Major Theater
277 Canal Street,
New York,
NY
10013
277 Canal Street,
New York,
NY
10013
1 person
favorited this theater
The Major Theater was known under a few names during it’s life. In later years it was known as the Cinema Giglio and may also have been known as the Canal Cinema at some point, though not to be confused with the Canal Theater further away on Canal Street. It is currently in the bustling part of Canal Street in the heart of Chinatown as Chinatown continues to eat up most of what is left of Little Italy.
It showed Italian language films when it was known as the Cinema Giglio. After the Cinema Giglio closed, it showed Chinese language films for a brief period before being converted to retail.
Today, much of the exterior still exists of the Major Theater, including the marquee, although the interior has been converted to retail and flea market like space. Much of the ornamentation still exists. When first entering, you can easily tell you are in the lobby of an old theater, right down to some mirrors on the walls. Once passing into the main auditorium of the small theater, it still screams theater as much of the ceiling plasterwork and columns still exist. Perhaps much of the walls also still exist, although mostly covered by pegboard for the merchandise now in the space.
Contributed by
Chris
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Recent comments (view all 14 comments)
Wow, this little theater actually had a Wulitzer!?
Does anyone know around when they stopped showing movies in this little theater?
A certificate of occupancy dated August 6, 1979 shows a 600 seat theater at 277 Canal Street. That is the last c/o that I could find that shows a theater at this address. This doesn’t mean that the theater was still operating in 1979, it just means that a theater was still located at this address in 1979 and it wasn’t converted to retail yet.
This was still operating as the Canal Cinema in the summer of 1978.
It would be difficult to find an exact closing date for this cinema. Its final bookings were Chinese movies, which weren’t advertised or promoted in the mainstream, English-language press.
Operating as Cinema Giglio in 1963.
Did it go to chinese cinema after 1978?
Here’s a google street view of the Major Theater. It’s marquee still up:
View link
Maybe the Major Theatre was not so major.Just kidding.
The Major’s marquee and vertical sign can be seen in the center of this vintage photograph: View link