Kingsway Theatre
946 Kings Highway,
Brooklyn,
NY
11223
946 Kings Highway,
Brooklyn,
NY
11223
21 people
favorited this theater
Showing 101 - 109 of 109 comments
There was ALWAYS a problem with the AC here, but it was charming nonetheless. Upstairs there was a concession stand that must have been used at one time, but was no longer used by the time I was there seeing films. RKO Kingsway was scary as security was not tight, particularly by the bathroon. Nice murals on the side, lovely balcony entrance (for show; not for use). A real loss to the neighborhood.
The Last time i was at the Kingsway was in the early 90’s it was a Satuday night and people were actually drinking and smoking in there.It was in theatre 5 which was as noted around the corner from the other entrance so i guess they didint really keep an eye on things there. I only went there a couple of times but every time was for the most part a negative experience.
I went to see Jacobs Ladder there it was summertime, there was a probelm with the A/C which cut off before the previews and it quickly became paked and about 100 degrees inside. The sound cut on and off and about 30 min into the movie i left and asked for my money back .
The Kingsway was the first theatre, or at least the first I remember, in Brooklyn that was TWINNED.
I lived a few blocks from the theatre on Ocean Parkway. I remember the first movie to play in “theatre 2” upstairs was Mel Brooks' Silent Movie.
The Kingsway’s main auditorium always had a FABULOUS curtain. It was lit from the bottom in such a way that it looked like it had these deep circles, and it went up instead of opening side to side, like most did.
Since this was the first to be twinned, they really didn’t know how to make a new theatre, without the no longer needed ammeneties of a classic vaudville theatre. That being the case, the second floor, which was the balcony and housed theatre 2 had it’s own stage and curtain (although a very plain curtain) even though these things were not needed any more.
Later, the theatre was turned into a TRIPLEX, by dividing the lower auditorium into 2, and then a QUAD by divinding the upper auditoriums into 2.
Eventually, they took the “backstage” area, and made it into Theatre 5.. with it’s own entrance and Marquee on Coney Island Avenue. You had to walk around the side to get in.
Even though theatre 5 was an add on, it was very plush, and even had a balcony of it’s own.
As a child, a friend and me used to get in “for free” by telling the ticket taker we wanted tos ee the manager, whose office was to the left of the entrance doors. He would point us in, and we would dart up the stairs to see a movie.
This theatre was owned as far as I can remember by Century, which later became ALMI CENTURY, and then ALMI CENTURY WARNER…. then it became RKO CENTURY and finally was purchased by Cineplex Odeon.
At the end, this theatre was only open for 3 shows in the afternoon and evening.
There was a fantastic mural on the wall of this theatre which portrayed old time Brooklyn. The theatre also was “competing” with the Oceana for being the biggest. While this theatre grew in screen size, other Century theatres left the scene including the Avalon farther up Kings Highway, and the Mayfair on Avenue U off COney Island Avenue. As a kid, I remmeber thinking they would TWIN all the other theatres and we would have lots of screens all over… but they didn’t.. they just closed them down.
I miss the Kingsway… it was the theatre of my youth. It had this unique theater smell when you walked in. I wish I know they would close so I could have seen one more movie… at the end I am sure it was dumpy like most became… but another drug store (especially with one right accorss the street) is more dumpy in my book!
Mike
Theatre number 5 was located in the former stagehouse of this Brooklyn Movie Palace.
This former theater is now a Walgreens drug store. Sad transformation.
I recently drove past the old theater and noticed that large squares have been cut through the outer walls on the Coney Island side and the Kings Highway front. My guess is that the new tenant wants lots of natural sunlight.
Location: SW corner of Kings Highway and Coney Island Avenue.
The Kingsway opened on April 27, 1921, it was first twinned in the seventies eventually becoming a fiveplex by 1984. Originally part of the Long Island Century circuit which later merged with RKO and then was taken over by Cineplex Odeon in 1986. The Kingsway was closed by Loews Cineplex in January 2001. It is currently slated to become a Walgreens Drug Store and a health club.
the architect was R Thomas Short