Congress Theatre

I added a new photo to the gallery, this one from the 1939-41 NYC Tax Photo collection.

Uploaded an aerial showing the rooftop cinema.

If you move along the street view to Buffalo Ave, and around to the side of the huge theater building, you can see the remnants of the old entrance to the Associated Supermarket that was there for a while. Apparently, the building is just open to the elements, and you can even see vagrants inside the building going through the open area of what was the supermarket. Click here for this depressing view

P.S. How’s your friend Steven who also worked the Granada when you were there.

We lived at 276 Buffalo Avenue, right around the corner from the Congress, where I saw my first movie, ‘The Three Stooges in Orbit’ with my 10-year older uncle, who sat us in the Loge so he could smoke. My grandmother had been the ticket seller at the Congress in the 1930s and, if I’m not mistaken, my grandfather, an electrician who died in 1930, had been a projectionist there. In the early 1970s when I went to work as an usher in another great old Brooklyn movie house, the Granada at Church and Nostrand Avenues (up from the Bickfords), the owner, Max Schering, and the cashier, Irene, a grandmother-aged woman herself, remembered my grandparents, Max from when he had been an userher and Irene because my grandmother had trained her to be a cashier at the Congress in the 1930s! And just to complete the circle, I recently learned that my grandfather, who I knew had passed out and died one hot day in his car on his way to work, died outside the Grenada!

BTW, great picture, Albert! I remember it well!

Paul Kupperberg

As a kid in the 1950’s I attended many a Saturday Matinee at the Congress. In 1974 on a visit to Brooklyn, I climbed the outer staircase on Buffalo and managed to make it to the roof. I saw the rooftop stage and evidence of where the seats had been. I even managed to snap a few photos of what I saw.

I did not attempt to decend into the theater though, I was wary of what might be lurking there. The outside steps were rusting away but I made it to ground level. I thank Mr. Harris for confirming what I discovered in my adventure.

We’ve been inside the theater this week by walking in the back alley. The stage part is gutted and there is no remaining seats, even on the balcony, but the ceiling and walls are almost intact with the ornamentations still in place. Projectors were removed.
The 2 lobbies were altered but still recognizable.
Except for the grocery in the corner, the entire block including the theater and other former storefronts are vacant.

I lived on Buffalo Ave about 4 blocks from the Congress Theater in the mid-50s and went there quite often as a youngster. I remember an open air outter lobby right off the street. The movies that were coming next were advertised here (new movies always seemed to open on Wednesdays in those days). Recessed about 12-15 feet off the street were glass doors. When you went through these doors you were in a pretty good size inner lobby where the “Coming Soon” features were advertised on the walls. In the middle of the wall on the right was the ticket window. If I remember correctly, tickets for kids under 12 in the mid 50s were $.26 (a quarter and a penny tax). You then proceeded to the back right corner of the inner lobby where you gave your ticket to the ticket taker.

Once inside, I believe the candy counter was in front of you as you entered the theater. Once you bought your popcorn, you walked to the right to enter the movie theater itself.

I spend many enjoyable Saturday afternoons in the Congress Theater watching westerns and the great monster movies of the 50s.

I hope my description will bring back fond memories to others who remember the Congress Theater as I do.

The Fox Congress Theatre was located at 1561 St Johns Place and it seated 2177 people.