Peter, I totally forgot about that theater at Lefrak until you mentioned it. I drew a total blank. Then I searched local live.com to try and figure out, and all of a sudden I remembered the theater, I must have passed it literally thousands of times on the LIE. Never set foot inside. I always thought it was bigger than a triplex when passing on the LIE. How was it broken up? Two auditoriums downstairs and the balcony? I guess this conversation should move to the Lefrak theater section….I also just posted an aerial image of it there.
Anyone know of any exterior photos of the place, either current or historic?
Here’s an aerial view of the old theater: I TOTALLY forgot about this theater until it came up in another theater section. When did this close? In the 90’s? I remember they had painted murals on the building above the marquee in the 80’s.
It’s funny, I think the “stadium” in it’s name does not refer to the fact that the theater is a “stadium seating” theater, like it usually does. I believe the “stadium” refers to everything in this location that is called “Stadium”. There’s a Stadium Commons housing complex, Stadium Crossings shopping center, etc. Of course the Anaheim Angels Stadium is right near by, as well as the Arrowhead Pond (Honda Center) stadium right next door.
Hollywood, I don’t understand what you typed. You have more photos of the Strand when it was a club, but you don’t want to post them because the Strand burned when it was a club perhaps? What are the photos? Any interior photos from when it was a theater?
I used to see the “buddy” system mostly at the Ridgewood, and mostly when it was still one large theater, and it was always those left doors on Madison St. I don’t remember it ever happening once the theater was cut up, although, I mostly wound up in the balcony theaters when I went there for movies. I remember seeing movies in all the balcony theaters at various times, and a few times in the lower left orchestra (if facing the stage) theater. I don’t think I have ever been in the right orchestra theater or that section since it was one large theater. The one where I have seen the most movies is the balcony right hand theater (if facing the stage), and of course, that’s where I saw Friday the 13th VI as mentioned above, and also where I had that hilarious experience of our eyes not adjusting to the dark on a bright sunny day that I wrote about way at the top of this page when I saw Beverly Hills Cop II there.
Ooops, come to think of it….I saw that movie there after Friday the 13th VI, because I believe Beverly Hills Cop II came out the year after….well then…. that was the last movie before my 3 year gap….and then Problem Child, and I have yet to return….
I REALLY ought to go see a movie there one day again, before it’s too late (which may or may not be a concern).
We all complain, “oh, if only I can see a movie again at the Madison”, or “if only I could see a movie again at the Oasis”, “if only I could see a movie again at the Oriental”, or fill in any theater….but we all are a bunch of hypocrites…as we only want what we can’t have…. Here we have the old workhorse, the Ridgewood alive and still showing movies….yet we don’t go see a movie there either…..
When the Ridgewood was still one theater, I remember people sneaking in on the Madison St side doors. You would be sitting in the dark theater, and all of a sudden daylight would shine in when the doors opened.
In 2004, workers were working on those same doors, replacing hinges or something one morning, and they had the doors open, and I took a peak inside. The theater looked fairly good. This of course would be the left hand orchestra theater, if facing the stage.
Haha, yeah, I missed the Manhattan Jason, and the the Hell Jason…but did see Freddie vs. Jason on DVD, and it was one of the dumbest movies I ever saw….
Well, I didn’t much care for Problem Child either, but I guess it’s nice to be able to say the last time I was in the Ridgewood was 17 years ago….and not 21 years ago if it had been the Jason movie! Wow, 21 years ago….it seems like just yesterday I was sitting there watching Friday the 13th….
Haha, yeah, I missed the Manhattan Jason, and the the Hell Jason…but did see Freddie vs. Jason on DVD, and it was one of the dumbest movies I ever saw….
Well, I didn’t much care for Problem Child either, but I guess it’s nice to be able to say the last time I was in the Ridgewood was 17 years ago….and not 21 years ago if it had been the Jason movie! Wow, 21 years ago….it seems like just yesterday I was sitting there watching Friday the 13th….
Peter….I definitely saw Friday the 13th Part VI there, which much have been 1986 (It definitely wasn’t the 1989 Jason Takes Manhattan film, as I never saw that movie)…then a 4 year absense (I used to go to the Forest Hills Theaters alot back in that stretch, Continental, Midway, etc). Then went for my swan song there, Problem Child, so obviously, it was Problem Child as the last movie I saw there. I didn’t realize it was such a long gap of not going there between Friday the 13th, and the last movie.
