Sunshine Cinema
143 E. Houston Street,
New York,
NY
10002
143 E. Houston Street,
New York,
NY
10002
40 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Charles Steiner, Landmark Theatres (USA)
Architects: Tony Pleskow, Tom Rael, Lorenz F.J. Weiher
Firms: Pleskow + Rael
Previous Names: Sunshine Theatre, Chopin Theatre
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News About This Theater
The entertainment beginnings on this Lower East Side site began in 1909 when the Houston Hippodrome opened as a venue for Yiddish vaudeville acts and films.
It was demolished around 1916 and on May 15, 1917 the 600-seat Sunshine Theatre opened on the site. It was operated by Charles Steiner & Jack Schwartz. In the late-1930’s it was renamed Chopin Theatre. The theatre closed in 1945 and had been used as a storage warehouse into the mid-1990’s.
Following a three-year, $12 million renovation project, the Sunshine Cinema reopened on December 21, 2001 and was set to do battle with the famed Angelika and Film Forum theatres which, up until recent years had been the favorite destinations of the art house set.
The Sunshine Cinema certainly filled a need in the area as there are few movie theatres in or around the Lower East Side. The façade was restored and 3 of the 5 auditoriums contain stadium seating, while all have plush seats and the latest sound and projection equipment.
The theatre was the first for Landmark Theatres in the much coveted New York indie market. The building was sold in May 2017 and Landmark decided not to renew their lease. The popular Sunshine Theatre closed January 21, 2018 with Hugh Jackman in “The Greatest Showman” and was demolished in July 2019. A nine storey office tower has been built on the site.
Contributed by
Cinema Treasures
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Recent comments (view all 105 comments)
I just had to gank and add that “Sunshine Sunset” graffiti shot from that article to the gallery.
it is gone. https://ny.curbed.com/2019/8/7/20758727/sunshine-cinema-demolished-lower-east-side-east-houston?fbclid=IwAR2vSqpCcrK83IfgtwDNS51XaGTJxDxPnMki92aOP-yEyoGtE-CHB7dxkFI
RIP Sunshine….
Sigh
PLEASE ADD SUNSHINE CINEMA OPEN DECEMBER 21, 2001
Hello-
does the demolition of this theater effect the
kinish bakery next door?
I saw The Little Hours in the last year the theater was still existing with a friend. Never realized how tiny it was. Have they demolished it yet? Such a shame about this theater. It was absolutely lovely when I went.
it was ahead of its time when it first opened and it was the first modern art house theater that gave the Angelika a run for its money not to mention the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas and Paris Theater. State of the art projection and sound before Landmark at 57th took over. Sadly the cinemas are shut due to covid 19 so people are watching more movies than ever at home.
“The Sunshine was in no competition with the Lincoln Plaza or Paris since those two venues are in totally different parts of the city than the Sunshine.”
Really? Maybe for you. If a picture opened on more than one screen, my friends and I chose the best theater, most comfortable, best screen and sound and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas usually wasn’t it, even though I lived across the street from it for years.
“The last line is unnecessary. Yes, theatres are closed due to the Covid-19. We get it.”
Yeah, we get it today, but someone reading this thread in two years will get it too.
1929 photo added to gallery. Also mid `80s NYC tax photo in below link.
https://www-archives-nyc.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.archives.nyc/blog/2019/5/3/the-1980s-tax-photographs?amp_js_v=a6&_gsa=1&format=amp&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D&fbclid=IwAR10JttvJ2O8kqTEXuAcxgqXmpXgciXEKs3i-7ZUdaIKUpv13sRkr9YLuws#aoh=16059181891784&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.archives.nyc%2Fblog%2F2019%2F5%2F3%2Fthe-1980s-tax-photographs