To elaborate, it became the Sheepshead Bay Roller Palace in the height of the disco era.
I waited online on Sheepshead Bay Road to get into this theatre as a kid.
Once inside, the auditorium was gutted and there was a wood floor for skating. the DJ booth was up a ladder, probably where the projection booth once was.
The skate rental was at the candy counter most likely. And the entrance was in an added part which was newer next to the entrace (or could have been renovated but it was not under where the marquee was).
There was a horrible acoustic echo as the sound bounced all over.
I saw EARTHQUAKE at this theatre. It was in SENSURROUND which had to do with some low frequency sound which sounded like it was coming from the top of the theatre. MIDWAY and ROLLERCOASTER were two other movies to use this fad effect (which would be impossible now with multiplexes).
The Mayfair was odd because it’s entrance faced Avenue U instead of the busier Coney Island Avenue. However, the Kingsway a few blocks away also faced Kings Highway and not Coney Island Avenue.
Possibly Coney Island Avenue was not a busy thoroughfare back in the early 1900s?
The Mayfair was anice theatre..b ut it was always second fiddle to the Kingsway.
My grandparents met in this theatre. My grandfather followed my grandmother in… They met for the first time.
The upstairs theatres, especially one of them was awful.. you couldn’t see because the screen was down this “tunnel” for some reason, and the sound was unaudiable.
I hope regal follows through wuth their plans, although in today’s economy this might not happen.
Not only that, they just renovated the Sheepshead Bay, and in their eyes they may think this location would take away from that one.
Regal is the largest US theatre company, but they are also one that watches costs. While the UA Sheepshead Bay is a “nice” theatre, it is not as fancy and extravagant as other Stadium seating theatres throughout the country. In fact, they didn’t even convert ALl the auditoriums.
And if they were going to do something with the Marboro, why wait over a year?
If they do, I hope they keep the Marboro name. Maybe even bring back Rocky Horror Picture Show!
Since I didn’t live in bensonhurt, I didn’t go to this theatre often. However, as I said before. if it wasn’t for the Marboro, I may not be on this earth.
I saw a movie at the Oriental not too soon before it closed. The sound was so unaudiable, I had to ge tmy money back. There were tons of broken seats n the auditorium and a ladder sitting there.
However, this theatre was actually kept up more than most of the decaying old Brooklyn theatres. It lasted awhile, and was not renovated into something sterile.
Do you remember the sign that said in VERY faded paint VAUDVILLE SHOWS on the side of the building.. you could see it from the train!
Here is something interesting. An employee of the theatre who was there when it closed, made a home movie, just a few minutes long, about the theatre. He showed it’s last day of operation, a bunch of pictures from when it was new, and some photos of photos that were in the basement.
It is amatuerish but very interesting nonetheless.
If you are interested in a copy, I have transferred it to DVD. Please email me at and I can make you a copy of the DVD. Cost including shipping will be $15, since DVD blanks are still costly. However, it is a very nostalgic piece.
The Kingsway was the first theatre, or at least the first I remember, in Brooklyn that was TWINNED.
I lived a few blocks from the theatre on Ocean Parkway. I remember the first movie to play in “theatre 2” upstairs was Mel Brooks' Silent Movie.
The Kingsway’s main auditorium always had a FABULOUS curtain. It was lit from the bottom in such a way that it looked like it had these deep circles, and it went up instead of opening side to side, like most did.
Since this was the first to be twinned, they really didn’t know how to make a new theatre, without the no longer needed ammeneties of a classic vaudville theatre. That being the case, the second floor, which was the balcony and housed theatre 2 had it’s own stage and curtain (although a very plain curtain) even though these things were not needed any more.
Later, the theatre was turned into a TRIPLEX, by dividing the lower auditorium into 2, and then a QUAD by divinding the upper auditoriums into 2.
Eventually, they took the “backstage” area, and made it into Theatre 5.. with it’s own entrance and Marquee on Coney Island Avenue. You had to walk around the side to get in.
Even though theatre 5 was an add on, it was very plush, and even had a balcony of it’s own.
As a child, a friend and me used to get in “for free” by telling the ticket taker we wanted tos ee the manager, whose office was to the left of the entrance doors. He would point us in, and we would dart up the stairs to see a movie.
This theatre was owned as far as I can remember by Century, which later became ALMI CENTURY, and then ALMI CENTURY WARNER…. then it became RKO CENTURY and finally was purchased by Cineplex Odeon.
At the end, this theatre was only open for 3 shows in the afternoon and evening.
There was a fantastic mural on the wall of this theatre which portrayed old time Brooklyn. The theatre also was “competing” with the Oceana for being the biggest. While this theatre grew in screen size, other Century theatres left the scene including the Avalon farther up Kings Highway, and the Mayfair on Avenue U off COney Island Avenue. As a kid, I remmeber thinking they would TWIN all the other theatres and we would have lots of screens all over… but they didn’t.. they just closed them down.
