Sheepshead Theatre
1722 Sheepshead Bay Road,
Brooklyn,
NY
11235
1722 Sheepshead Bay Road,
Brooklyn,
NY
11235
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My late father, Sam Lesiger, worked for Rugoff & Becker throughout the 1950s, until they sold their three Brooklyn theaters in the late 1950s to Century. Compared to the Oceana and Tuxedo, both of which he managed during that same period, the Sheepshead was the largest and most luxurious of the three.
It is easily seen from the Belt Parkway.
Uploaded a 1930 Century ad showing the Sheepshead.
looking at the Sheepshead Theatre..store on the right side was SEYMOURS DRESS SHOP..STORE ON THE LEFT SIDE WAS EMMA’S DINNER..
The Sheepshead Theatre closed as a movie theatre in 1970, approximately 17 years before the UA Movies @ Sheepshead Bay would open for business.
When did it close as a theater?
Thomas R. Short was the architect of the Sheepshead Theatre, according to an article in the February 1, 1930, issue of Motion Picture News.
The sheepshead was also the “Roller palace” in the late 70’s – 80"s, part of Brooklyn’s disco culture.
Tinseltoes, I knew of the swap you mentioned. It just seemed more than coincidental that the Sheepshead came back into the Century circuit at the time some of the divested Loew’s did.
I thought this was a Loew’s theatre at some point before it finished life as a Century. I remember when Loew’s had to divest itself of theatre properties the Sheepshead, Tuxedo and Oceana in Brooklyn and the Prospect and the Plaza reverted to Century. My assumption was all had been Loew’s. In the case of the Prospect, it was built by Century and leased to Loew’s, It would appear from a reference above that this might have also been the case with the Sheepshead.
My guess is that it opened sometime in late 1930. In April of ‘31 the theater would still be considered new, but would have been around long enough so that a claim could be made about it’s positive effect on neighboring businesses. Also, consider that this is real estate news. The surge in population in Sheepshead Bay started in 22’ and probably peaked by 26'. Much of the building after that date was commercial. Streets filled with homes built in the 1890s became shopping avenues.
Yep, that’s what it looked like even in the sixties.
According to Brian Merlis, et al, in “Brooklyn’s Gold Coast: the Sheepshead Bay Communities” the theater was known as the Shelton, was built in 1920, and possibly known at some period during the 20s as the Sommer.
The Sommer Theater sounds very familiar, but I am unable to find any information on it. I shall check my local history resources to see if anything shows up.
The Sheepshead Theater was built by A.H. Schwartz in the late 1920s, became a Century property and, on May 15, 1977, opened as Roll-A-Palace. Prior to the Sheepshead, the Shelton Theater at 1648 Sheepshead Bay Road, built in the 1920s, was a vaudeville house owned by a Mr. Brown. The name may have been changed to the Sommer Theater late in the decade.
The building as it looks today.
View link
Photo 1960: http://brooklynpix.com/photo1/S/sbay52.jpg
I have a memory that in the early ‘50s this theatre went down a nickel to 20 cents for afternoon kids, while the Oceana (Brighton Beach) stayed at 25 cents? Any confirmation of this?
This was one of the nicer Bally’s around. They did not do much to disguise the interior as being once a movie theater so it was kind of surreal. The ceiling was painted a bright blue and you could easily make out the old ornamentation. Where the stage was, they had aerobics classes. The arch was still there and all.
This was back in the early 90’s. I know it’s still a Bally’s but I don’t know how well they’ve maintained the place. I would assume it’s OK because the area is still nice.
The gym was HUGE so the theater itself must’ve been also.
the floor was made of a poly resin not wood the DJ were on Left an right sides of Rink access, where the candy booth was was a skate shop. smaniac BROOKLYN SKATERS
To elaborate, it became the Sheepshead Bay Roller Palace in the height of the disco era.
I waited online on Sheepshead Bay Road to get into this theatre as a kid.
Once inside, the auditorium was gutted and there was a wood floor for skating. the DJ booth was up a ladder, probably where the projection booth once was.
The skate rental was at the candy counter most likely. And the entrance was in an added part which was newer next to the entrace (or could have been renovated but it was not under where the marquee was).
There was a horrible acoustic echo as the sound bounced all over.
Mike
After Century closed the theater, it became a roller rink.