With various seating capacities given as between 325 and 500, the Jewel Theater is listed in Film Daily Yearbooks 1940-1955 as operating as a Negro theatre.
The Aldridge Theatre was built in 1920 and opened as a Vaudville and picture house for African American audiences. In the late 1920’s Count Basie and Gonzelle White’s band performed here.
It is listed in Film Daily Yearbooks 1931-1933 and 1940-1955 as being a Negro theater.
I have just added the Allerton Theatre, its location is very close to what’s given here for the Barnes Theatre, but maps out a couple of blocks away from Barnes Ave.
I don’t have any record of a Barnes Theatre before 1930 nor after 1941 and unfortunately I don’t have any F.D.Y. for 1931 through 1940 to check and see if both the Allerton and the Barnes are listed.
The Allerton Theatre opened in 1927 and I have it listed with that name through to 1957 in F.D.Y. that I have.
TC; Thanks for the organ information you have been providing. It usually gives a fairly accurate date of year of opening of a theatre.
I query the name Ditman Theatre though, as I have listed in the Film Daily Yearbook 1941 edition, a 750 seat Ditmas Theatre at 280 State Street, Perth Amboy as well as the Majestic Theatre. Surely two theatres with similar names, Ditman and Ditmas would have caused confusion back then. Or is that why the Ditman became the Majestic when the Ditmas opened(whenever that was)?
Listed as the Central Theatre in the 1930 and 1941 editions of Film Daily Yearbook (the address is actually mispelt ‘Millrose & 150th St in both editions), it has a seating capacity listed as 1,200.
The 1943 edition of F.D.Y. has the correct address 567 Melrose Ave, Bronx but gives a seating capacity of 1,400. It is not listed in the 1950 edition that I have, giving credence to its closure date of c.1947
The current Cookies Department Store is using the basic outer wall fabric of the former Bronx Theater with a new facade.
The City Island Theater is listed in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1926 edition has having 250 seats. It has disappeared from the listings in the 1930 edition of F.D.Y.
The 5 screen Odeon Mezzanine ‘miniplex’ opened to the public on 20th April 1990. It was constructed in what had been up until then an open passageway that had served as an emergency exit from the adjacent main Odeon Theatre.
It has its own seperate entrance on Leicester Square and Odeon 1 seating 60 is on street level. Up a flight of stairs is Odeon 2 (50 seats) and Odeon 3 (60 seats). Up another flight of stairs above there are Odeon’s 4 and 5, each seating 60. The exits to screens 1, 3, 4, 5 are beside the screen, while in screen 2 the exit is placed under the screen. Drapes cover the walls and all screens have Dolby stereo.
The screens at the Odeon Mezzanine are one third the size of what is now called the Odeon Panton Street which averages out at 150 seats per screen. So yes, its like sitting in a living room or screening room. I still prefer to see movies in the main original Odeon, Leicester Square.
The Wakefield Theatre is first listed in the 1927 edition of Film Daily Yearbook, with a seating capacity of 1,500. The location address is given as 234th Street & White Plains Avenue, Bronx. NY
Opened about 1929, the architects were Schlanger & Ehrenrich.
Looking at photographs and plans published in the book “American Theatres of To-day” Volume Two (1930), an unusual feature of the building was provision for a small musicians box on the left side of the proscenium arch (instead of the usual centrally place orchestra pit in front of the screen). The right hand side of the proscenium arch had a decorative grille, behind which were the theatre organ pipes. There was no stage at this theatre, so it was designed and built specifically for the showing of motion pictures.
The 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook gives a seating capacity of 200 for the Colonial Theater. In the 1943 edition it is listed as 200 seats (closed), but there is a New Colonial Theatre listed with 675 seats.
By the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. the Colonial Theatre (having dropped ‘New’ from the name) is listed with 550 seats. This could mean the theatre was either closed and rebuilt (enlarged) or a totally new theatre built on another site in around 1942. I have no record of a street address.
Listed in Film Daily Yearbook in the 1940’s as being operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary Joe Cooper. The seating capacity had been reduced from the 1,500 given in 1941 to 1,226 in 1950.
Listed in the 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook with a seating capacity of 1,042 seats. In subsequent editions of F.D.Y. the capacity is given as 592.
Listed as the Prince in editions of Film Daily Yearbooks that I have; 1941 through to 1950. Seating capacity is given in the 1940’s as 160 and in 1950 is given as 205.
Listed in Film Daily Yearbook’s edition 1941 and 1943 as having a seating capacity of 1,000 and operated by Paramount Pictures Inc through their subsidiary Carl Bamford. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. a seating capacity of 759 is given.
The street address must have been re-numbered as in 1951 it is located at 118 ½ College Street.
The Victoria Theatre was operated in the 1940’s by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary Ed Rowley.
The Plaza opened in 1935 and during the 1940’s was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary Ed Rowley.
With various seating capacities given as between 325 and 500, the Jewel Theater is listed in Film Daily Yearbooks 1940-1955 as operating as a Negro theatre.
Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1947 edition has being operated as a Nego theatre. By the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. it was for regular audiences.
The Aldridge Theatre was built in 1920 and opened as a Vaudville and picture house for African American audiences. In the late 1920’s Count Basie and Gonzelle White’s band performed here.
It is listed in Film Daily Yearbooks 1931-1933 and 1940-1955 as being a Negro theater.
