How in heaven’s name is my mentioning that I was a gay boy living in the closet in the 50s and 60s flaunting anything. Do you hesitate to mention your wife or girlfriend in a postings? Does that fact that anyone in this group might allude to their being heterosexual, by mentioning a spouse for example, equate with being unseemly? Or do you, GregWalsh, have some kind of separate standard of your own?
Yes I would be very interested if any of the other members believe my post is unseemly. I did not come here to discuss anything other than the cinema, but the posts always relate not only to the theatre, but to people’s experiences in the neighbourhood in which they grew up.up.other
Just who the hell do you think you are GregWalsh, to determine what is seemly and unseemly? Since when is someone who is gay not permitted to mention it? Did I go into a discussion of sexual activity of any kind? I simply stated an experience from my past, and how it related to something I saw in a posting that caused me to chuckle. What is god’s name do you find unseemly about that?
My guess, Warren, is that you are totally correct. As someone who grew up living in the proverbial closet for my entire childhood in that surrounding neighbourhood (Bellerose), the title of the film made me chuckle.
Thanx for the terrific photos, Warren. I find it interesting that the headline of the story right under the second photo is titled ,The Gay Retreat.“ I wonder, back in those days, in which way they were using that word.
Well KenF and GregW, I’m delighted to know there were such responsible and alert officials guarding the Queens balcony from such audacious behaviour. I always felt we should get sex out of the bedrooms and theatres, and into the bathrooms and Cunningham Park where it belongs. :–)
You might very well by correct Greg. As I said, I was no longer in the area at the time, so I have no idea who was actually running the theatre. I just was told that the Queens Theatre had become a real “hot” zone for this kind of activity, but my sources did not mention whether or not the theatre had been sold or whatever.
There was a time, before the theatre was completely out of business, that there was quite a bit of gay sexual activity in the balcony. By this time I no longer lived in the neighbourhood, but this was conveyed to me by several friends who would most definitely be in “the Know.” :–)
Yes, it is very possible my mom worked in the Queens Theatre in the 1955 – August 1957 period. I believe she worked for the theatres until about 1958 or 59. Most of her time was spent at the Queens, but she also did time at the Fresh Meadows, The Alan, The Community and the Bellerose. Her name was Sylvia Fein.
Someone earlier mentioned the possiblity of mice in the popcorn bags or something like that. One day, when my mom was scooping out popcorn from that huge tank, she once took out the scoop and rather than popcorn, she found a rat.
The activity in the baclony was not quite the making out that most people described. It was far more “alternative living” kind of stuff.
Thank you for sharing this photo of the Queens Theatre. This is one of the three Century Theates my mom worked in during the 50’s behind the candy counter. I spent many a weekend there as a kid watching films over and over again. When I was a teenager I also went to that theatre regularly with my Jr. High and neighbourhood buds. I always found the balcony a fascinating area to explore. You would be amazed what went on up there.
I wonder if anyone has any inside photos of this theatre to share with us.
I remember this theatre very well. When I was growing up in Bellerose in the late 40’s – early 60’s there were constant complaints by the neighbours that there were no local movie theatres for us to go to. We either had to take two busses to get to the Queens theatre on Jamaica Avenue, or be driven to theatres in other surrounding areas.
Finally, in the early 60’s Century built the add-on to an already existing shopping plaza and opened the Glen Oaks Theatre. It was, one floor, seating about I would guess, 200 people. The ironic part of the whole story is that this theatre, that was craved for by the people in the area was only sparsly attended at best. I was not surprised to discover many years later that it was turned into a pharmacy.
The old adage of “be careful what you ask for…..” is true. We asked for a theatre; got one; then stayed away. :–)
I grew up on 249th Street and 81st Avenue in Bellerose. In the 50’s my mother, Sylvia Fein, worked in various Century Theatres as manager of the candy counter. Her longest tenure was at the Queens Theatre. I loved that place. Often, on Saturdays I would go with her, and spend the afternoon exploring the lodge and the balcony areas. I saw the first Cinemascope movie there over 20 times, The Robe!! To this day I cannot look at that film.
I had many other experiences at that theatre which I will reserve for another posting. :–)
How in heaven’s name is my mentioning that I was a gay boy living in the closet in the 50s and 60s flaunting anything. Do you hesitate to mention your wife or girlfriend in a postings? Does that fact that anyone in this group might allude to their being heterosexual, by mentioning a spouse for example, equate with being unseemly? Or do you, GregWalsh, have some kind of separate standard of your own?
