Drake Theatre
62-90 Woodhaven Boulevard,
Rego Park,
NY
11374
62-90 Woodhaven Boulevard,
Rego Park,
NY
11374
8 people
favorited this theater
Located on Woodhaven Boulevard in Rego Park, this theater opened in 1935 and lasted into the early 90’s under various policies. Most of it’s life was as a second run double bill house. There were times it played first run, porno and spent the 80’s with a very popular dollar policy. “Caligula” played here for a year exclusive in Queens in the early 80’s.
Contributed by
RobertR
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Recent comments (view all 72 comments)
The Drake was great for those one dollar movies (took a couple of cheap dates when I wasn’t making alot of money)followed by a dinner in Cooky’s Steakhouse in the mall (good steaks and the best salad bar for that type of restaurant.
I will soon post photos (wide angles and close-ups) in my flickr photoset for the Drake Theatre. If anyone would be interested in contributing some vintage photos or ads, or images from the “recent past,” please contact me at I will give you credit. We need to preserve the spirit of this former theater, which is a humble yet elegant example of Art Deco. It was the second most popular theater in Rego Park, besides the Trylon Theater, which can also be referred to as Forest Hills.
Hi Warren! If you can send me high-resolution photos of the ones you posted that are no longer available, as well as re-post them here for other members to appreciate, that would be great! Thanks!
This is the Drake Theatre photoset, courtesy of Rego-Forest Preservation Council:
View link
Please feel free to contact and send vintage photos and ads, which may merit inclusion. Thank you!
Vintage photos have been provided courtesy of Warren Harris. Thank you!
It’s great seeing the old photos of the Drake! Just like I remember it….I remember seeing a couple movies there in the 1980’s.
What if anything of the interior remains on the inside of the now Catering hall?
I attended a function there recently, and I was hard-pressed to think of its resemblance to its theater space. It has dropped ceilings and other finishes that strips it of its formerly Art Deco and modernistic interior appeal.
That’s too bad. Although I don’t remember it being anything special inside even when it was a theater.
I was born and raised in Forest Hills. My memory of the Drake, besides passing it on the way to the “M” train right next to Christ the King High School, was going to see The Deadly Spawn, a “B” horror film produced by a friend of mine. I actually worked on the movie and had one of the little creatures with me. During one of the bloodier scenes, I put it on the shoulder of a girl who was sitting in front of me. Man, did she SCREAM!
BTW, RobertR, I used to sneak into the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium to watch the concerts, too. I did get to see the Helicopter with The Beatles, but didn’t have tickets so I went home (69th Avenue between Olcott Street and Metropolitan Avenue) and could hear the girls screaming while I sat on my stoop!
I WAS there for the Monkees when Jimi Hendrics played and the crowd chanted “We want Davey…” and he stormed off the stage in his neon orange boots.
corlando52
I was born and raised in Forest Hills. My memory of the Drake, besides passing it on the way to the “M” train right next to Christ the King High School, was going to see The Deadly Spawn, a “B” horror film produced by a friend of mine. I actually worked on the movie and had one of the little creatures with me. During one of the bloodier scenes, I put it on the shoulder of a girl who was sitting in front of me. Man, did she SCREAM!
BTW, RobertR, I used to sneak into the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium to watch the concerts, too. I did get to see the Helicopter with The Beatles, but didn’t have tickets so I went home (69th Avenue between Olcott Street and Metropolitan Avenue) and could hear the girls screaming while I sat on my stoop!
I WAS there for the Monkees when Jimi Hendrics played and the crowd chanted “We want Davey…” and he stormed off the stage in his neon orange boots.
corlando52