El Teatro of El Museo del Barrio
1421 5th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10035
1421 5th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10035
1 person
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El Teatro of El Museo del Barrio (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Meyer & Schneider
Firms: Hoppin & Koen
Functions: Live Theatre
Previous Names: Mt. Morris Theatre, Teatro Campoamor, Teatro Cervantes, Radio Teatro Hispano, Teatro Santurce, Teatro Hispano, Heckscher Theatre
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The Mt. Morris Theatre was opened prior to 1911. By 1926 it was operated by the Meyer & Schneider circuit. It is listed in the Film Daily Yearbook, 1930. By 1940 it was screening Spanish movies and is listed as the Teatro Hispano, and was still open in 1956. From 1959 to 1961 it operated as the Teatro Santurce.
It is an imposing well built building located on the northeast corner of 5th Avenue and E. 116th Street.
Its appearance from the exterior was well maintained when I photographed it in 2003 when in use as The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of The Apostolic Faith. By 2024 it had become El Teatro of El Museo del Barrio. Renovations are being carried out by Architectural firm LiRo.
Contributed by
KenRoe
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
Here’s an undated B&W shot of the 116th Street facade showing the balcony fire escapes still intact:
Mt. Morris fire escapes
The shot was taken by Matt Weber who hosts a site at www.urbanphotos.com featuring his excellent photography of all sorts of NYC street scenes. He was kind enough to let me grab a handful of his theater shots for use here. Some of his images were also used on the recent forgotten-ny.com page on 42nd Street.
I forgot to mention that it appears the theater had two balcony sections, judging from the view of the fire escapes. And this aerial view from the local.live.com indicates considerable fly space:
View to the East
You may have to close the welcome box at the left of the page to get a proper view.
I should have written “two balcony levels” rather than “balcony sections”.
This theatre is mentioned in Rogelio Agrasanchez, Jr.’s excellent book MEXICAN MOVIES IN THE UNITED STATES.
It was inaugurated as the Campoamor on August 10, 1934 by Argentinian tango singer Carlos Gardel (currently known as the composer of the song VOLVER) plus a variety show and the film CUESTA ABAJO. The film was a New York production starring Gardel himself. The theatre thrived with a string of Spanish language melodramas designed to make the audience cry. The Jorge Negrete feature UNA CARTA DE AMOR was granted standing ovations.
It was the CERVANTES by 1936 and then the HISPANO and was briefly known as the RADIO TEATRO HISPANO from 1940.
A photo as the TEATRO HISPANO is available in the book mentioned above.
According to a New York Times June 1991 article this was designed by Hoppin & Koen.
This Mount Morris was already showing movies in 1911 according to the NYT. It is still listed in the Film Daily Yearbook for 1947 as the Teatro Hispano with an address of 1 West 166th street.
The comedian Milton Berle, in a profile interview by Arthur Marx (Groucho’s son) for Cigar Aficionado Magazine reflected on a interesting experience he had at Harlem’s Mt Morris Theater.
‘A man named Schoenstein heard Milton and hired him to sing at the Mt. Morris Theater on 116th Street and Fifth Avenue in Harlem the following Thursday night.
Thursday at Mt. Morris was “songwriters' night,” when composers of pop tunes were encouraged to get up and plug their newest “standards.”
Because Berle was under 16, the rules of the Gerry Society prevented him from performing onstage at night. The organization had been founded to curb the exploitation of child actors by greedy parents. But Schoenstein got around this obstacle by having the young Berle sing while standing in a box at the side of the stage.
The songwriter that evening turned out to be Irving Berlin, who was there to introduce his latest song, “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning,” which was the big number from his army show, Yip, Yip, Yaphank. Berle sang it while wearing a Boy Scout uniform.'
Added some pictures today. Long long quest to see anything of this theater. Partial satisfaction. However, Ed Solero was right, there are 2 balcaonies.
Operating as the Santurce in 1959-1961.
Now a component of El Museo & El Teatro del Barrio. More details can be found here