Variety Theatre
110 Third Avenue,
New York,
NY
10003
110 Third Avenue,
New York,
NY
10003
5 people
favorited this theater
Opened as the Variety Photoplays, the venue began as a nickelodeon near Manhattan’s Union Square.
During its almost 90 year history, the theater went from first run films to adult movies and finally to off-Broadway theater.
The Variety served as a location for Martin Scorcese’s “Taxi Driver” during the scene in which Robert DeNiro’s character first meets Jodi Foster’s. It is also located, coincidentally, around the corner from the setting of the film’s final scene and shootout.
In October of 2004, the Variety’s owner, 110 Third Avenue Corporation, closed the theater after operating it since 1991 and in June of 2005, the theater was torn down.
Contributed by
Ross Melnick
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Recent comments (view all 76 comments)
Here is a 1991 photo.
A vintage Library of Congress photo can be found here: View link
Warren, I can’t open this photo, is the problem at my end? I used to work in the Gramercy Park area and often took a lunchtime stroll past the Variety. It was certainly vintage. The only time I was actually inside was for an off-Broadway performance of, I think, Annie Warbucks. No real memory of the interior – not as impressive as the exterior.
Sorry. If you contact me privately, I can send you a copy of the photo as an attachment:
.com
Here’s a new link to the vintage photo, whixh was snapped when the Third Avenue El was still operating. The Variety’s marquee can be seen to the left of the supporting pillars: View link
The year given for this photo is 2004.
There was a STAR THEATRE at 136 Third Avenue in the mid thirties, early forties. Does anyone have any info on that one?
In the early 80s this theatre would alternate between XXX and bizarre regular movies (mostly horror or westerns that you never ever heard of).
I remember watching one horror flic and 45 minutes in, it suddenly turned into another movie! The producers just edited a different film onto the ending!
The place stunk of cigars and the guy who took your tickets had a giant motorcycle chain across his chest!
The oddest thing I remember was just before the movie started women would walk down the aisles saying “last chance” and old codgers would get up and go out with them through one of two exit doors on either side of the screen!
In the Madonna film Desperately Seeking Susan, there are several shots of the theater, including a interior scene of the auditorium. I don’t know if the interior was the actual theater, but from what you could see, it looked very old, with very plain walls.
I think that was the Bleecker Street in DSS.