Here is a nice January 10, 1935 view of the Enright in East Liberty taken from across Penn Avenue at 5909, Sofi’s Restaurant which served a great .50 cent steak. View link
I believe Schwartz had some sort of special connection with Loew’s as they seemed to trade theaters more than what would seem normal. See Vogue, Avalon, Prospect(twice) and perhaps others. Perhaps Warren could comment on this ?
Opened in 1912 as a legit house, it shifted to movies and 1n 1928 was known as the Robinson Grand. In that year it was extensively remodeled. A new structure was added to provide a new lobby, marquee, and commercial rental space along W. Pike Street. The original theater was set back 72 feet from the sidewalk.
On 31 May 1939, a fire broke out on the roof at 10:30AM as a new air conditioning system was being installed on the popular theater. Manager Claude Robinson was visting NYC at the time but loyal employees rescued various items from the blazing movie house. Fire Departments from as far away as 50 miles responded. The roof collapsed. The fire was declared under control at 1:00PM. The Fire Chief directed that the remaining walls be pulled down for safety’s sake.
A new theater in moderne style arose on the site under the direction of Claude Robinson. Emolyees were given temporary jobs at Moore’s Opera House until the Grand Reoprning in 1940.
This theater was the 13th in the USA to have a sound system installed. First subect was a Movietone News featuring Charles A. Lindberg.
Keith’s leased and operated the Flatbush Theater until October 13, 1928, when L. F. Werba, who at that time was operating Werba’s Brooklyn Theater downtown on Flatbush Extension and two other houses as legit venues, assumed the lease and introduced that format in place of Keith’s Vaudeville and movies which moved over to the new Kenmore Theater down Church Avenue west, of Flatbush Avenue .
In 1927, the Brooklyn Eagle lists the Monroe Theater at B'wy and Monroe seating 600, as part of the Keith’s Circut. Teller’s Schubert Theater at B'wy and Howard seating 1800 was run by Teller and Ascher.
The Gayety at Throop and B'wy seating 1600, resident manager Frank Abbott (father of famous son).
There is a shot of the Embassy Newsreel at this site: http://www.movietone.com/showreel/
It appears to be circa 1939 or 40. It is part of a series of clips in a demonstration of available newsreels from British Movietone News.
You can stop the film with the pause bottom just after Fidel Castro is shown on the screen as several theaters are imaged.
The shot is a frontal closeup of the marquee which has 25 Cents flanking either side of the name EMBASSY which is directly over the word NEWSREELS. A ladder is up by the left hand attraction board.
At some time in the late 1930’s this theater received a new moderne facade, vertical and marquee. It may have been leased by another entity prior to this make over, perhaps Warner (after theater was black for a while, something that happened in other periods with this theater… I recall it being closed for a period in 1950 )but this will take more research to establish. It was called the City Theater. In 1938 it was playing a double feature, “ Port of Seven Seas” with Wallace Beery and Frank Morgan and “Richman Poor Girl” with Lew Ayres, Maureen O'Sullivan and Robert Young. This was an all MGM bill. I have seen a copy of a photo showing this, with Luchow’s restaurant next door to it confirming it is indeed the Academy of Music building.
/theaters/11996/ links to the CT page of the Irving Place Theater which Sylvia Schildt identifies as the theater near Union Square where Soviet and other radical films were screened at times in the 1930’s and 40’s. Lost Memory links to an excellent NYPL photo of the theater taken 1n 1938 on that page.
Hello Warren..
The photo is actually from a new section of Manhattan photos on the Brooklyn Pics web site. An excellent website.If you contact Brian Merlis at , you can buy prints of the various photos in his collection and he will probably be able to tell you his reason for his identification of location which is given as Times Square. He is a very competent person. It may be that the bill splashed at front of theater reflects recent acquisition before change of signage. The photo itself is marked Bway & 45th St in lower right corner. If you look to right of theater building you see a TARS trolley running on a street with no trolley wire.That means it is a conduit car and that places theater in Manhattan.
Here is a 1929 photo of the Sunshine Theater on E. Houston Street.
Check out that great marquee it once had. A Vitaphone Talkie was playing. View link 028
Here is a nice January 10, 1935 view of the Enright in East Liberty taken from across Penn Avenue at 5909, Sofi’s Restaurant which served a great .50 cent steak.
View link
The photo above shows view of the Cameraphone Theater, Werners Beauty Shoppe,and Hays Store along Penn Avenueas as seen from Frankstown Avenue.
A fine photo of this theater taken on February 10, 1935 exists at this url:
View link
An August 23, 1946 photo of the Garden with a PRY PCC Car in foreground is here:
View link
Theater is listed as Sidney Lust’s Leader Theater at 507 Ninth Street NW in Washington, D.C in 1925.
I believe Schwartz had some sort of special connection with Loew’s as they seemed to trade theaters more than what would seem normal. See Vogue, Avalon, Prospect(twice) and perhaps others. Perhaps Warren could comment on this ?
