Bijou Theater
28 Church Street,
New Haven,
CT
06510
28 Church Street,
New Haven,
CT
06510
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I believe this theatre was demolished in 1956 as part of an urban renewal project.
The house listed in the 1914-1915 American Motion Picture Directory as the Bijou Dream Theatre, 26 Church Street, was probably this one.
I just added a 1938 photo, that I believe is the same Bijou as this page. This was the only Loew Poli-Bijou I can find any record of. Please correct me if I am wrong, and I will add the photo to the correct CT page.
My father Bartolomeo Tammaro Sr was a projectionest in both the Bijou and the Poli across the street In fact he did the closing shows in both of them. This may also be of interest about the Bijou and the Poli There was a tunnel under Church street connecting the Bijou and the Poli’s heating and cooling systems. I was an usher in the Bijou and The Poli.
I’ve found a reference to Poli’s Bijou Theatre being in operation at least as early as 1913.
This essay about architect Ferdinand Von Beren, published in 1918, attributes the design of the Bijou to him.
His firm, Brown & Von Beren, also designed the Globe Theatre in Bridgeport, and in 1913 construction began on a Brown & Von Beren-designed Poli theater at Main and Gold streets in Hartford, though this project appears not to have been completed (it might have been completed several years later as Loew’s Poli, which is attributed to Thomas Lamb.)
Why the heck was this great movie palace torn down?? It was on the lot next to the former FIRST NATIONAL BANK building on Church Street. The lot is just a “green lawn” with nothing on it to this day!
The third post on here with the link to the marquee is the exact same photo (with a different angle) that I saw yesterday at New Haven Union Station. If you are facing the escalators, walk to the left and along the wall you will find it at the end.
There’s a picture of this theater on page 40 of Images of America: New Haven.
Yes, I’ve noticed. I’m on there at least everyday. I was wondering why YOU didn’t put them in. But we all have lives, so that’s probably the answer.
There’s still quite a few unlisted Connecticut theatres. See CinemaTour for a complete listing of all that I know.
Well, if you don’t know enough, do it anyway. Enter what you can and the other folks on here who know a hell of a lot more will follow shortly.
I notice above that we ‘have to keep trying’ to find every theater in CT. I was surprised to discover that the Paramount in New Haven is not listed. I don’t know enough to start a thread about it, but I remember I was allowed to play the organ there (not for the public!) on Saturday mornings in 1963, and that there were some organ concerts after that. In particular I have a picture of Eddy Weaver from Oct 20, 1967 (somewhat faded) if anyone would be interested.
In the 1940’s, I believe there were two Loew’s Poli Theaters in New Haven, the Loew’s Poli and the Loew’s Poli Bijou.
I thought we found all CT theaters. I entered the missing drive-ins last week as well as the repeated post of a new cinemtreasure/silent theater in New Milford. Off topic of this theater, how many do you think are left in CT to find?