I remember going to the RKO-Albee in Brooklyn after a film had its NYC Mid-town debut……after playing the Albee, the titles would then go to the neiborhood RKO theaters, such as the Madison & Bushwick in my old neighborhoods………I remember in the mid-1950s, when TV was really putting a hurt on movie-attendance, the Albee ran a double bill featuring two Italian language films with English subtitles…..“The Iron Crown”-1941, which was re-issued in Italy and Europe and cut down to 88 minutes from its original 125 minutes in 1946/48——the co-feature was “The She Wolf”-1951……..Advertising for the double bill, it said “No One under 18 years of age admitted……I was about 14 or 15, but was tall for my age, and got in with no problem…….The Albee was plush inside, with carpeting throughout, as many of the RKO chains were………Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
There used to be a Schlitz Brewery near us also, it burned down when I was about 11 or 12 I think….My 8th grade home-room Teacher was Mrs. Hitner….had Skolsky for Science, dont remember many of the others except the Principle was Mr. Warren I think…..and the auditorium ay PS 145 was bigger and more modern then the Rogers……When you went there, they must have cleaned up the place a bit….It was dark in there, but the Alba was the darkest…..I think the screen was the only source of light in that place…..Joe From Florida—-sasheegm—P.S. I graduated PS 145 in 1954…..
Hello Moondog: I lived on Willoughby Ave between Central & Evergreen Aves from 1946 until 1959( By 1959 i was not hanging in the area as i had an R&R group and we appeared all over at that time—-I was also 18 in 1959…..I went to PS-53 on Troutman St. and then to PS 145 Junior HS for 7 and 8th grades…..It was about this time(1954) or a little before that.
, that my neighborhood movie going stopped……….I spoke to an older Cousin of mine who lives in Buffalo, but grew up on Stocton St two buildings down from the Lowes Broadway——He just turned 80 years old, and he went to the Rogers as a kid, but remembers my Uncle(his Father) that the little movie house used to put on Plays and musical shows….and many were in Italian——-I hope BWAY & Lostmemory see this post as they have been trying to find out more info on the Rogers Theater on Broadway in Brooklyn…..I feel, because of its interior, that it had to be built in the late 1800s——-What do you remember about the interior Moondog——Did they have cats and sawdust when you went there——I am 64—-so I went there in the late 40s. early 50s….and Durango Kid westerns were some of the most popular films they showed there…..I remember lines going around the corner, of kids waiting to get in, just to see The Durango Kid…..and also many times my father would take me there in the evening as he also liked the Westerns———Joe From Florida——sasheegm——
That’s the one…..In 1957 I was working as a day camp counselor for Christadora House, a non-secterian Day Camp on First Ave and First St…..the day camp was housed in a basement in a building on Ave.D……..One week in August it rained everyday keeping the kids inside for 3 days…….On Thursday the kids were getting Cabin Fever ad so were the Counselors, including me…..We looked after kids 6 to 10 years old whose parents both worked, or who only had one parent…….Anyway, My older Cousin Rosie, who was a receptionist for Christadora House, who got me the Summer Job which paid fairly well for those times, suggested we take the gang iof kids….about 70 of them, to the movies……The closest one was the American…..She called the American and spoke to the MGR and told him to clean out the bums that we were bringing about 70 kids to the movies…..and that one time I remember this house….a painted brick wall was the screen, and the film that was playing was “Sign of the Pagan” with Jeff Chandler & Jack Palance……I got my Social Security Card before I started to work…I was 16 yeras old, but looked older, so I got the job of taking care of about 15 10 year olds….What an experience that was……….The American Movie House….I dont remember if it had a marque or not since we all were under umbrellas, as we walked about 5 blocks to the movies….and a Summer I will never forget….Thanks LostMemory——you are a wealth of info….Hopefully will be on tomorrow——Joe From Florida—-sasheegm——
You fellows do a great job providing Information, Photos, Stats…..that takes time and effort, and I appreciate it….My expertise is in the Classic film Genre…especially the Golden Age of the 1930s……but it was at these old movie houses where it all began as a kid going to the movies….Ciao, Joe From Florida….sasheegm…..
