Queens Theatre
219-36 Jamaica Avenue,
Queens Village,
NY
11428
219-36 Jamaica Avenue,
Queens Village,
NY
11428
15 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 164 comments
The latest edition of the Forgotten New York website has a short article on Queens Village, including a color photo and update on the still shuttered Queens Theatre. Click here
A few years ago I was allowed to photograph the Queens Theatre. Check out some of the photos and a short write up at After the Final Curtain.
Uploaded 1930 ad showing management under Century.
It appears as though the renovation work has been stopped for some time. The scaffolding is in place and the facade is boarded over.
An ad as an adult venue appears in the Newsday Vault Classic edition of May 18, 1983 so life existed past that shown in the blurb.
So all these years later the building is still being renovated. It was supposed to be a church with a seating capacity about the same as when the building was a theater. But they took down the fire escapes to the balcony which, if I’m correct, had more seats than the orchestra. Go figure.
Photo added today
I have not been backed to Queens Village in over 40 years. Living now in Florida. I worked for Century theaters in 1952 to 1968 as assist mgr.and then as mgr.then later became a projectionist with Local 640.I have fond memories of Queens Village as I lived on 220th St. back in 1943. Next time I get up to NY I will try to visit the old village. Thanks for your note. Stay well. Regards, Artie
Well, obviously I do since I uploaded the picture. I lived in Bellerose and often walked to Queens Village for one reason or another. Especially at night it was a sight to see the lit vertical when I passed the bend in the road. I believe I was only in the theater twice, once each in the orchestra and the huge balcony. One movie was Say One For Me. In the days of the old steam engines you really knew when a train went past.
What is the current status? A church bought it but the last time I was by a year or so ago there was still scaffolding on the front and the fire escapes had been removed. The latter seemed odd since the church originally was counting on using the full capacity.
anyone out there still alive that remembers the old Queens Theater
Gala opening photo uploaded.
I haven’t been back that way in over a year. Did the church ever complete the renovation?
Ed, My mistake. When I saw the picture with what appears to be construction on the entrance, I assumed it was an old picture. I had passed the theatre previously, after the front was done over and the marquee removed and it was finished. I guess they’re doing construction again on the entrance.
Thanks for the picture.
They should be there for you, techman… Just checked and they are the 1st five images out of the 12 that are uploaded for this theater.
Ed, How come the new pictures you posted don’t show up under photos?
Posted a few pics I took today of the building’s exterior. I realized, as I was uploading them, that the most recent exterior shot we had here on CT was the one I took back in 1993 (on actual film – imagine that!?), so these pics illustrate the dull “modernization” of the main facade, the removal of the fire-escapes, and cutting away of the marquee and its framework.
A delayed comment to Ed’s 8/26 on the Green Acres. No, it was the big guy facing Sunrise.
I wouldn’t count any of the junk in Flushing Meadow Park as a theatre. If they want to STEAL the name “Queens Theatre”, good luck to them. As long as “WE” all know where the Queens Theatre really is, let them delude themselves.
Ed, I have movie film of the theatre in 1957. Maybe if I’m ever feeling better (with emphysema I seem to get worse every day) I can tranfer it and pull out a few nice stills of the theatre that aren’t too grainy.
I assume the marquee that you guys are talking about, that was blown off the Green Acres Theatre, was the flat board that was on the back of the building facing the mall? I remember the old main marquee on Sunrise Highway being huge – I think it spanned the width of the entire facade!
As for the photo of the Queens, techman, looks like it is the only one that has been posted here. In fact, it was ME who posted it! Ha ha! I snapped it back in 1993 when the theater had been shuttered and recently acquired by the church. I know there are other photos out there – particularly the great set on the American Classic Images website – but I believe posting those here may infringe upon their copyrights.
Hey, I remember when that happened at Green Acres, that wasn’t even a “real” hurricane or bad as this one is supposed to be.
It’s too bad that of all the pictures there are of the Queens Theatre, they picked one that shows the marquee all ripped up from trucks hitting it.
Once they cut those steel beams off (which go DEEP into the structure) they can never put a “real” marquee back up again. It was pretty stupid to take them out, even if they didn’t want a full marquee.
At least they won’t have to worry about the marquee blowing off. I remember a hurricane way back when when the marquee of the Green Acres wound up on the parking lot with the letters in tact. The movie? A revival of Gone With the Wind. True. I wish there were camera phones in those days.
The Elmwood used to be one of my favorite places to work because the booth had a door that goes into the lower roof. Some guys used to barbarque out there….until someone called the fire dept. to report a fire and they evacuated the theatre.-lol
I wonder if or how much damage the Queens might sustain with this hurricane? I’m only a few miles away but on higher ground….and I’m afraid because of the wind.
I just can’t believe that they would heat and cool a building of that size and not use the balcony, which in my opinion is the best part about the theatre.
The church’s web site talks about having acquired a 2,500 seat facility. That means balcony included.