Parsons Quad Theatre

78-28 Parsons Boulevard,
Flushing, NY 11366

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50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on April 4, 2023 at 6:17 pm

The Parsons closed for the final time on December 18, 1986, and its final attractions by screen order are “Three Amigos” at Screen 1, “Star Trek IV” at Screen 2, “Song Of The South” at Screen 3 and “An American Tail” at Screen 4. It was last known as the “Parsons Quad” and was last operated by Epstein. After closure, the New York Daily News continued listing the theater as “closed” until the first day of 1987.

Willburg145
Willburg145 on January 5, 2022 at 8:13 pm

Shame there are pictures of they interior

RobertR
RobertR on July 14, 2014 at 12:19 pm

This closed as a Quad

paktype
paktype on July 5, 2012 at 1:49 pm

Just to clear up some confusion about “Flushing”. The name “Flushing” was used for many years for several different communities in Queens that bordered the famous “Flushing” community anchored by Northern Boulevard, northern Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue. Kew Gardens Hills always had its own zip code (11367) but its Post Office was always referred to as “Station C – Flushing, New York”. When I was a kid, we always used Flushing in our address even though we lived in KGH. In recent years, Queens communities have stopped using the Flushing name. Station C was renamed “Kew Gardens Hills” a few years back.

VinnieNYC
VinnieNYC on April 30, 2012 at 11:19 am

One more memory… When I was a very young child I remember them having matrons for the Saturday afternoon shows. Scary old ladies with flashlights!!!! The manager was Mr. Resnick, he used to call me Victor instead of Vincent. The stuff you remember…

VinnieNYC
VinnieNYC on April 30, 2012 at 11:16 am

Thank you Joe for the photo link and to everyone adding their memories to the glories of this old movie house. The photo of the upstairs lounge reminds me of all the times I did my homework there while I was an usher (there was alot of downtime while the movie was running).

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on April 29, 2012 at 10:53 pm

A photo of the foyer of the Parsons Theatre can be seen at the top of this page of the January 7, 1950, issue of Boxoffice.

Ed Miller
Ed Miller on November 5, 2011 at 12:16 pm

AXminster must have been Brooklyn, then.

Ed Miller
Ed Miller on November 3, 2011 at 1:21 am

AXminster, right?

robboehm
robboehm on October 26, 2011 at 9:06 am

The Meadows in Fresh Meadows also had an AX exchange.

VinnieNYC
VinnieNYC on June 2, 2011 at 10:58 am

For most of my life I thought I lived in Flushing but later found out that I was really in Kew Gardens Hills. The theater was on Parsons Blvd between 79th Ave and 78th Rd. My phone exchange was also AX1-%%%%.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on February 5, 2011 at 10:31 am

You should get an Award for having to suffer through “LOST HORIZON” almost as bad as “SONG OF NORWAY”.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on February 3, 2011 at 2:25 pm

Another one time Loews,thats amazing.

Ed Miller
Ed Miller on May 27, 2010 at 9:46 pm

I was only at the Parsons once, but I remember the interior was of outstanding late Moderne design. If I’ve got the right theater, it was fairly close to Queens College, no? I saw the French film “Going Places” there, starring Gerard Depardieu and Patrick Dewaere, which means it had a bit of indie/arty programming, at least at that time. I was living in Valley Stream still, so I’m guessing that this was the closest venue to see the movie, without going to Manhattan.

VinnieNYC
VinnieNYC on March 11, 2010 at 1:03 pm

I lived down the block from this theater from 1955 until 1980. When I was two years old my mother and aunt took me to see THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, a very traumatic experience to say the least. From 1970 to 1973 I worked as an usher at the Parsons. My most “interesting” memories are having to watch the LOST HORIZON musical remake for 3 months and the really bad Kung Fu movie DEEP THRUST for a month. There was only one balcony but there were 3 sections: left, middle and right. The ceiling was about 30 feet high, so when you had to change a bulb you had to crawl a catwalk in the ceiling. Changing the marquee was alot easier because you just stood on the roof and hoped you had enough vowels. I used to play baseball in the parking lot.

Mitch45
Mitch45 on January 25, 2010 at 4:59 pm

Buddy’s Bicycle Shop has recently closed. The owner decided to retire (no pun intended). Its a shame; that store was a big part of my childhood summers and was one of the few businesses that was open when the Parsons Theatre was in operation.

Mitch45
Mitch45 on September 26, 2007 at 5:52 am

The two-block area between 78th Road and Union Turnpike on Parsons has not changed much at all since the theater closed. Buddy’s is still there, the ancient Stuart Electronics store is still there, as is the store that sells pet fish, the John F. Kennedy political club, the pet hospital and the drug rehab center. The Italian restaurant is still there too, althougn under different ownership and with a new name. The old restaurant, Cinque Terre, was owned by my former next door neighbors on 78th Road, the Cozzanis. They still live on 78th Road.

The row of stores on the west side of Parsons between 79th Avenue and Union Turnpike is virtually unchanged for decades.

shoeshoe14
shoeshoe14 on September 25, 2007 at 8:49 pm

I didn’t buy it, just read it in line.

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on September 25, 2007 at 3:30 pm

Even the New Victory, built in 1900, has only two balconies.
View link

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on September 25, 2007 at 3:12 pm

I’d be shocked if any theatre in Queens ever had TWO balconies, let alone three! Even in Manhattan, three balconies smacks more of a turn of the century opera house or concert hall – unless we’re talking Radio City Music Hall.

shoeshoe14
shoeshoe14 on September 25, 2007 at 2:56 pm

Yeah, I saw that. I was reading in Images of America in line at a bookstore and they had many of them. Went to the theatres section. It said it was ornate and had 3 balconies.

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on September 25, 2007 at 2:51 pm

Where’d you find that bit of misinformation, shoeshoe? As you probably know, this was a modern theater opened in 1949 with a single balcony and featuring a streamlined decor that was far from ornate. If you haven’t already seen them, Warren posted some images of the exterior and interior of the Parsons back on September 2, 2005.

shoeshoe14
shoeshoe14 on September 25, 2007 at 2:36 pm

I read elsewhere this theater was ornate and had 3 balconies.

BarryK
BarryK on April 11, 2006 at 9:09 am

I moved to Kew Garden Hills at age 6 in 1953. I lived there till 1975. I loved the theater. I remember going down the block to the candy store for an “egg cream”. It was on the corner down from “Buddy’s” Bike Shop. I remember the hospital across from the Fire House. It was first called Hillside Hospital. I remember the Jewish Center across the street and the Animal Hospital. Those were the days.

Barry K