Korn's Bayside Theatre
39-21 Bell Boulevard,
Bayside,
NY
11361
39-21 Bell Boulevard,
Bayside,
NY
11361
No one has favorited this theater yet
Additional Info
Nearby Theaters
This was the first cinema in the community of Bayside in northeastern Queens. It might have been nothing more than a conversion of retail space, and opened in 1913 under the management (presumably) of a Mr. Korn.
In 1927, the opening nearby of the much larger and deluxe Capitol Theatre spelled the end for Korn’s Bayside Theatre. With its closing, the rival Capitol Theatre was re-named the Bayside Theatre. I don’t know what happened to the Korn’s premises after that.
Contributed by
Warren G. Harris
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Listed in both the 1926 and 1927 editions of Film Daily Yearbook as the Bayside Theatre (Bell Avenue) with a seating capacity of 350.
There is also another Bayside Theatre listed in both these editions and it had a seating capacity of 1,800. In 1927 there is also a 1,560 seat Coolidge Theatre listed.
The 1,439 seat Capitol Theatre made its debut in 1927 and by 1930 was the only theatre operating in Bayside.
Thank you for contributing, Warren, and thank you KenRoe for the additional information. When inserting the address into the DOB site, it is listed as a store. I am unfamiliar with Bayside so I can’t be too specific, but when I do come across some additional info, I will be more than happy to share it.
Here’s a local.live.com view of the Korn’s block front. In this view towards the east, Bell Blvd runs horizontally across the middle of the frame. The address 39-21 Bell would be the third building to the left from the “T” intersection formed by Bell and 40th Ave. Click the “X” on that ad box on the left side of the image to get a bigger view. The building is on the block facing us between the two blue awnings:
View of Bell to the east
The phone directory shows no fewer than 8 listings at the Korn’s current address and NYC Buildings records indicate a C/O issued in 1984 for 3 storefronts at street level with offices above. Another source (oasisnyc.org) indicates that the building was constructed in 1920, but that site does not always have to most reliable information. Perhaps Lost Memory could do a more detailed investigation into City records.
KenRoe… the Victory on 32nd Ave is listed on CT here. Please add any information you might have if you believe it to be the same as the Coolidge listing you found in the 1927 FDY.
Listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915 as the Bayside Theatre Bell Avenue nr. Montauk. Looks like the theatre could have been rebuilt or expanded in 1920?
Just for the record…..
Also listed in 1914-1915 is the Hillside Lyceum Theatre, Bell Avenue.
I took a shot of both buildings the other morning:
39-19 Bell Blvd
39-21/23 Bell Blvd
For good measure, here’s a shot of the rear wall (covered in ivy) of the 39-21/23 building: Rear shot
I think the 39-21 address is the most likely, given the width and depth of the structure. From that rear photo, it almost looks like the 2nd floor may have been added at a later date to the original structure. The two distinct looks of the Bell Blvd facade seems to support that idea.
A participant in a special exhibiting event according to the September 1920 Paramount Week. Photo uploaded.