Loew's Valencia Theatre
165-11 Jamaica Avenue,
Jamaica,
NY
11432
165-11 Jamaica Avenue,
Jamaica,
NY
11432
30 people
favorited this theater
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I just came across this on a site called Scouting New York:
Just a quick note on the incredible Valencia Movie Palace in Queens. For those who would like to see this work of art in person, the Tabernacle of Prayer Church has generously set-up visiting time every Sunday from 11:00-11:45am, when services will not be in session. Just walk right in the lobby – they’ll be expecting you! Please try to come during these times, as the church will otherwise be conducting services and programs in the theater throughout the day.
The address is 165-11 Jamaica Ave, with F, E, J, and Z service just a few blocks away. Needless to say, I highly recommend the trip.
Those lurid colors and gaudy chandelier in the auditorium will bring tears to the eyes of anyone who visited while the Valencia was still a cinema. If you look at the recent photos in Black & White, you will get a better impression of what it was really like.
The Queens Movie Theater You Will Not Believe – http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=6288
I saw her appear in Let it Ride on Broadway. Also it’s interesting to note that she is buried in Farmingdale, as are a number of other celebrities.
Hollywood bombshell Barbara Nichols, a onetime Queens resident who was one of the winners of the annual “Miss Loew’s Valencia” beauty contest, is fondly remembered here: qchron
That is partially true. The last film I saw there was ‘MAHOGANY’ with Diana Ross and Billy Dee Williams in 1976.
I heard that this theater’s patronage suffered with the closing of the Jamaica elevated in the mid 1970’s.
Loew’s Valencia was among theatres mentioned in this 1935 trade ad for “Screeno,” an audience-participation game designed to boost attendance during the Depression era: boxofficemagazine
The address ribbon across the top of the listing has one Jamaica too many. It should read “New York>Jamaica>Loew’s Valencia Theatre.” Also, the list of nearby theatres should include the Merrick Theatre. The Main Street Cinemas could be deleted because it’s in Flushing, not Jamaica.
Click here for an exterior view of the Loew’s Valencia Theatre in 1930.
The tragedy was reported in The New York Times of April 3rd, 1943, page 17, and gave a specific name and address for both the victim and her son. A copy can be obtained by e-mailing .
“lynnjav,” I’m sorry to hear of your personal connection to the tragedy. It was reported in the press at the time, but I don’t recall which paper. But I’m sure it was correct about the downstairs “lounge,” which was two flights of stairs below ground level. The “loge” was the plush section of seats at the front of the balcony. If a gun had gone off in the loge, it would have been heard immediately all over the auditorium. If I can find the news report, I’ll send it to you.
That suicide-committing patron was my grandmother (the gun owner was my dad). I was told that she’d shot herself in the Loge. Tinseltoes, what is the source of your information?
The address ribbon at the top of the introduction has one “Jamaica” too many. The first is all that’s needed. Doesn’t anyone in authority ever proofread these listings?
At least one patron committed suicide at Loew’s Valencia during its cinema history. On April 2nd, 1943, a 70-year-old widow from Bellaire, Queens, killed herself with a pistol in the downstairs ladies' lounge. Apparently, no one heard the shot. The body was discovered by two young women when they went down to the lounge around 5:00pm. The Jamaica police traced ownership of the gun to the victim’s son, who said that his mother had been despondent since the death of her husband two years ago. The Valencia was then in the second day of a week’s engagement of “The Crystal Ball” (Paulette Goodard-Ray Milland) and “Silver Queen” (Priscilla Lane-George Brent).
Marcus Loew was born on this date in 1870.
Thanks again Tinesletoes!
Sixty-two years ago today, Loew’s Valencia opened a week’s engagement of MGM’s B&W “Command Decision,” starring Clark Gable, Van Johnson, and Walter Pidgeon, and the Monogram B&W programmer, “Henry the Rainmaker,” both exclusive first-run for Queens. The same conditions had prevailed the previous week with Paramount’s Technicolor “Whispering Smith,” with Alan Ladd, and Paramount’s B&W “My Own True Love,” which had now moved on to an exclusive-for-Queens week at Loew’s Triboro in Astoria.
Well Bway,lets see it this theatre gets anymore hits!LOL.
LOL! I just saw the Valencia name, and said, “Wow, it’s a long time since I saw that one come up in my email updates!”
Relinking,just to stur up some interest.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 1953, Loew’s Valencia attracted large crowds and lobby “lock-outs” with MGM’s Technioolor adventure, “Mogambo,” starring Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, and Grace Kelly, and presented on its wide-vision screen with stereophonic sound. The supporting feature was MGM’s B&W collegiate musicomedy, “The Affairs of Dobie Gillis,” with Debbie Reynolds and Bobby Van. As had been the policy since the Valencia first opened in 1929, the engagement was exclusive first-run for the borough of Queens. That held true until the mid-1960s, when the “Premiere Showcase” concept became common practice in the Greater New York territory.
Little known fact about the Valencia Theater in Jamaica, NY:
Charlie Parker performed there live in 1952. Hear him again here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYg0wQ5Th4w
Jamaica was also home to Illinois Jacquet. A church in the old Prospect Cemetery in Jamaica, now part of York College, is dedicated to Illinois Jacquet with jazz concerts from time to time
John Signorelli
Nice photo jwballer.
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