Kismet Theatre
785 DeKalb Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11206
785 DeKalb Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11206
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing all 14 comments
11:00 Mass at St. Ambrose, Then across street to the kismet for a double feature and frivolous socializing. Topped off with pizza from “the burger flame” right next door. Life was good.
St, Ambrose is now Mount Pitsgah Baptist
“The Burger Flame” is now flameless prefab housing
“The Kismet” is now a huge hole in the ground………………..
Life was good.
LOL but if I was in L.I. I could take the LIRR to the city where as there is no direct public transit to Baltimore.
I guess it would be like going from Long Island to Manhattan. Not that far but still a pain to get to.
I am closer to DC then Balt. Plus Baltimore is a pain in the butt to get to.
I don’t know if this building has an inside anymore. Demolition permits were issued, but a stop work order has also been issued. Right now this building is in limbo. Most likely the problem is safety related and will be resolved so work can continue.
Since your located in Maryland, you could check out some Baltimore theaters if it’s not too far from you. There are a large number of Baltimore theaters listed on this site. We can always use updates on the current status of those buildings.
I never got to see the inside of the building. My parents moved out of the area when I was 6 months old. LOL I think I said that before. What i would like to do is pick out some theatres that are closed but still standing and check them out. Maybe even the insides.
This building was in danger of being demolished last March. A photo can be seen here. Even if the building is still standing, it is no longer a church.
Listed in the 1940 Brooklyn yellow pages. Phone number was EVergrn 8-6148.
I think the Kismet is a church.
Actually went to the Kismet many times as a kid. It was located on Dekalb between Tompkins and Throop Aves (not Marcy) right across the street from the first Waldbaums supermarket. The first picture I remember seeing there was Bambi, somwhere about 1947. When I was a little older my friends and I would get Saturday +PAL passes and spend winter Saturdays watching the customary double feature, four cartoons, serial, and newsreel. I remember also seeing yo-yo contests there. I was a wonderful place, and not bug infested when I was there.
My parents used to live around the corner from the Kismet. My father used to be a part time usher there to earn some extra income. I personaly have no memory of the place cause shortly after i was born they moved to Coney Island.
Advertised as the Fox Kismet theater in Jan. 1931. The movies advertised were “Follow the Leader” with Ed Wynn and the second feature was “The Third Alarm”.
My mother went to the Kismet back in the 1930’s. She said it was nicknamed “The Itch” because apparently the place was infested with bugs! The ushers used to carry around cans of “flit” to kill them.
The Kismet Theatre was situated at 785 DeKalb Avenue and had 1,295 seats, according to the 1944 Film Daily Year Book. The State was at 500 DeKalb Avenue and had 1,010 seats. “Showed three movies a week” probably means three program changes per week of double features, or six movies a week.