Couldn’t have said it better myself, Lost. And thanks, ‘Tonino, for at least bringing up the topic earnestly and with a degree of respect for your fellow CT members. I really do appreciate that. I think the best solution would be CT having it’s own forum where folks could run off on any tangential thread at great lengths without upsetting those who come here purely for factual data pertaining to the theater itself. But, we can’t rely on that happening any time soon… and, meanwhile, Patrick himself has announced that discussion of films is not just allowed, but welcomed on these theater pages – albeit, I hasten to add, with some degree of moderation.
I don’t think Corman spent $17.94 on the entire budget for the film! The Showtime Beyond cable network has been recently playing the giant killer mollusk movie “The Monster that Challenged the World,” also from 1957. I remember most of these films from early ‘70’s Creature Features broadcasts on WNEW channel 5.
I agree, Warren. All indications so far (the archaic address conversion website; the C/O for a property across from that parking lot with an original 300-304 Steinway Ave address) seem to be that the theater was situated north of 31st. If you count in the 8 or 9 lots that I surmise would approximate the location of the theater’s site, that still leaves you very close to the 31st… most of those building lots are quite narrow.
GavinM… a bona fide “gem” (and no small gem at that) would be the original and opulent Loew’s State Theater – an above ground palace that was razed in 1987. The subterrenean Loew’s State 4 is located in the skyscraper that replaced the old State Theater and office building.
Use the google search that appears when you try to do a search above. Enter the theater name in the search field and make sure the “cinematreasures.org” button is clicked and it will return all the pages on CT where the words you entered are mentioned (either as theater name or in comments). It actually works quite well as a temporary measure until the site’s proper search engine is restored.
Yes, I believe so, Lost. Actually, thanks. At the very least, it is the same space – whose to say if proprietorship changed over the years? The other Ellwest Stereo on West 47th had 35 seats, so they would have been roughly the same size.
This building is the corner property on the northeast corner of Seventh and 48th Street. The main store-front on this site has been a deli for many years – currently Maxie’s Delicatessen. Adjacent to this is 725 Seventh, home of the infamous Metropole Cafe – which started as a jazz club in the 1920’s or ‘30’s and continued as such until the 1960’s when topless go-go girls were added to the entertainment fare. Interestingly, in the building that housed the Ellwest, it seems that a “film vault” was located on the top floor (the 13th I believe) according to C/O’s dating back as far as 1921.
Also a note about Ellwest that I posted in the other listing; it seems they ran a number of porn houses in cities across the country (Seattle, Dallas, Phoenix, Memphis) during the ‘70’s and '80’s. A search on the internet returns a number of legal decisions stemming from tried cases in various State circuit courts. I imagine the partners involved in Ellwest Stereo Theaters devoted a great deal of their revenue towards legal fees. Not sure if this led to their demise. I find no other theaters listed on CT with this name – not to say they aren’t listed under other names.
I don’t think any movie quite compares to “2001”… Particularly those from the sci-fi genre. The film transcends genres. I tend to appraise most sci-fi films predominantly for their sheer entertainment value. For me, few of them have even approached the artistry and bold themes that Kubrick’s masterpiece attempted to express. I think both the original Russian version of “Solaris” and the recent Steven Soderbergh remake attempt to explore the nature of humanity on a level that approaches “2001”, and certainly many sci-fi films of the ‘50’s have rich sub-texts (although mostly due to an almost unconscious tapping of the social zeitgiest by the filmmakers rather than deliberate artistry), but I find it so superior that I don’t think it’s fair to use as any sort of benchmark.
Having said that… “Alien” is a top notch horror flick set in space and “Aliens” may be the most whiz-bang sequel EVER! A top notch action pic.
I agree, davebazooka… I’ve always considered “Forbidden Planet” to be overrated. It had the luxury and imprimatur of a splendid MGM budget to separate it from the rest of the sci-fi flicks to that point… but its charms have always eluded me. Can’t say I wasn’t successfully manipulated by “ET”… I quite enjoyed it, even as I could see the emotional strings being pulled. As carried away by sentiment as Speilberg often gets, even with his most mature works (the closing gravestone sequence in “Schindler’s List”, the parenthetical contemporary sequences that set up the flashback in “Saving Private Ryan”), I find him to be a supremely gifted cinematic story teller.
Now, “2001” is my idea of the finest work of art ever achieved in the medium. I’m more than just a little upset that I won’t be around that weekend to see this masterwork at the Jersey.
From Warren: <<If “Mark W” needs to contact me, my private e-mail address is displayed (and always has been) at my membership page. There is no need for him to post complaints to the webmaster, if he really has.>>
If Warren had only followed his own advice more often, think of all the space we might have saved on these pages not having to waste bandwidth on the bilge about the bilge! G whiz!
