Highway Theater
283 Kings Highway,
Brooklyn,
NY
11223
283 Kings Highway,
Brooklyn,
NY
11223
3 people
favorited this theater
The Highway Theater opened in early-1925 and was another single level neighborhood house that was later run by UA and then by Golden Theaters as a dollar house.
It had a very irregular schedule in its last days in the 1980’s, opening on holidays and in the summer only (much like the Golden Theater policy with the now-closed and retro-fitted Benson Twins).
It finally closed and became a bingo hall and later a church with the bizzare name of Church of the Upper Deck. By 2002 it had reverted back to bingo hall use. In late-2008, it was gutted and converted into retail use.
Contributed by
philipgoldberg
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Recent comments (view all 24 comments)
The “Sommer Highway Theatre” sign is still intact. It can be seen above where the marquee used to be.
Currently under demolition. The front facade and marquee are gone. Side walls still standing as of today.
Forgot to say: buzz is theatre will be replaced by CVS.
Everything completely gutted out except for the side walls.
The sign just went up — it is to be a Walgreens.
1973 photo
1986 photo
I have such great childhood memories of the Highway Theater. I grew up in Gravesend during the late-70s/early-80s and spent every dollar I could muster attending movies there. Between 1978-83, I literally saw dozens of movies there, including a slew of Chuck Norris films (Good Guys Wear Black, A Force Of One, The Octagon, etc.), and a bevy of grade B-Z horror flicks as well (Zombie, The Evil Dead, Friday The 13th part III in 3D, etc.).
It’s actually sad to see the last physical remnants of the Highway disappear from sight forever. While the neighborhood will certainly benefit from having a Walgreens, I seriously doubt if 30 years from now anyone will fondly reminisce about the bottle of Robitussin they once purchased there. The Highway was a special place, and I’ll always have fond memories of it.
I remember my mother pulling up on the opposite side of the theatre with me and a friend in the car, and we went across the street to see ROCKY. The theatre was packed, and we had to sit on the right hand side “children’s” section, which had a cover over one of the seats that said CHILDRENS on the back or something to that effect.
The matrons walked about with the flashlights.. but everyone was still screaming.
I saw other movies there as well, but this one I remember well.
I love in the Washington DC area now, and there is something I remembered about the Highway after visiting a local theatre here.
The bathrooms, instead of being in the lobby were INSIDE the theatre auditorium! There were doors right in the auditorium to the right that would take you in to the restrooms. The Avalon theatre here in DC has that same setup.. probably same architect!
My wife grew up about four or five blocks from this theater and we went there occasionally when we were going out. It was an average theater with nothing distinctive to remember it by. Some of the films I can remember seeing there included “Hard Times,” “Murder by Death” and “The Dogs of War.” It was such a mediocre theater that I was absolutely not surprised when it finally threw in the towel and closed.
I have fond memories of the Highway, a tiny and ramshackle house, even as long ago as the 70s. My friends and I always joked that you could here someone flush the toilet when you were sitting in the auditorium. One movie that I know for a fact that I saw at the Highway was “Paper Moon”.