Regent Theatre
41 E. Third Street,
Dunkirk,
NY
14048
41 E. Third Street,
Dunkirk,
NY
14048
3 people
favorited this theater
Originally opened in late-1910 as the Drohen Theatre in was closed on June 22, 1920. Reopened as the Regent Theatre on March 21, 1921 it was closed in October 1929 after a devastating fire.
The Regent Theatre was eventually re-built in its current form, reopening Thanksgiving 1942. It closed in 1992.
Contributed by
Paul Somerfeldt
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Recent comments (view all 73 comments)
I was speaking with some olks around Dunkirk lately. It seems that the new owner of the regent is the guy who owns Payne’s kettle & Keg and Walleye Willies, amoung other things. He was lamenting to a hardware store owner about how much it is going to cost him for the concrete to level off the loor of the Regent. Not to make it better to put new seats in, but to eliminate the slant in the auditorium. He has no intention of reopening the theatre, but to do something else, likely turn it into apartments. If i get the chance to introduce myself to him, i will try to get inside the Regent prior to the pour to get pictures. But it is up to him, and my schedule. (I won’t be back in Dunkirk until Thankgiving.)
To anticipate your question Patsy, Kettle is on Lake Shore Drive, East, just east of Middle Road, just before the closed Coastal gas station. They have good, but huge, fish n their friday fish fry. On Fridays only, they open at 11 am, $6 fry until 4 pm, then it costs $7 or $8 until midnight.
Paul: You anticipated my question though I was hoping to read that this guy was going to reopen the Regent and not pour any cement for other plans. I hope you get in before he makes those changes! The nearby Catholic church must have sold it as they were using the building for storage when I stopped at the church. I was hoping to see the interior then, but nobody offered.
Paul: Can you tell me anymore about the theatre clock that is STILL IN DUNKIRK? Would love to see it!
Nope. I have no idea what happened to the clock. Didn’t one of the guys who used to work there say something about it a while back? I was wotking in Ithaca when the Regent closed down, lamenting the loss of the Strand, a theater I never was able to see the inside of. Which, as of 2 weeks ago, I personally verified, was still a parking lot. (I like the news stand in the neighborhood. I also liked the bookstore around the corner, but I guess I was keeping them in business, as they are now gone, too. I left Ithaca 10 years ago.)
Right now Payne is busy modifying Walleye Willies, but I don’t know how long that wil take.
Paul: Sorry to read that you “have no idea what happened to the clock”. If you ever hear, let me know. Thanks!
In my defence, I never worked there, I just saw movies there. And I was living in Ithaca, and seeing movies at the State Theatre there, when the Regent (and the Cine) closed.
There is a new book on Dunkirk (written by a teacher I used to have), and they have a picture of the old Drohen (Dronen?) Theater and ever so briefly mention the theaters.
This was the Regent in 1982.
June 8 1951 has “HALF ANGEL” playing.Evening admission is 55 cents for Adults; Kids 16 cents always.
Does anyone know who owns the Regent now? or if there are any plans for it?
The last I heard it is owned by the guy who own Kettle & Keg and Walleye Willies, both Lake Shore Drive, East in Dunkirk. I saw someone working on the place last summer with a dumpster out front for a day.
Paul