Canarsie Theater
9310 Avenue L,
Brooklyn,
NY
11236
9310 Avenue L,
Brooklyn,
NY
11236
5 people
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This was a theater in Canarsie, Brooklyn on Avenue L. The Canarsie Theatre opened in 1927 with 1,470 seats. It was triplexed in March 1980. I recall they used to have normal hours, then reverted to odd ones. I remember “Purple Rain” and “All of Me” playing here in the 1980’s. Very cramped as I recall.
It closed in 2004. There were plans to turn the former theater into a banquet hall, which never materialized.
Contributed by
gena
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Recent comments (view all 62 comments)
OKAY, TINSELTOES, ET. AL., YOU ASKED, SO HERE’S THE REAL DEAL:
That 1959 photograph of the CANARSIE THEATER that’s all over the internet was taken on SATURDAY, JUNE 20TH, 1959 …
I know this, because I AM IN THE PICTURE.
I am (was) the boy standing in the line in front of the theater, directly under the word “MAN” in the movie title on the left side of the marquee. Standing on my right is my little sister, holding her bag of goodies. I have several copies of this photo.
There’s even a colorized version of this photo on the front cover of a recently published book about Canarsie. In that photo they made my jacket brown. They could have at least got it right… it was a blue denim Levi’s jacket !!
The picture was taken by a man named Mel (or Mal) who was with my Uncle Jimmy, who worked with him. They stood across the street on Avenue L, in front of ZIRKIN’S Kosher Butcher Shop.
We were NOT waiting to see AVA GARDNER naked. Actually, Ava Gardner did NOT appear naked in that movie… only her PORTRAIT, (Goya’s painting, “The Naked Maja”) appeared naked.
We WERE waiting to see THIS KIDDIE MATINEE, double feature movie:
“FRANCES IN THE NAVY”, starring Frances The Talking Mule, with Donald O'Connor, and a VERY YOUNG CLINT EASTWOOD !! —and—
“TAZA, SON OF COCHISE”, with ROCK HUDSON as an Apache Warrior !
PLUS, (five?) (ten?) Cartoons.
The following week, I was there with my two brothers, to see another double feature, ‘THE ROBE", and “DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS” two Biblical epics; But WE were there for all THOSE GREAT SWORD FIGHTS !!
That Canarsie Theater was a second home to me in the 1950’s …
That’s when it was in it’s prime, and the center of the community.
CANDY BARS WERE FIVE CENTS, and COKE & POPCORN WERE TEN CENTS EACH !
IT’S SOOOOOO SAD to see it dilapidated and abandoned.
Maybe somebody with megabucks can restore it as a live theater?
Canarsie is not too far gone for that to be a possiblity… RIGHT??
Ray
Ray, thanks for the update and for sharing your vivid memories of that day. I had a feeling that the line was for a special kiddie matinee, due to the adult content of the main program.
Although I never got to go to this theatre up through the late 1990’s I was frequently in the neighborhood and got a sense as to the special role that the treatre played along the commercial strip on Avenue L. It’s a pity that area residents have to travel and contend with the crowds at Kings Plaza and the UA Sheepshead Bay, making a trip to the movies more of an ordeal than a recreational activity.
ANYONE INTERESTED IN TRYING TO SAVE THE CANARSIE THEATER, or maybe even try to find someone to restore it, renovate it, or convert it to a live theater/playhouse/music hall, let’s try to form some kind of grass-roots organization. I’m in California now, but I’m willing to work on-line and by telephone to try to organize such an effort.
We may start by trying to get the CANARSIE THEATER designated as a National or State or City of New York Historic Site. That would at least give time to work and save it from possible demolition. INTERESTED PERSONS may send an E-MAIL to me, RayH, at a new E-Mail address I am going to create and post in the next message in a few minutes.
OKAY, PRESENT AND FORMER CANARSIENS (CANARSIE-ITES?) :
As per my previous message, I just established an E-MAIL ADDRESS:
Everyone interested, please send me a message…
Hopefully, there will be a lot of interest in this.
I look forward to hearing from HUNDREDS of you…
Or, at least, DOZENS ! Thanks, RayH
Thanks Ray for that great story!
Unfortunately, I think it’s too late for the Canarsie theater, at least the interior, it has been gutted inside (see April, 2009 Message with photo link above). Hopefully they can at least preserve the exterior.
NEW EFFORT TO :
SEND MESSAGES TO RayH
I drove through my old area of Canarsie yesterday. I made sure to drive down Avenue L, a street that I walked on many, many times. The entire building housing the Canarsie theater, including he luncheonette that used to be next door, was painted a wierd-looking pink color. The marquee was still up. However this was painted too. No longer were the letters there showing the last films playing (Lord of the Rings and Cheaper by the Dozen.) When a neighborhood goes downhill, the local theaters are always some of the first things to go. Its always very sad.
I drove on Ave L about 6 months ago and stopped at Originals for pizza .
I was born in canarsie and my earliest recollection was the picture Gone With the Wind in 1939 when i was 9 years old.My mom had taken me and i was thrilled to see a movie in color.I think every kid waited for Saturday to go to the Canarsie theater and see two pictures,news of the day,cartoons,and mostly for the chapter,which ran for ten or more episodes.Each week it would pick up where it left off.God forbid you missed a week!As some of the people stated here the price was cheap,and i remember paying a dime to get in.If you were lucky and had an extra nickle get a candy bar or a drink.Times were bad in the early 40’s and the dime was hard to come by.Many times i took flyers for upcoming movies and delivered them to homes in the neighbor hood mail boxes for the manager of the canarsie theater,and received two free tickets. As kids growing up in canarsie that was our pride and joy,the Canarsie theater.Wasn’t much else we had. I still have fond memories of Canarsie,and that Movie theater.Broke my heart to hear its gone.