Loew's Spooner Theatre

The building is now almost entirely gutted on the third floor.

The Loews Spooner was a great place to see a movie with its big screen, wonderful sound system, and opulence. I saw many films at this theater and in its sister theater the Loews Boulevard. These theaters lit up Southern Boulevard.

I recently paid a visit to El Mundo which is located in the former Spooner. I walk up stairs to the mezzenie area which was full of furniture and noticed that there was another staircase so I decided to go up and take a look. as I went up I noticed that the marble wainscoting was unpainted unlike the lower levels. When I got to the top I was in an area just infront of the projection booth and behind the balcony full of beds. You could see the entire auditorium from up there. I was shocked to see that it was mostly intact. The seats were all gone but and it was in very poor shape due to leaks and general neglect. It was painted a deep red. It must have been quite a theater. The Chester was more impressive to see abandon but this is far more intact. It appears that El Mundo only uses the lobby and the back of the main level as a sales floor and uses the rest as storage. I snapped a photo with my camera phone, its not great but it gives you some idea.
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I went into the old Loew’s Spooner this morning. It is now a department store named ‘El Mundo’. What used to be the balcony is now opened and full of cheap furniture. The amazing thing is that the bathroom for Ladies is almost completely intact. It’s hidden behind a curtain but the old door is there and it looks almost the same as when I saw it in 1965! There’s also two old columns that have tragedy and comedy figures on them downstairs. It’s bittersweet to see what’s left of what was a beautiful theater.

I walked by the Spooner this past week and noticed that Duane Reade has vacated the premises. There are still half a dozen retail stores occupying storefront space in the building, but the area that had been the main entrance to the theatre is now empty and available for rent/lease. If anyone’s interested, the realtor is Winick (www.winick.com). By the way, Duane Reade relocated just a few doors away at the intersection of Southern Blvd. and 163rd Street, in another historic old structure – the former Hunt’s Point Palace.

When Loew’s had the Spooner, the ads from the 50s show that it did not play the features paired in the “mainstream” Loew’s theaters but mainly, double features that had just completed the RKO circuit or double features that had not been booked anywhere else (revivals or a pairing of “B” films). The Bay Ridge & Boro Park seem to be two other Loews' theaters in the same pattern.