Bridge Theatre

The Bridge Theatre is another of the nearly forgotten cinemas that once operated in the Washington Heights section of upper Manhattan. Research suggests that the theatre might have been previously called the Palace, and was re-named Bridge around 1930 in conjunction with construction of the George Washington Bridge. The 1934 Film Daily Year Book lists the Bridge Theatre as part of the Haring & Blumenthal Circuit, which operated similar late-run "nabes" in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Long Island, and New Jersey.

Several reports about the Bridge Theatre can be found in the archives of The New York Times. In October, 1935, an elderly retired jeweler died in his seat at the Bridge Theatre from an apparent heart attack. During the week of February 7, 1942, the Bridge Theatre ran a special series of revivals to benefit Russian War Relief. By September of that year, the Bridge Theatre had closed forever. The Times reported that the one-story building and its five stores had been sold to the Eighth Avenue Medical Oxygen & Ambulance Service, which would convert the theatre portion "to its own use." It is in retail use today.

Recent comments (view all 5 comments)

Al Alvarez on July 15, 2008 at 3:05 pm

This advertised in a 1921 Paramount Week ad as the Palace & Annex.

kencmcintyre on July 15, 2008 at 4:20 pm

If you look at the photos on Google, you may agree with me that the old building exists with a new false front that has some retail busineses. 1316 doesn’t exist any more as a street address, though. The bakery on the corner is 1318, while the business next to it is 1314. If you swing around to 176th Street, you can see what looks like a long narrow building extending about halfway down the block. Of course, this whole discussion presupposes that the area now looks as it did when they were taking the photos.

kencmcintyre on July 15, 2008 at 4:25 pm

My conclusion is that the function should be retail.

Al Alvarez on January 14, 2010 at 12:25 pm

The movie palaces of Washington Heights and Inwood.

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Al Alvarez on February 8, 2010 at 8:25 pm

It appears that the Palace may have been a couple of blocks away from the Palace Annex which was once known as the St. Nick prior to 1916.

Here are some blurbs form the NYT:

May 18, 1914 – Wolfsohn and August have leased…for the Esalmo Amusement company for a term of six years, two stores and the St. Nick Theatre, northeast corner of 174th street and St. Nicholas Avenue

September 9, 1916 – J.K. Moor has leased for a term of years the motion picture theatre at the north east corner of 174th street and St. Nicholas Avenue to the National City Amusements Enterprises who operate the theatre at the southeast corner of 176th street and St. Nicholas Avenue. It will be known as the Palace Annex.

November 21, 1921 – The police think boy burglars were responsible for the robbery of four stores in St. Nicholas Avenue between 174th street …(including) The Palace Annex Motion Picture Theatre where they obtained several hundred pennies.