Here is a photo of the Tivoli Theater’s Fulton St main entrance in 1940. The marquee, new in 1938, can be seen to the left of the Fulton Street El tracks from the platform of the Boro Hall Station, taken probably on June 1, 1940, which was Unification Day. The last train left Fulton Ferry earlier that day at 12:01 AM for ENY when the City of New York took over operation of all BMT lines and abandoned the Fulton and 5th Avenue El lines.
In 1965 the Brandt Circuit had 132 theaters showing movies, seven in the Times Square area of Manhattan. These seven were of personal interest to Mr. Brandt because of his interest in live theater. He said they had been legit houses at one time and he could convert them back to stage shows in 24 hours.
William Brandt opened his first theater in 1908. During WW2 he began a series of live theater presentations called the “Subway Circuit”.
These were featured during the summer months at the Windsor Theater in the Fordham section of the Bronx and the Flatbush Theater in Brooklyn. At times the Jamaica Theater in Queens and the Asbury Park Theater in Asbury Park, New Jersey were part of the circuit. At the end of the 1951 season, George Brandt, William’s son and producer of the shows, announced that due to escalating labor costs the shows would end as the box office receipts could no longer bear the costs.
In 1942 William Brandt told an interviewer that he put the shows on as a personal joy, to give ordinary people a chance to see live theater at a price they could afford, in in some cases only .25 cents.
According to a 1943 ticket stub this was an Interboro house at B'way and 170th Street. Adult admission was .46 cents plus .09 federal tax for total of .55 cents evening performance. Child rate was .15 cents plus .03 federal tax for total of .18 cents.
In 1972 I heard a rumor that an old theater had burned to the ground on the site of the then fairly new UA Easthampton Theater. This had been a Prudential house and was still single screen in ‘72. The local weekly newspaper which I think may be called the Easthampton Star probably has the details.
In 1937 there was a Crystal Theater listed in the Brooklyn telephone directory located at 327 Washington Avenue in Brooklyn. Does anyone know anything about it being listed under another name in a different time period ?
The Monos Theater in Elkins WV still has a similar marquee to others mentioned above but theater has been altered to serve as a tourist center,
The Grafton venue is owned by the city and has been leased to an operator according to the Clarksburg Exponent paper of today. The city is trying to bring business back to downtown and is beautifying the area and trying to lure niche specialty shops to occupy other vacant stores owned by the city. It is hoped that theater will serve as a magnet to build traffic. The exterior of the theater is intact but looks tired. It’s appears to be of moderne style circa postwar but rest of building probably dates to 1920’s. forties
I have found some additional information which clears up many errors in my above postings. Bill Conklin is right.
As Ken Roe correctly says the Mardi Gras opened circa 1908. It was located on the southeat corner of Nostrand and Clarkson Avenues. It took up two address numbers, 1295-1297 Nostrand Avenue .
It closed in late 1916 due to competion from Ward & Glynnes’s new Century Theater which was located a block away across Nostrand. It became a new car dealership and served numerous other purposes over the years and still exists as posted photos show.
In photos I have seen, this Linden Theater looks very much like the Ward & Glynne Century Theater nearby on Nostrand Avenue at Parkside Avenue (this street was known as Robinson Ave before 1920’s). It closed in 1930 when the city created a new road by tearing down a couple of buildings on the east side of Flatbush Avenue so Caton Avenue could be through routed across Flatbush Avenue to feed into Linden Boulevard at Bedford Avenue. This was done to facilitate automobile traffic which was hanging up traffic flow by turning right onto Flatbush for one block in order to turn onto Linden Blvd. which began at Flatbush Avenue and was a major artery to Queens and eastern Long Island. The Century on Nostrand later became a Loew’s and about 1943 a Century Circuit house
Here is a movie shot in 1948 on 5th Ave and 9th Ave showing trolleys in last year of service. Car 1000, one of a kind PCC type of 1936 streamlined trolley, passes the Avon mid way through the film. Best guess it was shot in early January. UTUBE link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gmxm_xboqk
Here is an earlier photo showing previous marquee circa 1935.
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?52026
Sorry, here is link that was omitted from above posting.
http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?52024
Here is a photo of the Tivoli Theater’s Fulton St main entrance in 1940. The marquee, new in 1938, can be seen to the left of the Fulton Street El tracks from the platform of the Boro Hall Station, taken probably on June 1, 1940, which was Unification Day. The last train left Fulton Ferry earlier that day at 12:01 AM for ENY when the City of New York took over operation of all BMT lines and abandoned the Fulton and 5th Avenue El lines.
In 1965 the Brandt Circuit had 132 theaters showing movies, seven in the Times Square area of Manhattan. These seven were of personal interest to Mr. Brandt because of his interest in live theater. He said they had been legit houses at one time and he could convert them back to stage shows in 24 hours.
