Regal UA Midway
108-22 Queens Boulevard,
Forest Hills,
NY
11375
108-22 Queens Boulevard,
Forest Hills,
NY
11375
19 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 158 comments
“Open” statistics claim 9 screens and 584 seats. Could that be correct? That would mean an average of about 65 seats per screen.
Please update the history: Please correct, in the summer of 1977 United Artists made it a quad(2 downstaris and 2 upstairs split down the middle), on November 20, 1998 it became 9 screens (4 downstairs and 5 upstairs).
This was 4 screens from 1977 to 1996, like the other UA complexe like the Quad, Lynbrook and Marboro.
also, total seats 584 (Regal recently put recliners in 2 years ago).
Please correct, in the summer of 1977 United Artists made it a quad(2 downstaris and 2 upstairs split down the middle), on November 20, 1998 it became 9 screens (4 downstairs and 5 upstairs).
Those who remember the Midway Theatre as a modernistic masterwork by Thomas W. Lamb will probably experience extreme nausea when viewing these recent images snapped by patrons. Click here
Look on google Foursquare or yelp. There are some with renovations. Last there in June 2017 a few months before they started
I only upload photos I take and won’t take pictures from another photographer
On its website, Regal lists this house as “Regal UA Midway”
Are there any photos of this place circa 2019?
Now Operated By Regal.
Tonight will mark the 76th anniversary of the grand opening of the Midway Theatre, which was jointly funded by the RKO and Skouras circuits and debuted under RKO management. Ad displayed here
Upy, I’m sorry for your similar experience. Perhaps, I should’ve posted earlier on this but I tend to be a progressive rather than regressive person. I was also hesitant to expose such a past, unseemly event of what is generally a wonderful and admirable profession. But certain things should to be brought to light because it may help with future thought and care for young people to engage in this or any other career or hobby. Happily in today’s world this ill is being exposed, sanctioned and dealt with more authoritative effort, efficiency and most importantly-belief of those affected.
No matinees on the weekend. $13.25 for afternoon showings on the weekend, $10.25 during the week, outrageous.
I also found myself alone with Freddie Krueger in his off at the Midway theater one afternoon in the early 80’s.Somehow the conversation worked its way around to his hernia. Before I realized what was happening he had his pants unzipped and grabbed my hand so I could feel his lump through his white briefs. I remember pulling away, cursing at him and wanting to punch him in the face . However, I couldn’t do it even as he dared me to do something.
He never attempted something like this with me again but the inappropriate comments and questions never did stop. He would ask how often I got laid/jerked off, what positions I liked and if I could have more than one orgasm at a time.
Other co-workers repeated similar comments being made toward them. I never heard first hand of anyone being physically abused. Older employees, especially projectionists used to tell Freddie Krueger stories and jokes regularly.
How did UA not know of his behavior?
His wife worked as his secretary for a while, until she had their son. How did she not know? Or hear the rumors?
As Division Manager his territory covered the 5 boroughs and maybe 15 to 20 theaters. He had access to many young teenage males. It must have seemed like one big playground to him.
No one ever drew the courage to punch him out like I wish I had?
Shame on you Freddie.
I apologize for this comments length. I feel it important, though, for prior young male U.A. workers in the 70’s-80’s (for whom I worked at multiple locations at for near a decade). Esp. for people associated w/the Forest Hills Theatre, Midway or Continentals then.
Although, it is considered ill mannered to speak poorly of the departed, some cases are worthy of that breach of etiquette. Such is the case with 70’s-80’s long tenured N.Y.C. 5 boro U.A. Division Manager (whom I’ll refer to here as the cinematic molester ‘Freddie Krueger’). Regretfully this testimony may bring pain to “Krueger’s” relatives or social circle. That is sincerely not my goal. However, forthrightness & a scarred memory compels me to speak. On the surface “Krueger” was a pious, “religious” man. Twice married with kids. Underneath that veneer, he was a serial sexual predator. His prey was often teen or young adult male ushers, male candy staff or young male managerial staff.
As the sad multiple priest scandals & the Jerry Sandusky Penn State scandal show…the cliché that you can not trust a book by it’s cover is sometimes true. Such was the case here. Or actually it was not. Because “Krueger” was always vulgar, lewd & obvious to most people. His victims today show-the pain, anger or whatever residual feelings there may be that never go away completely. I am sad for all the young people who were affected by this vile, real life ‘Freddie Krueger’.'
Some were willing participants drawn by his tenured power, more were coerced or pressured. I was one person who said no adamantly. I knew one manager who said yes and unfortunately filled me in on the ugly, gory details as if he were proud of his ‘happening’ w/‘Krueger’ which happened in the candy stockroom of the (still opened today)U.A. twin theatre on Austin street in the late 80s.
It’s fair to ask, am I telling the truth. I can only answer that one Saturday late morning in ‘87 (I think), while summoned to “Freddie’s” D.M. office in the Forest Hills Midway at the time, before the theatre was open, he made his move on me. And to this day I still wish I didn’t have the knowledge of knowing that “Krueger” was uncircumcised. He dropped his trousers mentioning his hernia. Exposing everything to a shocked me. That was his way of “enticing” me in his warped mind. Later, I thought how dumb & naive of me to show up when the theatre was closed. Never made that mistake again. He often held bible meetings for young men in Forest Hills when he became a mgr. Of course these sessions were in the morning when the theatre was closed.
