Comments from Chris_Grattan

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Chris_Grattan
Chris_Grattan commented about Coronet Theatre on Sep 11, 2014 at 5:36 pm

The West End was on Thurston Road near the western terminus of the Parsells trolley line. It showed bills of second-run features and served the residents of Rochester’s 19th Ward, a streetcar suburb that was developed around the turn of the twentieth century.I recall it getting pretty rowdy on weekends in the 50s. One time I remember the projector being shut down and the lights going up and the manager chewing out the audience during a showing of “Moby Dick.” It closed as the West End in the late 50s and reopened some years later as The Coronet. I don’t know if it would have been considered an art house, but I recall going there in high school to see “The Collector,” “Tom Jones,” “The Leather Boys,” and “The Pawnbroker” when they were in current release.

Chris_Grattan
Chris_Grattan commented about Madison Theater on Sep 11, 2014 at 4:53 pm

The Madison was a Schine neighborhood theater that showed second-run features. It was on Genesee Street along the western end of the Parsells trolley line. It served the residents of the city’s 19th Ward, a streetcar suburb that was developed around the turn of the twentieth century. My brother took me there in the early 50s. It’s where I saw “The Wizard Of Oz” for the first time.

Chris_Grattan
Chris_Grattan commented about Arnett Theatre on Sep 11, 2014 at 4:41 pm

The Arnett was located about half a block south of Chili Avenue on the west side of Thurston. It was open at least until 1957. I spent a lot of Sunday afternoons there when I was in grade school. As far as I know it was independently owned. My mother babysat for the couple who ran it back in the 30s.

I drove by the other day. The building had been intact for many years, but is now in an advanced state of what looks like demolition. Not much left but the outer walls.

The Coronet was what had been the West End, a Schine theater farther down Thurston.