Starr Theater
233 Knickerbocker Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11237
233 Knickerbocker Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11237
2 people
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Brandt Theaters, Fox Circuit
Firms: Herzbrum & Moss
Functions: Supermarket
Nearby Theaters
The Starr Theater is located on Knickerbocker Avenue at the corner of Starr Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick. The Starr Theater was opened on June 26, 1926. It was equipped with a Wurlitzer 2 manual 4 ranks organ.
Operated by Fox Theatres, and later Brandt Theatres chain, it was closed in 1968. The building is an Associated Supermarket.
Contributed by
Lostmemory
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Recent comments (view all 33 comments)
O.K.
@Lost Memory, your photo of the Starr is not loading… Could you Please repost it again… I’m not even sure if your going to see this…(Since its been years since your last posting) As a child in the 60’s I went to the Starr every weekend… I would love to see it again… Either way, Thanks for the memories….
Great photo LM. I guess this picture was taken in the very early 1970’s at the latest since the place had been transformed into the supermarket by the time I got to know the area a few years later.
By the way, this photo – and not the current one – should be the one displayed at the top of the page.
I am amazed that the restoration of the building! I took a photo of the old Starr Theater in 2005, and to compare it to the current photo is textbook example of how the neighborhood is improving. In my photo, you could still make out the top edge of the original facade of the old historic photo Lost Memory Added. I recommend looking in the photo section!
Hey Bway… The current look is certainly nicer than before, but it doesn’t appear to be a restoration. Seems they eliminated the parapet wall above the entrance and around the perimeter facing Knickerbocker and Starr, and then spruced up the old bare brick wall of the auditorium structure, which was set back with a higher elevation behind the lobby and one-story storefronts. Gives the impression of a vintage restoration, but the old building never looked like that.
Well the original building was nondescript to begin with. I never said it was a restoration, just that the renovation of the building surely looks better than the crappy 1980’s era type of facade that was on the building. it’s a huge improvement.
Thanks LM for providing the 1940 picture of the Starr. (At least that was when the “Mortal Storm” came out.)
As I view this photo, it seems as if a not insignificant portion of the old Starr’s upper floor was demolished when the building was converted to its current use. This probably involved the balcony, which helped provide nearly 1,000 seats to this rather small space.
Here’s a 1980’s photo of the Starr Theater.
http://nycma.lunaimaging.com/luna/servlet/detail/RECORDSPHOTOUNITBRK~1~1~781355~189121:dof_3_03187_0001?sort=identifier%2Cborough%2Cblock%2Clot
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the 1940’s photo. The closest I got was the building next door which you can just make out the Starr’s marquee to the right:
http://nycma.lunaimaging.com/luna/servlet/detail/NYCMA~7~7~772329~850078?sort=borough%2Cblock%2Clot%2Czip_code
Tax photo posted today suggests that the corner supermarket replaced retail space that was already there, and not a part of the Starr Theatre, which had its entrance at the far corner of that block. Also, the Starr auditorium ran parallel to Knickerbocker Avenue and was behind retail space. 1940-41 photo here
Comfortably Cool, this is a photo of the Starr Theater after it was abandoned: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8018/photos/165289
The building to the left of it, is the same building as in this more current taken in 2004: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/8018/photos/94209