Forest Hills Theatre
107-16 Continental Avenue,
Forest Hills,
NY
11375
107-16 Continental Avenue,
Forest Hills,
NY
11375
7 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 76 comments found
Thanks for posting, kurt. I remember seeing Radio Days here during your time as manager. A few years earlier, I did see a more conventional (and sort of goofy) fantasy/adventure flick here called The Beastmaster. Last movie I caught here was Trainspotting, upstairs in the summer of 1996. I miss this theater. Enjoyed watching films in both auditoriums, but really liked the raked seating of the balcony room.
I was the manager of the Forest Hills Twin for 25 months, from January 1986 to February 1988. The theatre was very different from the others I had worked. This theatre was not booked with the action shoot ‘em and blow everything up type movies that the Astoria, Midway and Quartet theatres showed. I was grateful that my audience did not includ those that were threats to society. The majority of the movies we offered catered to a much different and sophisticated clientele. Of course the downside was that this type of crowd didn’t buy much at the concession stand, which is where I was supposed to earn a commission. There were many months where we had the lowest sales per capita in the division. After a while I became accustomed to having popcorn for dinner and appreciated an atmosphere of calm, quiet and safety.
The street level auditorium sat close to 500 people, the upstairs held about 285. However our lobby was so small we had to form our ticket holder’s line outside of the theatre. At times it would curl around the corner of Queens Blvd and 71st Ave and merge with the line for the Midway Theatre. The line to purchase tickets would find its way around the corner to Austin St. I wish I would have taken pictures on some of those nights, my words can’t describe the scene.
Our concession stand was very small. We were one of the few theatres in the division that did not pop fresh popcorn in front of everyone. Our popper was hidden away at the top of the theatre and popcorn was pre made during the week.
Some of our big hits included Dirty Dancing, Nuts, On Golden Pond, The Color Purple, Yental and Radio Days to name a few.
In 1987 we broadcast the Leonard/Hagler fight in early April. Our AC was giving us problems all night and the crowd grew restless. Thankfully the fight was exciting and went the distance keping them distracted. Everyone went home quietly.
I was so grateful to have such a terrific staff during my two years at the Twin. I’ll always remember the contributions and efforts of Lisa M. Mohammed Q., David A., John, Jack E., Cynthia C., Mike C., Andrew (Fugi), James F. and our projectionist Ted S. who was one of a kind. Anita and Regina were fixtures at the theatre for many years. They were extremely dedicated and hardworking but at times could drive me (and most others) to drink. Thank you all for your help.
I was so happy to again work with my dear friend Mary S. who I first met at the Astoria Theatre in 1978. Mary was a great source of comfort to me when I lost my mother in 1980. Sadly Mary passed away suddenly just a few months after I had left the theatre.
This photo of the Forest Hills is dated 1940, which the titles on the marquee bear out. Thanks to Tinseltoes, who introduced me to this website (for The New York City Organ Project) by linking out to pictures on other theater pages.
Hi Everyone! This is my Forest Hills Theatre flickr photoset, courtesy of Rego-Forest Preservation Council, which I founded and chair:
View link
You can click the thumbnails to enlarge the photos, and view them in a low, medium, high resolution, or original (maximum) resolution, as well as download them for future reference.
If anyone can contribute any vintage photos or ads to this photoset, I will be happy to give you credit. All images help preserve the spirit of the former Forest Hills Theatre, and may contribute to other great preservation projects. Let’s be proactive!
The Forest Hills Theatre can be seen at left in this vintage photo of the intersection of Continental Avenue and Ausin Street. The image comes from historian Ron Marzlock, who recently opened an art gallery in Kew Gardens that specializes in Queens memorabilia. Starting December 11, he will be having a special show of material covering Middle Village and Maspeth. Marzlock is probably best known for his weekly “I Have Often Walked” feature in the Queens Chronicle:
http://qgardensgallery.com/index.html
The Forest Hills Theater can be seen in this 1924 photo.
This should settle any doubts about the demolition of the Forest Hills Theatre. Only the facade was retained, with a new building constructed behind it: View link
Does the lobby part of the building exist, or just the exterior facade?
Neglected to mention that “The Time Machine” had its NYC premiere engagement at the midtown Warner (ex-Strand) Theatre, where it opened on August 17th, 1960. By that time, the Warner was no longer a showcase for Cinerama roadshows.
Thank you.
