BAM Harvey Theater

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.

“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.

The following image:
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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?

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

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.

There’s a great photo of the Majestic on brooklynpix.com:

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Shhh…the Phantom lives down there.

Here’s a NY Times article about the first production there, and a little bit on the “renovation” back in 1988:

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After reading the comments, it appears that the orchestra level is now under the current floor, and what was once the first balcony is now sort of the “orchestra” level. That is very interesting. Does anyone know of any other current (or historic) photos of the interior of this theater? it must have been a huge theater, as even though they raised the floor to the 1st balcony, it still looks like quite a high ceiling.

Here is a circa 1940 photo.

Starting with the year-end holidays of 1948, the Majestic installed vaudeville on weekends only. To offset the talent costs, the movies were reissues. The new policy proved a failure and within a few months, the Majestic reverted to movies only: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/majesticvaude.jpg

Here’s a view of the renovated auditorium. The ground floor, as well as the stage floor, have been raised considerably, with seating now in the former balconies. Originally, three tiers of boxes flanked both sides of the stage. The bottom tiers are buried beneath the new floor:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/BAMajestic.jpg