I just want to turn my notification on here. But, I did submit both Ellwest Stereo Theaters to CT. This was the second one I submitted. I hope the other wasn’t deleted because they both had the exact same name.
I also wanted to add that it appears Ellwest Stereo Theaters ran a number of porn houses in cities across the country, including Seattle, Phoenix, Dallas and Nashville. A search of the name on google returns a number of legal decisions from lawsuits that were tried at the circuit court level in several States. I wonder if any of those cinemas are listed here under different names…
I am somewhat familiar with this parking lot and can recall looking down on it from my room at the Doubletree Suites Hotel when I stayed there overnight on several occasions over the last 6 or 7 years. It’s a fairly large facility with rooftop parking in addition to the indoor levels. Several storefronts line the ground floor inlcuding a deli and a coffee shop. The theater would have been at the western most edge of the building, closest to Seventh Avenue.
I write this comment openly to Patrick and/or Ross and would like to know why it is that Warren continues to get away with wantonly aggravating other members on this site with no apparent provocation? Perhaps he has been privately admonished, but I see no contrition or abatement on his part. It may be Warren has been careful not to cross any “obvious” lines and becoming vulgar or explicit – but aren’t some of his comments of late even in the slightest bit reprehensible? Go check out his comments on the Beacon Theater page (CT #42) from November 6th towards Lost Memory and mikemovies and tell me I’m wrong.
As great as so many of his contributions over the years have been to this site, I am hard pressed to think of another individual member who has been the cause of more personal rancor on this site or wasted more bandwidth by belligerently haranguing folks over the nature of their contributions and comments.
Mike… I’m sure Warren has the photos. He’s just holding them hostage until we play the game under his rules – like the whining kid in the schoolyard who had the basketball everyone wanted to play with.
This is a pretty handy site for understanding archaic addresses in certain areas of Queens (particularly LIC and Astoria). I’m not saying it is the absolute authority on the matter, but I have no reason to believe that the information is way off base. In any event, if you scroll down to “Steinway,” you’ll find that the old addresses ran in the opposite sequence as the current addresses do. So the higher numbers ran to the north. The Arcade must have been on the other side of 31st (Jamaica) Avenue one block to the north of the Steinway Theater. I would speculate that it was on the west side of the block and roughly 8 or 9 lots from the corner of 31st Avenue (using the Steinway’s old 325 address as a reference point).
We may be on the wrong track with how those old directions ran. I just searched the NYC Building Department records for those two buildings referenced above in the local.live image and found that one of them – located at 31-27 Steinway Street – was originally known as #300-304 Steinway Avenue as per a 1921 C/O for “store & tenements.” If the lower even numbers ran across the street and south of the Steinway Theater (originally 325 Steinway Ave), then the Arcade’s address of 345-347 Steinway Ave should be north of 31st Avenue and on the west side of the block.
Unfortunately, there is also a fairly large parking lot on the west side of Steinway several lots to the south of the old Steinway Theater. I’m not sure how old addresses ran, but assuming lot numbers alternated on either side of the street, the parking lot is in the vicinity of where the 345 Steinway parcel would have been located. There is also a 2-story building on a double lot across the street from the parking lot that would also fall in the same address number vicinity – I assume this is one of the buildings that Warren found to be suggestive of former theatrical use.
Here’s a local.live view looking at the east side of the block, just south of the Steinway Theater, looking down at the parking lot on the west side of the block and the 2-story mixed use building across the street (with purple awnings on both floors). There’s also a building a couple of doors to the left of this one with a sort of bluish-grey facade and a stepped design feature that might be worth investigating.
Of course, I meant “your imbecilic comments” not “you’re imbecillic.” Bad enough my classroom deportment is called into question by Warren, I don’t need my academic achievements belittled as well.
Tonysypa… Thanks so much for your colorful recollections! You just ran down a wonderful history for all of us. For my money, that’s what this site is all about!
Thanks, Tom Moran. The title “Crippled Trouble” came from a NY Times article that was published on 3/5/23, the day after the fire. The reporter or typist must have misheard the title or misread his notes.
Really, Warren. Now who’s being childish? Lost posted a link to a flickr photo, as many of us have on this site, and you decided to go on the attack here. That was completely un-provoked. Not to mention that you’re imbecillic comments towards mikemovies might be construed as something of a threat. What rot! What rubbish! What bilge! I’m appalled and disgusted! And boggled! Harumph!
