UA Midway Stadium 9
108-22 Queens Boulevard,
Forest Hills,
NY
11375
108-22 Queens Boulevard,
Forest Hills,
NY
11375
16 people
favorited this theater
Located in the Forest Hills section of Queens. The RKO Midway Theatre (named for the famous Battle of Midway) was opened on September 24, 1942 with Monty Woolley in “The Pied Piper” and Lloyd Nolan in “Just Off Broadway”. It had a seating capacity for 2,002 in orchestra and balcony levels and was designed by Thomas W. Lamb Associates, which included S. Charles Lee. It was sold as single screen theatre in June 1997 to the Heskel Group. The total purchase price, which included the nearby Forest Hills Theatre, was $9 million.
The theater was closed two months later and completely renovated into a nine-screen multiplex. Following a year of construction, the Midway Theatre reopened as the UA Midway 9 and is now one of Queens' best performing movie theaters.
Sadly, the theater’s original interior appearance was mostly lost during the conversion, but its exterior remains a familiar Queens Boulevard landmark.
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Recent comments (view all 154 comments)
Couldn’t they have selected a film that actually played at the Midway? I don’t think that “Rear Window” ever did, unless as a reissue years after its original release.
Here’s a trade ad for the Midway’s very first main feature. Perhaps they could still book that for the anniversary event instead of “Rear Window”: Boxoffice
Perhaps, but it may be hard to locate a showable print; in addition, the film does not appears to have been released on any form of home video to-date, which suggests that the rights may be entangled.
If you’re going to see a movie there today, take the subway if possible. The traffic in that area is terrible and unless you want to put your car into a garage and pay $20, there is very little on-street parking available because of all of the apartment buildings in the neighborhood.
Used to be able to find some parking on the side streets north of Queens Blvd, paktype. But you had to be very lucky. I think this theater has been one that called for use of mass transit for many years, now – unless you live within walking distance.
when the midway closed in 1997 it was a quad (two downstairs and two upstairs). the only thing remains from the original is the staircase and screen 5 and 9 is the original balcony
The Queens Ledger-/Forest Hills Times features “Midway Theatre 70th Anniversary Benefits Alzheimer’s” by Michael Perlman: http://www.foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/20349385/article-Midway-Theatre-70th-Anniversary-Benefits-Alzheimer-s On 9/24, patrons saw Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” (1954) & the proceeds benefited the Alzheimer’s Association (NYC Chapter). The Midway opened in 1942 & was named after WWII’s Battle of Midway. It was designed in the Art Moderne style by America’s foremost theater architect, Thomas W. Lamb. Please share & feel free to post a comment on the article link.
Are you kidding me, $13.50 non matinee showings. I think this is even more expensive than Manhattan.
Saw a lot of great movies here.
Early shows are $10 here, just checked this morning for the weekend.