Electra Theater
7418 Third Avenue,
Bay Ridge,
Brooklyn,
NY
11209
7418 Third Avenue,
Bay Ridge,
Brooklyn,
NY
11209
1 person
favorited this theater
Located in the Bay Ridge district of Brooklyn. The Electra Theater opened in around April 1913. Seating was provided in orchestra and balcony levels. In 1923, a Marr & Colton organ was installed. In 1926, the building was extended to the plans of architect Matthew Del Gaudio. Later converted to sound it remained a movie house for many years.
The Electra Theater closed on June 15, 1953, and was converted into a supermarket. The building was demolished in 1960 and a supermarket was built on the site.
Contributed by
philipgoldberg
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Recent comments (view all 15 comments)
Yes, Bob— exactly. The Electra was known as “the first motion picture theater in Bay Ridge, built in 1913.” By the ‘50s, the management was so independent that it showed pictures on erratic bookings—recent product alternated with revivals and with foreign films (which few of the locals attended). I remember “Breaking Through the Sound Barrier”(David Lean’s '52 paean to modernity) and “Bonnie Prince Charlie” (with David Niven as the imposter) and “Man in the Dinghy” (everybody wondered who Liz Taylor’s new husband was, so they showed this Michael Wilding feature) and “La Ronde” (Ophuls! Ophuls! Ophuls!) (in my youth, I pronounced the title as “La ROD-ne”) showed there. It closed around '53, just before wide-screen came in.
In 1923, a Marr & Colton organ was installed in the Electra Theater. And according to NYC records, a Bohack supermarket was built at this address in 1960.
>> Status: open <<
You may wish to correct that at the top of the page! :)
A photo of the site of the Electra theater posted today on the Bay Ridge Blog ( www.bayridgebrooklyn.blogspot.com )
Thanks for the photos Phantom. Maybe you could do the same thing for other former Brooklyn theaters. The 1960 build date is for the Bohack supermarket that was built after the theater was demolished. If your not familiar with Bohack, it was one of the largest supermarket chains in NYC along with the A&P chain. This is the property report for this address:
7418 3 Avenue, Bay Ridge, New York 11209
Block & Lot #: 05928 – 0045
Building Class: Store Building, One Story (K1)
School District: 20 map/schools
City Council District: 43
Police Precinct: 68 (Crime Statistics)
Political Contributions: search
BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS
Zoning R6
Building Size (F x D): 94.00ft x 100.00ft
Lot Size (F x D): 94.00ft x 100.00ft
Building Height: –
Total Gross Area of Building:
Year Built: 1960
Historic District?: No
Corner Lot?: No
Has Garage?: No
Number of Floors: 1
Units: –
FAR as built: 1.00
Allowable FAR: 2.43
Thanks lostmemory
Do you know when that Bohack’s closed? I vaguely remember it and other Bohacks in Bay Ridge.
I have posted photos of the present sites of the Stanley, Dyker, Shore Road, Harbor and ( sad to say, the closed ) Fortway.
Tonight intend to add the surviving one, the Alpine.
I may go back and replace some of these photos ( other than the Fortway ) because I think I accidentally left the night setting on the camera for daytime photos. They are a bit faded.
I don’t have the exact date that Bohack closed but in 1976 they were in Chapter XI bankruptcy. This property is still listed as having a private owner so I would assume that the supermarket located there now leases the building just as Bohack did in the 60’s and 70’s. Its possible and even likely that Bohack closed prior to 1976.
November 28, 1944:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/electra.jpg
New York Times March 4, 1954
“BUYER WILL ALTER BROOKLYN CORNER; Supermarket to Replace Old Electra Theatre at Third Avenue and 75th Street …
The former Electra Theatre and the adjoining taxpayer building at 7414-24 Third Avenue, corner of Seventy-fifth Street, in Brooklyn are under contract of sale by Hazel J. Heissenbuttel to the 5. S. Gould Son’s Company which plans to convert the property …."
There was another supermarket that was at this location for a few years. It was called Packers. It become part of the Bohack chain sometime in early 1960.