I was born in 1931 and from about 1935 to about 1951 I lived with my parents in Corona at 47th Ave between 102nd St and 104th. Since most of this time was long before TV most people found the primary source of their entertainment at the movies. My mother would take me to the Loew’s Plaza almost every Tuesdays and Fridays from about September to June. They had double features in those days at most movie houses. The movies during the week were B types but the Friday/weekend ones were the better grade. One of the double feature movie had the top billing with the second a lesser quality film. We would always try to get to the movie before 5 PM as the prices would increase after that and we would get our candy at the 5 & 10 Store across the street before we went in. Believe it or not prices then in the 1930s were about 15 cents a ticket. The movies would run continuously so you could just walk in any time even if were right in the middle of one of the pictures and wait until it came to that part again before you left the theater. I believe most of the movies there at the Plaza were MGM types. Often on weekends if we wanted to we would go to the Corona theater because they had different movies playing. In later years they both had airconditioning. The Plaza had a fancier interior than the Corona but the Corona was not bad. There were a number of other movies houses in the local area such as the Polk, the Granada, the Newtown, the Keiths and one or two others but they were used mostly when you were looking for a better movie that was playing.
Since in those days I was really more interested in the movie than the movie houses I don’t think I’m a very good source for great detail. I would think however that many of the movie houses at that time such as the Plaza and the Granada were built originally with stage shows in mind but later used full time for movies. By the time I first went to the Granada the place was in a very much neglected condition and was showing bottom of the line movies. It was a huge theater with very few customers. Some of whom you would wonder about. I do not think just because it had a Spanish name that the décor was Spanish. I think places like the Plaza and the Granada were built more on the European theater style. The Corona was different. As I can remember it did not have a balcony where people sat. It was just a second floor used mostly for restrooms. It was more of a current day style and not built on the European style as was the other two although it was comfortable and well kept. The Corona and Granada had a cashier booth in front of the theater. There was a concession stand as you entered the center of the outer lobby. Each theater had a center aisle and two smaller side aisles. The seats were plush and there was decorative carpeting running down the aisles. I don’t recall the lighting, there could have been chandeliers. Smoking was allowed in certain sections of the theaters, probably only in the back.
I was born in 1931 and from about 1935 to about 1951 I lived with my parents in Corona at 47th Ave between 102nd St and 104th. Since most of this time was long before TV most people found the primary source of their entertainment at the movies. My mother would take me to the Loew’s Plaza almost every Tuesdays and Fridays from about September to June. They had double features in those days at most movie houses. The movies during the week were B types but the Friday/weekend ones were the better grade. One of the double feature movie had the top billing with the second a lesser quality film. We would always try to get to the movie before 5 PM as the prices would increase after that and we would get our candy at the 5 & 10 Store across the street before we went in. Believe it or not prices then in the 1930s were about 15 cents a ticket. The movies would run continuously so you could just walk in any time even if were right in the middle of one of the pictures and wait until it came to that part again before you left the theater. I believe most of the movies there at the Plaza were MGM types. Often on weekends if we wanted to we would go to the Corona theater because they had different movies playing. In later years they both had airconditioning. The Plaza had a fancier interior than the Corona but the Corona was not bad. There were a number of other movies houses in the local area such as the Polk, the Granada, the Newtown, the Keiths and one or two others but they were used mostly when you were looking for a better movie that was playing.