Valentine Theatre
237 E. Fordham Road,
Bronx,
NY
10458
237 E. Fordham Road,
Bronx,
NY
10458
5 people
favorited this theater
Showing all 20 comments
The Valentine ended it’s existance as a triplex.
The Valentine was where my sons and I saw the first run of “Tora Tora Tora”. My wife wasn’t interested.
Here is a new link to the photo posted on Jun 4, 2008.
The Valentine Theater can also be seen in this photo.
This is a different link to the 1971 photo posted by Damien Farley on Jun 24, 2004.
The Valentine was sold again later in 1921 for $325,000, according to a story in The New York Times of 12/23/21. The NYT also mentioned that the Valentine had an open air theatre on the roof. The Fordham Road frontage contained six stores on the street level and offices on the floor above. The sales did not affect the long-term operating lease of Grob & Nobel, which ran the Valentine from opening day until G&N was taken over by William Fox circa 1928-29. After Fox’s bankruptcy, the Valentine fell under Skouras jurisdiction. By the time that the Valentine closed, the Skouras name had been replaced by that of the parent company, United Artists Theatres.
BRONX THEATRE SOLD.; Realty Company Buys the Valentine, Held at $300,000.
NY Times August 11, 1921
The Valentine Theatre at the north east corner of Fordham Road and Valentine Avenue, held at $300,000, was purchased by the Benenson Realty Company from Max J. Kramer, who erected the building last year.
I did not specify which type of photo was easy to find. Perhaps you have hours to spend finding one undated photo of this theatre. I have a real life and other activities that consume my time. If I had no life or friends as you do I would also be able to find vintage photo’s. It’s a matter of priorities fella.
No, it’s quite easy to find recent photos of the building as a retail conversion. People who aren’t too lazy might even go there and photograph it themselves. But vintage photos of the actual Valentine Theatre are difficult to find, and I challenge our expert “mikemovies” to come up with one as I did. I won’t hold my breath while I’m waiting.
I found a modern photo of the Valentine theatre fella’s. It isn’t too difficult to find these photos. View link
An undated exterior image to compare to Ken Roe’s view dated 8/21/06: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/bxvalentine.jpg
The Duke
View link
A photograph of the Valentine Theatre I took in June 2005:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/220979901/
The structure on the top end of the roof could be the projection booth of the former 482 seat;open air Roof Theatre.
The RKO Keith’s Fordham, the Lido, and the Concourse were also on East Fordham Road, and the Windsor was very near to East Fordham Road. Loew’s Grand was among the theatres on West Fordham Road.
I seem to recall that the Valentine had a very strangely shaped marquee. It seemed to be in the shape of a half of a heart.
Mr. Farley, indicated that there were several other theaters on Fordham Road? Could someone enlighten me on the others that were on Fordham? I only recall the Valentine. There may have been one other near VIMS?
Just a memory from my moveigoing childhood in the Bronx.My mom took me to see Mary Poppins at the Valentine, and when we came out we learned Malcolm X had just been shot in Harlem. I am finding it amazing all the memories that perusing this sight brings back. Thank you for the sight
The Valentine was a Loews house at the end and closed in 1987.
Fortunately, UA consists of only two letters and could easily be squeezed into the existing marquee. I doubt that it previously read Skouras Valentine. In fact, I don’t recall ever seeing “Skouras” as part of the theatre name on any marquee, though there might have been some instances.
A 1971 image of the theatre, with “UA” clearly visible on the marquee, can be found here:
View link