Hillside Theatre
90-29 Sutphin Boulevard,
Jamaica,
NY
11435
90-29 Sutphin Boulevard,
Jamaica,
NY
11435
7 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 125 comments
The Blondie title on the marquee opened in October of 1940, per imdb.com. And while “The Great Dictator” is noted as having premiered in NYC on October 15, 1940, a USA release of March 7, 1941, is also listed. I presume that would be the general release after an exclusive Broadway engagement. If the Hillside ran a couple of weeks behind the Valencia, I’d say early spring of ‘41 is a safe bet.
Thanks for posting the photo, Don. It’s great. I hope the administrators here swap it out for the crummy photo I took from the LIRR! Or if enough people view it, I think it will automatically become the default image.
I have an old color photo of what I believe to be the Loew’s Hillside theater taken in 1940 or 1941. How would I post this image for comments
I would doubt that in an office environment anything would remain although the ceiling may be hidden behind a dropped ceiling on the top office floor of which there many. Also from the photo above you can see that the building has been made wider to accommodate additional space. So you’ve also lost the integrity of the walls. In smaller theatres which have been repurposed as offices it’s more likely that something remains.
Not only do I find what happened in this theater in 1942 interesting, but the rules of this site also advise us to be civil. I can only add a small tidbit of info about the Hillside. My mother and aunt lived in Springfield Gardens, and did most of their movie-going in Jamaica. Mom told me that they saw “The Jolson Story” at the Hillside, sometime in 1946, and she said the house was packed. It makes sense that the movie, which was an enormously popular favorite that year, would have played the Hillside, which was a very large house. I wonder if there’s anything remaining of the interior? I do remember always getting a clear view of the Hillside from the LIRR trains, just west of Jamaica station.
Concerning “On this night in 1942…..”, I find this information highly interesting. Keep it coming Tinseltoes.
I might Larry,whats it to you?Iam just interested.It History.
Do you really care what happened on a particular night almost 70 years ago?
Thanks Tinseltoes.Great info.
Relinking.
In the subway photos of the Loews Hillside you can see the World Trade center Towers in the background.
This pic might have been right after closing
View link
Quite probably so, Ace.
I can hear in my mind the prejudiced remarks my family would have made about this incident.
Thanks, Warren. Too bad about the riot.
I am going back to 1945-48. I 1948 I moved to the Bushwick section of Brooklyn…Cooper Street to be exact. Different world…but we had the Colonial Theater!
McGuinesses restaurant is unfortunately outside my experience.
How many of you remember McGuinesses restaurant on Suphtin Blvd on the corner of the Hillside? Seafood and steaks with Chinesse cooks. I lived at the Grove apartments on the next block going east right behind the Hillside. Many times we would go to the kitchen of McGuinesses and get rolls to take into the theater. No popcorn…just rolls. Something comforting about that.
I’m glad to read that, leroyelliston, about the Jamaica Theater, and about you, and your work as an usher at the Valencia, then at the Astor, Victoria, and Paramount theaters in Times Square. Yes, a period of innocence when life seemed magical. I can well relate.
It was a great old theater. It had boxes and one sloping balcony. I couldn’t sit up there…had to sit in the childrens section with the matron in all white or all black with a whit apron.. When I was older I worked as an usher at the Valencia and then worked myself to the Astor. Victoria and Paramount theaters in Times Square during my High School years. Great period of time…a period of innocence. Life seemed magical!
Yes : it’s # 6528.
Thanks, leroyelliston. It looks like the Jamaica Theatre has its own page on Cinema Treasures.
I used to go to all the theaters on Jamaica Avenue. The Palace theater in NYC had Vaudeville plus a movie until the early 60’s. Some of the theaters like the Alden, Merrick and the Jamaica would do the same in a much less frequent manner Here’s is some info on the Jamaica theater.
Jamaica Theater
Jamaica, Queens, NY
155-16 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, Queens, NY, United States(map)
Unknown
Status: Closed/Demolished
Screens: Single Screen
Style: Beaux-Arts
Function: Unknown
Seats: 1750
Chain: Unknown
Architect: Thomas W. Lamb
Firm: Unknown
Large vaudeville house that stood on Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica, Queens between the Merrick and Savoy Theaters. Recall that they played primarily movies with occasional vaudeville shows in the late 40’s. During the early 1950’s, the theater was part of the “Subway Circuit” of touring Broadway shows during the summer months.
Fondly recall seeing “Kiss Me Kate”, “Stalag 17”, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”, “The Fourposter” and the late Joey Faye in “Top Banana”. As I recall, other theaters on the circuit were the Brighton in Brooklyn and the Windsor in the Bronx.
The theater was closed in the early to mid 60’s and was used as a bingo hall for a while, and later demolished.
Contributed by Erwin Markisch
I understand that there were several theaters in Jamaica. Which one did you mean when you posted, “Also the Jamacia theater had vaudeville acts during the same period.”, three comments above ?
There were several theaters in Jamacia. Loew’s Valencia, RKO Alden, Jamacia Theater, Merrick Theater and the Savoy as well as the Hillside. All were on Jamacia Avenue except the Hillside.
Thanks, leroyelliston. By “Jamaica theater” do you mean the Valencia ?
Where was the Broadway Arena ?