Senate Theatre

This small theater indeed did become both a garage and a shooting range – which was really in keeping with the theme of the surrounding deteoriating neighborhood. The last film to play here was one of the Godzilla series, as the ‘now playing’ one sheet stayed in the left showcase windowbox for quite a while after the theater went dark.

This is another photo of the Senate Theater building.

Konczakowski Theaters was headquartered at 257 Virginia Street, Buffalo in the early sixties. E.W. Konczakowski was president. Other Buffalo theaters under his command at the time were the Circle and Marlowe.

Here is a 1985 photo by Michael Putnam:
http://tinyurl.com/2v6kfq

I lived diagonally across from the Senate theater for several years. It was (and probably still is) home to the Senate Gun Club. Other than repainting the marquee all brown, including the Senate name, there was seldom any activity around the building although it could be a bit disconcerting to come home at times and find the street lined with police cruisers. They were just using the club’s facilities to practice marksmanship. As far as I know the Senate closed as a theater in the late 50’s.

I have seen a recent photo of the Senate theater and the building is still intact, marquee and all. It appears to be just an empty building as of today.