Costello Theatre
23 Fort Washington Avenue,
New York,
NY
10032
23 Fort Washington Avenue,
New York,
NY
10032
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The Costello Theater ceased existence in 1949 when an Orthodox schul (synagogue), Ahavath Torah, opened at 23 Fort Washington Avenue led by its Big Kahuna, Rabbi Zimmer. The Theater also figured prominently in a murder committed at the Grimmell Apartments at 800 Riverside Drive in 1933 when the accused unsuccessfully used the Theater as part of her alibi for her whereabouts at the time of the murder. She was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Embassy 72nd street was open in 1959, as was the Alden (later Regency), Studio (later Cinema Studio), Beacon, Loews 83rd Street, Colon, and Colony right up to the Yorktown on 89th Street (later the New Yorker). The Loews 83rd Street played “ANATOMY” in late November.
Al, the Lincoln 72nd Street was at 180 East 72nd Street. Thank you again. I need one on the West side, the Embassy 72nd Street on Broadway, the Regency on B'way & 67th or the Lincoln Square on B'way and 66th.
And, Guarina, the Loew’s 72nd street was on the East Side.
By the way, “ANATOMY OF A MURDER” was playing on Friday, November 27 with a featurette called THE WONDERS OF PUERTO RICO". The Loews 72nd street is listed here but the search feature does not appear to work.
Guarina, the Loews 72nd street was showing “LIBEL” with Olivia de Havilland and Dirk Bogarde plus “THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN HAWKS” with Robert Taylor.
Al Alvarez, Ed Solero, I’m writing a novel set around West 72nd Street in 1959 and ‘60. Can you tell me what movie showed at the Loew’s Lincoln Square Friday, December 18, 1959? I said “Anatomy of a Murder”, but don’t really know. I published “Love Letters in the Sand”, where I mention another area of New York. Thanks a lot!
Hello-
i was looking at back issues of Moving Picture World on archive.org and happened upon a May issue which gave the opening date of the theater as May 20, 1914. it was built to honor star Maurice Costello. also the article gave a different address than the own stated at the top of this page.
My mom remembers going go the theatre with her friend Ruth schwartzman in 1932. They were thrown out of A Farewell to Arms and apparently a few others due to crying too much.
Nice mood picture.
Andrew Craig Morrison’s book “Theaters” identifies Louis A. Sheinart as the architect of the Costello Theatre.
I lived at 160th street and riverside drive and went to the Costello on Satudays (in the 40’s). You could get in for free if you had the right colored card – cards were distributed to kids every week. Otherwise, it cost 25 cents. Later on it did become a spanish movie theatre.
It was located at the very beginning of Fort Washinton Avenue (159th street).
The church is on 159th Street although the theatre sometimes advertised as being off the 157th subway stop. If you look at a map at the way Morgan Place/Riverside Drive curves upward, advertising 157th St makes perfect sense as you could probably spot the building easily from there in the 30’s and 40’s. Does anyone know if this was a German neighborhood before the war?
It appears the Costello showed German films from 1931 to 1938 until the product dried up. During the war it switched to Spanish films.
I have also now asked that this theatre be moved from the mythical city of Audubon.
Please correct the address to “New York, NY.” This theater is in upper Manhattan and should come up when searching for “New York” by city.
By the way, this theatre should be listed as being located in “New York, NY.”