Metropolitan Theatre
241 East 14th Street,
New York,
NY
10003
241 East 14th Street,
New York,
NY
10003
1 person
favorited this theater
At its closing in 1988, the Metropolitan Theatre was perhaps the most notorious porno theatre in New York City, but it first opened in 1914 as the New 14th Street Theatre. Prolific architect Lorenz F.J. Welher’s design was one of his first for a full-fledged movie theatre rather than nickelodeon.
Around 1940, the theatre was re-named the Arrow Theatre, which stuck until the 1960’s, when it turned XXX as the Metropolitan (known to regulars as the Met).
Through the decades, the interior was never changed or even re-painted. The original screen still hung against the back wall, with a newer, larger screen placed some feet in front. The sliding glass skylight remained affixed to the ceiling, and soiled red damask covered the walls.
The theatre has since been razed and replaced by an apartment building.
Contributed by
Warren G. Harris
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Recent comments (view all 43 comments)
Judith, thanks for the clarification of the spelling of Mayer. I’ve seen the names of Max Shapiro and David Rosenzweig in early trade journals, but I don’t recall the exact details. But I think they were only in connection with unimportant, late-run neighborhood theatres. The NY Film Curb, which was published in the late 1920s-early 1930s, is a treasure trove of such information, and can be found in the Billy Rose Theatre Collection at the Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center, NYC.
During the leasing of the New Law in March 1922, a blurb in the NYT lists two Mayers and a Schneider as the directors of M & S.
E. Mayer, C. Mayer and L. Schneider.
Just checked a court case against Steiner dating of 1936. It lists all the shareholders of the Greater M & S Circuit, Inc.
The large stockholders (2500+) are Louis Schneider,Elias Mayer, Jacob Borodkin (& family), Max Cohen, and LB Appleton.
One Abraham C. Mayer had 100 shares, the same amount was in the hands of the Estate of Ch. Mayer. So C. Mayer may have been a family member involved in the day-to-day operation of the New Law Theater.
Is this a photo of this Metropolitan?
View link
Sure looks like it. (I just got a little dizzy with thoughts of a mis-spent youth…)
I don’t even know if it should say “retail” as this theater’s function, as it most definitely was demolished. It appears to currently be a condo or apartment building, and doesn’t even appear to be retail on the first floor. Compare to the photo alalvarez posted on april 13th, which still has “Einstein Bros” on the building next door. Here’s a google street view:
View link
Night view
View link
This daytime photo gives a more detailed view of the building: View link
Since Ken Roe has added another porn Metropolitan does anyone know when the Metropolitan closed and when THE MET opened?
The Village Voice ads above are from 1970.
In the Google picture above the theatre was located at the 235 East 14th Street. Which is the building to the left of the DVD Store.