Monroe Theatre
585 Monroe Avenue,
Rochester,
NY
14607
585 Monroe Avenue,
Rochester,
NY
14607
4 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 43 of 43 comments
The Coronet Theater, located in the 19th Ward on Thurston Road, holds fond memories for me. My father took me to see “The Sting” there with my older brother and the large marquee, which seemed to span the entire sidewalk in front of the theater, was a great place to stay dry if it were raining on walks home for lunch and after school from Our Lady of Good Counsel. If you wanted to brave getting a bit more wet, then a dash to Merrell’s 5 and Dime across the side street would end with the buying of a handful of Swedish Fish. I may be incorrect on this but I think the theater slanted in from both sides to form almost a triangle at the stage but I may be wroing on this recollection. I do know that “The Sting” remains one of my favorite movies. Was also wondering if the marquee still stands? When I moved away in the mid-1980s, it may have been vacant after a long run of martial arts films and the like.
Rochester Pete took me to the Monroe to see Lawrence of Arabia. In addition to those mentioned I remember Bridge on the River Kwai, Moonspinners (Haley Mills), Swiss Family Robinson (may have been my first), Green Berets, West Side Story, Longest Day, among others
When I was a teenager we knew an usher who let us in to the x-rated films when we were drinking on Friday nights. One night hwe passed out napkins after we sat down…another night he paged bishop sheen for a telephone call…the guy was funny …I usually ended up waking up when the movie was over and going to Gitsis fopr something to eat.
Per Brian Sharp of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle,
[quote]
Proposed redevelopment of the Monroe Theater block would demolish the back of the building that currently houses Show World to allow for a parking lot — for a proposed Rite Aid pharmacy next door.
The city expects to begin reviewing the proposal tomorrow. If plans are approved, the controversial adult business that has occupied the theater since 1976 would be gone, officials said.
Neighbors have fought to oust Show World for years, and turn the 1929 theater into a community playhouse or arts center. The front portion of the theater would be saved.
There is no indication yet of what is envisioned for that space. Developer Fred Rainaldi has told city officials only that the use would be commercial. The space opened by demolition would be used for parking.
Rainaldi revised plans after initially proposing to demolish the entire theater. He did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment this morning.
[/quote]
WOW!
I had completely forgotten about the Coronet — I’m pretty sure I saw “West Side Story” there in 1962.
The Riviera was the Monroe Theater’s sister movie house – run by the Schein Organization. The Riviera was a huge theater – very plain – probably an old neighborhood theater reconverted like the Monroe for 70mm. At the Riviera — I saw “My Fair Lady,” “Doctor Zhivago,” “El Cid,” “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” and paid an extra 25 or 50 cents to sit in their “Golden Loge” -aka the balcony with a gold fabric head rest on top of the seat — to see “Lawrence of Arabia” — Pricing the balcony extra and billing it as “The Golden Loge” was a great marketing idea!
The Waring’s sister movie house was the Lyell on Lyell Road in the Lyell Shopping Center — the theater has been converted into some store – I forget the name — but I do recall seeing the marquee for “Pete Kelly’s Blues” (back in 1955 or 56) and actually seeing a lot of movies there – including “Helen of Troy” with Bridget Bardot in 1956.
Like the Monroe and Riviera — the theater became a place to show pornographic movies.
Thanks to NittyRanks – I’m going to make a sentimental excursion by the Coronet this week.
I grew up on Sumner Park — btw.
The Coronet was on Plymouth Ave. if memory serves me well. (I have been in Fl for 20 years+)
What kind of money would it take to re-open in it’s original format? I am not a buff on eqiptment, but is there anything that can be bought reasonably? (or donated by a sponser such as Kodak)
I’LL HOLD MY BREATH!
The Waring should be listed as well. How can this be done?
It was noted earlier that “The Sound Of Music” ran at this theatre for over a year and a half. If anyone is interested in the exact duration, it was for 85 weeks (Apr. 15, 1965 – Nov. 30, 1966).
View link
The Paramount is on this site. It might be listed under “Picadilly”, which was its original name, but I thinks it’s listed under the name “Paramount”. The Coronet is still standing, (well, it was a year ago when I drove past it) but is vacant. I remember when they were trying to run it as an art house. I saw “Napoleon” there. The Cinema (nee Clinton) is still going strong as a neighborhood house.
Nitty,
Is the Coronet still there? The Cinema has a real odd shape to it. I remember seeing “Soilint Green” there. Also, what kind of Martial Arts do you teach?
After reviewing the list from Rochester, I find the Waring Theater , Coranet, and Paramount? theaters missing. Also the Cinema on Clinton Ave. How can these be added?
