Maspeth Theatre
69-20 Grand Avenue,
Maspeth,
NY
11378
69-20 Grand Avenue,
Maspeth,
NY
11378
5 people
favorited this theater
This was a neighborhood house located on Grand Avenue in the Maspeth section of Queens. It opened in 1924. I dont know when it closed but the marquee was still up way into the 1970’s.
Today it is used as a bingo hall with its Grand Avenue entrance area used for retail use.
Contributed by
RobertR, Warren
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Recent comments (view all 102 comments)
Thanks for the terrific picture. It not only evokes the time, which I guess was late 40’s/early 50’s, but provides a picture of Grand Avenue in Maspeth before it was rudely cut in two by the LIE.
Thanks again.
I did a little research and found that the photo was almost certainly shot in the spring or summer of 1949. While both films on the double bill were released in 1948, “He Walked by Night” opened on November 24th of that year. Since the Maspeth was decidedly not a first run theater – and since I clearly doubt that summer arrived in December, 1948 – the films most probably came to Maspeth about six months after being released.
A bit more trivia about these films: (1) the Bob Cummings film – “Let’s Live a Little” – also starred Hedy Lamarr, who played a shrink, and (2) it has been alleged that one of the the other film’s supporting players, Jack Webb, used “He Walked by Night’s” story line as a prototype for a project he was developing – called Dragnet. Well, those are the facts maam!
That 1949 photo has been displayed here at least twice before, most recently on 12/5/09 when it was part of an exhibit at the Q Gardens Gallery.
Well, I guess it has now been displayed three times!
“He Walked By Night” & “Let’s Live a Little” opened at the Maspeth Theatre on May 30th, 1949. according to advertising in the Long Island Press. By that time, the Maspeth had been upped in “clearance” and was playing day-and-date with the third-tier of Loew’s theatres (Woodside, Willard, Hillside, Prospect, Plaza). That’s probably the reason for the multi-colored flags above the marquee and entrance. If the photo had been taken much later, the Maspeth probably would also have had “Air-Conditioned” banners hanging from the marquee.
The current view is way off the mark! I don’t know how to correct it.
Yes, I tried to fix it too, but it doesn’t let you get off the Long Island Expressway and onto Grand Ave where the street view belongs. This one will have to require an administrative “fix”, as the link to the street view is WAY off
After being a reader of ct for years I decided to officially sign up after 30 minutes of searching the google map, getting off the expressway, and finding the Maspeth. Left NY 33 years ago but I still remember taking my mom to the Maspeth 3 times a week for bingo.
Hahaha! Thanks for getting of the Expressway and fixing it! I have up after some minutes on the expressway where the view originally left us!
My pleasure Bway. By the way ct I like the new web design. Good job.