Leader Theatre
947 Coney Island Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11230
947 Coney Island Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11230
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Photo, circa 1940, added to Gallery.
Me and my friends walked along Cony Island Ave from newkirk and ocean ave to Ditmas J.H.S in the area, the area was a divided line of many neighborhoods (tention) and has a great beagle shop in the area (COPS), I know in the bowling lanes were new when we dented them and there was a big video store in that lot in the late 1980’s. But the Kent was established as the Marquee theater so why go there, thats why they closed and remaind closed…
I used to bowl there back in the 70s and played bingo at the casa del rey. The marque was still attached to the building so i figured it was once a movie theatre. The 2nd floor was a bar . also there was a great chinese restaurant THE NEW TOY SUN located between the 2 places.
So noted.
This is the photo that was posted on 9/8/04. as that link has expired.
http://tinyurl.com/59hw5n
The photograph to which a link is posted above by Lost Memory was taken from the corner of Newkirk and Coney Island Avenue, just in front of the schoolyard of P. S. 217, which I attended from 1944 to 1952. I spent many hours in the Leader. There’s a bit of a reminiscence at View link
In 1959 the Leader revived the 1927 Al Jolson hit “The Jazz Singer"
View link
Here is an anti-trust suit involving the Leader in 1945:
http://tinyurl.com/2belyv
In the 1930 Daily Eagle listing for Fox theatres, posted by Warren on the Alba site, the Leader appears as a Fox house. Did Wm. Fox buy out Birkshire Theatre Corp.?
Here are two photographs of the Leader Theatre I took in June 2006. Note the new construction which is being built ‘over’ the existing building:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/199487707/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/199487897/
The Leader Theatre is currently split into 3 units. At the entrance foyer and rear orchestra end is a pharmacy and retail store. The central section is currently available to rent and the front orchestra section is a large Jewish restaurant.
Currently (June 2006) the auditorium is being ‘built over’, with a new (at least 3 storey) construction being erected above the auditorium. Supporting steelwork is currently in place.
The Casa Del Rey building on the corner is available to lease or for site redevelopment.
The Casa Del Ray is a Bingo hall as far as I know.
The photo of the Leader Theater is not from 1946, but from around April/May of 1947. The marquee reads Jimmy Durante “IT HAPPENED IN BROOKLYN” and the co-feature is “UNDERCOVER MAISIE”. Both were 1947 MGM releases with UNDERCOVER MAISIE being released on March 1st of that year.
The Leader Theatre was located at 947 Coney Island Ave. and it seated 1631 people.