Albemarle Theatre

Considering the uniqueness of this theater and the obvious care that went into it’s construction and maintenance, did the Barr family build other theaters in the area?

I am suprised and delighted to have found this website. I have a special place in my heart for The Albermarle Theatre, as my father, James Bradley, was the manager there from 1965 until 1972. Our family even moved from the Bronx to Brooklyn because of his job. My father took great pride in his job and was very dedicated to making “his” theatre the very best it could be. He even won quite a few awards given in the industry at the time for his performance as manager. Sadly, he is no longer with us, but I know it would make him very happy to know how fondly people remember The Albermarle.

I thnk the art theater was the Astor; I believe the one at Cortelyou was the Rialto. Though both pre-dated me by decades.

I worked at the Albermarle for about three months in 1969. It was a spectacular theater. I was living in Flatbush in a building where my aunt lived – I was in NY trying to be an actor. If I remember correctly, the apartment building was on East 29th St. (does that sound right?) – we got off the subway at Newkirk, and there was a great pizza parlor right there. In any case, when I worked there, some of the movies I definitely remember being shown were Once Upon A Time In The West (I saw it as many times as I could – it hadn’t yet been cut by Paramount – they removed about twenty-three minutes after the first run), Can Hieronymous Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness, Night Of The Following Day, and Daddy’s Gone a Hunting. Can’t remember any others, although I’m sure there were a couple.

Both Flatbush and DeKalb areas of Brooklyn were nice little “Broadway” theatre districts-espcially as I remember them in the 1940’s and 50’s when I was a child. There were also so many beautiful neighborhood theatres in Brooklyn then. Now they are mostly all gone- the results of a continually progressing technological society that lacks enough historical sentimentally.

In 1968 when I got out of the army, Flatbush Avenue was like the Times Square of Brooklyn: movie theaters, restaurants, book stores,record stores,ice cream parlors, and Macy’s. I was living in a furnished room (!) on Marlborough Road. How well I remember walking over to the Albemarle to see Bette Davis in “The Anniversary.” I also went down the street to the Loew’s Kings to see Kim Novak in “The Legend of Lylah Clare.” Imagine having FIVE movie theaters within walking distance of each other !

if I remember correctly….there was either another theatre called the rivoli or the hall on top of the theatre was named that………..

did see movies up and down flatbush av in the 40'ies to the sixties…

hueyD <>
PS: ANY ONE KNOW IF A TROOPS 42 BOY SCOUTS STILL IS IN EXISTENCE…HAVE 2 OL MEMBERS THAT RECENLY FOUND ON LINE…IT WAS
localed on beverly rd near ocean av…met on thursday nites and had a camp in bear mt called spruce lake lodge>>>>>
tkx. folks

I passed this on Sunday biking from Jacob Riis Park to Park Slope. There was a theater further up on the right that I’m trying to locate on there but the Brooklyn section is huge. It reminded me of Loew’s Paradise and it had “Showcase Cinemas” over the doors and the building was enormous. To the left is a Sports Authority? There was a street fair in front for 7 blocks and some locals said it was just bought.

Here is an area directory of theaters from the Aug. 11, 1965 issue of the New York Journal-American. Considering most of the titles on view here, the concept of the “summer movie” had not yet taken hold.

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In 1977 the Albemarle was a Mann Theatre
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I do remember the Albemarle, even though I don’t remember what films I saw there. However, I asked about this on the Loew’s Kings site, and, if you don’t mind, I would like to ask it here. There is a committee formed to restore the rival Loew’s Kings (page 1360 on this site). Would anyone on this site who hasn’t been to the Kings be interested in the revival?

Sorry to be so long in responding to Warren. Century Theatre’s stranglehold over Albemarle theatre was most evident in the court decision to award Albemarle Theatre a considerable sum in their suit against Century theatres.