The Wyckoff is also on the site of course, and I believe it showed porn for a while after it closed to normal movies. It’s currently a Jehovah’s Witness Church, so must still look somewhat similar inside to when it was still a theater:
I have also seen it listed as 328 Chauncey….you can google any of those addresses, and get Jackie Gleason stuff no matter which you use. I don’t know which is correct.
Wow, I never would have thought that building was a theater at one time. It doesn’t particularly look like one on the outside.
None of the links above work, anyone know of any historic photos of the Orpheum?
In the meantime….here’s an aerial view of the structure:
Joe, don’t feel bad, it’s not just Bushwick and Canarsie that lost their theaters, it’s a national trend. Most people everywhere lost their theaters…..even in the best of neighborhoods.
Hahaha! Yup Scott, that’s pretty funny.
I forgot which theater this was, but I remember reading one of the theaters on the site was converted into a church in the 70’s. Then some years later, the church left for a larger facility….the “church” then became a porn theater. LOL, talk about a change in use….. I wish I could remember which theater that was. Of course there are plenty of theaters that became port theaters and then later a church….but it’s a bit funnier or ironic when it becomes a porn theater after a church….
But that all being said, it has nothing to do with the 175th St….but as you said….the “church” will certainly hear some language it’s not used to hearing, lol.
While what you say about Hollywood Blvd is probably true…that’s not the reason all the theaters closed.
It was a national trend. Everyone lost their theaters, even in the best of neighborhoods. Viewing habits changed in the 50’s with the dawn of TV. Today, more modern multiplexes are used. It’s hard to make an old single screen theater profitable. Even duplexing or triplexing is still hard to compete with the multiplexes.
Peter, I totally forgot about that theater at Lefrak until you mentioned it. I drew a total blank. Then I searched local live.com to try and figure out, and all of a sudden I remembered the theater, I must have passed it literally thousands of times on the LIE. Never set foot inside. I always thought it was bigger than a triplex when passing on the LIE. How was it broken up? Two auditoriums downstairs and the balcony? I guess this conversation should move to the Lefrak theater section….I also just posted an aerial image of it there.
Anyone know of any exterior photos of the place, either current or historic?
Here’s an aerial view of the old theater: I TOTALLY forgot about this theater until it came up in another theater section. When did this close? In the 90’s? I remember they had painted murals on the building above the marquee in the 80’s.
View link
Here’s the theater you were looking for Peter….
/theaters/4047/
It’s funny, I think the “stadium” in it’s name does not refer to the fact that the theater is a “stadium seating” theater, like it usually does. I believe the “stadium” refers to everything in this location that is called “Stadium”. There’s a Stadium Commons housing complex, Stadium Crossings shopping center, etc. Of course the Anaheim Angels Stadium is right near by, as well as the Arrowhead Pond (Honda Center) stadium right next door.
Here’s a current photo of the Pantages Theater I found online:
Click here for photo
Ah thanks, that clears up my question. So I assume the Copa was never a theater, so the photos are irrelevant.
Hollywood, I don’t understand what you typed. You have more photos of the Strand when it was a club, but you don’t want to post them because the Strand burned when it was a club perhaps? What are the photos? Any interior photos from when it was a theater?
I used to see the “buddy” system mostly at the Ridgewood, and mostly when it was still one large theater, and it was always those left doors on Madison St. I don’t remember it ever happening once the theater was cut up, although, I mostly wound up in the balcony theaters when I went there for movies. I remember seeing movies in all the balcony theaters at various times, and a few times in the lower left orchestra (if facing the stage) theater. I don’t think I have ever been in the right orchestra theater or that section since it was one large theater. The one where I have seen the most movies is the balcony right hand theater (if facing the stage), and of course, that’s where I saw Friday the 13th VI as mentioned above, and also where I had that hilarious experience of our eyes not adjusting to the dark on a bright sunny day that I wrote about way at the top of this page when I saw Beverly Hills Cop II there.
Ooops, come to think of it….I saw that movie there after Friday the 13th VI, because I believe Beverly Hills Cop II came out the year after….well then…. that was the last movie before my 3 year gap….and then Problem Child, and I have yet to return….
I REALLY ought to go see a movie there one day again, before it’s too late (which may or may not be a concern).