Yes I would be very interested if any of the other members believe my post is unseemly. I did not come here to discuss anything other than the cinema, but the posts always relate not only to the theatre, but to people’s experiences in the neighbourhood in which they grew up.up.other
Just who the hell do you think you are GregWalsh, to determine what is seemly and unseemly? Since when is someone who is gay not permitted to mention it? Did I go into a discussion of sexual activity of any kind? I simply stated an experience from my past, and how it related to something I saw in a posting that caused me to chuckle. What is god’s name do you find unseemly about that?
My guess, Warren, is that you are totally correct. As someone who grew up living in the proverbial closet for my entire childhood in that surrounding neighbourhood (Bellerose), the title of the film made me chuckle.
Thanx for the terrific photos, Warren. I find it interesting that the headline of the story right under the second photo is titled ,The Gay Retreat.“ I wonder, back in those days, in which way they were using that word.
EdSolereo, I gotta know. What happened at the Jamaica High School Senior Day in June of 1982?
Well KenF and GregW, I’m delighted to know there were such responsible and alert officials guarding the Queens balcony from such audacious behaviour. I always felt we should get sex out of the bedrooms and theatres, and into the bathrooms and Cunningham Park where it belongs. :–)
You might very well by correct Greg. As I said, I was no longer in the area at the time, so I have no idea who was actually running the theatre. I just was told that the Queens Theatre had become a real “hot” zone for this kind of activity, but my sources did not mention whether or not the theatre had been sold or whatever.
There was a time, before the theatre was completely out of business, that there was quite a bit of gay sexual activity in the balcony. By this time I no longer lived in the neighbourhood, but this was conveyed to me by several friends who would most definitely be in “the Know.” :–)
Hello GregW,
Yes, it is very possible my mom worked in the Queens Theatre in the 1955 – August 1957 period. I believe she worked for the theatres until about 1958 or 59. Most of her time was spent at the Queens, but she also did time at the Fresh Meadows, The Alan, The Community and the Bellerose. Her name was Sylvia Fein.
Someone earlier mentioned the possiblity of mice in the popcorn bags or something like that. One day, when my mom was scooping out popcorn from that huge tank, she once took out the scoop and rather than popcorn, she found a rat.
The activity in the baclony was not quite the making out that most people described. It was far more “alternative living” kind of stuff.
Thank you for sharing this photo of the Queens Theatre. This is one of the three Century Theates my mom worked in during the 50’s behind the candy counter. I spent many a weekend there as a kid watching films over and over again. When I was a teenager I also went to that theatre regularly with my Jr. High and neighbourhood buds. I always found the balcony a fascinating area to explore. You would be amazed what went on up there.
I wonder if anyone has any inside photos of this theatre to share with us.
Michael
You’re right Warren, the spelling is Glen Oaks with a single “n”. Which is why I spelled it that way in my posting. :–)
Are you from that area Warren?
I remember this theatre very well. When I was growing up in Bellerose in the late 40’s – early 60’s there were constant complaints by the neighbours that there were no local movie theatres for us to go to. We either had to take two busses to get to the Queens theatre on Jamaica Avenue, or be driven to theatres in other surrounding areas.
Finally, in the early 60’s Century built the add-on to an already existing shopping plaza and opened the Glen Oaks Theatre. It was, one floor, seating about I would guess, 200 people. The ironic part of the whole story is that this theatre, that was craved for by the people in the area was only sparsly attended at best. I was not surprised to discover many years later that it was turned into a pharmacy.
The old adage of “be careful what you ask for…..” is true. We asked for a theatre; got one; then stayed away. :–)
Hi Everyone,
I grew up on 249th Street and 81st Avenue in Bellerose. In the 50’s my mother, Sylvia Fein, worked in various Century Theatres as manager of the candy counter. Her longest tenure was at the Queens Theatre. I loved that place. Often, on Saturdays I would go with her, and spend the afternoon exploring the lodge and the balcony areas. I saw the first Cinemascope movie there over 20 times, The Robe!! To this day I cannot look at that film.
I had many other experiences at that theatre which I will reserve for another posting. :–)
Michael