Kent Theater

the area isnt the worst but it certainly can get somewhat desolate at night and kinda sketchy….
i wish cinema on kingshighway woud start playing foriegn film like i heard they did in the past.

a buddy who resides in Brooklyn recently went here and said its an OK theatre. He also states he recalls it once being a porno theatre , can anyone confirm this?

The theater becomes stronger and stronger as others die out. In the past 2-3 years we have lost the kenmore, fortway, kingsway, marlboro, all near and close to the kent. Meanwhile, the kent is still weak as many of the shows are poorly attended. Typically 10-20 people may be in a show, and I have been to shows with 2-3 people (including myself). But sometimes a big show (popular) comes in, and the reduced rate Wednesdays also bring in some money. During the summer the theater also rents out to peoples day camp and that brings in money too.

A bit has happened in the two months. A new marquis was built, and doe not look too ugly. It just says Kent. Under the marquis and above the entrance doors is a sign that shows the movies playing. At one time they were putting up the movie times, but it looks like they stopped that.

In December I went on a Wednesday to see King Kong, and they shut down the theater for the rest of the night. Some lady (about 50 years old) was fond dead and in a box or barrel outside in the back of the theater. (in the alleyway)

I remember when Caligula took over this theatre and showed for what seemed liked the longest time. At that point, I wasn’t old enough to get into it, but I also remember looking into the theatre and watching the ticket taker watching the screen, a girl who did not look old enough to be seeing it either.

First take the theater and split it in half right down the middle.
Then, take the right side and divide it in half – 120 seats in back and 141 seats in front. In-between the back half (which is really theater 3) and the left half (theather 1) is a narrow hallway that lets people get from the lobby to the front half.

I just saw Transporter 2 this weekend at the Kent. If you check through moviephone and other venues, only two films are listed (Transporter 2 and 4 Brothers). I saw on all the windos the info for the Russian film, including a 1 page description/review of the film (in Russian) (I can’t read Russian). Since I went to the first showing, I paid 4.50 for the Transporter 2 film. Normally the films will be $7.00 (less the Wednesday and first showing specials). The Russina film was $10.00.

This is not the first attempt by Kent to do films like this. A couple of years back they were doing Hindu/Indian films.

Today’s Daily News reports Russian films are being shown. The idea of Gregory Davidzon, producer of local Russian radio programs. Initially, two to five films will be shown daily.
If successful, Davidzon will take a long term lease.

How long will this place stay open?

yes, the kent was used in purpple rose…I remember my uncle telling me about it at the time…

I could have sworn Woody Allen used The Kent, I remember the owner telling me that was how they afforded the original twinning after the closing for the movie shoot. It was stupid to not remodel the Kingsway it’s such a densely populated area for a triplex thats only open nights.

The Kent Theatre opened in 1938-9. It only had 596 seats, so each of the screens now seat less than 170 allowing for the loss of seats during the “tri-plexing”. From the outside, only the box-office and very small lobby are the only unmaintained remnants of this always independently run house. It only hangs on by being the remaining screens for the nearby Midwood section. This theatre was not used in “Purple Rose Of Cairo” for the interior or the exterior shots.
That film’s “JEWEL” Theatre was inspired by the actual Jewel Theatre on Kings Highway where Woody Allen went to the movies in his Brooklyn days. The Jewel became the Cinema Kings Highway in 1965.