Since 1960 was prior to the introduction of the “Premiere Showcase” concept, I’d be willing to bet that “The Time Machine” played at the Forest Hills Theatre, which ran the double bills that were packaged for the Loew’s circuit (the Midway showed the RKO circuit programs). The second feature with “The Time Machine” was “Battle in Outer Space.” I suspect that the Forest Hills booking was in the first week of October.
I meant if anyone else remembers seeing the Time Machine at the Forest Hills Theatre. I don’t have the time right now to check newspaper ads from 1960.
Ouch!
Verify what? That “The Time Machine” played at the Forest Hills Theatre, or that you saw the movie there? If you check newspaper advertising for that year, you should be able to find if “Time Machine” played there. I don’t know how you would verify your attendance unless someone else remembers it or you were photographed entering or leaving the theatre.
I seem to remember seeing The Time Machine at the Forest Hills Theatre in 1960. Can anyone verify this?
Has the theater really been demolished behind the facade? It appears the roof has been changed, but have the other walls been completely taken down? I don’t really know if this could be called “demolished”, as while yes, parts of the building have been removed, it “hasn’t” been completely demolished. I think that calling it “demolished” is incorrect. Is it intact? No. But it’s not “demolished” either, and that is misleading.
By the way, you can see the different aerial views of the building on http://www.historicaerials.com/
The introductory information needs to be changed. The Forest Hills Theatre no longer exists, so it “was” located around the corner from the Midway (not “is”). Also, the Forest Hill was at least twenty years old by the time that the Midway opened, so there was no theatre “around the corner” until 1942.
Here are new links to two exterior images, the first from the 1920s and the second from the 1940s:
View link
View link
Hi Warren,
Please let me know if you received my e-mail on this theater & follow-up on the Midway.
As apparent from the following work permits, the structure was gutted and partly demolished in the late 90s. Work was coordinated under an alteration permit, rather than a demolition permit:
View link
Are you sure that the Forest Hills Theatre was gutted? I’ve been told that only the front wall was retained, and that everything behind it is an entirely new building.
It is unfortunate that the Forest Hills Theatre was gutted for a typical Duane Reade and Staples, but I am thankful that the facade is still present for passersby and theater buffs to cherish. I recall seeing many movies in that theater growing up, and remember marveling over its architecture even at a young age. The marble staircase was great. Here’s a link I came across for all of you to enjoy. It contains a brief history, a photo, and interesting information on its organ installation:
View link
I lived in Ridgewood, and by the time my friends and I were old enough to take the subway on our own, we stopped going to the Ridgewood Theater, and often began taking the subway to the Forest Hills Theaters….The Midway, Continental (at the time), Trylon….although I never visited the Forest Hills Theater.
Of course in our case we had to take the L train to Lorimer ST for the G to Forest Hills.
By the time I reached my mid-twenties, practically all the movie theaters in Greenpoint, where I lived, had closed. So, instead of trekking into Manhattan, I started to take the G train to Continental Ave. – and less often, Steinway St. – to catch a show. By the mid-1970’s most of the first run movies were being shown throughout the City upon their release, so it really did not make a difference where I went. In this way, I got to discover the Continental/Austin district which, besides hosting a bevy of movie theaters, was – and still is – the center of a lovely neighborhood. I now make it my home. The only downside is that I can no longer visit the Forest Hills Theatre, unless I want to fill a prescription!
Of all the theaters in the area that I frequented – unfortunately, I never made it to the Trylon – the Forest Hills was the most impressive and the one that I most enjoyed visiting.
I was just wondering if any other former or current Greenpoint residents also took the G to Forest Hills after the local options had cease to exist. I doubt that I was the only one doing this.
I was walking along Continental Ave. on a sunny afternoon and was stopped outside the theater and offered free ticketd to a new movie being screened there that evening. I managed to get four tickets to the unknown movie and returned later that evening with my girlfriend, her sister and her boyfriend. The movie was E.T.! I have fond memories of the Forest Hills and it is sad that it is gone. I was there watching the Wizard of Oz, the last performance, the night it closed.
In her autobiography Limelight and After, actress Claire Bloom wrote about the WWII years after having left England to live in the U.S. With her mother she lived in Forest Hills on 113th Street for a time. She wrote of going to the movies at a theatre on Continental Avenue, which sounds like it might have been the Forest Hills Theatre. Quoting:
“We read Screen Romances and Movie Life, and when the money was found, rushed to the movie house on Continental Avenue to see the wonderful South Sea Island films with Jon Hall and Dorothy Lamour—–Volcano, Tornado, Hurricane. Hibiscus flowers and mountains of lava. Blue grottoes and mysterious idols. Total escape and immeasurable joy.” (page 32)