Kings Theatre
1027 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
1027 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
86 people
favorited this theater
Showing 476 - 500 of 1,564 comments
I was surprised to see a picture of the Kings on the front page of AM New York today. Hopefully, it will cause some movement in the fight to save it and many other NY treasures.
It was wonderful to read about other people’s experiences and especially the fond memories of my Aunt Dorothy who I will always think of as the Queen of the Kings.
For those who are interested, yes, she’s still with us. I visited her several years ago and couldn’t believe the amount of memorabilia she has including the pictures of herself with numerous movie stars she kept under the glass top of her desk at the Kings.
Good luck to those still fighting the good fight.
I saw many films at this beautiful theater as a child, including the Duke in “True Grit” and Clint Eastwood in “Kelly’s Heroes.” My high school graduation was held there. (The theater was playing one of my favorites “Where Eagles Dare” at the time and another of my favorites, “Ice Station Zebra,” was coming next.)
This was such a beautiful theater, from the brass bannisters that led down the long inner lobby to the stunning painted ceilings.
When I still lived in Brooklyn, the express bus I took each day passed to within a few blocks of the boarded-up Kings. I always wondered why the City of New York, in its endless quest for money, never fixed up the Kings and charged a small admission for guys like myself to come in and relive old memories. Now based on what I’m reading here, it looks like it will never happen. Too bad.
“Since I am "CEO” of ‘Save The Kings’ for the past 21 years,……."
So Bruce1, what’s the latest news? Not much I guess. Looks like Marty Marowitz can’t save this one. The building is too far gone, the neighborhood is downscale at best. But I give him credit for being as positive about the Kings for as long as he has been.
At this point it looks like no developer has ever responded to any of the various RFPs. There was never any mention anywhere in the press of any developer or organization showing real interest in the theater. Basically closed since 1977, the building is getting closer to the point where it is unsafe. Now what????????????????
At least its still there none of the LOEWS WONDER THEATERS have been torn down yet.
Anna of Brooklyn:
Since I am “CEO” of ‘Save The Kings’ for the past 21 years, I guess I am the world’s greatest authority on this last of the wonder theaters to be dormant. What can I do to help?
Great photo! I didn’t realize the Kings was caddycorner on the property. Like many theaters, while the front part of the building, with the lobby is in line with the rest of the block, the theater auditorium itself is in a totally different position.
Great photo! Please tell Warren thanks!
Warren G. Harris provided this link to a satellite image of the Loew’s Kings. Perhaps someone can put a date to it ?
http://www.planetplg.com/images/loews-sat.jpg
It gives a fine overview. Can anyone make out the banner on the former Flatbush Savings Bank building to the right of image?
I am doing some research for an article on the history/current state of the Loew’s Kings. I would like to give a personal flavor to the piece by incorporating someone’s experience (date, special performance, childhood memories) at/related to the theater during it’s prime…
Would anyone be interested in collaborating?
“AND NOW I’M PROUD TO SAY WE ARE WORKING WITH NEW YORK CITY E-D-C TO SELECT A DEVELOPER-OPERATOR.”
This is old news. AFAIK no one replied to the RFP that went out in 2008. The EDC is notoriously slow and obstrctionist. The 2 new SI Ferry terminals still have few retail tenants because of the EDC’s incompetence and dawdling. And these are 2 brand new buildings that thousands of middle-class commuters pass through every day.
The NYCEDC is in way over it’s head if it thinks it can do anything with a crumbling, closed for 35 years movie theater on a still-rough section of Flatbush Avenue. Who would really want to buy this theater anyway?
Warren as long as the people in Brooklyn keep electing his dumb ass he is going to continue be a politician and savor all the perks that come with holding office. Mayor Bloomberg is entitled to receive $225,000 a year. He has opted to only take $1 a year since he has almost as much money as god. The president of the United States gets $400,000 a year. The point being is that even with a salary there are enough perks of being in office that they don’t even have to touch their income.
Marty has been having his cake and eating it to long to give it up. Marty talks the talk but in my mind has not walked the walk.
Hello East Coast Rocker:
Thanks for the explanation, but only the Jersey and the Paradise were subdivided, hardly “most”. It still comes across as Marty not having a clue.
Nope your not Stupid Movie. I may have done something like that or even tried to find the plans/blue prints for the now Demolished Academy of Music and had it rebuilt elsewhere.
To Ziggy what Marty meant is that of the 5 Wonder theatres most of them were divided in to duplexes and quads. And no Marty is smart but only when it comes to him and the $$$ in his pockets.
I know all you theatre lovers like me are going to call me stupid, but a few weeks ago, when the mega millions was like 270 million dollars, I was hoping, wishing, dreaming that I would win, just so I could buy the Kings theatre, The Ritz in Elizabeth NJ and any other grand palaces left in this area, so people could enjoy them (after massive renovations of course) and save them forever from the wrecking ball.