We all complain, “oh, if only I can see a movie again at the Madison”, or “if only I could see a movie again at the Oasis”, “if only I could see a movie again at the Oriental”, or fill in any theater….but we all are a bunch of hypocrites…as we only want what we can’t have…. Here we have the old workhorse, the Ridgewood alive and still showing movies….yet we don’t go see a movie there either…..
When the Ridgewood was still one theater, I remember people sneaking in on the Madison St side doors. You would be sitting in the dark theater, and all of a sudden daylight would shine in when the doors opened.
In 2004, workers were working on those same doors, replacing hinges or something one morning, and they had the doors open, and I took a peak inside. The theater looked fairly good. This of course would be the left hand orchestra theater, if facing the stage.
Haha, yeah, I missed the Manhattan Jason, and the the Hell Jason…but did see Freddie vs. Jason on DVD, and it was one of the dumbest movies I ever saw….
Well, I didn’t much care for Problem Child either, but I guess it’s nice to be able to say the last time I was in the Ridgewood was 17 years ago….and not 21 years ago if it had been the Jason movie! Wow, 21 years ago….it seems like just yesterday I was sitting there watching Friday the 13th….
Haha, yeah, I missed the Manhattan Jason, and the the Hell Jason…but did see Freddie vs. Jason on DVD, and it was one of the dumbest movies I ever saw….
Well, I didn’t much care for Problem Child either, but I guess it’s nice to be able to say the last time I was in the Ridgewood was 17 years ago….and not 21 years ago if it had been the Jason movie! Wow, 21 years ago….it seems like just yesterday I was sitting there watching Friday the 13th….
Peter….I definitely saw Friday the 13th Part VI there, which much have been 1986 (It definitely wasn’t the 1989 Jason Takes Manhattan film, as I never saw that movie)…then a 4 year absense (I used to go to the Forest Hills Theaters alot back in that stretch, Continental, Midway, etc). Then went for my swan song there, Problem Child, so obviously, it was Problem Child as the last movie I saw there. I didn’t realize it was such a long gap of not going there between Friday the 13th, and the last movie.
The Grove is listed on the site…the theater (as well as the whole block) was torn down and replaced with brand new homes fairly recently:
/theaters/8034/
The Wyckoff is also on the site of course, and I believe it showed porn for a while after it closed to normal movies. It’s currently a Jehovah’s Witness Church, so must still look somewhat similar inside to when it was still a theater:
/theaters/7934/
I have also seen it listed as 328 Chauncey….you can google any of those addresses, and get Jackie Gleason stuff no matter which you use. I don’t know which is correct.
The Eagle Theater on Central Ave is listed as the Luxor on the site, former name, Eagle:
/theaters/8021/
Wow, I never would have thought that building was a theater at one time. It doesn’t particularly look like one on the outside.
None of the links above work, anyone know of any historic photos of the Orpheum?
In the meantime….here’s an aerial view of the structure:
View link
Here’s a nightime photo showing the Century’s nice retro style marquee:
Click here for photo
Wow, great find! It certainly don’t look like that anymore when I past it the other week!
Peter, in the Greenpoints section, I posted a fairly recent photo of the Greenpoint, which it’s location is now a Rainbow Shop.
I guess it may also depend on if they serve alcohol at the concert, as most concerts do.
LOL….“Repaired”….
Joe, don’t feel bad, it’s not just Bushwick and Canarsie that lost their theaters, it’s a national trend. Most people everywhere lost their theaters…..even in the best of neighborhoods.
Hahaha! Yup Scott, that’s pretty funny.
I forgot which theater this was, but I remember reading one of the theaters on the site was converted into a church in the 70’s. Then some years later, the church left for a larger facility….the “church” then became a porn theater. LOL, talk about a change in use….. I wish I could remember which theater that was. Of course there are plenty of theaters that became port theaters and then later a church….but it’s a bit funnier or ironic when it becomes a porn theater after a church….
But that all being said, it has nothing to do with the 175th St….but as you said….the “church” will certainly hear some language it’s not used to hearing, lol.
Any photos available of the interior?
While what you say about Hollywood Blvd is probably true…that’s not the reason all the theaters closed.
It was a national trend. Everyone lost their theaters, even in the best of neighborhoods. Viewing habits changed in the 50’s with the dawn of TV. Today, more modern multiplexes are used. It’s hard to make an old single screen theater profitable. Even duplexing or triplexing is still hard to compete with the multiplexes.