Still in retail use as a 99 cents store when I visited in early June 2005
I have just added the Allerton Theatre, its location is very close to what’s given here for the Barnes Theatre, but maps out a couple of blocks away from Barnes Ave.
I don’t have any record of a Barnes Theatre before 1930 nor after 1941 and unfortunately I don’t have any F.D.Y. for 1931 through 1940 to check and see if both the Allerton and the Barnes are listed.
The Allerton Theatre opened in 1927 and I have it listed with that name through to 1957 in F.D.Y. that I have.
TC; Thanks for the organ information you have been providing. It usually gives a fairly accurate date of year of opening of a theatre.
I query the name Ditman Theatre though, as I have listed in the Film Daily Yearbook 1941 edition, a 750 seat Ditmas Theatre at 280 State Street, Perth Amboy as well as the Majestic Theatre. Surely two theatres with similar names, Ditman and Ditmas would have caused confusion back then. Or is that why the Ditman became the Majestic when the Ditmas opened(whenever that was)?
The Apollo Theatre is listed as closed in the 1930 edition of Film Daily Yearbook. Obviously a possible casualty of the ‘talkie’ revolution.
The 1926 F.D.Y. has it listed as open with 450 seats.
The Mike Rivest Ultimate Theatre Guide has the Barnes Theatre operating from 1935 through 1940. Anyone know what happened after that?
Listed as the Central Theatre in the 1930 and 1941 editions of Film Daily Yearbook (the address is actually mispelt ‘Millrose & 150th St in both editions), it has a seating capacity listed as 1,200.
The 1943 edition of F.D.Y. has the correct address 567 Melrose Ave, Bronx but gives a seating capacity of 1,400. It is not listed in the 1950 edition that I have, giving credence to its closure date of c.1947
The current Cookies Department Store is using the basic outer wall fabric of the former Bronx Theater with a new facade.
The City Island Theater is listed in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1926 edition has having 250 seats. It has disappeared from the listings in the 1930 edition of F.D.Y.
Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook 1930 edition as the Louis Theatre with a seating capacity of 728.
By the 1941 edition of F.D.Y. it was the Jackson Theatre with 599 seats (same details in the 1943 edition).
In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. it is the Borinquen Theatre with a seating capacity of 570. Disappeared from listings in 1957 edition.
While I was in NYC in early June 2005, I took a peek into the former Bijou/Jewel Theatre and it has been gutted internally back to bare brick walls.
Prior to its current/most recent use as a live performance space, the former American Movies Theatre had been a night-club named the ‘G-Spot’
The 5 screen Odeon Mezzanine ‘miniplex’ opened to the public on 20th April 1990. It was constructed in what had been up until then an open passageway that had served as an emergency exit from the adjacent main Odeon Theatre.
It has its own seperate entrance on Leicester Square and Odeon 1 seating 60 is on street level. Up a flight of stairs is Odeon 2 (50 seats) and Odeon 3 (60 seats). Up another flight of stairs above there are Odeon’s 4 and 5, each seating 60. The exits to screens 1, 3, 4, 5 are beside the screen, while in screen 2 the exit is placed under the screen. Drapes cover the walls and all screens have Dolby stereo.
The screens at the Odeon Mezzanine are one third the size of what is now called the Odeon Panton Street which averages out at 150 seats per screen. So yes, its like sitting in a living room or screening room. I still prefer to see movies in the main original Odeon, Leicester Square.
The Wakefield Theatre is first listed in the 1927 edition of Film Daily Yearbook, with a seating capacity of 1,500. The location address is given as 234th Street & White Plains Avenue, Bronx. NY
Opened about 1929, the architects were Schlanger & Ehrenrich.
Looking at photographs and plans published in the book “American Theatres of To-day” Volume Two (1930), an unusual feature of the building was provision for a small musicians box on the left side of the proscenium arch (instead of the usual centrally place orchestra pit in front of the screen). The right hand side of the proscenium arch had a decorative grille, behind which were the theatre organ pipes. There was no stage at this theatre, so it was designed and built specifically for the showing of motion pictures.
Listed as the Universal Theatre in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1926 edition with a seating capacity of 245.
The 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook gives a seating capacity of 200 for the Colonial Theater. In the 1943 edition it is listed as 200 seats (closed), but there is a New Colonial Theatre listed with 675 seats.
By the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. the Colonial Theatre (having dropped ‘New’ from the name) is listed with 550 seats. This could mean the theatre was either closed and rebuilt (enlarged) or a totally new theatre built on another site in around 1942. I have no record of a street address.
Listed in Film Daily Yearbook in the 1940’s as being operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary Joe Cooper. The seating capacity had been reduced from the 1,500 given in 1941 to 1,226 in 1950.
Listed in the 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook with a seating capacity of 1,042 seats. In subsequent editions of F.D.Y. the capacity is given as 592.
Listed as the Prince in editions of Film Daily Yearbooks that I have; 1941 through to 1950. Seating capacity is given in the 1940’s as 160 and in 1950 is given as 205.
Listed in Film Daily Yearbook’s edition 1941 and 1943 as having a seating capacity of 1,000 and operated by Paramount Pictures Inc through their subsidiary Carl Bamford. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. a seating capacity of 759 is given.
The street address must have been re-numbered as in 1951 it is located at 118 ½ College Street.
Listed in Film Daily Yearbook editions 1941 and 1943 as having a seating capacity of 300. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. seating is given as 328.