The Heights Theatre opened in October 1913 according to The Movie Lovers Guide to New York (1987 edition). There is a photograph in the book with the Heights playing ‘3 Big Adult Hits XXX’
I can’t see the Towne Theatre, Brooklyn listed on Cinematreasures under that name or its previous name Crystal Theatre. It is the Crystal Theatre, Washington Street nr. Fulton Place with 500 seats in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook (not listed in 1926) and is still the Crystal, 327 Washington Street with a seating capacity of 529 in the 1930 edition of F.D.Y. By 1941 it has the name Towne Theatre, same address and same seating capacity. It has gone from listings by 1957.
Sorry I can’t find anything on the Brooklyn Theatre aka R.H. Jacobs Brooklyn Theatre at either a Washington St. or Ave address.
Malcolm….Nice story, thanks for sharing it with us. The only question that I have is regarding the specific mention of ‘had the usual piano accompaniment’. The New Gallery Cinema was the third cinema in the UK to be equipped with a Wurlitzer Theatre Organ (it was installed in June 1925 and was opened by organist Jack Courtnay) and I would have thought that this would have been used to full advantage, together with the full orchestra that this prestigious West End cinema had.
The Wurlitzer organ is still in situ at the former New Gallery Cinema (now recently converted into a Habitat furniture store) and is played regularly on (I believe) Thursday afternoons and Saturday lunchtime.
Also still surviving is the early sound film clip of George Bernard Shaw which I remember seeing on tv a while ago.
Listed in Film Daily Yearbook’s:1941 and 1943 editions with a seating capacity of 402. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. the seating capacity is 530 and the address is given as; 121 S.E. Main Street (now known as S. Main Avenue).
The building was clean and tidy and well maintained. Although I did not have the time to sit and watch a movie, I saw a couple of the screens which had begun their programmes and the picture quality, presentation and sound were very good. Definately a cinema to patronise if you are in the Washinton Heights area, or want a trip away from your local multiplex!
Regarding my posting above about #3 Hamilton Place. It could be that the Hudson Fulton Theatre at this address (now demolished) could have been a small nickelodeon theatre.
An interesting observation I note in the Edison film, is that almost all the audience departing the theatre are turning to their right to go uptown. Only a few turn left.
A quote from Kerry Segrave’s book “Drive-In Theatres” – A history from their inception in 1933 (published by McFarland & Co 1992):–
One of the attempts to air condition the great ourdoors was seen in 1953 at Phoenix, AZ, Cinema Park Drive-In. A number of fouteen foot poles were installed on the lot. Each was topped by vertically mounted propeller blades behind water pipes containing tiny holes. With the blades whirring around, water was forced up the pipes, out of the holes, and then blown across the lot in the form of a fine mist. It caused the temperature to drop, said the marketers, several degrees. A few years later a similar invention was announced. Again it was a tall pole with baldes mounted on top, horizontally this time. The idea was to circulate the air, thus lowering the humidity. Models were said to be available especially to control fog and mist as well as humidity. These units called “Fogmaster” and “Weathermaster”, could operate successfully over several acres or more. Another feature touted was that it helped overcome the mosquito nuisance. Presumably they blew them away!
Seemingly all attempts to control the climate to their patrons, greater comfort have been singularly unsuccessful.
Thanks Warren. I believe we have now solved this ‘other’ Houston Hippodrome Theatre. It must have been a live theatre known as the Houston Hippodrome, 67 E. Houston Street and by 1930 and into 1931 at least, had become a movie theatre known as the Houston Theatre with a seating capacity of 546. It should be added with its own page on CinemaTreasures.
In the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915 the Houston Hippodrome, 141 E. Houston Street, Manhattan, NY is listed. This address is also listed as being the Sunshine Theatre in the Film Daily Yearbook’s;1926 & 1927 editions with a seating capacity of 600.