Thanks Bruce: He is the un-crowned King of R&R….To bad his life was so screwed up back then……Recorded “The Girl Can’t Help It”-1956/57 off of Fox Movie Channel last week—-Beautiful digital copy for my collection———-Remember taking my wife to the Westbury Theater in the round for a R&R revival show back around 1970 or so…….Chubby Checker was top billed, and 2nd billed was Chuck Berry———Berry brought down the house and had about 5 encores——Then poor Chubby took the stage and people were leaving….Chuck Berry was hard to follow if you were Chubby Checker in 1970….Dumb Producers….Only Richard could do that…..and now the two of them are touring together—-Chuck Berry and Little Richard—-they appeared in Melbourne Fla last month to a sold out house at the King Center for the performing Arts…..Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
Hi Lostmemory; No, they won today….WOW! One in a row!…….Still say the old Rogers on Broadway looked like the oldest theater in the old neighborhood…older then the Empire, Alba & Decatur all put together——you had to be inside to see what I mean…….I remember it very well now……especially after a couple of days thinking back……Hope to list some missing Houses from Lower East Side this week…..Approx locations, names like the American somewhere around 1st ave and 3 rd St……in the middle of an old tenement with a painted white brick wall for a screen….Check your ref, books on that name for Manhattan…..and another very old house around the corner from the Academy on 14th St.in Manhattan…..Looked somewhat, on the outside, like a nickelodean from an Edison Documentary—-Gem comes to mind, but not certain——Heck, I’m going back some 50 years!….but my Father, who grew up in Little Italy, may he rest in peace, used to say he went to the American to see Tom Mix & Joe Bonomo when he was kid—-he was born in 1911—-died in 2001—-same year as my Mother…….Joe From Florida—-sasheegm——
I think it was menioned that the Williamsburg had a few names over the years….I don;t remember the Aster, and I worked on Kent Ave from 1959 to 1960….and many times I would go to Bickfords for lunch, which was right there——Yet i do not recall it—-Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
Hi Lostmemory: Took time out from the Yankees game——I pay for MLB-Extra-Innings so I can see them over-paid bums…..This site is not the Rogers on Broadway under the El……Just checked some of the posts, and the Botanic Gardens was no where near Broadway…..I really appreciate your efforts….Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
Hi again cjdv: I think Lostmemory showed the phto to BWAY & myself, as we were sort of posting back and forth last night…..and i appreciated that info that he supplied as BWAY did……Now this other site is “WOW”……..My ball game is coming on soon, but I have bookmarked the site and will be checking it out very soon…..Thanks cjdv——In the few days hat I have been here, since i found this site, I have met a fellow classic film collector, ItalianGerry and a bunch of good people——I used to post on a regular basis at IMDB Classic Foum as well as About.com Classic films——Now ocasionally at Delphi Forums for my good friend Brad Lang….but my illness prevents me from staying seated too long, and at IMDB’s boards, a group of misfits were disrupting everything and no moderator to do anything about it….I left about the same time that Leonard Maltin left….Now I just give user comments on Classic films that may have none….I appreciate all of you guys and the knowledge you all have regarding these old sites——Ciao for now, Joe From Florida—-sasheegm—–
In the late 40s and the early 50s, both the Rogers & Decatur were affectionatly called the “Itch”……The Colonial. up about a block from the Decatur on Broadway was a palace in comparison, and it advertised the Coolest A/C in NY…..and it was cold in there…..I remember that sign hanging down from the Marque…..A great double feature I saw there with my school chums was the Flash Gordon Feature versions of the serials…..after a few days at the Colonial, they went to the Starr theater on Knickerbocker Ave—-check out my post on that oldie but goodie——Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
Hi JoeS & cjdv: The RKO Albee was in downtown Brooklyn on Dekalb Ave & Fulton Street……..The Albee would receive its films on 2nd run from the RKO-Palace on Broadway in Manhattan most of the time; but in the 50s, when RKO was staring to go belly-up, it started showing many other companies films…..One wild Double feature I saw there around 1955/56(not sure about the year) were two Italian Imports with subtitles——“The Iron Crown”-1941 with Gino Cervi & “La Lupa”-1950 i believe with Kerima & May Britt——-It was advertised as “Adults Only” 18 and over because of subject matter & some partial nudity……I was only 14 or 15 at the time, but i grew a foot when i was 12 to 13,(went from the front of the line to the rear in one year—lol) so I could pass for an 18 year old easily as I was 6 ft tall…….Don’t know about Edw.G’s Brother, but Roy Rogers also made another all star cast western called Trail of Robin Hood-1950——I had both titles on 16mm years ago——-but the one most people remember most fondly was “The Bells of Rosarita”…….I knew Sunset Carson pretty well in his latter days—-We met at a Convention in 1980 in Charlotte, N.C. and stayed in touch from that time until his death in 1990…..I was 6ft tall, and Sunset made me look like a Dwarf——lol——he was 6 ft 6 inches—-add his jeweled cowboy boots with those 3 inch heels, and he towered over everyone——-Joe From Florida
WOW: Look up the Rogers LostMemory & Possibly my old tenement cold flat at 997 Wiloughby Ave(if they even have it listed)——-would be interesting to read tomorrow——It’s bedtime for me….Too many damn pills—-lol—-Joe From Forida—-sasheegm
Thanks BWAY: I’ll be dreaming of those stations which I passed so many times…….Incidently a few years back, A&E ran a special on the NY Subway system, and one of the old wooden gate cars was shown——-what a rattle-trap those where……..The platforms were much thinner at Central & the rest of those stops at the metropolitan line………I believe they were narrowed to accomodate the wider Chambers St trains, as I remember to get into the narrow wooden cars, there was about one foot of space between the platform and the old cars——-Conductors would scream out—“WATCH YOUR STEP”——then when everyone was aboard, even with passengers riding on the outside platforms with the cars full, the Conductor in the last two cars would pull his cord and a bell would signal the next conductor, until it reached the engineer——-I can imagine the foul-ups with that system…..when the bigger & wider Chambers trains arrived, it was a perfect fit…..no space between Platform & train……Also at the end of line at Metropolitan Ave, there used to be the Old Farmers Oval Baseball Stadium where the three-i league of minor league baseball teams would play…..The Glendale Tigers were a farm club for the Brooklyn Dodgers——the St.Josephs was a farm team for the NY Giants(and Farmers Oval was their home field)…….They were there since the late 1800s playing ball…..and one of the most famous Free-Lance teams would also play their games there—-The House of David——-I will have many pleasant dreams tonight….Thanks BWAY—think I’ll call it a night Ciao, Joe From Florida—-sasheegm—-P.S. have other theaters to comment on and list from Brevard County, here in Florida—-and possibly more in Manhattan around the lower East Side(my old stomping grounds)—-cannot recall the names, but it will come back to me!
