Gotham Theatre
165 East 125th Street,
New York,
NY
10035
165 East 125th Street,
New York,
NY
10035
1 person
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Ruth Crosby Dimmick’s Our Theatres To-day and Yesterday,published in 1913, says that the Gotham Theatre was opened by Sullivan & Kraus in 1901, and operated as a variety theater. In 1908, it was taken over by William Fox who operated it as a combination vaudeville and movie house.
In 1906, Sullivan & Kraus paid $500 to the City of New York for a one-year license for the Gotham Music Hall, 163-167 E. 125th Street, according to The City Record of May 10 that year. Gotham Music Hall was apparently the theater’s name before Fox leased it.
Does anyone know anything more about the Teatro Latino on 125th street?
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LfZDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KLAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3506%2C3405096
No, the Boricua (original Star) was around 107th Street, well below the Latino Theatre on 125th Street.
O.K.
That sounds like the Boricua.
/theaters/7871/
I wonder if this could have survived beyond 1965 under a different name? The January 21, 1967 issue of the Amsterdam News carries an ad for the Latino Theatre, described as “Harlem’s Newest,” with an address of 125th Street between Third & Lexington Avenues and a phone number of 722-9362. The current booking was a double bill of “The Disorderly Orderly” and “The Buccaneer,” but due to arrive on January 25th for a full week was a “live” presentation, The Great Pan-American Circus, featuring trapeze artists, clowns, lions, and chimpanzees. Such a show would have required a large stage, and this probably still had one. The only other candidate in the area would have been Proctor’s 125th, but I believe it was between Park and Lexington, not Third and Lexington.
This theatre had a history of being raided by police for presenting scantily clad women (1930’s style) in live burlesque shows.
In her bio, “Some of These Days,” Sophie Tucker mentions amateur nights “Up at the 125th Street Theater, corner of 3rd Avenue.” (she did play there.) There’s no doubt it was the latter day Tri-Boro. I grew up in the neighborhood in the 40s & 50s, and recall their showing Italian, then Spanish films, live theater (“Passion Play” an annual event), and a 3 films a day grind house. It was a fairly large theater, with two balconies, and an “island” box office outside.
bobmarshall
Gotham Theatre Sale.
NY Times April 16, 1922
The old Gotham Theatre, located on the north side of 125th Street, about 131 feet west of Third Avenue, and running through to 126th Street, will be sold on Tuesday, April 25, at 12 o'clock noon in the Exchange Salesroom, 14 Vesey Street.
This theatre is mentioned in Rogelio Agrasanchez, Jr.’s excellent book MEXICAN MOVIES I N THE UNITED STATES.
Several photos showing the marquee in the background are featured in the recent book, “Metropolitan New York’s Third Avenue Railway System,” by Charles L. Ballard. In all cases, the name on the marquee is TRI-BORO, with a hyphen not quite in the middle. At the time, the Tri-Boro was showing Spanish-language films.
A Midmer-Losh organ was installed in the Gotham Theater in 1920.
The 1941 and 1943 editions of Film Daily Yearbook have this theatre listed as the Triboro Theatre, 165 E. 125th Street, Manhattan with a seating capacity of 571 (closed).
In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. it is listed as open again (same seating capacity)
If this is in Times Square, my book says that it showed Zamba and Black Shadows-both thrillers. Am I correct about its location? I’m only 10 years old, so I’m……well…just not as smart as you older folks. I admit it. Please reply, somebody!
Warren— many thanks!
Bill….The theater that your thinking of was called Movieland. Its already listed on here.
/theaters/2925/
In the ‘40s, a stage-play-converted-to-movie theater at the SW corner of 47 Street and B'way was named “Gotham.” It showed mostly B-films. In the early '50s, its name changed to “Holiday.” With the coming of widescreen, it advertised “NY’s largest wide screen (from our seating perspective),” meaning that in that small house, the screen overwhelmed the viewer’s vision, though it was by no means the largest one in NY. In the late '50s, I remember seeing Olivier’s “Henry V” there, retooled and grotesquly cropped as it opened up to fill a CinemaScope ratio. In the '60s, its name again changed to “Forum.” I remember seeing “Yellow Submarine” there during its first run. With so many changes, I’ve lost track of its final name and can’t locate it on this site. So: Under what rubric is the former E. 47 Street “Gotham” listed here? Warren, I’ll bet you know the answer.
CC, the theatre you’re referring to is listed here as the Delmar.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s another “Gotham” theater located around 138th Street and Broadway. I drove past it today. It’s been converted into retail with a McDonalds where the main entrance to the theater must’ve been. The “Gotham Theater” name is still on the building.