Colvin Theater
1069 Kenmore Avenue,
Kenmore,
NY
14217
1069 Kenmore Avenue,
Kenmore,
NY
14217
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Basil Brothers Theatres
Architects: Eli W. Goldstein
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: Basil's Colvin Theater
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Opened by the Basil Bros. on April 9, 1944. Aside from the unique Art Moderne design which made it distinctive, the Colvin Theater was a neighborhood film house with a few extraordinary features.
The owner/manager had an apartment on the second floor of the theater with a “window” that opened out onto the auditorium in the space that would have been a balcony. He would invite friends over to sit in the living room to watch the show. The downstairs also held a sound proofed room where mothers could sit with their young children and watch the movie through a large, glass window.
The Colvin Theater was closed in 1984 and has been demolished and replaced by an apartment building.
Contributed by
E. Summer
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Recent comments (view all 20 comments)
The “Colvin” was located at 1069 Kenmore Ave., between Colvin and Charleston. It was designed by Eli W. Goldstein with 1,000 seats. I have it being razed during the summer of 1984.
Phone number 1960: DElaware 5440
I grew up in Kenmore in the 50’s, lived on 72 deumaunt terrace and went to Charles Lindberg. I watched many many or the sci-fi movies at the Colvin including the Blob with Steve Mcqueen. I cried at the Colvin at the end of Ol Yeller. Moved to California in 1960, and herd from a ebay customer of mine in Kenmore the Colvin was torn down. How I remember walking to and from the Colvin, many times in Winter snow. Went to matinees on Saturdays. I remember the A&P next door, and a custurd stand accross the steet, and St.Joes. I saw the film with Ben Gazarra “Buffalo something” and it looked like St. Joes filmed a scene on Wilton Place. Walking to Lindberg on winter days, and shoveling snow, the Colvin were my childhood. No snow in Los angeles, just sunny California and the movies cost a years worth of the Colvin now. That ebay customer said he retieved some kind of light fixture out of the Colvin. I have a vauge recollection of the upstairs part, and didn;t remember they had so many seats. What a shame, replaced by apartments. I’m sure I would not recognize the neighborhood, but a coworker not long ago visited Tonawanda, and took a roll of pictures of my old house and steet for me.
Saw JACK THE GIANT-KILLER here TWICE in 1962.
Anyone remember the Colvin showing 30 cartoons in the late 50’s, early 60’s on saturday afternoons? I counted once and there were less than 30, but by the end we were so bleary eyed no one cared.
Last film was Splash (1984)
I remember that title remaining on the marquee for awhile before it was knocked down.
As so many before on this list, I went to Lindberg, Kenmore Jr., Kenmore Sr. High Schools. I was at many Saturday matinee’s. A quarter went a long ways, 14 cents to get in, 6 cents for candy and a nickel for bus fare to get home. I always looked forward to the Cheerio Yo Yo Contests. How about those grab bags for the first 500 of us kids. I’m now 73 years old (todays date July 27, 2015 for reference) and living in Las Vegas.
I just posted some photos of the Colvin on this site and on my Facebook site. I got them from the Buffalo Historical Society. I am still working on obtaining other photos. Like other commentators on this site, I was a child of the 1950s who has many happy memories of this theater. I lived on Marquette Ave. and could walk to the Colvin in a matter of minutes. I remember that the ushers were a tough lot who would not hesitate to throw you out if you misbehaved. Kids would flatten their popcorn boxes and throw them spinning at the screen. If you got caught, you were out.
The Colvin theatre was opened by Basil theatres on April 9th, 1944.
Closed or halted its newspaper ads in 1984.