Empress Theater
544 W. 181st Street,
New York,
NY
10033
544 W. 181st Street,
New York,
NY
10033
2 people
favorited this theater
The only thing I know about this neighborhood house is that it opened as the Empress Theater in 1913 and closed in 1964.
Contributed by
RobertR
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Recent comments (view all 16 comments)
Here’s a 1985 ad from the Spanish publication El Diario:
Astral 9/20/85
The paper also published a small neighborhood movie guide similar to that which ran in the Post and News listing Spanish language cinemas around town:
Carelera Cinematografica 9/20/85
I misspelled that last link… it should obviously be “Cartelera” (translates as “Billboard”) and I hit send before I could comment that this listing seems to include not only Spanish language theaters, but theaters in or near Latino neighborhoods.
Well, I used to frequent this building a lot during the ‘90’s a a kid with my parents, but by then it was long gone as a theater. Astral Mart Plaza (say are they still open?) was a big store that occupied all of that former theater space with video games and clothes. One of the better uses of a former theater I’ve seen yet, and a boon for the youth living in the area. Though the last times I frequented it it looked like it was downsizing or losing business from it’s glory days during the '90’s. Does anyone know how long that store has occupied that space and if it’s still open in the form I just described?
Did the Empress have another name before Astral? The 1960 Film Daily Year Book lists the Empress as part of the Island Theatre Circuit, but the Empress is not listed in the next two volumes (1961 & 1962). However, the 1963 FDYB has a new theatre added to the listing for Island Theatre Circuit— Cinema 181. Since the Empress was on 181st Street, I suspect that Island Theatres re-opened it under the new name of Cinema 181. It seems possible that later, after Cinema 181 closed, new owners took over and re-named the theatre again to Astral.
Is this the Empress?
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This theatre ended its life as the Astral in the 80’s.
The Empress Theater at 181st Street near Audubon Avenue gave me some of the greatest moments of my moviegoing childhood. For one thing, a kid could get in for 25 cents and see THREE movies, not to mention a cartoon, newsreel, or short feature on the lumber industry haha. It also showed older films, from the 1940s, like DeMille’s NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE, which my brother and I saw in 1958, I believe (along with FIRE MAIDENS FROM OUTER SPACE and a horror flick). Sometimes the films were 5-10 years old; e.g. I recall seeing THE FAR HORIZONS and SEVEN CITIES OF GOLD (both from 1955) there around 1961. Generally, however, the films were recent releases, often after making their initial runs in the major theaters. From Elvis in GI BLUES to THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, from HERCULES UNCHAINED to other foreign films, it was always a treat to go there, although the hot dogs were terrible and the place was small and not well kept. Around 1962, however, it was cleaned up and refurbished, and became the small but classier “CINEMA 181.” I remember seeing there such films as THE MAGIC SWORD, THE 300 SPARTANS, BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ, THE YOUNG SAVAGES, SODOM AND GOMORRAH, HATARI, many many others. By that time, however, I had to pay the exorbitant adult admission of 75 cents, as I recall. It only lasted as the Cinema 181 for a few more years, I believe, then becoming a Spanish language theatre. But all I can say in retrospect is, it may have become a forgotten theater, but I will always remember the wonderful films seen there, and in such generous quantity!
ALAlvarez, YES—-that’s what was once the old Empress, then the Cinema 181, then the Astral.
The Google map view above is trying to leave the city.
Ha. So far I’ve seen a street view defaulted to a tunnel and now this on the GWB. Both times, heading for New Jersey! Hope this one gets re-set soon so it can be corrected!