The Beacon is my favorite concert venue in NYC. I hope the Cablevision deal doesn’t mean certain artists or types of bands will no longer perform there. I find that ticket prices tend to vary from performer to performer. Fan friendly bands such as Dave Matthews, Phil Lesh and the Allmans tend to keep tickets in the $45-50 range while more commercial artists (ironically usually on corporate sponsored tours) spike that up towards $100 or more. I’d hate to see bands book elsewhere because of excessive fees and surcharges.
On the other hand, I’d love to see those murals on the auditoriums side walls restored to their original clarity. Legit theater owners get away with charging a nominal $1.00 fee on tickets to cover maintenance and renovation costs… but then, they have a chain of theaters and an eight-times-a-week performance schedule on which to draw revenue.
Patrick… I understand how difficult a task such as I proposed would be to carry out. Just a thought, since “Off Topic Bilge” seems to be an ongoing concern. I agree that there’ll be some alleviation once an appropriate forum is provided here. However, when that time comes, perhaps the Ridgewood page should be cleaned up a bit. At the very least, these very discussions about the OT posts (the bilge about the bilge) can be removed and make searching this page a bit easier!
And don’t sweat Warren’s seeming lack of gratitude… most of us on this site have been basking in the warmth of his personality for years! As you see, sooner or later he gets under everyone’s skin!
I drove by the United Artists multiplex that occupies the old Drive-In’s site just the other evening… Is the curbside pylon sign for the current theater the original sign for the old Drive-In? At the top of the sign is a lighting design that is very much in keeping with old Drive-In signage – to my mind. The white bulbs are arranged to look like either a star streaking in an arc across the top of the sign or – if you’re view is a bit more askew – a palm tree bent way over by hurricane force winds! I assume the former was the designer’s intention rather than the latter!!!
Ha… That sounds like the Duece movie-going experience I remember from the 1980’s!!! Of course, back then, tickets were only a $2.50 and once nestled in a favorite seat in the rear corner of the auditorium, one could settle in long term without having to move from room to room!!!
Anyway, Fever Dog, I doubt any one homeless person plunks down the $10.75 per day. Spending whatever money they scrounge up on a movie ticket is just a rare treat to deluxe accommodations for them. I’ll bet this is more of an issue in the cold winter months than during the rest of the year.
Couldn’t have said it better myself, Lost. And thanks, ‘Tonino, for at least bringing up the topic earnestly and with a degree of respect for your fellow CT members. I really do appreciate that. I think the best solution would be CT having it’s own forum where folks could run off on any tangential thread at great lengths without upsetting those who come here purely for factual data pertaining to the theater itself. But, we can’t rely on that happening any time soon… and, meanwhile, Patrick himself has announced that discussion of films is not just allowed, but welcomed on these theater pages – albeit, I hasten to add, with some degree of moderation.
I don’t think Corman spent $17.94 on the entire budget for the film! The Showtime Beyond cable network has been recently playing the giant killer mollusk movie “The Monster that Challenged the World,” also from 1957. I remember most of these films from early ‘70’s Creature Features broadcasts on WNEW channel 5.
I agree, Warren. All indications so far (the archaic address conversion website; the C/O for a property across from that parking lot with an original 300-304 Steinway Ave address) seem to be that the theater was situated north of 31st. If you count in the 8 or 9 lots that I surmise would approximate the location of the theater’s site, that still leaves you very close to the 31st… most of those building lots are quite narrow.
GavinM… a bona fide “gem” (and no small gem at that) would be the original and opulent Loew’s State Theater – an above ground palace that was razed in 1987. The subterrenean Loew’s State 4 is located in the skyscraper that replaced the old State Theater and office building.
Use the google search that appears when you try to do a search above. Enter the theater name in the search field and make sure the “cinematreasures.org” button is clicked and it will return all the pages on CT where the words you entered are mentioned (either as theater name or in comments). It actually works quite well as a temporary measure until the site’s proper search engine is restored.
Yes, I believe so, Lost. Actually, thanks. At the very least, it is the same space – whose to say if proprietorship changed over the years? The other Ellwest Stereo on West 47th had 35 seats, so they would have been roughly the same size.
This building is the corner property on the northeast corner of Seventh and 48th Street. The main store-front on this site has been a deli for many years – currently Maxie’s Delicatessen. Adjacent to this is 725 Seventh, home of the infamous Metropole Cafe – which started as a jazz club in the 1920’s or ‘30’s and continued as such until the 1960’s when topless go-go girls were added to the entertainment fare. Interestingly, in the building that housed the Ellwest, it seems that a “film vault” was located on the top floor (the 13th I believe) according to C/O’s dating back as far as 1921.
