Bainbridge Theatre
286 E. 204th Street,
Bronx,
NY
10467
286 E. 204th Street,
Bronx,
NY
10467
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This item is from the March 13, 1926, issue of Motion Picture News:
Who was the Mosholu Theatre’s architect and in what style was the theater designed? Also, when was the name changed to the Bainbridge Theatre and when did it close? Thanks!
Need to update info above the theater was a twin when it closed.
Goofy experience here. Went to a double feature of “The Odd Couple” and “Smashing Time”. About a half hour into the first film the screen went dark. We were told it would be a few minutes as a bulb needed to be replaced. Well, it turned into an hour as the manager said they had no extra bulbs and had to get one from another theatre! No aplogies, just a lot of annoyed patrons!
I went to this theater often in the70’s. It was converted to a twin in the late 70’s.
Passed it yesterday. The marquee has been removed.
It’s strange! In my mis-spent youth (I’m 75), I haunted almost all the movie houses in the Bronx/Yonkers Woodlawn-Wakefield neighborhod, from the Kimball to the Laconia, and also all the Fordham Road theaters, from the Paradise to the Grand to the Valentine [but not the Windsor or the Ascot, oddly]. But, for the life of me, I cannot recollect ever entering the Mosholu-Bainbridge — even though I remember seeing its marquee countless times from the old Number 4 Bus, which turned northward just a few paces away, and I remember walking under it while walking from Webster Avenue up to Bainbridge Avenue along 204th Street. I wonder why I skipped it.
Here is an undated photo:
http://tinyurl.com/4vl54r
My theater from early 70’s to early 80’s when it closed.My favorite movies seen there were the james bond movies,carrie,cheech and chong,the pink panther and of course the warriors.sad to see it go.I miss sneaking in the fire exit door on perry avenue.and the rows and rows of seats that sometimes feel down.I also remember hearing stray cats meowing in the theater.great place at a reat time for Norwood.
This was my childhood local theatre. Among zillions of other films, I saw “A Hard Day’s Night” there in 1964. The line wound around the corner and several blocks south, almost all the way to Mosholu Parkway. The number of patrons must’ve broken every fire law imaginable. During the film, firecrackers were set off, and the girls screamed endlessly. My own little slice of Beatlemania.
Operated in the 1970’s and 1980’s By Jim Perkins and The Reggerio brothers with Bruce and Little John in the booth. Got my carbon
arc license there. The open air booth on the roof was setup with 16" turntables on drive shafts behind the lamphouses.
Initially a Western Electric sound system which was “harvested” in favor of a solid state system of meager performance.
Although optical sound dominated this period, 4 track magnetic setups, were available. I personally restored the 3 Altec A-7
speakers which were the very early bolt assembly style.
Tragically, vandalism was rampant and the business could not sustain the losses. The roof was filled with 4 feet of water in
one such incident so instead of new mohair velvet for the seats, new electric, roofing and boiler repairs took all the cash
from an SBA loan.
The movie “Ft. Apache, The Bronx” caused a riot resulting in rows of seats being ripped from the floor and hurled at the
screen. Several employees were hospitalized. I arrived in time to see the entire crew from “French Charlie’s” well oiled, armed to the teeth and ready for action arrive to a now empty space.
This is one of several neighborhood theaters (Bainbridge, Melba, Globe, Ascot, Dale, Fair) that I did period restoration
work to. Sadly, none have survived.
To see several recent pics of the Bainbridge Theatre building, as well as pics of several other former theatres in the area, click here:
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