New United Theatre
207 Myrtle Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11201
207 Myrtle Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11201
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Research suggests that there were two United theatres at this site, the first probably demolished to make way for the second. The 500-seat United Theatre may have started as a nickelodeon. Circa 1925-26, it was replaced by a much larger United Theatre with a reported 1,800 seats. In 1932, it was re-named the New United Theatre, with seating capacity reduced to 1,600.
The theatre closed around 1945, and was described as such in Film Daily Year Books until 1949, when it disappeared from the list of Brooklyn movie theatres. The New United Theatre apparently never re-opened, even under another name. Perhaps its nearest rival, the 586-seat Subway Theatre at 158 Myrtle Avenue, was all that the neighborhood could support. The New United Theatre has been demolished.
Contributed by
Warren G. Harris
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
Ooops, here’s the link I was going to put in the above post:
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?6859
There is something with a slanted roof in the right side of the photo that could be a theatre building, but I might just be hallucinating.
I was sort of thinking that too, and the odd numbers on Myrtle would be on the right. Unfortunately, the purpose of the photo (the train) is in the way.
The United theater is demolished.
I drove by yesterday, and currently there is a very large building on it’s site. The building appoears to have been built in the 70’s or so.
This was not listed in the 1945 Film Trade Directory for the Greater New York Area, not even as a closed theatre, so it might have been converted to other use by that time. But I doubt that it had yet been demolished, because that was impossible during wartime due to the manpower shortage for non-essential work.
I found some interesting items about the United in old issues of the New York State Exhibitor. In September, 1928, the owners got into a dispute with the projectionists' union, which put up a picket line in front of the theatre. The United played to virtually empty houses until November, when it successfully obtained an injunction against the pickets. However, several days later, someone broke into the theatre in the middle of the night and tried to burn it down with kerosene. But a passing cab driver happened to see flames and reported it to the fire department, which managed to put it out before any major damage was done. In October, 1929, the theatre became known as the New United when it was taken over by Hyman Rachmil, who had been partners with Sam Rinzler in a circuit that they sold to William Fox. Rachmil was starting over with a new partner, J. Katz, and they had already acquired two other Brooklyn theatres, the Windsor and Stillwell. Unfortunately, October, 1929, also happened to be the month of the “Wall Street Crash,” so the future would not be easy for the new partnership.
Here is an aerial view of where the United Theater once was. Block after block was demolished on this part of Myrtle:
Click here for link
The United Theater October 1923.
Showing: “The Cheat” with Pola Negri; “Silver Spurs” with Lester Cuneo; “Temporary Marriage” with Mildred Davis Lloyd; “The Destroying Angel” with Leah Baird; “Salomy Jane” with Jacqueline
Logan; “Don’t Marry For Money” with House Peters; and more.
I found one certificate of occupancy for 207 Myrtle Avenue. The date given is March 3, 1922. It was a new building. The purpose of the building was a 462 seat motion picture theater. The name above should be New United.
In February, 1938, new management took inspiration from President Roosevelt by “Offering A New Deal To Colored Patrons.” For the first four days, stage shows featuring amateur talent with Doug Moye’s Swing Band were added to draw crowds, but following that, only late-run double features were shown. In this ad, the New United uses an address of Myrtle Avenue & Hudson Avenue: View link