Commodore Cinemas

Well, I just spotted the Commodore theater in the new video by Avril Lavigne, “My Happy Ending”. If you go to the following URL, and look for Avril Lavigne, “My Happy Ending”, it will give you a link for the video. Right now it’s the #1 video on the page, but of course that will change. Once this post gets older, and you want to try it, click the url below, and search for either Avril Lavigne or “My Happy Ending” in the search engine, and it will bring you to the video.
My question is this, the video shows Avril running under an elevated structure which is the Broadway EL at the Commodore Theater (Marcy Ave Station). Then there is footage of her singing in what looks to be an old abandoned theater. Is that in fact the interior of the COmmodore, or if it isn’t, any idea what theater it is?

Here’s the link:
http://launch.yahoo.com

Camden & Bway;
The Aster was at 246 Broadway. It opened as the Plaza Theatre in 1919 (at least that is the earliest date I can find a reference). In 1924 it became the New Plaza, a few years later the Broadway and then the New Broadway (not to be confused with the Loew’s Broadway). Sometime in the mid-30’s the theatre became the Square and a decade later the Aster. The seating capacity was always 400. Aster closed in 1950.
At 279-81 Broadway was the Williamsburg Playhouse, designed by Shampan & Shampan, opening 1914 with a capacity of 500. Later the name was changed to the Williamsburg Theatre. Sometimes the capacity is listed at 600.
At 302 Broadway was the Marcy Photo Theatre also opening in 1914. This became the Marcy Theatre which closed in 1972. Seating 716, sometimes listed as 768.
Finally at 329 Broadway was the Commodore.

Camden, I have a question for you. Since you seem familiar with the area, do you have any idea what is in this theater shown below the Marcy Ave station in the photo linked below?
www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?7849

Do any of you know if the Aster theater was also known by another name, as I can’t find any information on this site. There is also a Williamsburg Playhouse, a “Marcy Theater” and a “Square” Theater that also has a Broadway address that is in the 300’s or 200’s. which is correct for around the Marcy Ave station. So were there four theaters near that station, or is the Aster another name for one of the above.

Oh, and by the way, here’s a photo of the Commodore I took from the J train the other day. Sorry it’s not “the best” photo because the window was very scratched:
View link

One more thing: the screen downstairs is huge, just enormous, and is probably the original screen. The upstairs screen is also very large, which lends it a very modern configuration, like some of the brand-new upstairs screens I’ve seen at a new theatre in Manhattan (maybe it was Kips Bay, I can’t remember). Most importantly, the entire building has a wondrous feel and ambience, like the movie palace that it certainly is. I’d love to see it reopen.

Camden

I don’t know what is happening with the Commodore but may suggest an alternative? How about trying to acquire the old Williamsburg Playhouse? It is now a ghastly 99 cent store. I saw a few movies there in the 1970’s: Abby, Ruby, Sinbad. I tried to find out info about the theater and through this site I found out that it was actually billed as the Williamsburg Playhouse. It is small but would make a great art house. I hope something happens because the Burg could use a place like the Angelika.

Well there was a real estate deal but it fell through, and if that does not work out, there are other placces that a movie theater can open. If you are such a cynic, you can make some phone calls for us and find out since you seem to know a lot about the real estate market.

Yes, I am either this theater or at least getting converting a warehouse or even buying one of these Pentacostal type churches and making an Angelika like theater. You know I have studied Williamsburg at the turn of the century and I am working with the family of Betty Smith who wrote “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” and I do know that at the turn of the century, Williamsburg had vaudeville houses on every block. Some are churches, some or warehouses, some have been converted to stores. I think the first two things is to find out about the Commodore but also go the to Brooklyn public library and find out where these old theaters were. You never know what you can find behind these warehouses. Look at the Eckerds/Genovese in Greenpoint, walk in there and it is a movie theater with the drug store stock. The theater except for the seats are more or less intact including the balcony that they use for storage. Go in there you will be amazed. I am sure there must be a warehouse or store, or chuch that has the same thing behind the brick spaced facaded.

I am getting together with Eric in the near future. Anyone interested can e-mail at and we can talk to see if our visions are “together” and start assigning research and business plan stuff to each other.

Adam

Eric,
I would be interesting in talking to you about opening a theater in Williamsburg, either this one or another theater. If it does re-open I think it needs to be like a Film Forum or the Angelika. It is only a matter of time before Loews comes to Williamsburg. In fact that vacant land on Bedford Ave right before the park was suppose to be a multiplex I am told, but it was an old paint factory that dumped toxins into the soil. Now there has been an ongoing to dispute as to who pays for the cleanup, the one who illegally dumped or the new owner. I do believe an article about the theater, about the ticket taker who owned the stock that kept the theater open as long as it could. They tried to get financing to keep it open but it fell through. So the ticket taker finally gave in an sold his shares.

Adam

Adam

Okay people. Here’s the deal. I have talked up this theater to loads of people, some of which have expressed interest in investing. But at this point all that I can tell them is that there is this beautiful old theater that, if re-opened, would be the only theater around. I moved to the neighborhood shortly after the theater closed, so I’ve never even seen the inside of it.

I need to gather more information before I can go any further. Is the theater available for lease? How large is it inside? Who are the current owners? Are there plans to turn it into the school? What ever happened with the attempts to get the building designated as an historical landmark? What is the current structural state of the building? What condition are the seats/screens/general decor in? What, if any, equipment is still in the theater? (projection, sound, etc…). What community groups would be most interested in seeing the theater re-open?

So I have loads of questions. Anyone who want’s to share information with me please feel free to post here. You can also e-mail me at I really don’t know how feasible it would be to re-open this theater, but I think that it’s worth investigating. And who knows, maybe we could get it open and running again. It would be a really great thing for the community. Lets see what we can do…

If they reopen, hopefully they can fix the bad mono sound and poor projection that theatre had.

But good luck if they reopen.

Eric, I beleive I might be able to get in contact with Angel and Arthur, they were my customers, whom I use to sell to.I think you have a great idea, hopefully your investor friends might be able to keep the $6.double feature price plan, I do have the beverage situation coverered.Drop me a line and we can try to get the ball rolling.

I used to sell The Commodore their delicous Fruitpunch and Orange drink. That was in the Big Squeeeze jetspray machine on the candy counter…but besides being a vendor I was also a loyal patron, I would be there every weekend catching that $6 double-bill. I first went there in January 2000 with Next Friday..then the last time I was there in June 2002, I seen the last movie ever shown there Men in Black 2.In July 2002 we picked up our machine and said goodbye to owners Arthur and Angel.I really! really! really! miss that theatre, I had a personal connection with that theatre…during intermission they would play doo-wop over the loudspeakers..I am sad!