Star Theatre
1716 Lexington Avenue,
New York,
NY
10029
1716 Lexington Avenue,
New York,
NY
10029
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Cool photos.
I suspect this is the same 1928 image from the broken links above.
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There appears to be a large apartment building now on the site:
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This theatre is mentioned in Rogelio Agrasanchez, Jr.’s excellent book MEXICAN MOVIES IN THE UNITED STATES.
In 1952 it switched to Spanish language films and broke all previous first-run records. An excellent photo of the BORICUA can be found in the book.
This was actually a pretty big theater judging by the exterior photos. Any interior ones available?
ok.. I guess the star theater that I’m talking about was not a movie house.. unless it got turned into one with the advent of moving pics.
Maybe the post box was moved from one side of the set of entrance doors to the other?
It could be that such a large theatre had several entrance doorways that spread along the block. The Film Daily Yearbook editions 1926 and 1927 give a street number of 1716, by 1930 and beyond they give 1714.
The Star Theatre is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914 – 1915. The address given is 1716 Lexington Avenue.
I was trying to find some information on Star Theatre on 13th and Broadway.. I have a playbill from 1885 for Macbeth. The Playbill has a little drawing of the interior of the theatre.
This theatre was listed in the Film Daily Year Books of, at least, 1955-1969, as the Boricua (a typo in the 1955 edition caused it to be listed as Boricud). Shouldn’t it be listed under that name with Star as a previous name?
After I posted I realized that this is a site for “Cinema” theatres exclusively, and that this particular Star Theatre was not a movie house. Sorry about that!
After I posted I realized that this is a site for “Cinema” theatres exclusively, and that this particular Star Theatre was not a movie house. Sorry about that!
Cathy, this is quite interesting. Thanks! The only thing is though that this is not the Star Theatre of this post. This Star theater was up on Lexington Ave way Uptown at 107th St, the one you mentioned was on 13th St, Downtown.
Is the Star Theatre you mentioned on this site? If it is not, and you know anything more about it, it should be added if you would like, or someone should add it.
There is an amazing Library of Congress film clip of the Star Theatre being demolished in 1901. It is shot using time lapse photography over a period of 30 days.
Here are the notes on the film:
Using time-lapse photography, the film shows the demolition of the famous Star Theatre. Judging from the various exposures, the work must have gone on for a period of approximately thirty days. The theater opened in 1861 as “Wallack’s Theatre,” and was re-christened the “Star” in 1883. It was well known for it’s excellent productions, and a number of celebrated actors and actresses worked there, among them Ellen Terry. The celebrated English actor Henry Irving made his first stage appearance in America at the Star.
Photographed in 1901. Location: Broadway and 13th Street, New York, N.Y.
If you’d like to view the film, here is the link. You can view it right there, or you can save it to your computer.
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Quote Lostmemory:
Okay, the other two Star theaters have addresses
Of course there’s also the Starr theater in Brooklyn with two r’s that is also now demolished:
/theaters/8018/
Cool, I was just reading the “old” messages from the original listing (before I duplicated it), and Warren mentions the exact same book that I “discovered” this theater in.
If at the bookstore, check out the book, it’s a cool photo of the theater.
Thanks. I’m sorry, but I really did search for this theater before I “readded it”. I think what threw me was that I searched for “Fox Star” when I was looking for it, and I didn’t have the exact address when I originally added it.
Thank you for saving the messages from my addition though. At least they were saved.