Loew's Paradise Theatre
2413 Grand Concourse,
Bronx,
NY
10468
2413 Grand Concourse,
Bronx,
NY
10468
63 people
favorited this theater
Showing 251 - 275 of 671 comments
Hi Manfred. Why don’t you approach the theatre owners? They’d most likely by thrilled to have a chance to get some original fixtures back again.
Many years ago I was involved in the renovation(electrical portion) of this beautiful theater when it was being split into smaller theaters (what a crime). I was able to retain some of the old light fixtures from the original theater. Some are solid brass (Exit sign, balcony sign)and some are wrought iron (main theater side aisle ceiling lights). Now I am seriously low on space to keep them and must sell them. If anyone is interested in these treasures of the past please contact me at , so we can talk.
Any word on if the mid-to-late September showing of West Side Story is taking place this month?
Can’t someone please submit an opening paragraph for this theater (I would, but feel someone more familiar with this theater should). It’s amazing that a theater as the status of one Wonder Theaters can get by on the site without even a sentence about it in the opening feature section.
The Daily News started a new Tuesday pullout section devoted to the Bronx, yet nothing about this wonderful theater has been featured. The owners are doing a poor job in promoting it. Few people outside of this site and that neighborhood are aware it’s even reopened.
Months back I had suggested to the publisher of “Back in the Bronx” magazine to start a bus tour of the Paradise from lower Westchester due to a lack of nearby parking and public fears of street crime which is very, very high in that 46th Precinct area. I usually park on Arthur Avenue and walk up, no problem, but most others fear the
area for good reason. Hopefully the midtown tour companies that presently operate Bronx tours will include the Paradise.
Am surprised the owner has not experimented with showing spanish language films as was done at National Amusements Concouse Plaza multiplex. Did they discontinue it??
FOUND MY LOST LOVE AT THE PARADISE: I met a man who repeately asked me out, but I declined each time. One Saturday he called and asked me to join him for a movie and allow him to change my preception about him. I agreed. We went to the Paradise Theater to see Buglar, starring Whoopie Goldberg. Once we entered the theater, I noticed a gentelman that looked familar, Lorenzo P. We dated a few years before, but never took it to the next level because we both had significant others. Lorenzo greeted us, and my date stepped away to give us some privacy. (MISTAKE #1) Lorenzo and I quickly caught up with each other status (both single) and he asked to visit me the next day. I agreed and offered my number but he refused, stating that he did not need it because there would be no excuses for him not to see me the next day, just give me your address and I’ll be there. Till this day, I don’t know if it was due to my excitment of seeing him the next day or if the movie was wack, but I had to get out of there and sleep so the day would be over already. Of course I did not decline when my date wanted to leave during the middle of the movie because he was not into it. At my apartment door, I tried to end the date but my date wanted to come in for a drink of water. I let him in and got him the water, he slipped it slowly and tried to get close to me. I was looking for a reason to end the date quickly and he gave it to me when he tried to show me how sexy he was and rubbed up on me.(MISTAKE #2) Goodnite Mr. Nasty! Sleep, Sleep, Sleep. Awake! I was a happy women when Lorenzo showed up at my door the next afternoon. We were inseparable. A few MONTHS later, my date called and I thanked him for the movie and making it possible for me re-connecting with the love of my life. Lorenzo and I were together for many years, but even good things sometime come to an end. I have been to the Paradise several times but of course this was the most memorable. Thanks for reading.
According to their website, there will be a comedy show on August 26th. Sounds like a good idea.
THE TIME IS NOW! I found tickets for the Paradide listed on the TickerMaster site for “Night in Paradise” on September 30th. It says it’s a night of classic r&b music. Several Black groups. Well, OK, I’m white but I’ve seen many shows at Washington DC’s Howard Theatre, Washington’s equivalent of Harlem’s Apollo. Black people speak English, likewise sing in English. That’s all I ask. Before rap they made good music, many still do. Tickets are $75, 65, 55 or 45. Pretty steep, but so what? I’ll be there —– in Row A. What about you?
Frankly, a venue that size in NYC costs less to keep closed and rented out for catering and such than it does to run it for concerts (throwing on EVERY light in the house).
Well, there has been some discussion of this in the past. It seems like every event is certainly not listed on that web site.
No shows scheduled until September 30th (a soul music concert)? I am very surprised at the lack of bookings – theater management will have to do better than this if they want to recoup their investment and cover operating expenses – I doubt that their food-beverage services and rented retail spaces generate enough income to support such a large space. So unless they are renting it out every week for private parties, corporate functions or catered events, I can’t see how they manage to survive.
Let’s hope this “dry spell” is temporary.
At least they are making capital improvements with the funds that they have. Those high-efficiency light bulbs will pay for themselves in energy savings and relamping costs, as they will last up to 10 times (about 9000 hours) longer than old-fashioned incandescent “Edison lamps” and require less-frequent replacement. Only problem is: can they be dimmed? (I assume they are compact fluorescent and/or LED lamps – these require special ballasts and circuits for dimming – this equipment, along with installation costs, is very expensive).
Also, don’t they hire union electricians for this type of work? Their labor rates can be outrageous.
Finally, a good point was made regarding movie presentations – didn’t they remove projection capabilities (rooms and equipment) when they modified the theater for live performances?
Rabbit:
Thanks for getting the follow-up.