Hi BWAY: First; Being a newbie here, I’d like to thank you and the other members for your excellent posts at this website——Usually I only post occasionally at the Classic Cinema sites helping folks find copies of their old-time movie favorites……….Is it possible that this small theater was built prior to 1888?…….I recall that it had an ornate curved marque overhang, which went to the curb, with only maybe 2 feet clearance for the El…..Very small compared to other marques(sorry if I miss-spelled)…..and you had to step up to go inside the theater, with the box office window facing outside under the marque….as a kid, I would have to reach up to pay my 10 cents or 11 cents the cost of admission———-On another note, I remember the Loews Broadway at the corner of Stocton closing down in the mid-50s for renovation———It had a sign outside asking patrons to go to the Gates further up on Broadway…..when it re-opened, they had all new seats & bathrooms—-very plush for a neighborhood theater, and much more modern then the Lowes Gates……Interesting about the Broadway El…..My station was one up from the Myrtle Ave stop, at Central Ave & Wilson——-On those tracks ran the BMT’s Chamber St/Metropolitan line, along with the older wooden gate cars, that were elctric-ized——-they had one sliding door on each end, and then the platform with a Conductor to open the gates to let passengers out———When those old cars ran at rush hour from Metropolitan to Jay St & Fulton, they huffed & puffed to make it up the incline above the Broadway Jamaica stop ay Myrtle——there you could change trains……Heck, for a nickel, you could travel all over the city by transferring from one train to a trolley——and the Broadway & Chambers trains went over the Williamsburg Bridge along with the Trolley that ended its run at Essex St………What a dark and dingy station that was and big since you had both subway trains & the trolleys stopping there——Sorry to get off subject, but memories come back——The Classic film “Naked City”-1948, had some nice shots of the Bridge, the FDR Hwy & its Tennis Courts and the old steel subway cars…..I worked at Domino Sugar from 1959 until 1960….and the memories abound——driving in from Roosevelt, LI was no fun at 5am….many times i would take the LIRR and then switch to the Jamiaca line when my 53 Mercury was laid up——-Thanks for the info BWAY…Too bad we cannot find out when the old Rogers was built———Joe From Floria—-sasheegm—–
Thanks lost memory——What a mess———and from what I understand, much of the area of Willoughby Ave between Central and Evergreen is all leveled……I lived at 997 Willoughby Ave….It was a 3 story cold flat with 4 railroad rooms——I was told that the apartment was one of the oldest, being built in the 1870s……..They had added electricty & indoor plumbing in the 1900s….and in the celler were stalls that were originally for horses——and as a kid living there from 1946 to 1959, I could swear i smelled horses everytime I went down to the celler…….Other appartments in the area only had one toilet for the two families who lived on the 4 floors……It was old and fairly poor section when I grew up there…..and the Starr and the Rivoli, along with the Parthenon, Ridgewood, Williamsburg, Colonial were all decent and clean…..The local “Itch” as they were called were the Rogers & the Decatur theaters, with the chain theaters (RKO & LOEWS) being palaces….and the others I mentioned like the Alba, Williamsburg, Empire, falling somewhere in between——-When I went to the Rogers or Decatur, my Mother used to tell me to wash very good……She grew up on Marcy Ave during the 20s, and the only two theaters she ever went to were the Marcy & Loews Gates…….Never was allowed to go to the Rogers——and thats back in the 20s!…..but for a kid the Rogers & Starr had the B-Films we all enjoyed as kids; especially the westerns——when we got our first televison set, one of the first Indie stations was channel-13 Watv out of Newark, N.J. and they showed Westerns all day long at first….and eventually caused the demise of these old movie houses……Thanks lost memory for the memories——Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
I remember a cafeteria there……After we moved to LI in 1959, I would take my Mother to Manhattan Ave to buy material, since she was a custom dressmaker( they had everything there )…and I would walk over to Broadway to see what was left—this is in the 60s….and the Rogers, at the time was closed with a torn poster from a Durango Kid western in its very small lobby………I remember the raised platform in the Alba and wondered how many people fell since you could not see your hand in front of you…..Both the Rogers & Alba were very old in the 50s, so i could only guess as to when they were built——especially the Rogers since the sound-proofing was non-existant, and when the El went by or stopped, you could hear it inside……Plus they had wooden floors & chairs……The concession at the Roers included an old guy selling Ice Cream bars out of a lift freezer & a nickel candy machine…….and why would anyone build a theater right under the El??…..So I would not be suprised if the Rogers was built before the El was——-Oh yes, and both Theaters had pianos just collecting dust in front of their stages……Joe From Florida——sasheegm