I too grew up in Rochester, and used to go the Monroe on Saturdays in the 70’s to see Godzilla, War of the Gargantuas,etc.. You can see the current theater on a live camera here: www.rocpic.com
It’s sister theater I believe was the Coranet (Which I saw Enter The Dragon) If I remember correctly, they both showed X rated movies at one time or another. Would'nt it be cool to restore and open again?
(Probably a money looser in conservative Rochester)
Addendum to my comment —
It went from a neighborhood theater to a first run theater showing films, such as “Can-Can,” the re-release of “Fantasia” in the Wide-Screen process (a misguided moment), ditto “Gone with the Wind” in 70mm…..and then in the early 60s was converted to Cinerama with the first show being “This is Cinerama,” going through all the Cinerama travelogue type films (Windjammer, Cinerama Holiday, etc.) and moving on the “How the West Was Won,” “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm,” “Grand Prix,” “Circus World,” and then in 1964 – Walt Disney’s “Mary Poppins” followed soon after by “The Sound of Music” — which as I mentioned played over 18 months at that theater.
From there, it became a theater that showed porn and eventually turned into a store that rents and sells porn videos, etc.
My dream is to win the lottery and buy the building back from the current owners and restore it to the wonderful theater so many people in Rochester remember.
Hi Rochester Pete,
I’d love to hear more of your memories of theatres in Rochester. I went to the Monroe to see “The Sound of Music”, but was only 6 at the time, and don’t remember much about the theatre. It’s nice to know that it’s still intact. If only someone could reopen it as a movie theatre again. I think the Monroe Avenue neighborhood and the East side in general would really go for a Little Theatre type presentation house.
Just a quick comment on the status of the Monroe Theater (now Show World).
This was my neighborhood theater and one that I knew inside out – since I figured out the ushers schedules as was able to sneak into the theater to see the movies that played there. I really overdosed on “The Sound of Music” since it played there for a year and a half (they had to replace the film with a new print, since it had just about worn out toward the end).
If you enter Show World today, you can still see the curved Cinerama screen with the massive purple curtain covering it — the interior is painted solid black and the lighting fixtures in the ceiling (kind of a Monticello dome) are still there. Along the walls are the massive 6-Track or 8-Track Stereophonic speakers. So if you don’t mind entering a porn shop, you can see what was one of the great old neighborhood theaters of Rochester.
It went from a neighborhood theater – where in the 1950s one could still see a double feature with cartoons, Three Stooges comedies and newsreels PLUS a ‘contest for kids in the audience’ held on the stage or in front of the auditorium —ALL FOR 25 CENTS! — and if you were one of the first ten kids in line for that Saturday matinee, you got a coupon for a FREE ice cream!
I remember going to see a Saturday matinee of King Kong and a Zombie film and receiving a FREE PASS to the next week’s show, just for being brave enough to sit through the movies.
Now here’s something most people don’t know.
When the owners converted the theater to Cinerama — they did not touch the original screen, curtain or stage! It’s all still there behind the great curved screen!
I’d love to hear from others about your memories of the Monroe.
Hi Glenn, I’ll respond to your comment. I’m not sure when the last time you were in Rochester was, but it’s changed since “Search for Paradise” showed at the Monroe, that’s for sure! The Manger (formerly the Seneca) Hotel is gone, the Monroe is not what it was, but I guess there’s still hope both for downtown and the Monroe. What great childhood memories though! Thanks for sharing them.
I’m not sure if I clicked on the “notify me when someone responds to my comment” so I’ll do it now.
In 1961, 62, or 63 (I’m not sure what year exactly), my family went on a business trip to Rochester from Hagerstown, Maryland where I grew up. I was about 13-14 years old. We stayed at the Manger Hotel downtown. My father took us to the Monroe Theatre to see “Search for Paradise” in three projector Cinerama. My father had worked many years before in Philadelphia as a movie projectionist, and after showing the Monroe’s manager his old IATSE union card (which he always kept with him!), we were taken to the projection booth and given an extensive “tour” of the workings of three-strip Cinerama. I still have my souvenir book of “Search for Paradise!”
There’s a photo of the former theatre today at View link
In 1999 I visited Rochester for the first and as yet, only time. I happened on the Monroe Theatre quite by chance. (I had already photographed the Eastman’s exterior, and seen a movie at the art deco Little the night before) Indeed the Monroe’s exterior is quietly elegant. The later moderne marquee isn’t bad either. At least the owner only desecrated it with paint. Some owners have done far worse in an attempt to prevent landmark designation. I saw it before the paint job, thankfully.