I miss the Kingsway… it was the theatre of my youth. It had this unique theater smell when you walked in. I wish I know they would close so I could have seen one more movie… at the end I am sure it was dumpy like most became… but another drug store (especially with one right accorss the street) is more dumpy in my book!
I contributed to the description in the article above. I was an usher at the Oceana, when it was owned by GOLDEN. I believe this is the company who owned it after Century went bankrupt. GOLDEN also owned the Fortway, and the Benson at the time.
I was given the usher job, because they needed someone to work New Years eve in 1982, and me and a friend were both called. I worked there about 2 months and change. It was a 4 plex at the time, as the old vaudville clothes and other artifacts were backstage where they eventually put 2 more theatres, that used a side entrance.
Speaking of exits and entrances, we would pull gates down on the fire doors while the last movie of the day was still showing!
I do not remember much about the people that worked there, but the managers at the time were Milton and Martin. One’s last name was Rosenburg. There was another usher named Alfredo or Albert who I recall as well. We also had an off duty cop around many times.
Some of the movies I saw mulitple times at the Oceana while ushering included one of the Pink panther movies, The Chosen, The Last American Virgin, The Entity, and several others.
People would line up outside to get in. There was a way to go between theatres through backstage downstairs and a simple door upstairs, which would circumvent the “maze” that was built to keep people from switching theatres.
I wore a bow tie, and a black vest and white shirt.. carried a flashlight.. had to stop people from smoking (no smoking just became the law) and tell rowdy kids (I was a kid also) to quiet down.
Now, ushers clean the theatre and walk out. The movie starts itself. The sensors on the film dim and raise the lights. You do not see any other staff once the movie starts. And in most cases you are seeing the movie in a neat square box.
Brooklyn had some amazing showplaces. See my comments about The Loews Oriental and the Kingsway.
I still love going to the movies. But I will miss the experience of going to the movie THEATER.
This theatre was a hardware store before it was the Trump Cinema.
As any former Trump Village resident will tell you, the last movies (XXX) played there.. and ONLY XXX played there were “Sweet Cakes” and “Honey Pies”
To elaborate, it became the Sheepshead Bay Roller Palace in the height of the disco era.
I waited online on Sheepshead Bay Road to get into this theatre as a kid.
Once inside, the auditorium was gutted and there was a wood floor for skating. the DJ booth was up a ladder, probably where the projection booth once was.
The skate rental was at the candy counter most likely. And the entrance was in an added part which was newer next to the entrace (or could have been renovated but it was not under where the marquee was).
There was a horrible acoustic echo as the sound bounced all over.
Mike
I believe this theatre was right near the train station and was open until the 70s.. or I may be thinking of another.
This was a first run theatre Philip, not second.. except maybe at the end.
I remember lining up to see GREASE here.
They had painted birds on the ceiling.. it made you ask.. is that BUTTER in my popcorn!
An interesting fact about this theatre…
A few times I saw a movie a second time here… it was during the week and there was hardly anyone in the theatre….
In order to go home early, the projectionist would just SKIP a film roll!
Mike
The “New Kent Triplex” is independently owned… and is NOT new! In ANY way.
It is a little disgusting theatre with sound you can not hear.
I do not know how this place survives in today’s world.
Mike
I saw EARTHQUAKE at this theatre. It was in SENSURROUND which had to do with some low frequency sound which sounded like it was coming from the top of the theatre. MIDWAY and ROLLERCOASTER were two other movies to use this fad effect (which would be impossible now with multiplexes).
The Mayfair was odd because it’s entrance faced Avenue U instead of the busier Coney Island Avenue. However, the Kingsway a few blocks away also faced Kings Highway and not Coney Island Avenue.
Possibly Coney Island Avenue was not a busy thoroughfare back in the early 1900s?
The Mayfair was anice theatre..b ut it was always second fiddle to the Kingsway.
If it wasn’t for this theatre, I may not be here.
My grandparents met in this theatre. My grandfather followed my grandmother in… They met for the first time.
The upstairs theatres, especially one of them was awful.. you couldn’t see because the screen was down this “tunnel” for some reason, and the sound was unaudiable.
I hope regal follows through wuth their plans, although in today’s economy this might not happen.
Not only that, they just renovated the Sheepshead Bay, and in their eyes they may think this location would take away from that one.
Regal is the largest US theatre company, but they are also one that watches costs. While the UA Sheepshead Bay is a “nice” theatre, it is not as fancy and extravagant as other Stadium seating theatres throughout the country. In fact, they didn’t even convert ALl the auditoriums.
And if they were going to do something with the Marboro, why wait over a year?
If they do, I hope they keep the Marboro name. Maybe even bring back Rocky Horror Picture Show!
Since I didn’t live in bensonhurt, I didn’t go to this theatre often. However, as I said before. if it wasn’t for the Marboro, I may not be on this earth.