William Brandt opened his first theater in 1908. During WW2 he began a series of live theater presentations called the “Subway Circuit”.
These were featured during the summer months at the Windsor Theater in the Fordham section of the Bronx and the Flatbush Theater in Brooklyn. At times the Jamaica Theater in Queens and the Asbury Park Theater in Asbury Park, New Jersey were part of the circuit. At the end of the 1951 season, George Brandt, William’s son and producer of the shows, announced that due to escalating labor costs the shows would end as the box office receipts could no longer bear the costs.
In 1942 William Brandt told an interviewer that he put the shows on as a personal joy, to give ordinary people a chance to see live theater at a price they could afford, in in some cases only .25 cents.
According to a 1943 ticket stub this was an Interboro house at B'way and 170th Street. Adult admission was .46 cents plus .09 federal tax for total of .55 cents evening performance. Child rate was .15 cents plus .03 federal tax for total of .18 cents.
In 1972 I heard a rumor that an old theater had burned to the ground on the site of the then fairly new UA Easthampton Theater. This had been a Prudential house and was still single screen in ‘72. The local weekly newspaper which I think may be called the Easthampton Star probably has the details.
In 1937 there was a Crystal Theater listed in the Brooklyn telephone directory located at 327 Washington Avenue in Brooklyn. Does anyone know anything about it being listed under another name in a different time period ?
The Monos Theater in Elkins WV still has a similar marquee to others mentioned above but theater has been altered to serve as a tourist center,
The Grafton venue is owned by the city and has been leased to an operator according to the Clarksburg Exponent paper of today. The city is trying to bring business back to downtown and is beautifying the area and trying to lure niche specialty shops to occupy other vacant stores owned by the city. It is hoped that theater will serve as a magnet to build traffic. The exterior of the theater is intact but looks tired. It’s appears to be of moderne style circa postwar but rest of building probably dates to 1920’s. forties
Manos Theater in Grafton WV will reopen in a couple of months. Marquee is similar to one shown in 1948 photos posted by Ken mc.
WW2 era photo Culver Theater:
http://brooklynpix.com/photo1/P/parkville36.jpg
1928 photo:
http://brooklynpix.com/photo1/W/windsor57.jpg
1944 photo Sanders :
http://brooklynpix.com/photo1/P/parkslope66.jpg
I have found some additional information which clears up many errors in my above postings. Bill Conklin is right.
As Ken Roe correctly says the Mardi Gras opened circa 1908. It was located on the southeat corner of Nostrand and Clarkson Avenues. It took up two address numbers, 1295-1297 Nostrand Avenue .
It closed in late 1916 due to competion from Ward & Glynnes’s new Century Theater which was located a block away across Nostrand. It became a new car dealership and served numerous other purposes over the years and still exists as posted photos show.
In photos I have seen, this Linden Theater looks very much like the Ward & Glynne Century Theater nearby on Nostrand Avenue at Parkside Avenue (this street was known as Robinson Ave before 1920’s). It closed in 1930 when the city created a new road by tearing down a couple of buildings on the east side of Flatbush Avenue so Caton Avenue could be through routed across Flatbush Avenue to feed into Linden Boulevard at Bedford Avenue. This was done to facilitate automobile traffic which was hanging up traffic flow by turning right onto Flatbush for one block in order to turn onto Linden Blvd. which began at Flatbush Avenue and was a major artery to Queens and eastern Long Island. The Century on Nostrand later became a Loew’s and about 1943 a Century Circuit house
Hello Anniegirl.. I lived foe a short time in the area just after VJ Day before moving to Maspeth. I recall the Ice Cream Parlor but not the name.
You are most welcome Anniegirl. Happy you liked the photo.
Sorry for above post, link to Berkshire is in error. Correct link is:
http://brooklynpix.com/photo1/S/sunset36.jpg
Here is a photo from the 1949 taken from 44th St and 5th Avenue.
http://brooklynpix.com/photo1/S/sunset35.jpg
Here is a photo taken in the late 40’s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gmxm_xboqk
Here is a movie shot in 1948 on 5th Ave and 9th Ave showing trolleys in last year of service. Car 1000, one of a kind PCC type of 1936 streamlined trolley, passes the Avon mid way through the film. Best guess it was shot in early January. UTUBE link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gmxm_xboqk
Note shape of marquee at this time.
Photo of theater:
http://brooklynpix.com/photo1/S/sunset71.jpg
Photo of Republic circa 1920’s:
View link
Photo 1960: http://brooklynpix.com/photo1/S/sbay52.jpg
Circa 1950 photo:
http://brooklynpix.com/photo1/P/parkslope46.jpg