Interesting that Orlando’s reply talks about replacing light bulbs and nothing about the installation/specifications of the film projection gear they are going to have.
Ah, to replace all light bulbs! Consider: in the 1920s a light bulb cost 2 cents, the electric rate was about ½ cent per kilowat hour, and bulb replacement labor was around 30 cents or less the hour; now we have nearly a dollar per standard bulb, around 8 cents per kilowat hour, and probably $15 per hour labor. It is a miracle that they found the thousands needed to pay for all that work! Few of us ever get to see a movie palace’s thousands of bulbs fully lit for just these reasons! I dearly hope someone takes photos of the newly illuminated space before about 700 hours pass and most of the bulbs are again burned out without again the money to replace them.
I also hope that the contractor will be careful of the fragile items: paint, plaster and textiles which can easily be damaged by rough fellows on the hurry-up, which all contractors are in order to make the most money. This is why I prefer volunteers if possible to do relamping; presumably they care. Such a theatre is just too precious a learning experience for a contractor who is there one day with his minimum wage crew, and gone the next! Let us hope that the owner keeps at least one ‘clerk-of-the-works’ on site at ALL times to keep the contractor and crews considerate of the building, and right there with a camera to document any damage they do. It would be good to let it leak that there are hidden security cameras in the attic and all areas to monitor all doings!
Very cool! It certainly sounds like they are doing things right.
I sent an e-mail to Orlando regarding the films. The follwing is his reply…The film series has been delayed until mid to late September. “West Side Story” is still the opening film and a “star appearance” and several “Jets” will be on hand. The theatre is being relamped by a Con Edison contractor and only up to now was 1/3 lit. They will be responsible for replacing the 2/3 bulb outages in the proscenium arch. The vestibule, foyers and grand lobby were done when I taped a BNET television special Thursday to air this October, and the new energysaving bulbs throw off a new glow to the building. Coves were only barely lit as were the chadeliers and wall fixtures. Orchestra blue backlighting is completely out as is the organ grills, the proscenium arch cove ( 1 bulb out of forty working ). The bridge and the center statue will also be lit as well as some overlooked places. I was glad to be there with the contractors who have done several other theatres.
Still no news about the scheduled movie of West Side Story on July 21?
I would have to guess it’s not happening – what gives, Orlando?
The Paradise gave it to the Jersey City when it appeared doubtful that the Paradise would ever use it again.
I have a question, according to the friends of Loews website (group who is restoring the Jersey theatre) they said the organ that is now in the Jersey thatre is from the Paradise theatre, how come the paradise doesn’t have their original organ?
Less than two weeks to go – any word on the planned showing of West Side Story on July 21?
I believe the Paradise might have first opened as a quartet on December 12th, 1980. Stop the presses! (ha ha) Anyway, I have several newspapers from around this time (following John Lennon’s death) and curiously find that in the Thursday, December 11th edition, there are listings in the Movie Clock for only Paradise 1 and Paradise 2 (respectively showing “The Elephant Man” and “Boogie Man”). The ad for “Elephant Man” as well as the ads for “Popeye” and “Stir Crazy” (opening the following day) list the theater as “Loews Paradise Triplex”:
Elephant/Popeye NY Post 12/11/80
Stir Crazy – NY Post 12/11/80
All the ads in the next day’s paper (Friday the 12th) list the theater as “Loews Paradise Quad” with the Movie Clock listing “Stir Crazy” in theaters 1 and 2 while “Popeye” and “Elephant Man” played 3 and 4 respectively.
Stir Crazy – News 12/12/80
Popeye – News 12/12/80
Elephant Man – News 12/12/80
My guess is the theater operated only the two downstairs theaters up through December 11th, while the balcony theater was being divided in two for the December 12th bookings. Just throwing it out there.
It’s almost a sin that a theater with the status of this one, being among one of the “Wonder Theaters” doesn’t even have an opening paragraph or two as a description. Perhaps someone should submit something?
I also totally disagree that it is unsavable. I’ve seen photos of the old New Amsterdam theater on 42nd St. which was partially open to the sky. That truly appeared to be unsavalbe. Yet it was saved! through a combination of city initiative (The 42nd St. Business Improvement District)and private industry (Disney). The same could be done in Brooklyn! I know that Brooklyn is not Manhattan, but it isn’t East St. Louis either. Much can be done here.
The borough President talks about the King’s being a passion of his. Let’s see him put some money where his mouth is! Give the King’s a grant to at least stabilize the building and jump start the rebuilding process.
The Kings can be saved, should be saved and will be saved!
Unsavable? That’s a little extreme. Why would you say “unsavabe”. Obviously, the theatre needs a tremendous amount of work, but after view it, I wouldn’t say “unsavable”. Take the RKO Keith’s Flushing, and I’ll agree, “that’s unsavable”. But I don’t believe the Kings is unsavable.
Millions of dollars. The Paradise and the 175th are THE last fully-preserved Wonder Theatres.
The A&E documentary was shot by professionals who could make a nuclear dump look good. Seeing the Kings on TV and seeing it in person are two different things. At this point, it is unsavable.
I am happy to see that at least one of the Wonder theatres is still on and will never be demolished. And well obviously Jersey is there too. I hope that they can do this to Kings but so far the theatre is dead. How much did it cost for Paradise’s restoration?