As one member mentioned, this drive inn had a great play area for the kids……Its screen was not as bright as the Westbury Drive Inn, but it offered mainly family fare in the 1960s……It was not un-common to see a John Wayne double feature there in the 1960s……and as I mentioned, swings, slides and a playground for the kiddies——It was a great place to go on a Saturday night——or any night for that matter——Joe From Florida—-sasheegm——
In the 50s and 60s, the Bethpage located off of Hempstead Tpke. showed cutting edge films such as “The Balcony with Shelly Winters and Ruby Dee…..It was a small one level theater with a small marque….Possbly seating 300 at most……Jos From Florida….sasheegm
When my Mother had some extra money, we would go to the Loews Broadway, which was on the corner of Broadway & Stocton St……One block from Myrtle Ave……It showed primarily 2nd run MGM features after they had played the Loews State in Manhattan & Loews Metropolitan in downtown Brooklyn………Some of the films I saw there as a kid were “Anna”-1951 with Silvana Mangano, “King Solomon’s Mines-1950 with Stewart Granger, and one weird double feature of "Bella Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla"with Sammy Petrillo(a Jerry Lewis look alike) & Duke Mitchell( a poor man’s Dean Martin) plus Tarantula with John Agar & Leo G .Carroll———-I went with a couple of school chums, and when Leo G Carroll turned to the audience after injecting himself with this serum that made animals and insects larger, I almost jumped 3 rows back——-YIKES, what a kisser———One eye up in his forehead, drooping mouth——Carroll was nothing to look at to begin with, but the make-up guy did a hell of a job on him——-The Giant Spider was nothing compared to Carroll’s kisser in that one——-Incidently, the Jet Pilot who eventually barbeques the giant spider was Clint Eastwood in an early role——-Joe From Florida—-sasheegm——
My Wife and i frequented many of the theaters in Nassau & Suffolk Counties in the 1960s……and on one of our dates, before we were married we saw “Warlock” with Henry Fonda & Richard Widmark there…….We would make a day of it going to the movies and eating out……..Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
Astyanax: Your correct……It was not a corner Theater……and probably the darkest theater inside that I ever went to……..In the 1950s, it seemed very old……………I remember seeing “The Old Dark House” with Boris Karloff there…..and the setting in that theater was perfect, as you could not see anything around you but the screen…..Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
Thats good to hear…..We moved to Florida from Levittown in 1976, and the rumor was from a visiting New Yorker……….On the concession stand; even though we brought snacks with us, with two kids by Intermission, the concession stand was mobbed……….I had a 1960 Ford Sunliner Convertable back then for about 10 years( could never part with it)…and on hot summer nights, it was a joy to sit under the stars and watch the films…….Thanks again for that up-date——Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
I took the Wife and kids there in the late 60s & early 70s, and it had one of the brightest screens…..Apparently the Projector had a very good lens system……..we also went to the 110 drive inn and that screen was much less vivid then the Westbury drive inns…..Great memories……..In 1968, we had all to do to get my 5 year old daughter to sleep in the back seat, while wife and i watched the first Billy Jack movie “The Born Losers”——-later on in the 70s, I heard that it was playing xxx features——too bad….It was a great place for families to go…..Joe From Florida—-sasheegm—-user name
Thanks to all for responding…..Yes I have both films in my collection——I have been a Classic film collector for over 40 years of all genres, including foreign, in particular Italian Cinema…..and thanks KenRoe for checking the name out———If you continued down Nassau to the south, you would come into Freeport where there were two large Movie Theaters—-the Grove & the Freeport……Check out my post on the Freeport and get a few chuckles………Go North into Hempstead, and you would find The Old Hempstead Theater, the Rivoli & the Calderone……Ciao, Joe From Florida—-sasheegm—–
I remember going to the RKO-Albee in Brooklyn after a film had its NYC Mid-town debut……after playing the Albee, the titles would then go to the neiborhood RKO theaters, such as the Madison & Bushwick in my old neighborhoods………I remember in the mid-1950s, when TV was really putting a hurt on movie-attendance, the Albee ran a double bill featuring two Italian language films with English subtitles…..“The Iron Crown”-1941, which was re-issued in Italy and Europe and cut down to 88 minutes from its original 125 minutes in 1946/48——the co-feature was “The She Wolf”-1951……..Advertising for the double bill, it said “No One under 18 years of age admitted……I was about 14 or 15, but was tall for my age, and got in with no problem…….The Albee was plush inside, with carpeting throughout, as many of the RKO chains were………Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
There used to be a Schlitz Brewery near us also, it burned down when I was about 11 or 12 I think….My 8th grade home-room Teacher was Mrs. Hitner….had Skolsky for Science, dont remember many of the others except the Principle was Mr. Warren I think…..and the auditorium ay PS 145 was bigger and more modern then the Rogers……When you went there, they must have cleaned up the place a bit….It was dark in there, but the Alba was the darkest…..I think the screen was the only source of light in that place…..Joe From Florida—-sasheegm—P.S. I graduated PS 145 in 1954…..
