Park Plaza Theatre
1746 University Avenue,
Bronx,
NY
10453
1746 University Avenue,
Bronx,
NY
10453
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Listings ended in 1966. It was last operated by Brandt theatres who taken it over from Skouras in 1964.
The map is wrong. It was at the SE corner of University and Tremont.
That was JHS 82. Later became the auditorium for the school. Around the side was a deli which made the only great bologna sandwich in the world. I don’t know how they did it, but they did. It was a nice theater, a cut above the smaller theaters off the Concourse (except for the Loews 167th St. which was a bit grander. It played double features in the 50s.
Click here for an exterior view of the Park Plaza Theatre in 1929.
This webpage has a picture of the Park Plaza and information about its Wurlitzer organ. The first film on the marquee was released in 1951.
Thanks for the photo Brad,and link.
This photograph of the Park Plaza Theatre was taken in 1929 by George Mann of the comedy dance team, Barto and Mann.
I remember the Park Plaza well, it was at the SE corner of Tremont and University Avenues, with the Marquee on University Ave. facing West. It was generally shoddy and dingy in the 1950s when I lived in the area, and not being much of a moviegoer, I only attended films there a few times. It was reputed to be a tough theater for kids to sneak into. To its south was the concrete upper schoolyard of JHS 82, as others have correctly noted. Mike Price
In August 1964, I went to a Friday evening showing of The Night of the Iguana, at the Park Plaza. I remember joining an extremely long line of people after getting my ticket. At that time, I think only one film was being shown.
I just rode by today on my bike. It has been torn down. By the way, Stephen and Warren should get out on their bikes more often!
Slight correction to my previous post, the title of the DVD is A View From The Stoop, A Bronx Retrospective.
I just saw a dvd called Back to the Bronx, A View From the Stoop, about the Bronx in the fifties, and sixties. Many still pictres of old Bronx movie theaters are shown, and on the second disc there is a bonus feature on the University Ave.benches. This is basically someone’s old home movies, but you can see PS 82 and the Park Plaza in the background.The discs are available for rental through netflix.
Re: photo submitted on Jul 27
The marquee in the 1951 picture is similar to that of the WARNER in downtown Milwaukee (a.k.a. Centre, Grand). Was this a common design used in the 1940s and 1950s?
The Brandt Organization was all over the place with numerous theaters throughout NYC. How big were they? How was it that they didn’t develop an identity like Loews or RKO? Are they still in business?
I also think this was open later then 1964. I used to go there a lot when I was very young. I remember seeing Jack Lemmon in How to Murder Your Wife there and that did not come out until 1965.
The style was art deco. It had a little round box office in front. One balcony.
The Park Plaza was still open in September of 1965. They had an MGM showcase presentation of “Once a Thief”. At that time is was advertised as a Brandt Theatre.
You figure it out
Warren:
I thought so!!!
Warren:
Were you a customer and if so, when.
Actually Warren, I was a customer of the Park Plaza from the 1940
to the 1950’s and went to P. S. 82 which was my Junior High School,
next door.
I recall that The Park Plaza played two features.
I saw films like Gung Ho,a reissue, with Randolph Scott (double feature )and D.O.A. with Edmund O'brien,( also on double feature).
In fact, they would bring back some of the 1930 films of the Marx
Brothers and I still remember the trailers.
To view the web page from which Damien Farley took the pic links above, click here:
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A 1951 image of the theatre can be found here:
View link
Closed in 1964, the theatre currently houses a Rite Aid Pharmacy.
Here are some images of the theatre today:
http://irmaml.tripod.com/BxPix17/marty15.html
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