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Grand Theatre
743 Grand Street,
Williamsburg,
Brooklyn,
NY
11211
743 Grand Street,
Williamsburg,
Brooklyn,
NY
11211
3 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 36 of 36 comments
In reading the thread, two things stick out: (1) the Grand probably did not make it into the 1960’s, as noted in the intro. When I was growing up in the 1950’s, the Grand was always spoken about in the past tense. Thus, I doubt very much that it lasted beyond the mid-1950’s. I think of it as a clone of the Nassau – the one in Greenpoint – that also gave up the ghost at around that time.
(2) I was also surprised to learn that the Grand, despite its clearly inferior location, was considered to be a superior venue to the Graham Theater, which was located on the main drag. While both were clearly secondary houses, I would have thought that the Graham would have been the preferred choice of those who would not have wanted to travel to the “good” theaters.
There is discussion above about the Grand Opera House in Brooklyn, which is not to be confused with this theater, the Grand. The Grand Opera House is listed under Brooklyn in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Unfortunately, there are no street addresses in this Guide. The house was managed by Hyde & Behman, the stage dimensions are similar to what Warren has posted above. The admission prices ranged from 25 cents to $1.50; there were 600 orchestra seats, 500 in the balcony, 800 in the gallery, and 100 box seats. Total, 2,000 seats, plus 200 standing spaces. There were 10 musicians in the house orchestra.
I have several pictures of the front of the theatre taken in the 1930s, 1940s and the 1950s. The blizzard photo is definitely not the subject theatre.
Thank you Warren, you are correct.
Crap, I am sorry, I gave the wrong link for my first comment about the 1888 Blizzard, this is the link I meant to post….obviously the other photo is of the RKO Bushwick in current days, haha:
Anyway, is THIS a photo of the Grand Theater, in a photo taken in the 1888 Blizzard. If not, what is this theater?
Click Here for photo
This is a photo of the Grand Theater site in a photo I took back in 2005, but forgot to ever post here:
Click Here for Photo
Is this a photo of the Grand Theater? This was taken during the 1888 Blizzard. If not, what theater is this?
Click Here for Photo
It was what was known as a “dump” in the 1950s. Showing third run features. Saturday matinee included a triple feature, 15 cartoons, and several serials. Many was the hour I spent there. Noon to five on Saturday.
Nearby were the Graham which showed even older and less desireable features and the Rainbow – a first run theater.
Before The Grand Theatre was a movie theater, it was a vaudeville playhouse. I have a January 14, 1907 program, when The Grand featured the play “Grogan’s Alley,” followed by musical performances by (among others) Violet Villiers (Singing Soubrette) and Sabine and Dale, Assisted by Miss Cora Spencer, “in their laughable comedy creation, entitled ‘Training a Husband,’” followed by “the electric marvel of the age,” (presumably a motion picture) presenting 10 rounds of a fight between Jack O'Brien and Tommy Burns, refereed by “the world’s champion James J. Jeffries.” The program notes that amateur contests were held every Thursday night — and that every Friday night was “Athletic Night.”
Anyone have any old photos of the Grand? It closed when I was very young. I rememeber it as a John Hancock Insurance office (or was it Metropolitan Life?), then a medical center, and now a McDonald’s. It was totally gutted, so there is no evidence of it ever being a theater.
I also remember that prior to Macdonalds taking over it was an insurance office, I believe that it was John Hancock, and later a doctors office.