BAM Harvey Theater
651 Fulton Street,
Brooklyn,
NY
11217
651 Fulton Street,
Brooklyn,
NY
11217
5 people
favorited this theater
The Majestic Theatre was a 1,708-seat legitimate theatre, later vaudeville house, built in 1904 on Fulton Street near the Orpheum Theatre and adjacent to the Strand Theatre in downtown Brooklyn. Recall the theatre playing triple features in the mid-1950’s similar to the programming at the Savoy Theatre in Jamaica, Queens.
The Majestic Theatre closed around 1968 and sat dormant until 1987, when it was rescued by the nearby Brooklyn Academy of Music and ‘renovated’ in a distressed state. It was then known as the BAM Majestic Theater for a number of years and was used for live performances. Today the Majestic Theatre lives on as a live performance venue known as the BAM Harvey Theater, with a seating capacity of 874.
Contributed by
Erwin Markisch
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Recent comments (view all 54 comments)
The majestic had such a classic marquee, a shame it’s gone.
If they only use the balcony level of this theater, what do they use the orchestra level for?
It would seem that other theaters could also use just it’s balcony level to remain as a theater, while provididing extra rent from renting out the orchestra level to retail. This is being proposed for the Ridgewood Theater in Ridgewood…
Perhaps other theaters could be semi saved this way. The old Madison Theater in Ridgewood comes to mind, as it’s orchestra level was destroyed, but it’s balcony level is all still up there, but unuised.
Please forgive my ignorance…but I just finished watching “the Curious Case of Benjamin Button” for the 1st time, in it there is a reference to “The Majestic” in New York City (Cate Blanchett’s character dances there)…the only one in NYC I fuond is THIS one & one that closed int he 20s…is this the one referenced in that movie? Sure looks like it from the pics.
The Majestic Theatre can be seen to the right of the elevated tracks in this historic photo. And note portions of the Orpheum Theatre on the left side: View link 209
jorgito2001, the New York City Majestic most likely referred to is the one on 44th Street in Manhattan. It never showed movies.
The following image:
View link
shows a bridge rally that took place in June, 1939 (this was a bridge from Hamilton Avenue to the Battery and eventually became the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel). Note that on the sidewalk are the columns (supports, stanchions) for the Fulton Avenue El, one of which is going straight through the middle and front of the Majestic’s marquee. The Fulton Avenue El came down in 1940.
In this image: http://brooklynpix.com/photo1/F/ftgreene34.jpg
we see movies on the busy active marquee. Hitler Beast of Berlin was a 1939 movie. We see no El columns at all.
My question is, then:
Were there a marquee on each street the theater face OR was the Aland LAdd flick seen later in time, not 1939? Alan Ladd was not really the star, and the other movie is a renamed 1935 British film. Or is something else involved? It is odd that the marquee is empty in first definitely 1939 image, but ver full in the second image.
Anyone reading this and know?
I saw a play there today. I think it’s fascinating that they left the theatre in this condition. I really like it; you can feel the history.
“Hitler, Beast of Berlin” and “King of the Circus” played a week’s engagement at the Majestic Theatre starting on February 26th, 1943, so the Brooklyn Pix photo must have been taken during that period. The PRC programmer had been re-issued to capitalize both on the newfound stardom of Alan Ladd and RKO’s blockbuster success with “Hitler’s Children.” When it first opened in November, 1939 at the Globe Theatre in midtown Manhattan, the title was “Beasts of Berlin,” referring to the Nazi party, and not to Hitler specifically. Ladd then spelled his first name as Allan, and had a supporting role.
P.S. “King of the Circus” was also a re-issue, and a new title for the 1935 British-made “This Woman Is Mine.”
Interesting photos posted by EdSolero 11/23/07,and the other photos show a great marquee when known as Majestic Theatre.Good to see that is it still in operation.
According to NewYorkCityTheatre.com, this Majestic opened in 1904, as the “Majestic Theatre”. see this link http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/harveylichtensteintheater/history.php