Also a note about Ellwest that I posted in the other listing; it seems they ran a number of porn houses in cities across the country (Seattle, Dallas, Phoenix, Memphis) during the ‘70’s and '80’s. A search on the internet returns a number of legal decisions stemming from tried cases in various State circuit courts. I imagine the partners involved in Ellwest Stereo Theaters devoted a great deal of their revenue towards legal fees. Not sure if this led to their demise. I find no other theaters listed on CT with this name – not to say they aren’t listed under other names.
I don’t think any movie quite compares to “2001”… Particularly those from the sci-fi genre. The film transcends genres. I tend to appraise most sci-fi films predominantly for their sheer entertainment value. For me, few of them have even approached the artistry and bold themes that Kubrick’s masterpiece attempted to express. I think both the original Russian version of “Solaris” and the recent Steven Soderbergh remake attempt to explore the nature of humanity on a level that approaches “2001”, and certainly many sci-fi films of the ‘50’s have rich sub-texts (although mostly due to an almost unconscious tapping of the social zeitgiest by the filmmakers rather than deliberate artistry), but I find it so superior that I don’t think it’s fair to use as any sort of benchmark.
Having said that… “Alien” is a top notch horror flick set in space and “Aliens” may be the most whiz-bang sequel EVER! A top notch action pic.
I agree, davebazooka… I’ve always considered “Forbidden Planet” to be overrated. It had the luxury and imprimatur of a splendid MGM budget to separate it from the rest of the sci-fi flicks to that point… but its charms have always eluded me. Can’t say I wasn’t successfully manipulated by “ET”… I quite enjoyed it, even as I could see the emotional strings being pulled. As carried away by sentiment as Speilberg often gets, even with his most mature works (the closing gravestone sequence in “Schindler’s List”, the parenthetical contemporary sequences that set up the flashback in “Saving Private Ryan”), I find him to be a supremely gifted cinematic story teller.
Now, “2001” is my idea of the finest work of art ever achieved in the medium. I’m more than just a little upset that I won’t be around that weekend to see this masterwork at the Jersey.
From Warren: <<If “Mark W” needs to contact me, my private e-mail address is displayed (and always has been) at my membership page. There is no need for him to post complaints to the webmaster, if he really has.>>
If Warren had only followed his own advice more often, think of all the space we might have saved on these pages not having to waste bandwidth on the bilge about the bilge! G whiz!
Lost, the word is “deportment”… which perhaps needs to be amended to “deportation” in his case.
I just want to turn my notification on here. But, I did submit both Ellwest Stereo Theaters to CT. This was the second one I submitted. I hope the other wasn’t deleted because they both had the exact same name.
I also wanted to add that it appears Ellwest Stereo Theaters ran a number of porn houses in cities across the country, including Seattle, Phoenix, Dallas and Nashville. A search of the name on google returns a number of legal decisions from lawsuits that were tried at the circuit court level in several States. I wonder if any of those cinemas are listed here under different names…
I am somewhat familiar with this parking lot and can recall looking down on it from my room at the Doubletree Suites Hotel when I stayed there overnight on several occasions over the last 6 or 7 years. It’s a fairly large facility with rooftop parking in addition to the indoor levels. Several storefronts line the ground floor inlcuding a deli and a coffee shop. The theater would have been at the western most edge of the building, closest to Seventh Avenue.
I write this comment openly to Patrick and/or Ross and would like to know why it is that Warren continues to get away with wantonly aggravating other members on this site with no apparent provocation? Perhaps he has been privately admonished, but I see no contrition or abatement on his part. It may be Warren has been careful not to cross any “obvious” lines and becoming vulgar or explicit – but aren’t some of his comments of late even in the slightest bit reprehensible? Go check out his comments on the Beacon Theater page (CT #42) from November 6th towards Lost Memory and mikemovies and tell me I’m wrong.
As great as so many of his contributions over the years have been to this site, I am hard pressed to think of another individual member who has been the cause of more personal rancor on this site or wasted more bandwidth by belligerently haranguing folks over the nature of their contributions and comments.
I am getting pretty fed up with it.
Mike… I’m sure Warren has the photos. He’s just holding them hostage until we play the game under his rules – like the whining kid in the schoolyard who had the basketball everyone wanted to play with.
This is a pretty handy site for understanding archaic addresses in certain areas of Queens (particularly LIC and Astoria). I’m not saying it is the absolute authority on the matter, but I have no reason to believe that the information is way off base. In any event, if you scroll down to “Steinway,” you’ll find that the old addresses ran in the opposite sequence as the current addresses do. So the higher numbers ran to the north. The Arcade must have been on the other side of 31st (Jamaica) Avenue one block to the north of the Steinway Theater. I would speculate that it was on the west side of the block and roughly 8 or 9 lots from the corner of 31st Avenue (using the Steinway’s old 325 address as a reference point).
