Ward Theatre

In the early 1950’s when I was attending P.S. 77, which was a few blocks from the Ward Theater, I recall getting a series of tickets at school for Saturday morning shows with features especially suited for young children.

The Ward Theatre was part of the Skouras chain. Spyros Skouras was also president of a major studio — either 20th Century Fox or Paramount.
Apparently in its early ears, it was also a vaudevillel theatre. There still remained a magnificent electric organ — however, its wiring had long ago been yanked out and sinister-looking cables were still draped like tentacles over the massive 3-manual keyboard, which looked like one of the awesome gadgets featured in the science fiction serials which made up part of the Saturday Afternoon menu.
On Saturdays, for 12 cents, later an inflationary 25 cents, we saw a double bill, a Western, a serial, animated cartoons ranging from primitive black and white to sophisticated Disney and Lantz creations, coming attractions, the newsreel and a public service short, in those war days, generally a War Bonds appeal, with the lights going up at the end of the movie and volunteers from the AWVS — the American Womens Volunteer Service— going up and down the aisles trolling for contributions.
One of my most enduring memories was of the Saturday afternoon when my best friend Vinnie and I were enjoying a Western when the lights suddenly went up and the PA system announced that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. Encouraged by the uniformed matron, Katie (“K-K-K-Katie”), we unwillingly shuffled out as though we were in a fire drill at PS 93 or PS 77, kids who looked upon it all as some sort of adventure.(I seem to recall later being issued a plastic disc ID— dogtags, as it were. But that may have been much later, as part of the Cold War.)
The Ward occupied most of the front of the block on Westchester Ave, with stores — on either side of its entrance. There was a two-story-high office building attached to the Ward Theatre, where an optician and several other small businesses had kept going during the Depression.
I recall fire exits backing up on both Ward Ave. and Boynton Ave., where I lived (further down the street near Watson Ave.), from 1939 to the early ‘60’s.
ProfMarty

Here is an early seventies photo of the Ward Theater.

Found a page with some memories and an etching:

View link

Grew up on Manor Ave between Westchester & Watson, one block from the Ward. I went to PS47 on St Lawrence Ave,my brother went to PS77 on Ward, then both of us went to JHS123 on Morrison Ave, during the 1960’s & 70’s. Spent many Sundays at the Ward theater. At that time it was part of the Pozin’s chain.