Opened in 1912 as a legit house, it shifted to movies and 1n 1928 was known as the Robinson Grand. In that year it was extensively remodeled. A new structure was added to provide a new lobby, marquee, and commercial rental space along W. Pike Street. The original theater was set back 72 feet from the sidewalk.
On 31 May 1939, a fire broke out on the roof at 10:30AM as a new air conditioning system was being installed on the popular theater. Manager Claude Robinson was visting NYC at the time but loyal employees rescued various items from the blazing movie house. Fire Departments from as far away as 50 miles responded. The roof collapsed. The fire was declared under control at 1:00PM. The Fire Chief directed that the remaining walls be pulled down for safety’s sake.
A new theater in moderne style arose on the site under the direction of Claude Robinson. Emolyees were given temporary jobs at Moore’s Opera House until the Grand Reoprning in 1940.
This theater was the 13th in the USA to have a sound system installed. First subect was a Movietone News featuring Charles A. Lindberg.
In 1927 the Folly was listed by the Brooklyn Eagle as being at Graham Ave and Debevoise, seating 1975, being managed by H.H. Lipkowitz.
On 30 July 1920 Keith’s took over B. S. Moss theaters including Flatbush for Vaudeville and movies. See story at link:
View link
This link provided background on Keith’s history:
View link
Keith’s leased and operated the Flatbush Theater until October 13, 1928, when L. F. Werba, who at that time was operating Werba’s Brooklyn Theater downtown on Flatbush Extension and two other houses as legit venues, assumed the lease and introduced that format in place of Keith’s Vaudeville and movies which moved over to the new Kenmore Theater down Church Avenue west, of Flatbush Avenue .
This article from July 1920 relates B.F. Keith’s time as operator or the Flatbush theater. See link below:
View link
In 1927, the Brooklyn Eagle lists the Monroe Theater at B'wy and Monroe seating 600, as part of the Keith’s Circut. Teller’s Schubert Theater at B'wy and Howard seating 1800 was run by Teller and Ascher.
The Gayety at Throop and B'wy seating 1600, resident manager Frank Abbott (father of famous son).
A large scale photo of this theater taken during a blizzard in January of 1908 is shown at this site:
http://www.shorpy.com/node/2950?size=_original
There is a shot of the Embassy Newsreel at this site:
http://www.movietone.com/showreel/
It appears to be circa 1939 or 40. It is part of a series of clips in a demonstration of available newsreels from British Movietone News.
You can stop the film with the pause bottom just after Fidel Castro is shown on the screen as several theaters are imaged.
The shot is a frontal closeup of the marquee which has 25 Cents flanking either side of the name EMBASSY which is directly over the word NEWSREELS. A ladder is up by the left hand attraction board.
At some time in the late 1930’s this theater received a new moderne facade, vertical and marquee. It may have been leased by another entity prior to this make over, perhaps Warner (after theater was black for a while, something that happened in other periods with this theater… I recall it being closed for a period in 1950 )but this will take more research to establish. It was called the City Theater. In 1938 it was playing a double feature, “ Port of Seven Seas” with Wallace Beery and Frank Morgan and “Richman Poor Girl” with Lew Ayres, Maureen O'Sullivan and Robert Young. This was an all MGM bill. I have seen a copy of a photo showing this, with Luchow’s restaurant next door to it confirming it is indeed the Academy of Music building.
There were Manos Theaters in Grafton WV and Elkins WV both closed, and a multiplex is open in Buckhannon WV run by the grandson of the chain founder.
Does anyone know if the Wilkes Theater in Seattle is listed under an other name or if it ever showed movies? See photo link:
View link
/theaters/11996/ links to the CT page of the Irving Place Theater which Sylvia Schildt identifies as the theater near Union Square where Soviet and other radical films were screened at times in the 1930’s and 40’s. Lost Memory links to an excellent NYPL photo of the theater taken 1n 1938 on that page.
Here is a link to further photos at the NYPL site with three more photos of the 14th St Theater of three boxes above:
View link
Warren, although this photo is on Brooklyn oriented web photo collection, it from a section, new to the site, that covers Manhattan
Hello Warren..
The photo is actually from a new section of Manhattan photos on the Brooklyn Pics web site. An excellent website.If you contact Brian Merlis at , you can buy prints of the various photos in his collection and he will probably be able to tell you his reason for his identification of location which is given as Times Square. He is a very competent person. It may be that the bill splashed at front of theater reflects recent acquisition before change of signage. The photo itself is marked Bway & 45th St in lower right corner. If you look to right of theater building you see a TARS trolley running on a street with no trolley wire.That means it is a conduit car and that places theater in Manhattan.
Here is a 1929 photo of the Sunshine Theater on E. Houston Street.
Check out that great marquee it once had. A Vitaphone Talkie was playing.
View link 028
Photo taken 6-23-1929
What 14th Street Theater is this photo depicting ? Taken 4-30-1916
View link
An early Loew’s era photo can be seen here:
View link