Olympia Cinemas

Here is an excerpt from an 8/10/23 article in the NYT:

1 DEAD, 1 WOUNDED IN THEATRE HOLD-UP; Unidentified Man Slain, Manager of Broadway Film House Shot

J. Alton Bradbury, 45 years old, proprietor of the Olympia Theatre on Broadway, between 106th and 107th Streets, was wounded seriously and an unidentified man was shot to death at 10:15 o'clock last night when two hold-up men attempted a raid upon Bradbury’s office in the theatre building, where he had counted the night’s receipts.

Here is a photo from 1986.

Growing up across the street from the Olympia I was privy to its many reincarnations. I recall in the mid 60’s it became the venue for the Spanish speaking community by showing Latin American films. In the 70’s it became controversial (at the time) for showing films like “The Devil in Miss Jones”. I remember the media blitz that descended on our normally unassuming neighborhood when it first showed. The Olympia had a very small background role in the movie “Harry and Tonto” starring Art Carney. It wasn’t Mr. Carney’s last movie to be shot on locale. If I recall correctly, it was the first movie house to break the $10 admission barrier. Now in its place stands a high rise luxury apartment building. Just like so many other icons of our youth, gone, but never forgotten.

A rare theater to have been multiplexed and then to have had the number of screens REDUCED from four to two!

Here is an ad for the 1964 re-opening as a Spanish language house.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=x7pbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WFINAAAAIBAJ&pg=3565%2C72604