Hello Moondog: I lived on Willoughby Ave between Central & Evergreen Aves from 1946 until 1959( By 1959 i was not hanging in the area as i had an R&R group and we appeared all over at that time—-I was also 18 in 1959…..I went to PS-53 on Troutman St. and then to PS 145 Junior HS for 7 and 8th grades…..It was about this time(1954) or a little before that.
, that my neighborhood movie going stopped……….I spoke to an older Cousin of mine who lives in Buffalo, but grew up on Stocton St two buildings down from the Lowes Broadway——He just turned 80 years old, and he went to the Rogers as a kid, but remembers my Uncle(his Father) that the little movie house used to put on Plays and musical shows….and many were in Italian——-I hope BWAY & Lostmemory see this post as they have been trying to find out more info on the Rogers Theater on Broadway in Brooklyn…..I feel, because of its interior, that it had to be built in the late 1800s——-What do you remember about the interior Moondog——Did they have cats and sawdust when you went there——I am 64—-so I went there in the late 40s. early 50s….and Durango Kid westerns were some of the most popular films they showed there…..I remember lines going around the corner, of kids waiting to get in, just to see The Durango Kid…..and also many times my father would take me there in the evening as he also liked the Westerns———Joe From Florida——sasheegm——
That’s the one…..In 1957 I was working as a day camp counselor for Christadora House, a non-secterian Day Camp on First Ave and First St…..the day camp was housed in a basement in a building on Ave.D……..One week in August it rained everyday keeping the kids inside for 3 days…….On Thursday the kids were getting Cabin Fever ad so were the Counselors, including me…..We looked after kids 6 to 10 years old whose parents both worked, or who only had one parent…….Anyway, My older Cousin Rosie, who was a receptionist for Christadora House, who got me the Summer Job which paid fairly well for those times, suggested we take the gang iof kids….about 70 of them, to the movies……The closest one was the American…..She called the American and spoke to the MGR and told him to clean out the bums that we were bringing about 70 kids to the movies…..and that one time I remember this house….a painted brick wall was the screen, and the film that was playing was “Sign of the Pagan” with Jeff Chandler & Jack Palance……I got my Social Security Card before I started to work…I was 16 yeras old, but looked older, so I got the job of taking care of about 15 10 year olds….What an experience that was……….The American Movie House….I dont remember if it had a marque or not since we all were under umbrellas, as we walked about 5 blocks to the movies….and a Summer I will never forget….Thanks LostMemory——you are a wealth of info….Hopefully will be on tomorrow——Joe From Florida—-sasheegm——
You fellows do a great job providing Information, Photos, Stats…..that takes time and effort, and I appreciate it….My expertise is in the Classic film Genre…especially the Golden Age of the 1930s……but it was at these old movie houses where it all began as a kid going to the movies….Ciao, Joe From Florida….sasheegm…..