Mike
Philip.. Thanks for the tip about how to see a PIECE of the ld theatre! Next time I am in Brooklyn I will try that.
I saw a movie at the Oriental not too soon before it closed. The sound was so unaudiable, I had to ge tmy money back. There were tons of broken seats n the auditorium and a ladder sitting there.
However, this theatre was actually kept up more than most of the decaying old Brooklyn theatres. It lasted awhile, and was not renovated into something sterile.
Do you remember the sign that said in VERY faded paint VAUDVILLE SHOWS on the side of the building.. you could see it from the train!
Here is something interesting. An employee of the theatre who was there when it closed, made a home movie, just a few minutes long, about the theatre. He showed it’s last day of operation, a bunch of pictures from when it was new, and some photos of photos that were in the basement.
It is amatuerish but very interesting nonetheless.
If you are interested in a copy, I have transferred it to DVD. Please email me at and I can make you a copy of the DVD. Cost including shipping will be $15, since DVD blanks are still costly. However, it is a very nostalgic piece.
Mike
The Kingsway was the first theatre, or at least the first I remember, in Brooklyn that was TWINNED.
I lived a few blocks from the theatre on Ocean Parkway. I remember the first movie to play in “theatre 2” upstairs was Mel Brooks' Silent Movie.
The Kingsway’s main auditorium always had a FABULOUS curtain. It was lit from the bottom in such a way that it looked like it had these deep circles, and it went up instead of opening side to side, like most did.
Since this was the first to be twinned, they really didn’t know how to make a new theatre, without the no longer needed ammeneties of a classic vaudville theatre. That being the case, the second floor, which was the balcony and housed theatre 2 had it’s own stage and curtain (although a very plain curtain) even though these things were not needed any more.
Later, the theatre was turned into a TRIPLEX, by dividing the lower auditorium into 2, and then a QUAD by divinding the upper auditoriums into 2.
Eventually, they took the “backstage” area, and made it into Theatre 5.. with it’s own entrance and Marquee on Coney Island Avenue. You had to walk around the side to get in.
Even though theatre 5 was an add on, it was very plush, and even had a balcony of it’s own.
As a child, a friend and me used to get in “for free” by telling the ticket taker we wanted tos ee the manager, whose office was to the left of the entrance doors. He would point us in, and we would dart up the stairs to see a movie.
This theatre was owned as far as I can remember by Century, which later became ALMI CENTURY, and then ALMI CENTURY WARNER…. then it became RKO CENTURY and finally was purchased by Cineplex Odeon.
At the end, this theatre was only open for 3 shows in the afternoon and evening.
There was a fantastic mural on the wall of this theatre which portrayed old time Brooklyn. The theatre also was “competing” with the Oceana for being the biggest. While this theatre grew in screen size, other Century theatres left the scene including the Avalon farther up Kings Highway, and the Mayfair on Avenue U off COney Island Avenue. As a kid, I remmeber thinking they would TWIN all the other theatres and we would have lots of screens all over… but they didn’t.. they just closed them down.
I miss the Kingsway… it was the theatre of my youth. It had this unique theater smell when you walked in. I wish I know they would close so I could have seen one more movie… at the end I am sure it was dumpy like most became… but another drug store (especially with one right accorss the street) is more dumpy in my book!
Mike
I contributed to the description in the article above. I was an usher at the Oceana, when it was owned by GOLDEN. I believe this is the company who owned it after Century went bankrupt. GOLDEN also owned the Fortway, and the Benson at the time.
I was given the usher job, because they needed someone to work New Years eve in 1982, and me and a friend were both called. I worked there about 2 months and change. It was a 4 plex at the time, as the old vaudville clothes and other artifacts were backstage where they eventually put 2 more theatres, that used a side entrance.
Speaking of exits and entrances, we would pull gates down on the fire doors while the last movie of the day was still showing!
I do not remember much about the people that worked there, but the managers at the time were Milton and Martin. One’s last name was Rosenburg. There was another usher named Alfredo or Albert who I recall as well. We also had an off duty cop around many times.
Some of the movies I saw mulitple times at the Oceana while ushering included one of the Pink panther movies, The Chosen, The Last American Virgin, The Entity, and several others.
People would line up outside to get in. There was a way to go between theatres through backstage downstairs and a simple door upstairs, which would circumvent the “maze” that was built to keep people from switching theatres.
I wore a bow tie, and a black vest and white shirt.. carried a flashlight.. had to stop people from smoking (no smoking just became the law) and tell rowdy kids (I was a kid also) to quiet down.
Now, ushers clean the theatre and walk out. The movie starts itself. The sensors on the film dim and raise the lights. You do not see any other staff once the movie starts. And in most cases you are seeing the movie in a neat square box.
Brooklyn had some amazing showplaces. See my comments about The Loews Oriental and the Kingsway.
I still love going to the movies. But I will miss the experience of going to the movie THEATER.
Mike
Is this Theatre closed? I see the sign on the Virgin megastore Dark usually.