It was wonderful, when the “Krueger” dynasty finally came to an end in the late 80’s. He was unprepared/unable to handle the oncoming great expansion into the multiplex and computer era. A new, very smart, & fair D.M. replaced “Keueger” who was demoted to being a mgr. to a Forest Hills triplex then. Free from the yoke of being ‘blacklisted’ for not sexually complying to “Krueger”, I was free to advance on my merits alone finally. Within the first few weeks of the new D.M’s run, I was suddenly promoted. Surprised not. A year later, I confided to the new D.M. at his new office in the Sheepshead Bay multiplex, the horror of “Krueger’s” crude advances and comments to me. It was then that the long term D.M. secretary (and a former mgr. herself) there had also clued in the new D.M. of “Krueger’s” true nature & validated my words. He was just speechless. Although then, quite young, I’m happy to have been, at that moment, brave enough to be honest and not suppress the ugly truth. At that time, in the late ‘80’s, that kind of abuse sadly was just not brought up. Victims feared that they would be the guilty or labeled ones. That they had done something wrong to bring about such behavior from their sexual aggressor.
Happily now, more and more, kids and teens are encouraged and more important BELIEVED when something aberrant like this happens. And I say to any young people seeing this post who are unfortunately in any similar bad situation-say something. Please don’t suffer. You will be listened to & helped by the right services/people. In the mid to late ‘90’s, ravaged by ill health from excessive smoking, “Krueger” became a doorman at the Midway in the weekday afternoons. In ‘97, when going to see a film there, he still made a crude statement to me when I came across him. Sad. This old man at the ticket stand in the garish colored clown costume tops U.A. made their employees wear in place of the old style jacket & bowtie unis of the past. He had always been a scary looking man with his dark tinted glasses and his hard, haggard, very wizened face with the phlegm while talking. Old age rendered him even more creepy looking. From D.M. to doorman. Near him & the ticket stand was a small oxygen tank. Outside the theatre was his outdated even in the ‘80’s, old, big & ugly dark blue Oldsmobile Delta 88 car that I used to see roll into theatres when he was D.M. Am I harsh. Cruel. Yes. But if it was you or you had a child, relative or someone you knew that was affronted by a sexual predator how would you feel. His latent homosexuality isn’t the issue here. I want to absolutely stress that. It doesn’t matter. There is enough bigotry of that in the world. There is nothing wrong with that. It’s that he forced, coerced or enticed so many innocent, impressionable teens & young men that forever lingers with me. And that one regrettable Saturday when I was ambushed. I said no. I am sorry for those that felt pressured/accosted to say yes.
Looks like there’s a new owner who bought the building for $20.5 million and is looking to develop the property. http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130918/forest-hills/investors-who-bought-midway-theater-building-hint-at-redevelopment
Saw a lot of great movies here.
Are you kidding me, $13.50 non matinee showings. I think this is even more expensive than Manhattan.
The Queens Ledger-/Forest Hills Times features “Midway Theatre 70th Anniversary Benefits Alzheimer’s” by Michael Perlman: http://www.foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/20349385/article-Midway-Theatre-70th-Anniversary-Benefits-Alzheimer-s On 9/24, patrons saw Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” (1954) & the proceeds benefited the Alzheimer’s Association (NYC Chapter). The Midway opened in 1942 & was named after WWII’s Battle of Midway. It was designed in the Art Moderne style by America’s foremost theater architect, Thomas W. Lamb. Please share & feel free to post a comment on the article link.
when the midway closed in 1997 it was a quad (two downstairs and two upstairs). the only thing remains from the original is the staircase and screen 5 and 9 is the original balcony
Used to be able to find some parking on the side streets north of Queens Blvd, paktype. But you had to be very lucky. I think this theater has been one that called for use of mass transit for many years, now – unless you live within walking distance.
If you’re going to see a movie there today, take the subway if possible. The traffic in that area is terrible and unless you want to put your car into a garage and pay $20, there is very little on-street parking available because of all of the apartment buildings in the neighborhood.
Perhaps, but it may be hard to locate a showable print; in addition, the film does not appears to have been released on any form of home video to-date, which suggests that the rights may be entangled.
It’s official: The Midway Theatre 70th Anniversary film to be shown is Rear Window! Admission is $10 with the proceeds going to charity.
http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120919/forest-hills/historic-theater-celebrates-70th-birthday-with-hitchcock-flick
Thanks, Tinseltoes, for unearthing this material. Michael Pearlman may want to add this to the Midway site.
If I recall correctly, the Midway showed the Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnights on Saturday for a number of years, when it was still a quad.
“Coming Attractions: Legendary Midway Theatre To Turn 70” in the Forest Hills Times/Queens Ledger by Michael Perlman.
Mark your calendar for a 70th anniversary celebration, likely on September 24, 2012. Let’s preserve & commemorate our Art Moderne theater designed by the great Thomas Lamb, & named after WWII’s Battle of Midway.
If you would like to share your theater memories or experiences or any comment, please feel free to post on the article link:
http://www.foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/18969666/article-Coming-Attractions—Legendary-Midway-Theatre-To-Turn-70
A thank you to all who contributed to my article’s interviews.