Loew's Paradise Theatre

So much for it’s atmospheric qualities…

SAVE LOEWS KING

I agree beardbear. If you know of any groups planning to restore our sister movie palace, please tell us. I would love to contribute!

Fabulous news everyone!
As I was driving down the Grand Concourse today I stopped at a red light by the Paradise and noticed that the scaffolding was put up again. The workers already have steam cleaned a section of the building to the right of the clock. It looks wonderful, and it is very interesting to compare the clean verses the dirty side. Honestly speaking, most of of the ballustrades, urns, and other adornment on the exterior are actually highlighted by the accumulated soot on the exterior. I will almost miss the aged European look although the terra cotta is starting to shine again. Overall, progress continues!!!

I realize that this is only my opinion, and there may be plenty who disagree with me. BUT, in my opinion (with no disrepect meant to the Jersey, the Kings, the various Fox theatres, and all those other magnificent theatres out there that we love)Loew’s Paradise is, architecturally speaking, the best movie palace remaining in the United States. I can’t wait until my summer vacation so I can see it, restored, in person.

Hello RKG,
Today I will be at the LuEster T. Mertz Library atthe New York Botanical Garden working on a school project about the Paradise. There is a book there written about the movie palace which I will be xeroxing. Perhaps we can help each other out. I need to find a magazine article on the theater today. Feel free to call my office at 718 817 8868 so that we can meet. Ask for Eric. I will put the book on the reserve shelf today.

I believe the Last time I visited the theater was when Sleeping Beauty was released again in the eighties. I was probably five years old but I dont remember the walls being painted green. I do remember the mysterious dark shadows being cast on the statues, pilasters and other ornaments. My eyes wandered everywhere fascinated by this gem even though it had seen better days before the multiplexing. I was interrupted a few times by my mother who kept on reminding me that when she was around my age, my grandmother also took her there to see double features and that her highschool graduation ceremony was also held there (Walton 1968). After that we headed over to the lovely Dollar Savings Bank to get some money to spend at Alexanders across the street. Later on we stopped off at Woolworth to pick up some school supplies and when the popcorn went down, it was over to Annie’s Franks and Fries for those delicious hot dogs they sold.
It was all in a days work on Fordham Road.
Ahhh. The good old days.
Im just sorry that Krums Ice cream parlor was before my time. I’ve heard that the sundae’s were delicious.

While it is a shame to have to have a concession stand in the first place, there is a bright side to it: it is not causing the removal of ornament or fixtures from a wall, which is where they would otherwise have had to put it. Being in the middle, it will dominate the room, but then one can still walk around it with his back to it, and take in the restored ornate walls without having to keep the new stand in his mental picture. We must also be realistic about the traffic patterns encountered in the room, since the merchant who eventually uses it will want maximum traffic at all sides of the stand for fastest service as well as to maximize profits. Recall that it is food/refreshments that now really pay for a venue, not what is on a screen, sad to say. Also, there may be practical problems regarding utility feeds (water, sewer, electrical, beverage piping, etc.) that may require the location mid-floor for best access with least significant damage though the floor from basement storage area. There might even be a goods/cartons elevator hidden in the middle of the stand through a new opening in the floor so as to restock in a convenient way, and this too may be better than damaging the ornate plaster walls.

I read in the mid-90s somewhere that some part of the interior of the Paradise (the lobby and/or what were then the four theatre auditoriums) had been painted green. Looking at Roger’s photographs, that seems unlikely; can anyone confirm or refute this?

Acknowledging the historical value of the site, Mr. Lieblich said his first choice would be to reopen it as an entertainment venue, though not as a single-screen movie theater; people don’t see movies in 4,000-seat theaters these days. Mr. Lieblich mentioned concerts, live shows, plays, dancing and comedy as some possible uses. And he is promising not to touch anything of historical value. “We’re treating it like it’s a piece of gold,‘’ he said. "It’s gorgeous, irreplaceable.”

Still, Mr. Lieblich did not reject the possibility that the theater might be used for big-box retail space, a move that would require covering, though not destroying, much of the interior décor.

The theater was originally to be constructed a few blocks south near the old Ascot Theater. It was to be called the Venetian and its facade was to be of the same atyle but because of zoning restrictions and design changes it was built at the current site.

br91975
Those pictures are awesome, the place still looked great. Cinema Tours claims this theatre was also known as The Venetian, I never heard this before?