Loew's Hillside Theatre
90-29 Sutphin Boulevard,
Jamaica,
NY
11435
90-29 Sutphin Boulevard,
Jamaica,
NY
11435
5 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 153 comments found
The address ribbon across the top of the page has one Jamaica too many. It should say “New York>Jamaica>Loew’s Hillside Theatre.”
This 1930 photo shows the theatre in the top left background, with “LOEW’S HILLSIDE—The Home of the Best Sound and Talking Pictures” painted across the wall: lunaimaging
Regarding saps' comment above, does anyone else recall the Hillside being a burlesque theater? I surely don’t!
I remember passing this theater several times in a car during the late 1960s. I was a boy but I clearly remember that they had a burlesque show running at the time. The word “Follies” was so burned in my brain that a few years later when I saw a friend with a “Mad Follies” magazine, I thought it had to do with strippers and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and read it in private!
CHARLIE CHAPLIN in “THE GREAT DICTATOR”
“BLONDIE PLAYS CUPID”
Rafael, Glad you liked the photo and that it brought back good memories. My Mom and Dad grew up in the Brooklyn/Jamaica area(1910 thru 1945) My Dad took this photo in 1941….the area must have had some importance to him. They lived at 141-33 84th Dr. thru the 2nd World War and then we moved out on the Island to Oakdale. Both my sister and I were born at Kew Gardens General Hospital but have no recollection of the area. My Dad also took a picture of a Citgo service station somewhere in the area, but I don’t want to post it here. I can send you a copy of it. It may bring back additional memories and maybe you can identify the location. Let me know. Regards, Don Rogers
Please take note on Don’s beautiful photo: you can see how Sutphin Boulevard was paved in brick, a childhood memory of mine that I’d nearly lost, until seeing this picture.
Wonderful photo, Don, and let me add my welcome to this site.
Well, the RKO Jefferson became the Jefferson. Most of the Century Long Island theatres on CT are not identified as such, but some are. Fortunately, the new logic makes it easier to find things. If we really want to go into some questionable logic why are theatres on military bases listed? They’re not really for the public. Some of the mental hospitals had theatres, which are well documented, should they be on?
Hmmm. Tinseltoes, you remind me of another fellow that used to post here a while back and split similar hairs. Of course, you are correct that I misstated an intention that must have been obvious to anyone who read the comment, but the only place to list other names for any given theater on CT is under “previous names.” I only meant to suggest that Hillside (sans the Loew’s) should be included as an alternate name for this theater. Is that better? I know the convention on this website is to list theaters by the name under which they last operated – although there are exceptions. So, perhaps the listing should be changed to Hillside Theatre, with Loew’s Hillside as a previous name.
The theatre originally opened as Loew’s Hillside and then operated as Hillside when Loew’s exited. How could Hillside be a “previous name?”
The titles on the marquee in that nycsubway photo are listed as having NYC release dates in November, 1960, and January, 1961, respectively. With the snow on the ground, January of 1961 is a good bet. There should be a previous name of just Hillside Theatre for this listing.
The color photo shows the original marquee, which was replaced by a “modern” one with white glass backing after WW2. The original vertical sign was retained, but re-painted to match the trim on the new marquee: nycsubway
Thank you Don R for the splendid color photo of the Hillside. Now does anyone have any photos of the interior to post? While I frequented the Hillside quite often in the 50’s, my memory of what the interior looked like has started to fade.
Ed, I enlarged the photo some more and it appears that the amateur nite sign is over some outside movie poster cases similar to those closer to the theater entrance.
Nice catch, Don. Looks like the advertising is over a set of exit doors for the theater.
Tinseltoes mentioned in a previous posting about Loew’s Hillside having an Amateur Nite to boost attendence. If you look closely at the enlargement that I just posted, you will see the Amateur Nite being promoted. Its between the Locksmith and the Bakery(?)
Thanks again Don for the photo,and welcome to Cinema Treasures.The best website about theatres out there.
The photo was taken from a color slide that my dad had. It was in the same batch that included photos of my dad’s NEW 1941 Ford. There is also a picture of the car being serviced at an outdoor Citgo Service station. I wonder if the service station was near the theater. The building wall behind was still advertising the World’s Fair.
Yes Don that is a nice photo I have already posted it on my profile page.
The Blondie title on the marquee opened in October of 1940, per imdb.com. And while “The Great Dictator” is noted as having premiered in NYC on October 15, 1940, a USA release of March 7, 1941, is also listed. I presume that would be the general release after an exclusive Broadway engagement. If the Hillside ran a couple of weeks behind the Valencia, I’d say early spring of ‘41 is a safe bet.
Thanks for posting the photo, Don. It’s great. I hope the administrators here swap it out for the crummy photo I took from the LIRR! Or if enough people view it, I think it will automatically become the default image.
I have an old color photo of what I believe to be the Loew’s Hillside theater taken in 1940 or 1941. How would I post this image for comments
I would doubt that in an office environment anything would remain although the ceiling may be hidden behind a dropped ceiling on the top office floor of which there many. Also from the photo above you can see that the building has been made wider to accommodate additional space. So you’ve also lost the integrity of the walls. In smaller theatres which have been repurposed as offices it’s more likely that something remains.
Not only do I find what happened in this theater in 1942 interesting, but the rules of this site also advise us to be civil. I can only add a small tidbit of info about the Hillside. My mother and aunt lived in Springfield Gardens, and did most of their movie-going in Jamaica. Mom told me that they saw “The Jolson Story” at the Hillside, sometime in 1946, and she said the house was packed. It makes sense that the movie, which was an enormously popular favorite that year, would have played the Hillside, which was a very large house. I wonder if there’s anything remaining of the interior? I do remember always getting a clear view of the Hillside from the LIRR trains, just west of Jamaica station.