Kingsway Theatre
946 Kings Highway,
Brooklyn,
NY
11223
946 Kings Highway,
Brooklyn,
NY
11223
21 people
favorited this theater
Showing 76 - 100 of 109 comments
The Kingsway was originally part of the Century Circuit, which included the following Brooklyn Theatres: Avalon, Patio, Midwood, Mayfair, Marine, Albermarle, Farragut, Nostrand, Rialto, Elm, College, Triangle, Vouge, Parkside & Quentin.
Dear all;} Mike mentioned some posts up about a mural on old Brooklyn that hung at the Kingsway. Does anyone remember anything about that mural? We are searching for a mural that once was at Brooklyn’s Borough Hall and are curious if it could be the same.
Thanks to all!
Leonard
Ok Sorry I am wrong about thw twinning. I was about 7 back then, and just remembered the theatre was closed for renovations (said that on the marquee) and then it reopened, and all I remember is that SILENT MOVIE with Mel Brooks was the first feature to play upstairs in theatre 2.
I am too young to remember the triangle.. heard about it though.
I remember thinking how great it was when the theatre was twinned because I thought they would do the same to the Mayfair and Avalon. Avalon is a drugstore now. Mayfair was torn down to make a McDonalds.
I saw EARTHQUAKE IN SENSORROUND at the Mayfair.
Me and friends used to sneak into the Kingsway by saying we wanted to see the manager, so they’d show us to the manager’s door right next to the entrance, then we would dart up the stairs to a movie.
bad kids.
Mike…
The Kingsway first made into a quad in ‘82 when the backstage area waa made into a theatre with “Annie” being the first movie shown in that auditorium then turned fiveplex in '84 just in time for the release of “Ghostbusters”.
Touro College now occupies the entire second floor space, where the balcony and bathrooms used to be in the former RKO Century Kingsway Theatre. It looks like the entire building is now fully occupied, it’s a shame we don’t have a theatre to go to anymore.
the kingsway was at its peak in the 1940s
crowds would line around the block to see ;make mine music'
‘the best years of our lives;’ ‘a stolen life’ ‘laura; ;state fair;
'song of the south’‘dragonwyck’ ‘up in arms; 'walk in the sun'
the kingsway of the 40s featured mostly warner brothers and twentieth century fox films
albertpeckman
I remember when they first started to empty out the area where the entrance to back stage was. They emptied out tons of old costumes, probably from the old vaudville days. Sadly, all those garments when directly into a dumpster. Its a crime, when this sort of thing happens. Its like finding a time capsule, and just destroying it, and not realizing what it could reveal about our own self…
i dont ever see this as an art house not the crowed.
this was a very nice theatre as a twin I saw “Star Wars” as a kid only 8 or 9 yrs. young this theatre was breathtaken. I could only Imagine it during the single screen days. I saw it in the downstairs auditorium. I’ve went to this theatre quite a few times it wasn’t that bad a pretty cool nieghborhood theatre in fact if it were still open I’d still go there even though I live in Jersey. They could’ve done a lot with this theatre if anything this couldv'e been an arthouse.
This was not the first theatre to be twinned in Brooklyn. Prior to this was the Benson, Rugby, Beverly (by Golden) and the Alpine (by Loew’s). Century was a bit slow at twinning their propeties. The Rugby was done in 1974 and the Benson a year earlier. The Beverly was done in 1975-6 and didn’t last to long after the twinning.
Mike Radio: Remember the small Triangle and the independent Jewel bet. E.7th & 8th on Kings Highway?
This place was never kept up properly, with the right management it could still be open. Not everyone in Brooklyn is a fan of the Sheepsead Bay.
THE KINGSWAY IN TH E 90S WAS THE STEPCHILD OF RKO / CINEPLEX ODEON THERE BOX OFFICE # WERE NEVER WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN . A nice local theater.Theater 5 was a strange set up but was the nicest in the theater.
Here is a quick Kingsway update: There is now a Jennifer Convertibles/Leather Store in the former backstage-stagehouse area of the Kingsway, directly behind the Walgreen’s Drug Store. Someone is also working on building something in the former upstairs theatre part as well, sheetrock walls are being put in.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Kingsway’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 433 seats, Theatre 2: 429 seats, Theatre 3: 315 seats, Theatre 4: 550 seats, Theatre 5: 450 seats.
I can’t believe this theater finally closed. When I lived on West 13th street we would go there all the time to see the movies. The last movie I saw there was “The Haunting"in 1999 (which was a major dissapointment). But I saw "Spice World” there and I saw “Titanic” there and I saw “Wild Things” there. I also saw “Hoffa” there with Lisa when I was going to Brooklyn College. Sad news indeed.
Wow… Warren you are a wealth of knowledge….
Can I ask you.. what is the history of the Goldens chain? I worked at the Oceana for awhile… (I know we are on the Knigsway site)
Mike
Does anyone remember the old brand in Ny “Red Carpet Theatres” and also “Blue Ribbon Theatres”?
If so, which theatres carried those names.. I only vaguley remember comemrcials ending with “Now playing at a Red Carpet Theatre near you.”
What other brands were there back then…. and is Loews not owned by Sony any more?
You forgot the Oceana and Sheapshead Theatres.
During the mid 40’s the Century Theatres in Brooklyn were: Albemarie, Avalon, College, Elm, Farragut, Kingsway, Linden, Marine, Mayfair, Midwood, Nostrand, Parkside, Patio, Quentin, Rialto, Tivoli, Triangle, Vogue.
Warren,
I will always remember it as the CENTURY Kingsway….
I also rem,ember the CENTURY Avalon, and Mayfair…. which others were DCentury theatres in Brooklyn at that time???
Ron,
I see the area all the time… I grew up there and am back through there once a month. it is a fine area.
And, YOU are the ignorant and uneducated person on here. People can type whatever they like here, and if you have a problem you should explore some professional help choices, and not attack people on a message board that you do not know.
You obviously have some sort of strange problem so please keep it to yourself.
Michael if only you saw the area this theatre was in you might re-think your ignorant and uneducated comment.
The upstairs consession standf was rarely used… Only on weekends years ago when they had very full house…
The please was a dump at the end, but mos tplaces that are not kept up become that…. It would have been a great theatre to save and keep.
Brooklyn’s first “twinned” theatre!
So much could have been done with this theatre, not everyone who lives in Brooklyn wants to go to The Sheepsead Bay. On the weekend the exit is backed up onto the Belt Parkway.