Colonial Theatre

I wouldn’t bet a lot on it, but I think the Colonial probably did have cartoons. I can very vaguely remember seeing some. I remember distinctly that around Halloween they would have a costume contest where the neighborhood kids would dress up and try to win prizes, consisting probably of extra candy or something. My mother would take me to Pitkin Avenue, not far away, to buy a costume at a 5 and 10 or other department store. That’s also where Fortunoff’s got its humble start, later becoming a more upscale department store, though it has had bankruptcy problems in recent years. In 1959, I believe, a kid in my class at Lourdes and I both had the same Superman costume and they had us stand up on the seats together. We both won. The movie was “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad,” with Kerwin Matthews, who just died last year at 81. The movie scared the hell out of me, especially the woman who was put in the basket of the sorcerer, Torin Thatcher, with snakes and turned into a half-snake, half-woman. But that didn’t stop me from seeing the movie about 15 times. I still love to watch it occasionally, along with “Jason and the Argonauts,” both from Ray Harryhausen. … “From the land beyond beyond … from the world past hope and fear … I bid you, Genie, now appear!”

I will do my best to get some other information so we all can enjoy the old days! There is one thing that keeps bugging me. I don’t remember if the Colonial showed Saturday morning cartoon specials. I remeber going to the Decatur and the Monroe for cartoons on Saturday mornings. I lived on Cooper Street between 1948 and 1956. I remember seeing “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” for the first time at the Colonial and everytime I see that film on TV it brings me right back to the Colonial.Do you remember the white-haired Matron that took care of the kids in the Children’s Section. I forgot her name…Ms. Marion or something!

No problem, Peter. There is no link to that article unless you want to buy it from the Times. I had to go to the library and look it up. Very analog and retro.

Thanks for this information, Joe G. Perhaps you could post a link to that NY Times article about the burning down of Our Lady Of Lourdes.

In retrospect, I wish I had spoken with Bro. Cyprian about his time at Lourdes. I apologize if I have offended you with anything I have said about him.

Kay O. My e-mail is I will tell you what I know about Anton G. (I don’t want to talk too much on this site about non-Colonial matters though I think it’s ok to relate neighborhood stuff.) Bill P.

http://local.google.com/ chech out bushwick ave…

I noticed a message with Anton Grimm’s name in it. He was at my wedding in 1960. He married a girl from Furman Ave.,Florence Pourgal (not sure of spelling). Would like to know how he is doing.
My grandparents bought a two family house on Furman Ave. my mother was raised there, then she married my father around 1935 and stayed there. I left in 1960. My parents left around 1968. Would love to hear from anyone from those great times.

Joe G, I think Brother Cyprian’s Park Slope parish and parochial school was St. Francis Xavier. His long rant about blacks was enabled by my junior class, 301, academic year 1971-72, being all-white.

I remember Bro. Campion, though I didn’t really know him, from when I was a student at the Prep between ‘66 and '70. I think he was a baseball coach. Peter K., you would have been a freshman when I was a senior, so I wouldn’t have known you, or wanted to. (Just kidding – you know how upperclassmen treated the frosh.) But I might have seen you around the neighborhood. Did you know Bro. Cyprian? He was the principal of Lourdes till 66 or 67, then came to the prep. Bro. Peter was my 7th and 8th grade teacher. Some of the Franciscan brothers were real sadists and would beat the hell out of us, which many of us deserved, but he was a great guy who I really admired. We once had an after-school outing from the Prep to see “The Gospel According to St. Matthew” at the Meserole Theater in Greenpoint. It was a stark, black and white film by the Italian director Pasolini, hardly who you’d think would make a Biblical story, but it was pretty good, portraying Christ not as merciful, but as pissed-off and vengeful. The Meserole, now closed, was near McCarren Park Pool, which has been used for concerts in recent years and is going to be renovated and reopened as a pool. The Prep’s football team used to practice in the park. In probably early 68, I was there playing ball and there was a bandwagon and a big commotion. I went over to see what was going on and it was Bobby Kennedy, running for president. I got to shake his hand. BTW, SFP is having a 150th anny celebration in downtown Bklyn in Oct., black tie optional, $250/per, too rich for my blood.

I think I’ve met Bro. Campion at SFC functions but I didn’t remember Robert Lally from SFP. A few years ago Bill Quigley, who lived on Hopkinson Ave. across the st. from the Saratoga branch of the library ran a reunion at a K. of C. in Bethpage at which there were a lot of folks from the neighborhood surrounding the Colonial T. Quigley graduated from Lourdes in 1949. He was more partial to the Bushwick Theater further down Broadway than to the Colonial. Bill P.

Thank you, Bill Proefriedt. Welcome to CT ! You would also be welcome at Bushwick Buddies :

www.bushwickbuddies.com

I attended SFP 1969-1973. One of my teachers, Brother Campion Lally, was involved with the move from Baltic to N. 6th St. in 1952 as a student back then : Robert Lally. He was a classmate of yours. Do you remember him ? He was one of the January 1953 graduates, I think.

ok Joe G. I will…