Paramount Theatre

I bartended during the years it was a club – I never missed a nite, not even 7/11/81(or 82?) when the Ramones show was canceled by the blackout. Had the opportunity to see every inch of the place over the years including the bsmnt which looked like the Phantom of the Opera’s sewer dwelling complete with a raft for transport over the often flooded floor. Occasionally lucky enough to get crammed into the closet sized DJ booth with a few girls, bartended after parties in the projection room with the bands, aiming the carbon arcs into the seething crowd on the dance floor…quite a time. Paramount was still decent condition and an amazing place at the time.

Their website is at:

http://www.siparamount.com/

Fancy website, they’re already accepting bookings for parties and events and taking employment applications, although no events are listed yet on their calendar. Don’t knoew what their exact status at present. But the video linked above showed they were repairing and recreationg plaster ornamentations (Described as Egyptian in style), and also that the lobby apparently had been painted completely white at one time.

A direct link to one of the Staten island Advance articles from January (includes a video of the interior renovations)

View link

It appears that they have poured a floor from upstage to where ever that point meets the rake of the house floor. It covers over the pit and depending how far into the back of the house they go, they could raise the floor to a level quite close to the underside of the balcony. At some point sightlines become an issue. It is the same procedure that CBS used when it changed the New Yorker Theatre into Studio 52, now Studio 54. It created a smooth surface for the cameras, which were quite heavy in those days.
Good luck on the new venue.

I received a phone call from Peter Lisi who is one of the owners of the paramount. We had a wonderful 45 minute conversation about the theatre and his plans for operation of the space. I was so impressed by Peters enthusiasm and obvious love for the theatre I wanted to share that all of you Paramount theatre supporters here at CT.
I wish you could have heard the excitement in his voice when he told me the marquee has been restored and will soon light up Bay Street. He is currently waiting on the permit to turn it on. Peter did an interview with NY one and here will be a follow up soon; he has invited me to join in on the next segment.
Peter still has his work cut out for him with safety issues and getting all the legalities in place to open the theatre. I have offered him my help in any way I can.
Peter has invited me to tour the space which I will do soon.

Sorry, but also try your local newspaper or even a radio station to actually broadcast your plea for help.

I don’t entirely agree with you here, socal09. I think that there’ll always be people (myself included), who’ll want to continue going to a real movie theatre and watching movies as they’re really meant to be viewed; on a great big wide movietheatre screen, with the lights down low. Most of the single-screen movie theatres are gone, that’s true, but there are still afew left. Single-screen theatres or no single screened theatres, there’ll always be loyal theatre patrons, especially to what few independent, nonprofit movie theatres there are left here in the United States.

I also might add that, no matter how much anybody says how amazing 3DKTV on home theatres systems is amazingly like seeing movies in a real movie theatre, it just isn’t so. Absolutely nothing, imho, beats seeing movies on a great big, wide screen, in a true-blue movie theatre, and sharing the experience with other people, whether one knows them or not.

I was so happy to see those pictures. The last time I went into that building I got very depressed, it looked awefull a real disaster.
I never thought anyone would bring it back. Fortunatly the wreakers never destroyed the stage or balcony.
As for movies, the new owners (bless them) have other visions,
I belive their ideas and plans for the space are sound and intellegent.who knows, perhaps in a few years something in the form of a film festival may be in order.
I certainly hope someone steer the new owners in the direction of this site and they will comment and keep us current on the progress and plans for the theatre.

The article in todays SI Advance just warmed my heart.
Best of luck to all involved in saving this tresaure.

View link

View link

Good luck to you Staten Island Paramount. Good to see the old movie houses still going.

WE REPRESENT THE OWNERS OF THE STATEN ISLAND PARAMOUNT, WE ARE CURRENTLY CREATING THE CITY’S LARGEST ENTERTAINMENT CATERING FACILITY FOR ALL EVENTS AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC. WE ARE SAVING A LOT OF THE ORIGINAL PARAMOUNT THEATER AS WELL AS REPAIRING ALL UNSAFE CONDITIONS LEFT BY PREVIOUS TENANTS. WE ARE ASKING THE MEMBERS OF CINEMA TREASURES TO HELP US WITH DOCUMENTS, PICTURES OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS TO VERIFY PEOPLES FINDINGS AND POSTINGS ON THIS PAGE ABOUT THE PARAMOUNT. WE WOULD LIKE TO COLLECT AND DISPLAY THESE FINDINGS IN OUR PARAMOUNT HISTORY SECTION OF THE BUILDING. AND WE WILL OFFER NAME RECOGNITION AS WELL AS A FREE NIGHT ON US FOR ANY PERSON TO BRING US AN ORIGINAL & VERIFIED DOCUMENT, PICTURE OR HISTORY FACTS OF THE STATEN ISLAND PARAMOUNT IN HER TIME OF OPERATION. DUPLICATE DOCUMENTS & PICTURES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
PLEASE EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR FINDINGS OR ANY QUESTIONS TO:
E-MAIL:
ADDRESS: 560 BAY STREET, STATEN ISLAND, NY 10304
MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS & TELEPHONE NUMBER TO RECEIVE FREE NIGHT ON US.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERNS AND HELP IN FINDING ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS, PICTURES, AND HISTORY FACTS.
PLEASE VISIT www.statenislandparamount.com FOR MORE INFORMATION.
WE ARE SAVING THE STATEN ISLAND PARAMOUNT

The Paramount was the first theatre on Staten island theatre to install Cinemascope.

View link