Thanks Bruce: He is the un-crowned King of R&R….To bad his life was so screwed up back then……Recorded “The Girl Can’t Help It”-1956/57 off of Fox Movie Channel last week—-Beautiful digital copy for my collection———-Remember taking my wife to the Westbury Theater in the round for a R&R revival show back around 1970 or so…….Chubby Checker was top billed, and 2nd billed was Chuck Berry———Berry brought down the house and had about 5 encores——Then poor Chubby took the stage and people were leaving….Chuck Berry was hard to follow if you were Chubby Checker in 1970….Dumb Producers….Only Richard could do that…..and now the two of them are touring together—-Chuck Berry and Little Richard—-they appeared in Melbourne Fla last month to a sold out house at the King Center for the performing Arts…..Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
Hi Lostmemory; No, they won today….WOW! One in a row!…….Still say the old Rogers on Broadway looked like the oldest theater in the old neighborhood…older then the Empire, Alba & Decatur all put together——you had to be inside to see what I mean…….I remember it very well now……especially after a couple of days thinking back……Hope to list some missing Houses from Lower East Side this week…..Approx locations, names like the American somewhere around 1st ave and 3 rd St……in the middle of an old tenement with a painted white brick wall for a screen….Check your ref, books on that name for Manhattan…..and another very old house around the corner from the Academy on 14th St.in Manhattan…..Looked somewhat, on the outside, like a nickelodean from an Edison Documentary—-Gem comes to mind, but not certain——Heck, I’m going back some 50 years!….but my Father, who grew up in Little Italy, may he rest in peace, used to say he went to the American to see Tom Mix & Joe Bonomo when he was kid—-he was born in 1911—-died in 2001—-same year as my Mother…….Joe From Florida—-sasheegm——
I think it was menioned that the Williamsburg had a few names over the years….I don;t remember the Aster, and I worked on Kent Ave from 1959 to 1960….and many times I would go to Bickfords for lunch, which was right there——Yet i do not recall it—-Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
Hi Lostmemory: Took time out from the Yankees game——I pay for MLB-Extra-Innings so I can see them over-paid bums…..This site is not the Rogers on Broadway under the El……Just checked some of the posts, and the Botanic Gardens was no where near Broadway…..I really appreciate your efforts….Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
Hi again cjdv: I think Lostmemory showed the phto to BWAY & myself, as we were sort of posting back and forth last night…..and i appreciated that info that he supplied as BWAY did……Now this other site is “WOW”……..My ball game is coming on soon, but I have bookmarked the site and will be checking it out very soon…..Thanks cjdv——In the few days hat I have been here, since i found this site, I have met a fellow classic film collector, ItalianGerry and a bunch of good people——I used to post on a regular basis at IMDB Classic Foum as well as About.com Classic films——Now ocasionally at Delphi Forums for my good friend Brad Lang….but my illness prevents me from staying seated too long, and at IMDB’s boards, a group of misfits were disrupting everything and no moderator to do anything about it….I left about the same time that Leonard Maltin left….Now I just give user comments on Classic films that may have none….I appreciate all of you guys and the knowledge you all have regarding these old sites——Ciao for now, Joe From Florida—-sasheegm—–
In the late 40s and the early 50s, both the Rogers & Decatur were affectionatly called the “Itch”……The Colonial. up about a block from the Decatur on Broadway was a palace in comparison, and it advertised the Coolest A/C in NY…..and it was cold in there…..I remember that sign hanging down from the Marque…..A great double feature I saw there with my school chums was the Flash Gordon Feature versions of the serials…..after a few days at the Colonial, they went to the Starr theater on Knickerbocker Ave—-check out my post on that oldie but goodie——Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
Hi JoeS & cjdv: The RKO Albee was in downtown Brooklyn on Dekalb Ave & Fulton Street……..The Albee would receive its films on 2nd run from the RKO-Palace on Broadway in Manhattan most of the time; but in the 50s, when RKO was staring to go belly-up, it started showing many other companies films…..One wild Double feature I saw there around 1955/56(not sure about the year) were two Italian Imports with subtitles——“The Iron Crown”-1941 with Gino Cervi & “La Lupa”-1950 i believe with Kerima & May Britt——-It was advertised as “Adults Only” 18 and over because of subject matter & some partial nudity……I was only 14 or 15 at the time, but i grew a foot when i was 12 to 13,(went from the front of the line to the rear in one year—lol) so I could pass for an 18 year old easily as I was 6 ft tall…….Don’t know about Edw.G’s Brother, but Roy Rogers also made another all star cast western called Trail of Robin Hood-1950——I had both titles on 16mm years ago——-but the one most people remember most fondly was “The Bells of Rosarita”…….I knew Sunset Carson pretty well in his latter days—-We met at a Convention in 1980 in Charlotte, N.C. and stayed in touch from that time until his death in 1990…..I was 6ft tall, and Sunset made me look like a Dwarf——lol——he was 6 ft 6 inches—-add his jeweled cowboy boots with those 3 inch heels, and he towered over everyone——-Joe From Florida
WOW: Look up the Rogers LostMemory & Possibly my old tenement cold flat at 997 Wiloughby Ave(if they even have it listed)——-would be interesting to read tomorrow——It’s bedtime for me….Too many damn pills—-lol—-Joe From Forida—-sasheegm
Thanks BWAY: I’ll be dreaming of those stations which I passed so many times…….Incidently a few years back, A&E ran a special on the NY Subway system, and one of the old wooden gate cars was shown——-what a rattle-trap those where……..The platforms were much thinner at Central & the rest of those stops at the metropolitan line………I believe they were narrowed to accomodate the wider Chambers St trains, as I remember to get into the narrow wooden cars, there was about one foot of space between the platform and the old cars——-Conductors would scream out—“WATCH YOUR STEP”——then when everyone was aboard, even with passengers riding on the outside platforms with the cars full, the Conductor in the last two cars would pull his cord and a bell would signal the next conductor, until it reached the engineer——-I can imagine the foul-ups with that system…..when the bigger & wider Chambers trains arrived, it was a perfect fit…..no space between Platform & train……Also at the end of line at Metropolitan Ave, there used to be the Old Farmers Oval Baseball Stadium where the three-i league of minor league baseball teams would play…..The Glendale Tigers were a farm club for the Brooklyn Dodgers——the St.Josephs was a farm team for the NY Giants(and Farmers Oval was their home field)…….They were there since the late 1800s playing ball…..and one of the most famous Free-Lance teams would also play their games there—-The House of David——-I will have many pleasant dreams tonight….Thanks BWAY—think I’ll call it a night Ciao, Joe From Florida—-sasheegm—-P.S. have other theaters to comment on and list from Brevard County, here in Florida—-and possibly more in Manhattan around the lower East Side(my old stomping grounds)—-cannot recall the names, but it will come back to me!
