The Essex opened in the early 1960s. There was a “contest” for the naming of the theater and we couldn’t believe that they didn’t come up with anything more creative than Essex. I saw too many movies there to remember. In the 1960s, the theater was in good shape and well kept, and the movies were generally family fare, first and second run. No martial arts, horror movies, or porn—and no rats. I remember Chicken Delight, too. For fast food, it was a treat! It’s amazing that there are no good photos of the theater. Bowery Boogie ran an article about the theater not long ago, but the image of the theater and marquee turned out to be photoshopped.
The Loew’s theater was demolished to build the nonprofit Cabrini Nursing Home that served low-income elderly on the lower east side. A couple of years ago Cabrini was forced to close and sell, couldn’t even get a lease extension that would allow them to build on another site, and had to move some 100 patients to other facilities. The new owner has converted the building to luxury apartments, known as Bloom62.
According to the New York City tax assessor’s office, the building known as “98 Avenue A” was built in 1925. You can see the current owner’s name, too, which might help those of you who are seeking permission to photographically document the interior or the theater.
It doesn’t seem likely, but still I wonder if when they built this theater in 1925, they incorporated some elements of a much older, smaller theater that stood on the site.
Building ID per NYC Dept. of Finance (tax assessor, etc.): BBL : 1-00402-0003 : “1” stands for Manhattan, “00402” means Block 402 (not 42), “0003” means Lot 3.
I went to movies at that theater, on the west side of Clinton Street just below Houston, at least once a week in the early-mid 1960s. At that time it was known as the Winston. Admission was cheap, seventy-five cents, for two movies. As I recall, the fare was a mixture of 1950s and 1960s films, I would say A and B type films.
I went to that theatre every Saturday as a child in the late 1940s living on the corner of Mott and Hester. The marquee said “Universal” but it was always referred to as “The Dumps” and I thought that was its other real name. It was very seedy. Very crowded with children during Saturday matinees. Two ushers with flashlights were kept very busy keeping kids in their seats and reasonably under control. The bathrooms were filthy and scary and we avoided them. We’d see previews of coming attractions, cartoons, a movie, and one installment of a serial that ran for months. When the movie was interrupted by a technical problem with the projector or film, which happened frequently, we kids would stamp our feet in unison, chanting, “We want movies! We want movies!” In the lobby, on the way out, we could pick up a leaflet, densely printed blue-on-white, describing the coming attractions. Occasionally we’d lie about what was playing (“Gene Autry”)to go see an adult movie (Betty Grable, Put The Blame on Mame, Boys) or Shadow On The Wall. “The Dumps” was a big part of my childhood!
The Essex opened in the early 1960s. There was a “contest” for the naming of the theater and we couldn’t believe that they didn’t come up with anything more creative than Essex. I saw too many movies there to remember. In the 1960s, the theater was in good shape and well kept, and the movies were generally family fare, first and second run. No martial arts, horror movies, or porn—and no rats. I remember Chicken Delight, too. For fast food, it was a treat! It’s amazing that there are no good photos of the theater. Bowery Boogie ran an article about the theater not long ago, but the image of the theater and marquee turned out to be photoshopped.
As I recall, the Windsor Theater on the north side of Grand Street re-opened for some brief period in the 1960s, but was not successful.
The Loew’s theater was demolished to build the nonprofit Cabrini Nursing Home that served low-income elderly on the lower east side. A couple of years ago Cabrini was forced to close and sell, couldn’t even get a lease extension that would allow them to build on another site, and had to move some 100 patients to other facilities. The new owner has converted the building to luxury apartments, known as Bloom62.
According to the New York City tax assessor’s office, the building known as “98 Avenue A” was built in 1925. You can see the current owner’s name, too, which might help those of you who are seeking permission to photographically document the interior or the theater.
https://a836-propertyportal.nyc.gov/ExemptionDetails.aspx
It doesn’t seem likely, but still I wonder if when they built this theater in 1925, they incorporated some elements of a much older, smaller theater that stood on the site.
Building ID per NYC Dept. of Finance (tax assessor, etc.): BBL : 1-00402-0003 : “1” stands for Manhattan, “00402” means Block 402 (not 42), “0003” means Lot 3.
I went to movies at that theater, on the west side of Clinton Street just below Houston, at least once a week in the early-mid 1960s. At that time it was known as the Winston. Admission was cheap, seventy-five cents, for two movies. As I recall, the fare was a mixture of 1950s and 1960s films, I would say A and B type films.
I also remember seeing “Flying Tigers” and “God Is My Co-Pilot” in that theatre.
I went to that theatre every Saturday as a child in the late 1940s living on the corner of Mott and Hester. The marquee said “Universal” but it was always referred to as “The Dumps” and I thought that was its other real name. It was very seedy. Very crowded with children during Saturday matinees. Two ushers with flashlights were kept very busy keeping kids in their seats and reasonably under control. The bathrooms were filthy and scary and we avoided them. We’d see previews of coming attractions, cartoons, a movie, and one installment of a serial that ran for months. When the movie was interrupted by a technical problem with the projector or film, which happened frequently, we kids would stamp our feet in unison, chanting, “We want movies! We want movies!” In the lobby, on the way out, we could pick up a leaflet, densely printed blue-on-white, describing the coming attractions. Occasionally we’d lie about what was playing (“Gene Autry”)to go see an adult movie (Betty Grable, Put The Blame on Mame, Boys) or Shadow On The Wall. “The Dumps” was a big part of my childhood!