We may be on the wrong track with how those old directions ran. I just searched the NYC Building Department records for those two buildings referenced above in the local.live image and found that one of them – located at 31-27 Steinway Street – was originally known as #300-304 Steinway Avenue as per a 1921 C/O for “store & tenements.” If the lower even numbers ran across the street and south of the Steinway Theater (originally 325 Steinway Ave), then the Arcade’s address of 345-347 Steinway Ave should be north of 31st Avenue and on the west side of the block.
Unfortunately, there is also a fairly large parking lot on the west side of Steinway several lots to the south of the old Steinway Theater. I’m not sure how old addresses ran, but assuming lot numbers alternated on either side of the street, the parking lot is in the vicinity of where the 345 Steinway parcel would have been located. There is also a 2-story building on a double lot across the street from the parking lot that would also fall in the same address number vicinity – I assume this is one of the buildings that Warren found to be suggestive of former theatrical use.
Here’s a local.live view looking at the east side of the block, just south of the Steinway Theater, looking down at the parking lot on the west side of the block and the 2-story mixed use building across the street (with purple awnings on both floors). There’s also a building a couple of doors to the left of this one with a sort of bluish-grey facade and a stepped design feature that might be worth investigating.
Of course, I meant “your imbecilic comments” not “you’re imbecillic.” Bad enough my classroom deportment is called into question by Warren, I don’t need my academic achievements belittled as well.
Tonysypa… Thanks so much for your colorful recollections! You just ran down a wonderful history for all of us. For my money, that’s what this site is all about!
Thanks, Tom Moran. The title “Crippled Trouble” came from a NY Times article that was published on 3/5/23, the day after the fire. The reporter or typist must have misheard the title or misread his notes.
Really, Warren. Now who’s being childish? Lost posted a link to a flickr photo, as many of us have on this site, and you decided to go on the attack here. That was completely un-provoked. Not to mention that you’re imbecillic comments towards mikemovies might be construed as something of a threat. What rot! What rubbish! What bilge! I’m appalled and disgusted! And boggled! Harumph!
The Beacon is my favorite concert venue in NYC. I hope the Cablevision deal doesn’t mean certain artists or types of bands will no longer perform there. I find that ticket prices tend to vary from performer to performer. Fan friendly bands such as Dave Matthews, Phil Lesh and the Allmans tend to keep tickets in the $45-50 range while more commercial artists (ironically usually on corporate sponsored tours) spike that up towards $100 or more. I’d hate to see bands book elsewhere because of excessive fees and surcharges.
On the other hand, I’d love to see those murals on the auditoriums side walls restored to their original clarity. Legit theater owners get away with charging a nominal $1.00 fee on tickets to cover maintenance and renovation costs… but then, they have a chain of theaters and an eight-times-a-week performance schedule on which to draw revenue.
Patrick… I understand how difficult a task such as I proposed would be to carry out. Just a thought, since “Off Topic Bilge” seems to be an ongoing concern. I agree that there’ll be some alleviation once an appropriate forum is provided here. However, when that time comes, perhaps the Ridgewood page should be cleaned up a bit. At the very least, these very discussions about the OT posts (the bilge about the bilge) can be removed and make searching this page a bit easier!
And don’t sweat Warren’s seeming lack of gratitude… most of us on this site have been basking in the warmth of his personality for years! As you see, sooner or later he gets under everyone’s skin!
I drove by the United Artists multiplex that occupies the old Drive-In’s site just the other evening… Is the curbside pylon sign for the current theater the original sign for the old Drive-In? At the top of the sign is a lighting design that is very much in keeping with old Drive-In signage – to my mind. The white bulbs are arranged to look like either a star streaking in an arc across the top of the sign or – if you’re view is a bit more askew – a palm tree bent way over by hurricane force winds! I assume the former was the designer’s intention rather than the latter!!!
I wonder if those were four-walled engagements, Robert…
Ha… That sounds like the Duece movie-going experience I remember from the 1980’s!!! Of course, back then, tickets were only a $2.50 and once nestled in a favorite seat in the rear corner of the auditorium, one could settle in long term without having to move from room to room!!!
Anyway, Fever Dog, I doubt any one homeless person plunks down the $10.75 per day. Spending whatever money they scrounge up on a movie ticket is just a rare treat to deluxe accommodations for them. I’ll bet this is more of an issue in the cold winter months than during the rest of the year.