Astor Theatre
927 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
927 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
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Interior pics from the Motion Picture Herald added in photos
Uploaded a picture of the facade as the Trans Lux.
This was right down the block from Erasmus Hall High School, and played all the foreign (read “adult”) movies of the day when I was a teenager in the 1960s. There was also a kosher pizza place nearby, the first time I ate falafel, as I recall. A small theatre, nothing like the other movie palaces in the area, but charming, and remembered fondly.
Three photos of the Trans-Lux Theatre illustrate this article in the June 1, 1935, issue of Motion Picture Herald.
Nice photos.
Terrific photos (except for the demolition one of course). Hard to imagine that outside of Manhattan, outer boroughs such as the Bronx & Brooklyn once supported art cinema and foreign films.
Wonderful photo. Thanks!
As a teenager in the 1970s, I can tell you that Astor was “the place” to see Kung Fu movies along Flatbush Avenue. It also had a few foreign films. If I remember right, the Kenmore and the Lowes Kings got all the big budget, first run movies and the others on Flatbush had to differentiate themselves. The Albemarle was the place to go to see sci-fi, horror and thrillers (it had “Star Wars” all to itself the summer of ‘77). The Rialto focused on comedies, especially teen movies like “Kentucky Fried Movie.”
I adored this place. Saw some of the best American and foreign films there as a child. Remember it well. We used to take two buses from Crown Heights to get there, the only place in the area where films like “La Strada” and “Member of the Wedding” were shown.
I often used to go with my Dad when I was very young to the Astor. I remember seeing a British film about a boy piano prodogy who is kidnapped. I am not positive of the title
Headers for the Astor Theatre need changing;
aka: Trans-Lux Theatre
Screens: 1
Architect: Thomas W. Lamb
The Trans-Lux opened in 1933 and it closed as the Astor in 1977.
I saw a lot of foreign and “art” films there in the early sixties that were thought of as very “adult”. Saw Tom Jones there, phaedra with Mercouri, Sundays And Cybelle, The Sporting Life, and a few others. Really can’t recall anything about the theatre itself. Guess it was rather ordinary.
Astor was Astor running double bills of current release before becoming Trans Lux Newsreel house during WW2, later in post war era reverting to Astor and showing British and other imports.
See photo of pre war Astor:
Brooklyn Public Library link
My father was a projectionist there in the mid to late 60’s. I used to visit him and try to watch the movies backwards, It was difficult, especially wiyh sub-titles!
The Ascot Theatre is located at 2313 Grand Concourse in the Bronx. The above description should be for the Astor Theatre that was located at 927 Flatbush Ave.. The Astor Theatre seated 584 people.
I believe the correct name of this theatre was the “ASTOR”. It stood next to Erasmus Hall High School.