I can’t find another Houston Hippodrome Theatre, but in the 1930 edition of Film Daily Yearbook there is the Houston Theatre, 67 Houston Street, Manhattan, NY with a seating capacity of 546. This must be the Houston Hippodrome, 67 W. Houston Street in the photo that is for sale. It has gone from listings in 1941 which is the next year’s F.D.Y. that I have. Currently, I can’t see the Houston Theatre listed on this site. btw 67 W. Houston Street seems to be known as 159 Wooster Street nowadays!.
Lostmemory;…Sorry for the confusion, my eyes are tired…must get out more and off this web-site! lol
So we can now establish that the building was completed in 1912, opening on 28th March 1912. Marcus Loew built it and operated it as a vaudville theatre with short movie interludes in the programme until it became a full time cinema in around 1917.
There seems to be a little confusion over dates here;Lost Memory has a build date of 1910 (posted July 12 2005) and Warren has a specific date of opening March 28 1912, built by and operated by by Marcus Loew (posted Oct 13 2005). Would it take over a year to construct?
It is not listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915, so it could be possible it was not operating as a ‘full time’ movie theatre until 1917 when the Moller organ was installed. The 3rd June 1977 transfer of ownership from Loews (Theatrefan posting June 12 2005) could be the closing down of the Loew’s Delancy. The conversion to retail shops happened in 1979.
Here is a June 2006 photograph of Loew’s Delancy Theatre: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/189035868/
The Clinton Star Theatre is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915, so it was operating with movies several years before 1917. It has gone from listings in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook, so I would think it had closed by 1949.
Looking at the building today it hard to imagine there was ever a theatre in what looks like a tenement building. But years earlier when the Clinton was in operation there was a large vertical sign on the front of the building and also a marquee over the entrance where now is a ‘Home Basics’ sign. Enter Home Basics store and you will see the decorative plasterwork of the underside of the balcony on what would have been the rear orchestra section. Further into the store there are remains of the decoration on the walls, but a false ceiling has been put across.
You see in the centre of the photograph a green painted entry door with a gentleman sitting outside. Through this door and up some stairs leads to the apartments, but there is a ‘pass door’ which leads into the former balcony of the theatre. Four years ago I had the privilage to be able to go inside though the pass door and into the former balcony space (then in use as a video/sound recording studio). All the upstairs decoration was still in place on the walls and ceiling, although where the seats had been was just bare steppings. The void in front of the balcony had been filled in (over the former front orchestra area where downstairs in the Home Basics store is the false ceiling). The new balcony level floor now extends to the proscenium arch. From here it is possible to go down a ladder and onto the stage. There are still in place old drapes and fragments of scenery hanging from the bars in the stage house. I took some photographs (pre digital) and will look them out sometime and post up any which came out with reasonable clarity.
It seems remarkable that so much detail was featured on the central section of the facade. Yet it was mostly hidden for 70 years by the large vertical sign that was in place when the theatre opened and can only be seen to its full advantage now that the sign has been removed.
The Heights Theatre opened in October 1913 according to The Movie Lovers Guide to New York (1987 edition). There is a photograph in the book with the Heights playing ‘3 Big Adult Hits XXX’
I can’t see the Towne Theatre, Brooklyn listed on Cinematreasures under that name or its previous name Crystal Theatre. It is the Crystal Theatre, Washington Street nr. Fulton Place with 500 seats in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook (not listed in 1926) and is still the Crystal, 327 Washington Street with a seating capacity of 529 in the 1930 edition of F.D.Y. By 1941 it has the name Towne Theatre, same address and same seating capacity. It has gone from listings by 1957.
Sorry I can’t find anything on the Brooklyn Theatre aka R.H. Jacobs Brooklyn Theatre at either a Washington St. or Ave address.
Malcolm….Nice story, thanks for sharing it with us. The only question that I have is regarding the specific mention of ‘had the usual piano accompaniment’. The New Gallery Cinema was the third cinema in the UK to be equipped with a Wurlitzer Theatre Organ (it was installed in June 1925 and was opened by organist Jack Courtnay) and I would have thought that this would have been used to full advantage, together with the full orchestra that this prestigious West End cinema had.
