Loew's Paradise Theatre
2413 Grand Concourse,
Bronx,
NY
10468
2413 Grand Concourse,
Bronx,
NY
10468
55 people
favorited this theater
Loew’s Paradise Theatre opened on September 7, 1929 with Warner Oland in “The Mysterious Dr. Fu-Manchu” on the screen, plus a Chester Hale stage presentation “Cameos” and British organist Harold Ramsey playing the 4 manual, 7 rank Robert Morton ‘Wonder Organ’.
The 23rd largest movie theatre ever to be built in the USA was commissioned by the Paramount/Publix chain and was to be named the Venetian Theatre. Paramount/Publix withdrew from the project shortly before construction began and it was taken over by New York’s largest movie theatre chain, Loew’s Inc. The design was adapted to become one of the five ‘Wonder Theatres’, named after the Robert Morton ‘Wonder Organ’ which was installed in each of them.
The first ‘Wonder Theatre’ had opened in January 1929, the Loew’s Valencia Theatre, in Jamaica, Queens. The Loew’s Paradise Theatre in the Bronx was joint-second to open, on the same day with Loew’s Kings Theatre, Brooklyn. These were followed by the Loew’s Jersey Theatre, Jersey City, NJ and finally the Loew’s 175th Street Theatre in Washington Heights, Manhattan.
The Loew’s Paradise Theatre was one of the last ‘Atmospheric’ style theatres built towards the end of the movie palace building boom. John Eberson, the architect who designed this $4,000,000 deluxe picture palace, was famed for his ‘Atmospheric’ theatres and the Bronx Paradise, is perhaps the greatest example of his work to survive since the demolition of the Paradise Theatre in Chicago (1928-1956).
Here on the Grand Concourse, where local ordinance forbids the use of large vertical signs, the facade is restrained and dignified. On top of the frontage, over the entrance, is the space originally occupied by a mechanical Seth Thomas clock, where hourly St. George slayed a fire-breathing dragon. As the Bronx Paradise fell foul to vandals in later years, the figure of St. George was stolen. A similar device, now renovated, was also installed at the Loew’s Jersey Theatre, Jersey City, NJ.
The main lobby, reached through a set of bronze doors from the outer lobby, features three domes in the ceiling containing painted murals depicting ‘Sound, Story and Film’. In the center of the north wall, beneath a statue of ‘Winged Victory’, was a large Carrara marble fountain featuring the figure of a child on a dolphin. At the base of the Grand Stair hung an oil painting of ‘Marie Antoinette as Patron of the Arts’ and a copy of artist Holbein’s ‘Anne of Cleves’.
The auditorium was designed to represent a 16th century Italian Baroque garden, bathed in Mediterranean moonlight, with stars twinkling in the ceiling as clouds passed by. Hanging vines, cypress trees, stuffed birds and Classical statues and busts lined the walls. The safety curtain was painted with a gated Venetian garden scene, which continued the garden effect around the auditorium when it was lowered.
After the Great Depression, live acts were dropped from the program schedule and the Paradise became a regular first run movie theatre. In the late 1940’s a concrete slab was installed over the orchestra pit to create four extra rows of seats. It covered the orchestra pit and organ console. The slab was lifted only once, in the 1960’s, to enable the removal of the organ console, which with the rest of the organ pipes has now been installed at the Loew’s Jersey Theatre, Jersey City, NJ. which had its original organ removed in 1949 (and that is now installed in the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA)
Over the years, many features and fittings in the Paradise ‘disappeared’ and by the late-1960’s it was on the market for redevelopment, opening only for evening performances. The theatre was twinned in December 1973, then in 1975 it was triplexed and in 1981 was divided into four screens, hiding practically all the original auditorium interior behind drop ceilings and panel walls.
The Paradise Theatre closed in 1994 and lay empty for six years. By November 2000, work had begun on a restoration, but this was halted due to an ownership rights dispute with the restorer. A new owner took control and completed the renovation, re-opening in October 2005 as a live theatre and special events venue, now named Utopia’s Paradise Theater. In November 2012 it was leased to a church.
The theater is a New York City Registered Landmark building, for both the facade and the interior. Listed on 16th April 1997.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 802 comments)
Let’s pray that if this takes place, the lease requires that the Church must refrain from undoing the magnificient, mult-million dollar effort that restored the Paradise to much of its original grandeur. Don’t let them “screw it up” like the Church that made a mockery of the original Loew’s Valencia in Jamaica, Queens.
Though I despise churches, there are many examples where they prove to be great stewards of our glorious palaces. The Hollywood in midtown, the Loews 175th Street in Washington Heights and the Stanley in Jersey City but just a few excellent examples. That said, I am saddened that this theater is becoming a church. Of course, it is a successful church. They bought an old Christ Scientist church on W. 96th and Central Park West that was also a landmark and have respected that architecture. This particular church worships money so in theory they will not skimp on their infrastructure. They need to project affluence to get it.
Is this a “done deal” or just gossip? In any case, it doesn’t augur well for the proposed rejuvenation of Loew’s Kings, since it’s an open confession that the Paradise couldn’t be run successfully as a performing arts center. I also haven’t seen any evidence that the ex-Loew’s 175th Street has been successful as the United Palace concert venue.
Tinseltoes, the only advantage I would give to the Kings over the Paradise is that of location. While the Kings isn’t exactly in the prime downtown area, seems to me that Brooklyn on the whole has a better reputation as a destination for cultural activities than the Bronx. And this is not to denigrate the Bronx, which is the borough from which my parents and grandparents hail, but I just don’t think it has the same appeal as Brooklyn. And the United Palace is first and foremost a church. I think a deal was arranged for concerts there, primarily as a temporary replacement for the Beacon, while the latter was undergoing its extensive renovations. While sporadic bookings have continued, I don’t think it was ever seriously positioned as a competitor of the Beacon’s and other downtown venues.
Agreed Ed, the Loews 175th has been quite successful as a concert venue. It has been so for decades though it is not the primary purpose of the space. The Kings is by far a better location than the Paradise. I have no doubt that the Kings has a much better chance at success. In addition, the owners of the Paradise were terrible managers. The people in charge of the Kings are very experienced.
Most people don’t want to go to the Bronx and there’s limited parking.
I never understand all the mocking that takes place in regard to the Loews Valencia. Sure, it would be nicer if it was a theater again, and it is “sad” that it’s a church instead of such, but this church has saved the Valencia. While yes, the colors they painted the interior are garish at best, what would you rather have, the interior gutted into a drug store or something instead? or worse, leveled? The Valencia is completely intact, maintained, and good shape. Who cares if the colors are garish….all that beautiful plasterwork could be gone instead, and prescriptions sold there instead.
Amen Bway! I’m an atheist so i don’t like churches but I don’t deny that they have saved a great many palaces; some better than others. Not all churches do a great job. Many have butchered the palaces they took over but I believe the majority have benefitted from their divine users. I wish them well.
Can anyone go to church services at the Paradise? I would love to go there on a Sunday morning. I have been to 175th Loews and felt welcomed during a service. I would “close my eyes” and imagine I was there when it was a movie palace.
As at churches everywhere, I’m sure that you would be welcome at any of the services held at Loew’s Paradise.