Chopin Theatre
910 Manhattan Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11222
910 Manhattan Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11222
5 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Liggett-Florin Booking Service
Functions: Café
Previous Names: American Theatre
Nearby Theaters
This neighborhood house, which opened as the American Theatre, was for years a second run house. By 1950 it was operated by Liggett-Florin Booking Service. The last few years it was operated by the same owner as the Avenue U Theatre. It was advertised as a twin, but was a single screen. They would charge a seperate admission for each feature and then clear the house after each one.
Contributed by
RobertR
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Recent comments (view all 108 comments)
I have been in the Burger King when it was there, and remember there was a side entrance, as well as the one under the marquee. It was also decorated sort of “film” which was neat. I have not been in there since it became Starbucks.
Have you been in the old Meserole across the street which is now a drug store? That place is really neat, and is very intact. When I was there some years ago, they were even projecting slides of sales on the old screen area!
Bway, again good to hear from you. I think you would like the Starbucks if you ever pass by this way. They did a nice job in creating what could have otherwise been a pretty dreary place.
Regarding the old Meserole, I have been there many times and agree that it retains the essence of the old movie palace. A few nice accounts of its current situation appear on its CT page.
Hope all is otherwise well – and talk soon.
I went to the this theater several times. I saw MIDNIGHT EXPRESS there. I also saw a movie with Farah Fawcett (her husband was murdered) I recall that by that time it was indeed a twin with separate screens.
Just caught your recent comment, Willburg145. I was surprised about your remark that the Chopin had actually been twinned and wonder whether you had the correct theater in mind. As far as I remember, the Chopin remained a single screen theater until the end and that the only thing “twin” about it was the odd – and not very wise – policy, described in the introduction, of showing fifferent pictures after another and forcing the patrons to either leave or pay a separate price at the end of each performance. If you – or any other commenter – have any further evidence to the contrary to share, please do so.
I wonder if that really was a foolish practice, and I wonder why more theaters didn’t do it. While I can totally understand some of the negatives (large 2 hour+ gap between showing times for a movie – meaning that if you couldn’t make the 7:00 showing the next one would be before 11:00, and that’s if the movies shown are under 2 hours). Some of the positives would be that they could in essence make the theater a “twin” without having two screens. If people didn’t care for one of the movies showing, perhaps they would like the other, meaning that week you wouldn’t lose that patron.
While the concept isn’t inherently unwise, I just don’t think it was a good fit for Greenpointers – at least with the Greenpointers of that time. These were people who did not pay much attention to movie starting times and just went to the theater when they could get out. If the movie was just about to start, fine; but if the show was in mid-run, you would just see the rest of it and catch the beginning of the film on the next showing. Given this approach, the practice of forcing people to leave at the end of every performance would raise problems.
I guess I am “trained” now on how theaters operate, but I do understand what you are saying. When I was a kid, we would just go to the movie theater and just spend all day there. Gone are the days of going to a beautiful movie Palace like the Madison, Ridgewood, Oasis, Elmwood, or fill in a blank…. Kids today will never know the feeling of walking into a large building like that chosing between the balcony or downstairs, and coming into the dark building with the credits from the showing before going….
Hello fellow movie theater lovers,
I’m doing a project for my photojournalism class at NYU about closed down independent movie theaters in New York. I hope to gain information about people’s past experiences at these movie theaters, recollections of favorite memories or not so great experiences, perhaps economical insight, contacts with owners/managers, etc. On a larger level, I hope my project is able to show the significance of the role that these establishments play in our city and the importance of keeping them afloat.
If anyone would be willing to answer a few questions via email about your personal memories at the theater, please let me know! It could be as simple as recounting a favorite movie you remember seeing back when it was open. I would greatly appreciate your insight.
You can contact me at:
Thanks,
Gabi
Renamed The Chopin when Greenpoint became a Polish neighbourhood.
For years after Chopin closed you could still see some letters on the marquee. Then it became a Roy Rogers, before becoming a Starbucks which it still is. I don’t believe the McDonald’s was ever part of the movie theatre but a separate business space.
The Chopin was Burger King for a while too before it became the Starbucks.