The Wurlitzer organ is still in situ at the former New Gallery Cinema (now recently converted into a Habitat furniture store) and is played regularly on (I believe) Thursday afternoons and Saturday lunchtime.
Also still surviving is the early sound film clip of George Bernard Shaw which I remember seeing on tv a while ago.
Listed in Film Daily Yearbook’s:1941 and 1943 editions with a seating capacity of 402. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. the seating capacity is 530 and the address is given as; 121 S.E. Main Street (now known as S. Main Avenue).
Seating capacities seem to vary over the years in edtions of Film Daily Yearbook. In 1941=600. In 1943=800. In 1950=811.
Listed in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook with a seating capacity of 450.
Listed as operating in Film Daily Yearbook’s from at least 1941.
Two exterior photographs I took in July 2003 when the Coliseum had been closed for a year:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191897951/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191912748/
Here are current (May 2006) photographs I took. My thanks go proprietor and operator Jesus Nova for his courtesy and hospitality in allowing me to record these images, and to his polite and helpful staff for making me so welcome:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191913867/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191915377/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191916277/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191916923/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191917335/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191917824/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191918247/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191918829/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191919391/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191920051/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191920755/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191921281/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191921717/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191922061/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191922545/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191923092/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191923481/
The building was clean and tidy and well maintained. Although I did not have the time to sit and watch a movie, I saw a couple of the screens which had begun their programmes and the picture quality, presentation and sound were very good. Definately a cinema to patronise if you are in the Washinton Heights area, or want a trip away from your local multiplex!
Not one to disappoint, here are three exterior photos I took in May 2006 and a further six photographs I took in July 2003:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191759901/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191760474/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191761025/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191769785/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191770274/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191770682/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191771027/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191771512/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/191794613/
Ace;I don’t know about a supermarket at the rear.
Here are two views of the exterior of the Delmar Theatre from each end that I took in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/190991956/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/190992471/
Here is a June 2006 photograph I took of the Grange Theatre:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/190967613/
Regarding my posting above about #3 Hamilton Place. It could be that the Hudson Fulton Theatre at this address (now demolished) could have been a small nickelodeon theatre.
Here are two photographs I took of the Claremont Theatre in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/190807270/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/190807717/
An interesting observation I note in the Edison film, is that almost all the audience departing the theatre are turning to their right to go uptown. Only a few turn left.
Here is a recent(June 2006) photograph I took of the now much altered Kingsway Theatre:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/190189864/
A quote from Kerry Segrave’s book “Drive-In Theatres” – A history from their inception in 1933 (published by McFarland & Co 1992):–
One of the attempts to air condition the great ourdoors was seen in 1953 at Phoenix, AZ, Cinema Park Drive-In. A number of fouteen foot poles were installed on the lot. Each was topped by vertically mounted propeller blades behind water pipes containing tiny holes. With the blades whirring around, water was forced up the pipes, out of the holes, and then blown across the lot in the form of a fine mist. It caused the temperature to drop, said the marketers, several degrees. A few years later a similar invention was announced. Again it was a tall pole with baldes mounted on top, horizontally this time. The idea was to circulate the air, thus lowering the humidity. Models were said to be available especially to control fog and mist as well as humidity. These units called “Fogmaster” and “Weathermaster”, could operate successfully over several acres or more. Another feature touted was that it helped overcome the mosquito nuisance. Presumably they blew them away!
Seemingly all attempts to control the climate to their patrons, greater comfort have been singularly unsuccessful.
Thanks Warren, Bway, EdSolero & Lost Memory; We can now surely say this investigation is over and get the Status changed to Closed/Demolished.
Thanks Warren. I believe we have now solved this ‘other’ Houston Hippodrome Theatre. It must have been a live theatre known as the Houston Hippodrome, 67 E. Houston Street and by 1930 and into 1931 at least, had become a movie theatre known as the Houston Theatre with a seating capacity of 546. It should be added with its own page on CinemaTreasures.
