs to be corrected. The original name was Keith-Albee Kenmore, not “Keith’s Theater.” Here’s an ad to prove that: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/kenopener.jpg
The RKO Kenmore can be seen in this circa 1956 photo.
The locally filmed “The Lords of Flatbush” had its world premiere at the RKO Kenmore in May, 1974. A report, as well as a photo of the marquee, can be found in the May 5th, 1974 issue of The New York Times.
District Managers and upper management were certainly better paid than the competition but hourly staff was minumum wage and theatres managers were poorly paid and often disrespected. The union options were outrageously corrupt offers and rightfully rejected by everyone as pensions were being blatantly stolen by the union chiefs. (some were eventually arrested, then reinstated)
The projection union was a series of no shows and the stagehand unions were dead overhead as most employees were too old to find the stage, much less change a light bulb.
The concessions workers unions disappeared after collecting dues and never represented anyone.
Even in the leaner years, Cineplex bonuses were paid only to upper level executives (those mainly responsible for the losses) and lower level employees got screwed out of all raises and bonuses. The rotten apples were mostly Americans based in Toronto.
Longislandmovies, you were not there during the butter topping media scandals. There is a book in that alone about how a company can abuse their customers and employees and get away with it in NY.
Cineplex Odeon was a nightmare employer and a price gauging enterprise that made customers pay for bad leases, corrupt unions, and poor employee relations.
Cineplex was indeed odious, but not for Cinema Treasures purposes.
CINEPLEX ODEON WAS A BEACON OF CINEMA PRESERVATION WHO KEPT CINEMAS GOING LONG PAST THEIR DUE DATES AND AGAINST ALL ODDS. LET’S GIVE CREDIT WHERE IT IS EARNED.