O.K. go ahead, tell me I was stupid. But what a great dream it was.
What does he mean by “the last Wonder Theatre that hasn’t been subdivided”? He should have said “the last Wonder Theatre that hasn’t been fixed up or maintained in some manner”. Does he even know what he’s talking about?
Warren you are preaching to the chior here. We all know he is full of hot air. He is a master on manipulating money in to his own pockets. I have personal issues with him going back to the early 90’s when he was a NY State Senator. He has mastered his touch while promoting his 2 summer concert series in brookly. Sure there is no cost for the public to attend but his money to pay for it all comes from mostly public funding from Fed State and local levels and a dash or 2 from private corperations. To make it look legit he would book a few acts who were past their prime but still a draw and then book others that had one foot in the grave. He would get the same ammount of money per show but would pay the revival acts much less so what they didn’t get went in to his pockets. Don’t get me wrong here. Marty has the connections to booking agents and the rest and uses them to his advantage rather then using them to save the Kings.
I was wondering who I would have to contact if I wanted to take a tour of the Kings. I am sure if I looked hard I could find a way in but I want to see it as a friend and not an intruder.
This is part of an out take of Marty (I sit on my ass and do nothing)Markowitz dated Feb 12th 2009. It was part of the State of the Borough Address
Thursday, February 12, 2009 â€" Kingsborough Community College
The caps are the way it is on the site so please don’t get on me for it
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TOURISM AND ENTERTAINMENT AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
â€"
I ALSO MUST MENTION THE LOEWS KINGS THEATER IN FLATBUSH. â€" THE LAST
“WONDER THEATER†IN THE CITY THAT HAS NOT BEEN SUBDIVIDED
I HAD MY FIRST DATE IN THE UPPER-LEFT BALCONY â€" , WHEN I WAS 16, IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING IT WAS MY FIRST “COUPLES†DATE â€" NOT WITH A GROUP BACK THEN, IT WAS CONSIDERED “GETTING SOMEWHERE†TO PUT YOUR ARM AROUND YOUR DATE’S SHOULDER.
(IT’S A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY TODAY! â€" BACK THEN THERE WERE NO “HOT TUBS†EITHER) â€" BUT WHO MY AGE DIDN’T HAVE THEIR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION AT THE LOEWS KINGS?
IT’S BEEN EMPTY FOR OVER 30 YEARS â€" AND NOW I’M PROUD TO SAY WE ARE WORKING WITH NEW YORK CITY E-D-C TO SELECT A DEVELOPER-OPERATOR.
MY DREAM REMAINS THAT THE LOEWS KINGS WILL, SOME DAY IN THE NEAR FUTURE,COMBINE THE APOLLO AND BEACON THEATERS RIGHT HERE IN OUR BOROUGH â€"AND BE AN ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR FLATBUSH AVENUE AND ALL OF CENTRAL BROOKLYN.
(THANK YOU, E-D-C PRESIDENT AND BROOKLYN RESIDENT, SETH PINSKY)
AND THANK YOU BROOKLYN BOROUGH HISTORIAN RON SCHWEIGER FOR THE GREAT HISTORIC PHOTOS. THE WORLD’S GREAT CITIES ARE DEFINED BY THE BEAUTY, GRANDEUR, AND HUMANITY OF THEIR PUBLIC SPACES.
That is terrible news Bruce. The longer it sits empty, the worse this will get.
At this point, it’s not visible but the original asbestos curtain is up in the fly space! Actually it’s an asbestos curtain painted to look like a stage curtain complete with tassels.
On one of my visits to the old dark house, I found that the orchestra pit doors were locked from the inside. This led me to believe that the ‘homeless’ had taken up residence inside the orchestra pit!
Also that they were responsible for the theft of bathroom copper pipes, brass banisters and those wall sconces. All this would not have been possible without the indifference of the owner, the City of NY.
The Marquee: The marquee covers the original installed by Art Kraft Strauss. At the time they owned 51% of Loew’s Theaters and therefore got the job. Art Kraft was responsible for those early Times Sq. billboards: (The Smoking Camel Sign, The Pepsi Sign, etc.)
If you stand underneath the marquee, you will see the original underbelly. When Loew’s decided on a more modern look, they chopped off the ornate detail and created a box and that remains.
The marqee is, but the verticle is gone.
Is the marquee still entact?
Thanks Bway. One of those is the same one I posted back in December, but it’s nice to see them again.
There are two woderful historic photos of the Loews Kings on the brooklypix.com website:
View link
View link
I would volunteer. Its an amazing treasure to Brooklyn, NYC, and America. The neighborhood is slowly becoming nicer. With a boost like this it would be much nicer. I am sure we can find a way to make it work.