Hi BWAY: First; Being a newbie here, I’d like to thank you and the other members for your excellent posts at this website——Usually I only post occasionally at the Classic Cinema sites helping folks find copies of their old-time movie favorites……….Is it possible that this small theater was built prior to 1888?…….I recall that it had an ornate curved marque overhang, which went to the curb, with only maybe 2 feet clearance for the El…..Very small compared to other marques(sorry if I miss-spelled)…..and you had to step up to go inside the theater, with the box office window facing outside under the marque….as a kid, I would have to reach up to pay my 10 cents or 11 cents the cost of admission———-On another note, I remember the Loews Broadway at the corner of Stocton closing down in the mid-50s for renovation———It had a sign outside asking patrons to go to the Gates further up on Broadway…..when it re-opened, they had all new seats & bathrooms—-very plush for a neighborhood theater, and much more modern then the Lowes Gates……Interesting about the Broadway El…..My station was one up from the Myrtle Ave stop, at Central Ave & Wilson——-On those tracks ran the BMT’s Chamber St/Metropolitan line, along with the older wooden gate cars, that were elctric-ized——-they had one sliding door on each end, and then the platform with a Conductor to open the gates to let passengers out———When those old cars ran at rush hour from Metropolitan to Jay St & Fulton, they huffed & puffed to make it up the incline above the Broadway Jamaica stop ay Myrtle——there you could change trains……Heck, for a nickel, you could travel all over the city by transferring from one train to a trolley——and the Broadway & Chambers trains went over the Williamsburg Bridge along with the Trolley that ended its run at Essex St………What a dark and dingy station that was and big since you had both subway trains & the trolleys stopping there——Sorry to get off subject, but memories come back——The Classic film “Naked City”-1948, had some nice shots of the Bridge, the FDR Hwy & its Tennis Courts and the old steel subway cars…..I worked at Domino Sugar from 1959 until 1960….and the memories abound——driving in from Roosevelt, LI was no fun at 5am….many times i would take the LIRR and then switch to the Jamiaca line when my 53 Mercury was laid up——-Thanks for the info BWAY…Too bad we cannot find out when the old Rogers was built———Joe From Floria—-sasheegm—–
Thanks lost memory——What a mess———and from what I understand, much of the area of Willoughby Ave between Central and Evergreen is all leveled……I lived at 997 Willoughby Ave….It was a 3 story cold flat with 4 railroad rooms——I was told that the apartment was one of the oldest, being built in the 1870s……..They had added electricty & indoor plumbing in the 1900s….and in the celler were stalls that were originally for horses——and as a kid living there from 1946 to 1959, I could swear i smelled horses everytime I went down to the celler…….Other appartments in the area only had one toilet for the two families who lived on the 4 floors……It was old and fairly poor section when I grew up there…..and the Starr and the Rivoli, along with the Parthenon, Ridgewood, Williamsburg, Colonial were all decent and clean…..The local “Itch” as they were called were the Rogers & the Decatur theaters, with the chain theaters (RKO & LOEWS) being palaces….and the others I mentioned like the Alba, Williamsburg, Empire, falling somewhere in between——-When I went to the Rogers or Decatur, my Mother used to tell me to wash very good……She grew up on Marcy Ave during the 20s, and the only two theaters she ever went to were the Marcy & Loews Gates…….Never was allowed to go to the Rogers——and thats back in the 20s!…..but for a kid the Rogers & Starr had the B-Films we all enjoyed as kids; especially the westerns——when we got our first televison set, one of the first Indie stations was channel-13 Watv out of Newark, N.J. and they showed Westerns all day long at first….and eventually caused the demise of these old movie houses……Thanks lost memory for the memories——Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
I remember a cafeteria there……After we moved to LI in 1959, I would take my Mother to Manhattan Ave to buy material, since she was a custom dressmaker( they had everything there )…and I would walk over to Broadway to see what was left—this is in the 60s….and the Rogers, at the time was closed with a torn poster from a Durango Kid western in its very small lobby………I remember the raised platform in the Alba and wondered how many people fell since you could not see your hand in front of you…..Both the Rogers & Alba were very old in the 50s, so i could only guess as to when they were built——especially the Rogers since the sound-proofing was non-existant, and when the El went by or stopped, you could hear it inside……Plus they had wooden floors & chairs……The concession at the Roers included an old guy selling Ice Cream bars out of a lift freezer & a nickel candy machine…….and why would anyone build a theater right under the El??…..So I would not be suprised if the Rogers was built before the El was——-Oh yes, and both Theaters had pianos just collecting dust in front of their stages……Joe From Florida——sasheegm
