Granada Theatre
101-02 37th Avenue,
Corona,
NY
11368
101-02 37th Avenue,
Corona,
NY
11368
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The Granada Theatre was built by the S & S Circuit (Small and Strausberg) simultaneously with their Corona Theatre, and the two stadium-type houses (no balconies) opened in 1927 within a week of each other. S & S was soon taken over by William Fox, and both theatres eventually became part of the Skouras Circuit after Fox’s bankruptcy.
Although the Granada Theatre was the larger of the two theatres, it was located in a residential area too far to benefit from Corona’s main shopping district on Junction Boulevard. It never prospered and closed in the early-1950’s. For a time, it served as a factory-warehouse, but later became an evangelical church and community center.
Information about its present status would be appreciated.
Contributed by
Warren G. Harris
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
A real estate search of this property shows the following:
A two story building built in 1926. The current occupant is listed as, LAUNDROMAT INC. (Business Types: Laundries-Self Service)
10102 37th Ave
Corona, NY 11368
(718) 396-2390
In answering Warren’s query of 13 December it appears the auditorium was being used for storage of supplies in 2000.I imagine the auditorium was still intact.I discovered the information from the following website,www.desiwriter.com/clip_aftermath.html
Maybe someone in New York could check it out.
I visited the site today for the first time in about four years, and regret to report that whatever remained of the Granada Theatre has been demolished and replaced by a group of attached three-story apartment buildings with the addresses 101-06 through 101-18 37th Avenue. A two-story corner building with a store and apartments above with address of 101-02 remains, but I believe that it was never part of the Granada Theatre nor had any common walls.
I used to work at the Cable & Conduit company that was operating there in the early 1960’s I was a secretary back then and all of 19 years old. I lived on 101st Street and we frequented the theatre until it closed. There were always rumors that it would reopen; sadly it never did. It was a carbon manufacturing plant at one time also. The corner building was a pharmacy, soda fountain which we went to every day. I lived at 37-59 101st Street.
Here are two versions of the same 1941 image. The current program was a double bill of “Back Street” & “Captain Caution”:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/granada1.jpg
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/granada2.jpg
The Granada was one of the first Queens theatres to succumb to TV competition, closing forever on June 1st, 1950. The final program was a “Special Italian Show” consisting of “Son of the Sheik” & “Sea of Troubles.” The main feature was Rudolph Valentino’s final movie, a silent that had been reissued with a synchronized musical score and sound effects…During the Depression years, the Granada tried everything to stay open. Here’s a typical ad from 1937:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/granada37.jpg
A Robert-Morton theater organ opus 2506 size 2/5 was installed in the Granada Theater in 1926.
Here are new links to images described above on 7/10/06:
View link
View link
The Google Maps street view above is incorrect and seems about half a block off. The view shows mid block buildings, whereas the theater’s address would place it a bit to the west on the corner of 101st Street and 37th Avenue.
The “Nearby Theaters” list is another bad example of that CT feature, neglecting to meantion the Corona and Polk, which were the closest competition to the Granada. The College Point Multiplex is especially laughable because it’s miles away and didn’t even exist during the Granada’s life as a cinema.