Triangle Theatre
1209 Quentin Road,
Brooklyn,
NY
11229
1209 Quentin Road,
Brooklyn,
NY
11229
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On April 22, 1919, the NYC Board of Appeals reversed a decision by the superintendent of buildings and allowed H. G. Wiseman to apply for a permit to build a theater on the northeast corner of Avenue Q and E. 12th Street in Brooklyn, which is the Triangle’s location. Architect Wiseman was applying on behalf of the owner of the proposed theater, James P. Kelly.
Assuming that the project was carried out in 1919, presumably Carlson & Wiseman designed the theater. Although an earlier comment by Warren G. Harris says that the Triangle was opened by the Century circuit in 1936, Google Street View shows that the side of the building along 12th Street, which has not been remodeled like the Quentin Road facade, is built with a type of brickwork characteristic of the 1920s and earlier, not the 1930s or 1940s.
It’s possible that the theater was built in 1919 and operated for a while, but was closed for some time before being reopened by Century in 1936. If someone has access to Brooklyn directories from the early 1920s they might find the house listed, perhaps under a different name, and probably with an Avenue Q address.
OMG, during the 70s and 80s I hung out in this neighborhood a lot, and had no clue that the furniture store had been a theater!
The Triangle Theatre was built and first operated by the Century circuit, with an opening date of October 2nd, 1936, according to newspaper advertising at the time. The premiere program, which ran for three days and was third-run for the area, consisted of “Mary of Scotland” (Katharine Hepburn) and “Pepper” (Jane Withers). What a combination of gals!
Spent so many Saturday afternoons there from late 40’s to mid 50’s. Every Saturday was a kid’s day, where on line, they would hand out promotion cards, and if you had the right color card, you would get in free. You would get 10 color cartoons, 2 movies (usually a western or an A&C movie, or war movie) and a Pathe news. We always sat in the kids section on the left, and would throw popcorn at the matron, who just passed and who always had her white hair in a bun, and a backside like a table. We were rotten kids, and there were about 12 of us from E. 13th between Kings Highway and Ave. Saw “The Thing” with James Arness there, and didn’t sleep for a week.
Amen! I spent many a Saturday matinee there during WW2 years. There was NO BALCONY!
Karl B.
The history itself is quite interesting.
I agree with Orlando. The Triangle had to be named for the Sgt. Joyce Kilmer Square that is situated just opposite the old theater entrance. The Triangle was a great place to catch up with a film before it disappeared from the circuit.
Look for Sgt. Joyce Kilmer Square on this site:
View link
(It can be seen right after Crazy Eddie.)It’s where Kings Highway meets Quentin Rd.
By the way Quentin Rd. was originally Ave.Q. It became Quentin Road to honor Teddy Roosevelt’s youngest son who was killed in WWI. Look for that also on the site.
Contrary to what has been written, the Triangle has NOT been demolished. It has merely been converted into a furniture store. The marquis is still in existence and if you walk into the store, the main furniture display area was the theatre.
This theater had a strange configuration. it was small and there was no balcony. There was a prominent staircase leading up but it led only to the restrooms and the projection booth. After you proceeded into the theater past the ticket taker, you had to turn left. The theater was constructed on a right angle. The rear wall, behind the screen backed on east 12th Street. That wall is still very visible.
These two theatres were once operated simultaneously by the Century Circuit. According to an ad in the November 28, 1944 issue of the Brooklyn Eagle, the Quentin was situated at Quentin Road at East 35th Street, and currently showing “Wing and a Prayer” & “3 Little Sisters.” The Triangle was described as being at Kings Highway & East 12th Street, and was presenting “Sensations of 1945” & “Song of the Open Road.” Both theatres were late-run situations.
The Triangle and Quentin Theatres are two seperate buildings. The Triangle building is still there but altered and unrecognizeable and is now glass fronted. The Triangle sat directly behind a triangular park (hence the name) which divided Kings Highway from Quentin Road. This theatre was between the Avalon And the Kingsway and closed in the late 1950’s. See the Quentin Theatre on this site. The Quentin was east of Flatbush Avenue where The Triangle is west of Flatbush.
This theatre first appeared in Film Daily Year Books in the 1934 edition as the Quenton, a possible typo, although Quentin is spelled correctly in the address. In the 1942 FDYB, the name changes to Triangle. There were no theatres listed for this address prior to 1934, so it could be presumed that it was built around that time.
The theatre listed at this website as Werba’s Brooklyn (original Montauk) was also once known as the Triangle, when it was a first-run showcase for the Triangle film company from 1915-17.
The Triangle had 542 seats, according to the 1944 Film Daily Year Book.
The address for the Triangle Theatre was 1209 Quenton Road, Brooklyn, NY.
Recently I walked past this site and find something odd in the addresses on the block. The theater’s address was 1211 Quentin Road, yet the addresses go from 1209 to 1219 Quentin. It’s as if the theater has disappeared from modern street mapping. Strange but true.