Elmwood Theatre
57-02 Hoffman Drive,
Elmhurst,
NY
11373
57-02 Hoffman Drive,
Elmhurst,
NY
11373
22 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 241 comments found
And the grand prize was usually a cool bike. Sorry you didn’t win Fred, but it must have been fun to be on.
I ment iconic The snake cans game is therere a row of cans ,one with a bouquet of flow to denote the winne the rest have snake that pops up when the can is open. withethe flowers you win the grand prize
What does “virconic” mean? I’ve never encountered it before. I may also be too old to know what the “snake cans game” is. Can anyone explain?
It looks like it was a twin at the time that photo was taken.
I remember that Wonderama The vIrconic children program on WNEW in the 70-80’s did a road show at this theater.I took part in the snake cans game which I lost.
Here’s a 1980s tax photo of the entire building from the Municipal Archives: lunaimaging
Sixty-three years ago today, Interboro’s Elmwood advanced to first-run status for neighborhoods including Elmhurst, Maspeth, Rego Park, Jackson Heights, Forest Hills, and Kew Gardens. Bookings were simultaneous with the third tier of Loew’s theatres in Queens: the Hillside, Prospect, Plaza, Willard, and Woodside. Though the Elmwood would now get its movies about three weeks earlier than as a sub-run, it would be limited to the product “split” between the dominant Loew’s and RKO circuits. Loew’s got all MGM and Paramount releases, most Columbia and UA, and half Universal. The opening first-run program at the Elmwood was Paramount’s “The Accused,” with Loretta Young and Robert Cummings, and Universal’s Sonja Henie musical, “Countess of Monte Cristo.” This change came just in the nick of time for the Elmwood. It had been doing discouraging business since opening in 1946, and probably would have closed in the wake of the “home TV revolution,” which had yet to reach full force.
The previous names are listed on the side.
The new “style” of CT removed the original name of Queensboro Theatre, used from 1928 until 1946 re-naming as the Elmwood. Site-wise, are previous names no longer listed in smaller type above the latest?
Thanks Tinseltoes.
Two photos of the renovated exterior can be seen about midpoint in this article about a recent walking tour of the Newtown/Elmhurst area:
View link
I second the well-phrased comments of Bway & Life’s Too Shaort. It was a shame how the Rock Church told the media the facade is being restored, and then went behind the public’s back and covered over and removed priceless ornate terra cotta detailing. The theater was “stuccotized.”
Correct. And no one is upset the church is in there….I think it’s great, and it’s great the building has great use. But that is irrelevant to a discussion on what they did to the exterior of a beautiful old historic building. The building now looks like any other nondescript, “cheap” looking modern building that has a crappy faux stucco exterior. It may as well been built in “2005” as it’s no different than any other crappy construction new building put up. It lost it’s historical beauty.
I’m with Bway on this one. Not sure where you come from pvgriswold. But everyone is entitled to voice their opinion. It is nice that the building is in use. But if you don’t want to hear complaints about terra cotta destruction I suggest that it might be better for you not to visit historic preservation web sites. Everyone here likely judges this work as butchery, and I don’t think any amount of talk regarding community builiding or the Good Lord is going to change that.
And they could have had the same “flowering art and positive energy to creativity” within the building without destroying the historic terra cotta exterior as they did. While I am glad the church is in the building, and that it’s still set up like a theater, what we have now instead of a historic beautiful terra ctta building it’s a typical nondescript faux exterior.
I’ve been reading comments loaded with complaints regarding the fading beauty of the Elmwood. I took a look at the following recent dance recital View link
and can only marvel at the positive energy and commitment to creativity of teens in the video. This is exactly what a theater/church space should be used for. The whining over the physical demise of the structure runs on endlessly, but while the whiners drone on, it seems there is beautiful flowering of community and art within the building.
PG
Two more photos from 1982
Photo1
Photo2
Here is a 1982 photo.
Here’s a dance video shot on the premises in 2008, with background glimpses of the auditorium and rehearsal rooms: http://www.youtube.com/user/worldclassdancers
Has anyone been inside the “church” to see what the interior of the theater looks like now?
I noticed the same thing. I drove by the Elmwood about 3 weeks ago. The loss of the terra cotta is a travesty, but at least the building does remain, I guess it could have been worse.
While driving by the other day, I noticed that the front entrance on Hoffman Drive has finally been re-opened, though work continues on the re-designing of what remains of the marquee.
I still can’t believe all that beautiful terra cotta work is gone. Native’s comparison to the many McMansions that are going up all over Queens is spot on. I guess at this point we just have to accept the fact that this is the direction the church chose to go with the exterior – ill advised and regrettable as that choice may have been – and remain thankful that they are attempting to restore the interior to something resembling its original splendor. This entire structure could have been quite easily sold and gutted – or even demolished for re-development.
Here are two ultra-rare images from a brochure published in 1928 by Wirth and Hamid, the company that built and first operated the Queensboro. W&H was best known at the time for its extensive interests in Altantic City, including the Steel Pier. The turret at the right side of the stage survives. A similar turret at the left side of the stage was destroyed in the multiplexing of the Elmwood Theatre, but efforts are being made to replace it in the ongoing renovations by the Rock Church:
View link
View link
This is still very much a renovation-in-progress. Here’s an exterior photo taken yesterday (5/11/08): View link