Osceola Theatre
256 St. Ann's Avenue,
Bronx,
NY
10454
256 St. Ann's Avenue,
Bronx,
NY
10454
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 6 comments
Marquee shot added to photos section.
Photo mentioned above, correction of display on marquee. “Happy Landing” is incorrect, should be “Happy Land”, a 1943 release with Don Ameche, Harry Carey, Francis Dee, a war propaganda movie.
Osceola was the name of a Seminole War Chief of great renown. He lead a group of warriors resisting the theft of the tribal home land and the deportation of his people to the west during the Second Seminole War. He died in 1838.
I believe the Osceola Theater may date to the early 1920’s or possibly before.
I have just enhanced the photo and the marquee reads as follows:
“Happy Landing”
with Don Ameche and
“The Battle of Moscow”
There is a nice color photo of the Osceola Theater circa 1943 on this website devoted to trolley photos. View link
The Third Avenue Railway car is passing the movie house heading toward 138th Street on St. Ann’s Avenue which is in the Bronx, not Manhattan as the photo label mistakenly states.
The marquee attraction board is hard to read. Anyone have an idea what is playing ?
My mom, who was raised in New York in the 1930s, sent me the following on this theater:
I remember in the late thirties “The Osceola” in the Bronx. I read that the place was named after a
famous Indian Chief. Probably, from one of the New England tribes. Algonquin?
My mom gave me a dime on Saturdays because I had been good. My favorite thing to do was to go to the movies. The ticket was nine cents for kids.
With the extra penny, I would buy caramels called “7 for a Penny”, (individually wrapped). I saw 3 movies, 5 cartoons, “News of the Day”, with Lowell Thomas, etc.
There was a matron, dressed in white, like a nurse, in case of any physical problems and ushers
to keep the kids in line. There was one drawback. The Elevated train would pass up above and was kinda noisy in the theater. Great memories.