As one member mentioned, this drive inn had a great play area for the kids……Its screen was not as bright as the Westbury Drive Inn, but it offered mainly family fare in the 1960s……It was not un-common to see a John Wayne double feature there in the 1960s……and as I mentioned, swings, slides and a playground for the kiddies——It was a great place to go on a Saturday night——or any night for that matter——Joe From Florida—-sasheegm——
In the 50s and 60s, the Bethpage located off of Hempstead Tpke. showed cutting edge films such as “The Balcony with Shelly Winters and Ruby Dee…..It was a small one level theater with a small marque….Possbly seating 300 at most……Jos From Florida….sasheegm
When my Mother had some extra money, we would go to the Loews Broadway, which was on the corner of Broadway & Stocton St……One block from Myrtle Ave……It showed primarily 2nd run MGM features after they had played the Loews State in Manhattan & Loews Metropolitan in downtown Brooklyn………Some of the films I saw there as a kid were “Anna”-1951 with Silvana Mangano, “King Solomon’s Mines-1950 with Stewart Granger, and one weird double feature of "Bella Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla"with Sammy Petrillo(a Jerry Lewis look alike) & Duke Mitchell( a poor man’s Dean Martin) plus Tarantula with John Agar & Leo G .Carroll———-I went with a couple of school chums, and when Leo G Carroll turned to the audience after injecting himself with this serum that made animals and insects larger, I almost jumped 3 rows back——-YIKES, what a kisser———One eye up in his forehead, drooping mouth——Carroll was nothing to look at to begin with, but the make-up guy did a hell of a job on him——-The Giant Spider was nothing compared to Carroll’s kisser in that one——-Incidently, the Jet Pilot who eventually barbeques the giant spider was Clint Eastwood in an early role——-Joe From Florida—-sasheegm——
My Wife and i frequented many of the theaters in Nassau & Suffolk Counties in the 1960s……and on one of our dates, before we were married we saw “Warlock” with Henry Fonda & Richard Widmark there…….We would make a day of it going to the movies and eating out……..Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
Astyanax: Your correct……It was not a corner Theater……and probably the darkest theater inside that I ever went to……..In the 1950s, it seemed very old……………I remember seeing “The Old Dark House” with Boris Karloff there…..and the setting in that theater was perfect, as you could not see anything around you but the screen…..Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
Thats good to hear…..We moved to Florida from Levittown in 1976, and the rumor was from a visiting New Yorker……….On the concession stand; even though we brought snacks with us, with two kids by Intermission, the concession stand was mobbed……….I had a 1960 Ford Sunliner Convertable back then for about 10 years( could never part with it)…and on hot summer nights, it was a joy to sit under the stars and watch the films…….Thanks again for that up-date——Joe From Florida—-sasheegm
I took the Wife and kids there in the late 60s & early 70s, and it had one of the brightest screens…..Apparently the Projector had a very good lens system……..we also went to the 110 drive inn and that screen was much less vivid then the Westbury drive inns…..Great memories……..In 1968, we had all to do to get my 5 year old daughter to sleep in the back seat, while wife and i watched the first Billy Jack movie “The Born Losers”——-later on in the 70s, I heard that it was playing xxx features——too bad….It was a great place for families to go…..Joe From Florida—-sasheegm—-user name
Thanks to all for responding…..Yes I have both films in my collection——I have been a Classic film collector for over 40 years of all genres, including foreign, in particular Italian Cinema…..and thanks KenRoe for checking the name out———If you continued down Nassau to the south, you would come into Freeport where there were two large Movie Theaters—-the Grove & the Freeport……Check out my post on the Freeport and get a few chuckles………Go North into Hempstead, and you would find The Old Hempstead Theater, the Rivoli & the Calderone……Ciao, Joe From Florida—-sasheegm—–