Freeman Theatre
1240 Southern Boulevard,
Bronx,
NY
1240 Southern Boulevard,
Bronx,
NY
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The year given for this photo is 1971.
A portion of the Freeman is visible in a photo at this updated link.
A portion of the Freeman is visible in this photo.
Here’s a new link to a vintage view of the auditorium:
View link
We went inside the Freeman Theater two weeks ago and nothing is remaining as it’s totally dilapidated (certainly due to water damage after years of vacancy).
Here is a photo of the Freeman Theater.
STAGE $1,100 HOLDUP IN A BRONX THEATRE; Motor Bandits Rob Manager of Receipts on Way to Bank — Crowd Pursues.
NY Times March 2, 1924
Two armed youths held up Irving Berman, manager of the Freeman Motion Picture Theatre, 1232 Southern Boulevard, the Bronx, at 10:15 o'clock last night as he was starting for a bank four doors away, and got away in an automobile with $1,100, the day’s receipts.
I went to the Bronx Zoo on Saturday and I took the #2 train. While looking out the window I noticed the “Olympic Concert Hall” aka “Prospect Theater” looking very dilapidated and with a “for sale” sign on the marquee. It was disconcerting since the rest of the neighborhood looks like it’s in the middle of a building boom and supposedly the theater had been renovated recently. Anyway, the reason I mention all of that is because I was born in the Bronx and I asked my mom if she had gone to the Prospect. She said it was one of her favorite theaters, but that she usually went to The Freeman. As a matter of fact, she went into labor (with me) while she was attending some Spanish language movie on November 23, 1959!
I love the fact i I decided to come into the world while I was actually IN a theater!
Also, thank you Warren for that picture of the auditorium. It meant a lot to me to be able to see it. I wonder how much, if any, of the interior remains.
A rare view of the auditorium, which had a stadium section at the rear instead of a conventional balcony. I wonder if any of the original decor remains in the building, which still exists:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/freeman1922.jpg
Was turn into a spanish movie house for some time.
REMEMBER THE SMALL FISH POND IN THE LOBBY. THE BICYCLE RACE MOVIES ON SATURDAY ALONG WITH TWENTY FIVE CARTOONS? I SAW FRANKIE LYMAN THERE LIVE IN THE FIFTIES. GREAT MEMORIES.. PICTURE TO FOLLOW BOB T
A Wurlitzer organ Opus 567 Style 160 was installed in the Freeman Theater on 8/21/1922.
This theatre opened no earlier than 1922 (it was under construction when sold to the operator of the City Hall Theatre in August of 1922). It was operated for a time by Loew’s and, judging by the photo at this link,
http://bronxblotter.home.mindspring.com/old/freeman_old.jpg,
featured Spanish programming in the 1970s.
Images from 2002 can be found here:
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