Princess Theatre
104-106 W. 39th Street,
New York,
NY
10018
104-106 W. 39th Street,
New York,
NY
10018
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This cinema opened as the Little Met(subsequently Little CineMet) on April 22, 1948 with the French film “Not Guilty) (Non Coupable).
This showed movies as the Princess in 1915-1916.
Casolaro Films, a distributor of Italian films to ethnic houses and some art houses, had its offices at 106 W. 39th Street, in the Princess Theatre building, and might have supplied some of the programs for the theatre under its incarnations as Little CineMet/Cinema Verdi in the 1940s-50s. Casolaro later became Casolaro Giglio Films, moved to Lafayette Street off Canal, and supplied the Cinema Giglio (which they must have leased) with Italian product.
Two photos of the Princess Theatre, one exterior and one interior, can be found in the book “Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture” by William Morrison, pages 84 & 85. The Princess had various names over the years. It was also called “Little CineMet” at one time because of its proximity to the old Metropolitan Opera and “Cinema Verdi” when it ran Italian films exclusively.
I am hoping someone might be able to answer a question for me. I am researching for a catlogue raisonne of work by American sculptor Sally James Farnham(1869-1943). In the Farnham archives, I have found a photo of a work she apparently created for the Princess Theatre in 1913. It depicts a female nude allegorical figure of Theatre with the words “The Princess Theatre of Thrills, F. Ray Comstock, manager New York”. I understand that the Princess Theatre was demolished in 1955. I would love to know if there are any existing photographs of the interior of the theatre or if anyone knows whether any works, such as this Farnham piece, might have been salvaged before the theatre was torn down.