Grand Central Theatre

89 E. 42nd Street,
New York, NY 10017

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Additional Info

Architects: John Sloan

Firms: Sloan & Robertson

Functions: Retail

Styles: Streamline Moderne

Nearby Theaters

Grand Central Theatre

This little Art Moderne-style newsreel theatre operated inside the vast Grand Central Terminal from its opening on May 3, 1937 until about three decades later, when the space was gutted for retail use. The theatre also screened cartoons and short subjects. A large incandescent clock to the right of the screen reminded theatre-goers of the time. At the rear of the auditorium was a standing-room section, and a small bar was located near the theatre’s entrance.

It was located near track 17 and today the area is used as a wine shop, complete with the beautifully restored star-covered ceiling of the former theatre’s lobby.

Contributed by Bryan Krefft, Philip Goldberg

Recent comments (view all 13 comments)

worldcity
worldcity on January 14, 2005 at 2:36 pm

When I was a regular customer in the early ‘50s, they changed the program twice a week (to run current news in that pre-TV era). Since the change-over came in the middle of the day, and if you timed it right, you could catch two programs (a two-hour show) for a single admission ($1).

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on May 19, 2005 at 8:21 pm

Some other newsreel and short subject cinemas located in train stations:

South Station Theatre, Boston
Newsreel Theatre, Cincinnati
Victoria Station News Theatre, London

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller on August 19, 2005 at 8:40 pm

Hi Joe Clark & my other theater enthusiast friends!!! Every so often, you can find a Grand Central Theatre postcard on Ebay.

bamtino
bamtino on September 10, 2005 at 8:02 am

Though it won’t really map properly, I believe the address should be listed as 33 Grand Central Terminal (Main Concourse, opposite Track 17), New York, NY 10017.

gilbertw
gilbertw on April 27, 2007 at 8:06 am

a short video of people going into the grand central theater is on the video VHS titled: “The winning of world war 2” “The road to victory – ratling the saber” 1990 mbi/ulanoff distributed by publishers choice videos. hosted with personal commentary by John s. d. elsenhower. I own this video.

bill gilbert
.ny.us

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on January 23, 2014 at 1:26 pm

The April 1, 1937, issue of Motion Picture Daily said that the opening of the newsreel theater being built inside Grand Central Station had been set for May 3.

slsiege
slsiege on April 14, 2014 at 8:06 am

I passed by it many times but never went in. (In the early 1970’s, when I was going to college and Amtrak trains on the old New York Central lines were still leaving from Grand Central, I had to change stations in New York.) I distinctly recall that on one occasion, oe of the last times I saw the theater in operation, the program was the 1971 documentary “The Hellstrom Chronicle”, so the end must have come around 1973 or thereabouts.

Another thing: it probably was an inspiration for a strip in the comic series “Julis Knipl: Real Estate Photographer”, which takes place in such a theater.

SethLewis
SethLewis on June 11, 2015 at 1:26 am

This was showing Plaza Suite in 1971
Weird that I came across leafing through NYT ads last night
Was a newsreel theatre before that

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on August 20, 2016 at 1:29 pm

Is the clock still there?

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on August 20, 2016 at 1:31 pm

Is it the only theatre/cinema inside a train station?

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