Love Theater

125 W. 42nd Street,
New York, NY 10036

Unfavorite 2 people favorited this theater

Additional Info

Styles: Neo-Classical

Previous Names: Avon-on-Love

Nearby Theaters

Love Theatre

One of a number of small Times Square area porn houses run by the Avon chain. This “mini cinema” opened in 1969 as Avon-on-Love in a former branch of American Savings Bank. It would later be joined by the Avon 42nd Street Theatre a few doors down to the west and was neighbor to the Pix Theater/Rialto East Theater just to its east. At some point in the early-1970’s, the name was changed to simply the Love Theater.

By 1982, the theater had closed and the space converted to a fast food outlet. In 2000, the Chashama New York non-profit art project converted the building to gallery/performance space. The building and all adjoining parcels along 42nd and 43rd Streets to Sixth Avenue were sold and demolished in 2006 to make way for the Bank of America tower.

Contributed by Ed Solero

Recent comments (view all 8 comments)

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on November 20, 2006 at 1:56 am

As a fast food place in the 1980’s, this space was occupied by a Popeye’s Chicken and later a Mexican take out joint called Fresco Tortilla (a common name among Mexican take outs in NYC – not sure if it’s a true franchise).

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on September 7, 2007 at 2:51 am

This is a rare image of the Love Theater marquee, circa 1977, taken from a video clip I found on YouTube. The source is an A&E documentary on Times Square.

This shot shows the action below the canopy of the Love’s marquee on 42nd Street from the very same clip.

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on December 1, 2007 at 2:33 am

In February of 1976, the Love hosted the “first and only NY showing” of “Tongue” – billed as the “first major black erotic film!” It starred Al Poe as a black man with a 9 inch…. tongue!

Incredibly, the film has a listing on IMDB.COM where this image of a local advertisement for the film can be found!

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on April 30, 2008 at 3:24 am

I just ran into “Tongue” on imdb.com (don’t ask).

I was not aware the LOVE hosted a premiere!

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on February 28, 2010 at 10:52 pm

I LOVE IT!O.K. I will not ask.

rlrl2010
rlrl2010 on March 1, 2010 at 12:08 am

was there a lot of crime on this section of 42 street (bet 6-7) or was most of it further west?

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on April 19, 2011 at 5:39 pm

This 2004 shot was taken just before all the businesses on the block were closed and evicted for demolition, to clear the way for the Bank of America tower than now stands at Sixth Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets.

rlrl2010
rlrl2010 on April 19, 2011 at 7:06 pm

there was a Tad’s too like there was on 42 bet 7-8th. In the 70’s I used to use the 42nd st and 6th Avenue subway station as an alternate to the Times Sq stations to go to and from the Port Authority because i thought it would be safer, but it was almost as bad as the Times Sq stations. and oddly, i remember XXX porn stores on 6th Avenue between 42-46th streets up to about 79 or 80 before they started building

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