Kew Gardens Cinemas
81-05 Lefferts Boulevard,
Kew Gardens,
NY
11415
81-05 Lefferts Boulevard,
Kew Gardens,
NY
11415
14 people
favorited this theater
Built in 1935, this neighborhood house originally opened as the Austin Theatre and has had ‘more faces than Eve’. Spent years as a second run double feature house, until being taken over by Rugoff Theatres in the late-1950’s or early-1960’s. Art films were played for a few years catering to the affluent area and nearby Forest Hills.
For a few years it played mostly moveovers and booking midnight shows every Friday and Saturday night. It became a XXX house and was extremely profitable. The owner even played the midnight shows of regular movies for awhile. It then went all porno, later being taken over by the same owner of the Polk Theatre until it was shut down by the city (a story in itself).
The story has a happy ending: new owners bought the place, stripped it down to its minor Art Deco style origins and made a mini version of the Angelika. The huge lobby has a concession stand where you can get coffee and fresh cookies. Two theatres were made in the old loge and restroom area on the second floor. Downstairs are three screens, number one keeping the original mini stage and arch. The other four auditoriums are tiny, but have top notch sound and projection and rocking chair seats stadium style. In early-2008 a sixth screen was added, formed out of an adjacent dry-cleaners store.
The Kew Gardens Cinemas is a total delight to attend, here’s hoping it survives forever.
Contributed by
RobertR
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Recent comments (view all 126 comments)
I just spent a wonderful time helping to close out the old year at this wonderful theater. We very much enjoyed the film that we saw – The Artist – and I strongly recommed it. But the big news was the huge number of people who turned out to see a movie here this evening. I have never seen the place so packed. (Certainly the films presented, which included The Descendents; Tinker, Tailer, Soldier, Spy; A Dangerous Method; Hugo – in 3D no less; and My Week With Marilyn contributed to attracting the huge throng – and reflects the Kew Gardens' excellent program selection policy.)It was really great to end the year on so happy a cinematic note!
I just noticed RickB’s recent comment. Yes, it is true that the Kew Gardens is situated on a part of a bridge that spans the tracks of the Long Island Railroad’s Main Line. In fact, the sound of the trains rumbling below us provided some unplanned sound effects during tonight’s movie. I am told that the this bridge was patterned after the famous Ponte Vecchio in Florence Italy, where shops – for the most part – are situated on both sides of the bridge and, thus, block one’s view of the Arno. The major difference here is that no shops were constructed at the center of the Ponte Vecchio, while the line of stores exist over the entire course of the Kew Gardens bridge. Again, Happy New Year!
Before it was a porn house ,it was a second run double feature that share billingswithe the Mayfair theater of Fresh Meadows ( now the Bombay theater)
Just passed this theater the other day and noticed that the corner pharmacy adjacent tot eh Kew Gardens Theatre has been closed. It seems big enough to make screen number 8! Would that work? Is it possible? I need to make the time to see a movie at this theater in 2012.
Firstly, I thought this theatre was on Austin not Lefferts.
Secondly, shops are on both sides of the Ponte Vecchio all the way across Been there.
LuisV, given the number of people who jammed the Kew Gardens yesterday evening, I hope you are correct about the possible incorporation of the pharmacy site. At the very least, it would provide some additional and badly needed lobby space – and perhaps an additional screen …….. robboehm, I too have been to Florence and can attest that the Ponte Vecchio does open up at the middle of the Arno to provide a beautiful river view. A bronze bust of Benvenueto Cellini, originally donated by the metal workers of Florence, is situated on the west side; while the famous Vasari Corridor spans the entire east side, about one floor up, the ground floor also opens up at the center to provide a river view as well as a spectacular panorama of the hills situated further east.
Just spent an enjoyable evening seeing “The Descendants” at the Kew Gardens. (A very fine film – but not in the same class as either “Midnight in Paris” or “The Artist”. Clooney, however, was terrific.) The place was packed, which is a tribute to the management’s excellent picture selection – and the sophisticated tastes of the local residents ……. While there, I asked a couple of employees about the theater’s possible expansion into the old drug store. While one worker did not have a clue, the other one confirmed that some thought had been given to it, but that nothing firm has, to date, emerged. So, stay tuned. (Wouldn’t it be great to see a drug store turned into a movie theater!!)
Did they add a six screen, I rember it was five 3 downstairs and two upstairs. Where is screen 6 located and how many seats and when did it open. Did the other screen lose seats
United Artists never owned or operated the Austin Theatre as described in the overview. The person who wrote it might have mistaken it for the Continental theatre in Forest Hills for a short time. UA also operated the Midway and the Forest Hills Theatre.
I remember thatwhen it was the Austin back in the 60’s 70’s they play similar stuff with the Mayfair in Fresh Meadows. Did they both had the same owner?