Star Theatre

1716 Lexington Avenue,
New York, NY 10029

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Showing 19 comments

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on February 19, 2010 at 6:30 pm

I suspect this is the same 1928 image from the broken links above.

View link

Bway
Bway on May 18, 2009 at 8:15 am

There appears to be a large apartment building now on the site:

View link

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on December 25, 2006 at 12:32 am

This theatre is mentioned in Rogelio Agrasanchez, Jr.’s excellent book MEXICAN MOVIES IN THE UNITED STATES.

In 1952 it switched to Spanish language films and broke all previous first-run records. An excellent photo of the BORICUA can be found in the book.

Bway
Bway on June 13, 2006 at 4:40 am

This was actually a pretty big theater judging by the exterior photos. Any interior ones available?

beckyJane
beckyJane on September 26, 2005 at 5:16 pm

ok.. I guess the star theater that I’m talking about was not a movie house.. unless it got turned into one with the advent of moving pics.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on September 26, 2005 at 10:07 am

Maybe the post box was moved from one side of the set of entrance doors to the other?

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on September 26, 2005 at 10:05 am

It could be that such a large theatre had several entrance doorways that spread along the block. The Film Daily Yearbook editions 1926 and 1927 give a street number of 1716, by 1930 and beyond they give 1714.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on September 26, 2005 at 5:04 am

The Star Theatre is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914 – 1915. The address given is 1716 Lexington Avenue.

beckyJane
beckyJane on September 25, 2005 at 12:26 pm

I was trying to find some information on Star Theatre on 13th and Broadway.. I have a playbill from 1885 for Macbeth. The Playbill has a little drawing of the interior of the theatre.

bamtino
bamtino on September 21, 2005 at 9:29 am

This theatre was listed in the Film Daily Year Books of, at least, 1955-1969, as the Boricua (a typo in the 1955 edition caused it to be listed as Boricud). Shouldn’t it be listed under that name with Star as a previous name?

cathycva
cathycva on March 9, 2005 at 12:08 pm

After I posted I realized that this is a site for “Cinema” theatres exclusively, and that this particular Star Theatre was not a movie house. Sorry about that!

cathycva
cathycva on March 9, 2005 at 12:08 pm

After I posted I realized that this is a site for “Cinema” theatres exclusively, and that this particular Star Theatre was not a movie house. Sorry about that!

R143
R143 on March 9, 2005 at 11:23 am

Cathy, this is quite interesting. Thanks! The only thing is though that this is not the Star Theatre of this post. This Star theater was up on Lexington Ave way Uptown at 107th St, the one you mentioned was on 13th St, Downtown.
Is the Star Theatre you mentioned on this site? If it is not, and you know anything more about it, it should be added if you would like, or someone should add it.

cathycva
cathycva on March 2, 2005 at 10:03 am

There is an amazing Library of Congress film clip of the Star Theatre being demolished in 1901. It is shot using time lapse photography over a period of 30 days.

Here are the notes on the film:
Using time-lapse photography, the film shows the demolition of the famous Star Theatre. Judging from the various exposures, the work must have gone on for a period of approximately thirty days. The theater opened in 1861 as “Wallack’s Theatre,” and was re-christened the “Star” in 1883. It was well known for it’s excellent productions, and a number of celebrated actors and actresses worked there, among them Ellen Terry. The celebrated English actor Henry Irving made his first stage appearance in America at the Star.
Photographed in 1901. Location: Broadway and 13th Street, New York, N.Y.

If you’d like to view the film, here is the link. You can view it right there, or you can save it to your computer.
View link

Bway
Bway on February 22, 2005 at 8:42 pm

Quote Lostmemory:

Okay, the other two Star theaters have addresses

Of course there’s also the Starr theater in Brooklyn with two r’s that is also now demolished:

/theaters/8018/

Bway
Bway on February 22, 2005 at 8:33 pm

Cool, I was just reading the “old” messages from the original listing (before I duplicated it), and Warren mentions the exact same book that I “discovered” this theater in.
If at the bookstore, check out the book, it’s a cool photo of the theater.

Bway
Bway on February 22, 2005 at 8:29 pm

Thanks. I’m sorry, but I really did search for this theater before I “readded it”. I think what threw me was that I searched for “Fox Star” when I was looking for it, and I didn’t have the exact address when I originally added it.
Thank you for saving the messages from my addition though. At least they were saved.