Grand Central Theatre
33 Grand Central Terminal,
New York,
NY
10017
33 Grand Central Terminal,
New York,
NY
10017
2 people
favorited this theater
This little Art Moderne-style newsreel theater operated inside the vast Grand Central Terminal from 1937 until about three decades later, when the space was gutted for retail use. The theater also screened cartoons and short subjects. A large incandescent clock above the screen reminded theater-goers of the time. At the rear of the auditorium was a standing-room section, and a small bar was located near the theater’s entrance.
It was located near track 17 and today the area is used as a wine shop, complete with the beautifully restored star-covered ceiling of the former theater’s lobby.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft, Philip Goldberg
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
Where can I get a better copy of this postcard? I would like to use it in my research
When I was a regular customer in the early ‘50s, they changed the program twice a week (to run current news in that pre-TV era). Since the change-over came in the middle of the day, and if you timed it right, you could catch two programs (a two-hour show) for a single admission ($1).
Some other newsreel and short subject cinemas located in train stations:
South Station Theatre, Boston
Newsreel Theatre, Cincinnati
Victoria Station News Theatre, London
Hi Joe Clark & my other theater enthusiast friends!!! Every so often, you can find a Grand Central Theatre postcard on Ebay.
Though it won’t really map properly, I believe the address should be listed as 33 Grand Central Terminal (Main Concourse, opposite Track 17), New York, NY 10017.
Here is a postcard promoting the Grand Central Theatre.
The theatre first opened on May 12th, 1937, charging 25 cents at all times for an hour’s worth of newsreels and short subjects. Entrance was through a turnstile attached to the boxoffice. The hours of operation were from 9AM until midnight except on Sundays, when the first show started at noon to conform with NYC law.
a short video of people going into the grand central theater is on the video VHS titled: “The winning of world war 2” “The road to victory – ratling the saber” 1990 mbi/ulanoff distributed by publishers choice videos. hosted with personal commentary by John s. d. elsenhower. I own this video.
bill gilbert
.ny.us
Crime at the Grand Central Theater
NY Times June 27, 1946
In a daring holdup at 5:25 P.M. yesterday during the height of the commuting rush period, a lone bandit took $102 from the cashier’s booth of the Grand Central Theatre, Inc, a motion picture house that shows newsreels, in the main concourse of Grand Central Terminal.
Auditorium with 242 seats pictured in this 1937 trade report: Boxoffice