UA Forest Hills Twin Theatre
107-16 Continental Avenue,
Forest Hills,
NY
11375
107-16 Continental Avenue,
Forest Hills,
NY
11375
10 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 58 comments
Theatre capacity: Screen 1 484 Dolby Stereo Screen 2 285 MONO
In the Forest Hills Theatre description, please include its original architect, Kenneth M. Murchison, who was a foremost public buildings architect. He also designed Forest Hills Stadium (first tennis stadium countrywide as of 1923), Baltimore’s Penn Station, Jamaica Station, Hoboken Terminal, and the Beaux-Arts Apartments. I would also like to mention that the theater opened on December 5, 1922. Architect John J. McNamara performed renovations later on.
Please update, the theatre became a twin on December 18, 1981 with Taps and Pennies From Heaven, no grand opening ad and theatre closed on November 19, 1998. Last pictures Meet Joe Black and The Wizard of Oz. Location closed the day before the Midway reopen. United Artists did not advertise this theatre and the Continental Twin and 3 in the UA Display ad in the New York Newsday Editions. Final films posted in photos section. Sorry NativeForestHiller, was looking at UA Display ads, didn’t think UA didn’t want to advertise their locations.
Ridethectrain: One of the last movies was “Dance With Me” featuring Vanessa Williams & Maria Torres, which was released in August 1998. The theater closed shortly after. I attended and have proof.
The theater closed in the latter part of 1998.
Please correct, it was a twin theatre. The balcony was theatre 2 and the orchestra was theatre 1 with Dolby. Don’t know when UA twin the theatre, it was probaly in the 1970’s When closed it was the UA Forest Hills Twin
I was in the Buffalo Wild Wings. They are ceasing operations at that location this week. They cancelled their lease.
The Forest Hills had a prior modernization in 1937, when it was closed for the entire summer. Photo of gala re-opening ceremonies and new marquee can be viewed here
I think only the facade remains? Wasn’t the entire theater destroyed and the building rebuilt?
Was even the lobby retained?
DNAInfo.com is reporting …
Buffalo Wild Wings, the popular barbecue chain, is slated to open a massive location at the former Forest Hills Theatre soon.
The new location, at 107-16 71st Ave. — between Austin Street and Queens Boulevard — will measure around 10,000 square feet, which is about 40 percent larger than a typical Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, said James Bitzonis, president of Four M Capital, LLC, the group launching the restaurant.
The restaurant will not interfere with the building’s classic features, Bitzonis said, and it “will pay homage to the theater and Forest Hills” by displaying memorabilia, including photos and jerseys representing local sports teams.
The company is in the process of receiving a number of historical photos showing the building and the neighborhood. “We are enlarging them and framing them,” he said.
Overall, there will be about 100 pieces of memorabilia displayed at the restaurant.
The scheduled opening is July 15.
I saw Blade Runner here in 1982. The biggest problem with this theater, as with the Midway, was parking.
Thanks for posting, kurt. I remember seeing Radio Days here during your time as manager. A few years earlier, I did see a more conventional (and sort of goofy) fantasy/adventure flick here called The Beastmaster. Last movie I caught here was Trainspotting, upstairs in the summer of 1996. I miss this theater. Enjoyed watching films in both auditoriums, but really liked the raked seating of the balcony room.
This photo of the Forest Hills is dated 1940, which the titles on the marquee bear out. Thanks to Tinseltoes, who introduced me to this website (for The New York City Organ Project) by linking out to pictures on other theater pages.
Hi Everyone! This is my Forest Hills Theatre flickr photoset, courtesy of Rego-Forest Preservation Council, which I founded and chair:
View link
You can click the thumbnails to enlarge the photos, and view them in a low, medium, high resolution, or original (maximum) resolution, as well as download them for future reference.
If anyone can contribute any vintage photos or ads to this photoset, I will be happy to give you credit. All images help preserve the spirit of the former Forest Hills Theatre, and may contribute to other great preservation projects. Let’s be proactive!
Does the lobby part of the building exist, or just the exterior facade?
Thank you.
I meant if anyone else remembers seeing the Time Machine at the Forest Hills Theatre. I don’t have the time right now to check newspaper ads from 1960.
Ouch!
I seem to remember seeing The Time Machine at the Forest Hills Theatre in 1960. Can anyone verify this?
Has the theater really been demolished behind the facade? It appears the roof has been changed, but have the other walls been completely taken down? I don’t really know if this could be called “demolished”, as while yes, parts of the building have been removed, it “hasn’t” been completely demolished. I think that calling it “demolished” is incorrect. Is it intact? No. But it’s not “demolished” either, and that is misleading.
By the way, you can see the different aerial views of the building on http://www.historicaerials.com/
Hi Warren,
Please let me know if you received my e-mail on this theater & follow-up on the Midway.
As apparent from the following work permits, the structure was gutted and partly demolished in the late 90s. Work was coordinated under an alteration permit, rather than a demolition permit:
View link
It is unfortunate that the Forest Hills Theatre was gutted for a typical Duane Reade and Staples, but I am thankful that the facade is still present for passersby and theater buffs to cherish. I recall seeing many movies in that theater growing up, and remember marveling over its architecture even at a young age. The marble staircase was great. Here’s a link I came across for all of you to enjoy. It contains a brief history, a photo, and interesting information on its organ installation:
View link
I lived in Ridgewood, and by the time my friends and I were old enough to take the subway on our own, we stopped going to the Ridgewood Theater, and often began taking the subway to the Forest Hills Theaters….The Midway, Continental (at the time), Trylon….although I never visited the Forest Hills Theater.
Of course in our case we had to take the L train to Lorimer ST for the G to Forest Hills.
By the time I reached my mid-twenties, practically all the movie theaters in Greenpoint, where I lived, had closed. So, instead of trekking into Manhattan, I started to take the G train to Continental Ave. – and less often, Steinway St. – to catch a show. By the mid-1970’s most of the first run movies were being shown throughout the City upon their release, so it really did not make a difference where I went. In this way, I got to discover the Continental/Austin district which, besides hosting a bevy of movie theaters, was – and still is – the center of a lovely neighborhood. I now make it my home. The only downside is that I can no longer visit the Forest Hills Theatre, unless I want to fill a prescription!
Of all the theaters in the area that I frequented – unfortunately, I never made it to the Trylon – the Forest Hills was the most impressive and the one that I most enjoyed visiting.
I was just wondering if any other former or current Greenpoint residents also took the G to Forest Hills after the local options had cease to exist. I doubt that I was the only one doing this.
I was walking along Continental Ave. on a sunny afternoon and was stopped outside the theater and offered free ticketd to a new movie being screened there that evening. I managed to get four tickets to the unknown movie and returned later that evening with my girlfriend, her sister and her boyfriend. The movie was E.T.! I have fond memories of the Forest Hills and it is sad that it is gone. I was there watching the Wizard of Oz, the last performance, the night it closed.