In the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915 the Houston Hippodrome, 141 E. Houston Street, Manhattan, NY is listed. This address is also listed as being the Sunshine Theatre in the Film Daily Yearbook’s;1926 & 1927 editions with a seating capacity of 600.
I can’t find another Houston Hippodrome Theatre, but in the 1930 edition of Film Daily Yearbook there is the Houston Theatre, 67 Houston Street, Manhattan, NY with a seating capacity of 546. This must be the Houston Hippodrome, 67 W. Houston Street in the photo that is for sale. It has gone from listings in 1941 which is the next year’s F.D.Y. that I have. Currently, I can’t see the Houston Theatre listed on this site. btw 67 W. Houston Street seems to be known as 159 Wooster Street nowadays!.
Here is a June 2006 photograph I took of the Cinema Kings Highway:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/189079112/
Lostmemory;…Sorry for the confusion, my eyes are tired…must get out more and off this web-site! lol
So we can now establish that the building was completed in 1912, opening on 28th March 1912. Marcus Loew built it and operated it as a vaudville theatre with short movie interludes in the programme until it became a full time cinema in around 1917.
There seems to be a little confusion over dates here;Lost Memory has a build date of 1910 (posted July 12 2005) and Warren has a specific date of opening March 28 1912, built by and operated by by Marcus Loew (posted Oct 13 2005). Would it take over a year to construct?
It is not listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915, so it could be possible it was not operating as a ‘full time’ movie theatre until 1917 when the Moller organ was installed. The 3rd June 1977 transfer of ownership from Loews (Theatrefan posting June 12 2005) could be the closing down of the Loew’s Delancy. The conversion to retail shops happened in 1979.
Here is a June 2006 photograph of Loew’s Delancy Theatre:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/189035868/
The Clinton Star Theatre is listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915, so it was operating with movies several years before 1917. It has gone from listings in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook, so I would think it had closed by 1949.
Looking at the building today it hard to imagine there was ever a theatre in what looks like a tenement building. But years earlier when the Clinton was in operation there was a large vertical sign on the front of the building and also a marquee over the entrance where now is a ‘Home Basics’ sign. Enter Home Basics store and you will see the decorative plasterwork of the underside of the balcony on what would have been the rear orchestra section. Further into the store there are remains of the decoration on the walls, but a false ceiling has been put across.
Here is a photograph I took of the exterior in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188951748/
You see in the centre of the photograph a green painted entry door with a gentleman sitting outside. Through this door and up some stairs leads to the apartments, but there is a ‘pass door’ which leads into the former balcony of the theatre. Four years ago I had the privilage to be able to go inside though the pass door and into the former balcony space (then in use as a video/sound recording studio). All the upstairs decoration was still in place on the walls and ceiling, although where the seats had been was just bare steppings. The void in front of the balcony had been filled in (over the former front orchestra area where downstairs in the Home Basics store is the false ceiling). The new balcony level floor now extends to the proscenium arch. From here it is possible to go down a ladder and onto the stage. There are still in place old drapes and fragments of scenery hanging from the bars in the stage house. I took some photographs (pre digital) and will look them out sometime and post up any which came out with reasonable clarity.
Looking around at the rear of the building is the bulk of the auditorium and the stage house, photographed here in June 2006:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188952118/
Thanks Shoty, unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing left of the theatre to photograph inside (it’s all been covered over-or even maybe removed?)
Well back on subject here, as if people don’t already know, this is after all is said and done;
the Loew’s Kings Theatre page…….
Here are some photographs I took in June 2006.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188844420/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188844951/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188845371/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188845826/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188846250/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188846764/
It seems remarkable that so much detail was featured on the central section of the facade. Yet it was mostly hidden for 70 years by the large vertical sign that was in place when the theatre opened and can only be seen to its full advantage now that the sign has been removed.
The Odeon Theatre was demolished in 1932 and a row of single storey retail shops was built on the site, and they remain there today.
Three photos I took in June 2006 of the recently opened Modell’s store (formerly the UA Crossbay Theatre):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188762977/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188763338/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kencta/188763622/