Loew's Gates Theatre
1340 Broadway,
Brooklyn,
NY
11221
1340 Broadway,
Brooklyn,
NY
11221
10 people
favorited this theater
Purpose built in 1921, as a movie/stage presentation theatre, it was equipped with a Moller 3 manual 17 rank theatre organ. This large and still well-maintained Loew’s house was one of Broooklyn’s many Broadway theaters that are now either closed or gone. It closed on July 13, 1977 as a movie house.
Today the theater is restored and well maintained by a church that currently uses the theater.
Contributed by
philipgoldberg
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Recent comments (view all 105 comments)
No Tinseltoes,I am not, I have seen that on my page and some others on C.T. sites. And Bway I agree why those movies were rated X.Also that the same photo that is posted in an earlier post on this page.
I would be willing to bet that the photo with “adult” movies on the marquee was taken AFTER Loew’s quit the Gates, and that the new management was too cheap to remove the Loew’s credit in the signage. The people who patronized the Gates by that time probably couldn’t read anyway.
Tinseltoes,this photo was July 1968?Maybe.One would have to find out when Loews left this theatre for sure,even if Loews leased the theatre to someone else I believe that they would have removed the signage,but I could be wrong.Now that I think about it they did leave the marquee and upright on the Loews Commodore after they left and the new operator just spray painted over the letters,and they hung that Fillmore East banner over the vertical,any thing is possible I quess. This theatre must have been in a bad part of town at least at that time by your posts.
Loews not only played X-rated films, they were the first to introduce independent X-rated films to a major first-run market by opening “WITHOUT A STITCH” at the Manhattan State and Orpheum Theatres in 1970 to huge grosses, much to the chagrin of Jack Valenti, who called Loews management irresponsible. The Loews Orpheum/Cine then opened numerous x-rated films in the early seventies.
“The Sensual Male” and “Sexually Liberated Female” had a double feature twelve theatre break in February 1972. Released by mini-majors New World and Aquarius, Loews was hardly above showing them. The Gates was still advertised as a Loews during 1972 and Loews Georgetown also played several X titles during these years.
X-rated films did not become truly graphic until after “DEEP THROAT” was released that summer.
As I noted in an earlier post, the Gates was never an exclusively porn theater, though it did clearly occasionally sink to that level. It also hosted a number of Kung Fu pictures as it strove to keep afloat during the very trying 1970’s. (As the late Sam Horwitz, a former City Councilman and longtime movie theater manager, once told me, Kung Fu films were the salvation for many inner-city movie houses during that era.) But the 1977 blackout was the knockout punch for the Gates – and the Madison as well.
Thanks Al and John,Thats the point I was trying to make too.Now that we have that out of the way!By the way John the Kung Fu movies did nothing in the Nashville theatre market,but I can see how it could be different somewhere else.We did nothing on the “PORNS” as they are called now or “KUNG FU” flicks either.First run stuff always did better,but you have to put something on the screen.
John, I have heard that too, that the 1977 Blackout, and following riots was the end for the Gates, as Broadway was destroyed. Intererstingly, while the Madison also closed soon after, it’s location was never heavily damaged like the Gates area was. Myrtle wasn’t destroyed near Wyckoff.
I guess the problem with the Madison was that the local community just could not support two movie theaters by the late 1970’s. It was either the Madison or the Ridgewood and the latter, which I believe by that time had become a more economical multi-plex, won out.
Also, even if the blackout had not occurred, I doubt very much that the Gates would have survived for more than a few additional years. If anything, it was surprising that it lasted as long as it did.
I must go to the church and try and take some pictures. It’s too bad the marquee and ticket booth were not retained. I once walked by and was able to peer through a glass door. The auditorium is intact. The church has done a great job.
It looks like it was once a really fantastic movie/performance theatre. Another one bites the dust. (sigh). Too bad.