I remember what crummy shape the seats were in the last time I was in the upstairs theatre, when you sat down the whole row would rock back and forth with you. Remember the big marble staircase leading up to the former balcony sections, I think the bathrooms were in the upstairs section just like the Kingsway, so much for being ADA friendly.
And, if you look up at the facade of the buiding today you will see the initials “B” for Benson flanking either side of where the original Benson entrance would have been.
Check with your local libraries regarding the “Memoirs of a Movie Palace” documentary, one of the branches here in New York City has it for loan and I was able to borrow it and watch it. It’s really is quite an experience to see this video. I do hope the NYC Economic Development Corp. is finally able to do something with this former Loew’s Movie Palace, unfortunately it will cost millions of dollars to restore it to its original splendor.
I was there on the last day of business, May 23 and saw Van Helsing. The place was in pretty much good shape, the seats fairly new, the carpets clean, the staff was pleasent, the sound and pictue quality great. It’s a shame this theatre had to close, now all we have is the Park Slope Pavillion (formerly the Sanders).
No 12 screen cinema for this area Mark, the renovation of the Marboro is all that we can hope for. The site of the former Clairidge will be occupied by luxury condos.
The Benson Twin closed in 1988, it was gutted and turned into a Pathmark Drug Store and later a Rite Aid. A glimpse of this theatre can be seen in the film “Saturday Night Fever”, at the start of the film after Tony Manero (John Travolta) put a deposit on a shirt, he is seen running towards the marquee of the Benson, which has Network as one of the films playing at the time. I believe Golden replaced the marquee with a more triangle shaped one in 1983, it had the letter “B” in cursive font in the front.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Kings Plaza’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 124 seats, Theatre 2: 309 seats, Theatre 3: 125 seats, Theatre 4: 244 seats, Theatre 5: 560 seats, Theatre 6: 244 seats.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Metropolitan’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 676 seats, Theatre 2: 698 seats, Theatre 3: 600 seats, Theatre 4: 599 seats.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Kenmore’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 668 seats, Theatre 2: 660 seats, Theatre 3: 550 seats, Theatre 4: 551 seats.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Fortway’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 468 seats, Theatre 2: 390 seats, Theatre 3: 388 seats, Theatre 4: 210 seats, Theatre 5: 210 seats.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Alpine’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 393 seats, Theatre 2: 373 seats, Theatre 3: 211 seats, Theatre 4: 216 seats, Theatre 5: 188 seats, Theatre 6: 188 seats, Theatre 7: 191 seats.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Kingsway’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 433 seats, Theatre 2: 429 seats, Theatre 3: 315 seats, Theatre 4: 550 seats, Theatre 5: 450 seats.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Marboro’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 489 seats, Theatre 2: 433 seats, Theatre 3: 214 seats, Theatre 4: 289 seats.
Remember the days when presented in 70 mm and Dolby stereo actually meant something. I still remember seeing Indiana Jones and the temple of doom in 1984, what a thrill! I wish we could go back to those days of showmanship by movie theatres.
Like so many other theatres, United Artists spent absolutely no time and effort on the upkeep of the Marboro. I remember the last time I was here when this theatre was still open for business, it was falling apart at the seams. the plaster was crumbling, the carpets were torn, the roof leaky and the seats all broken. I honestly can say I don’t blame people who wanted to go to the UA Sheepshead Bay. If and when this renovation project ever happens they will have to gut the place, very little inside is salvagable.
Those photos are sad. To see such a once great theatre in such awful shape is depressing. Regal just walked away and threw the keys away, letting the vandals destroy the place. But they can never destroy our memories!!!
It was twinned in 1976, and triplexed in 1983, at the very start of Saturday Night Fever, when the B Train zooms off, you can see the Loew’s Oriental Building and writting in faded paint Loew’s Oriental. Does anyone remember the upstairs theatres with the orange seats?
I am not wrong Carl, I grew up two blocks away from the Benson and I know the area. In the movie Tony buys two slices at Lenny’s Pizza, then goes into Shirtown on the corner of 86th St. and 20th Avenue, how is it possible that you can see the marquee of the Oriental if it’s actually two Avenues over from 20th Ave? Trust me it’s the Benson Marquee that you see in the movie. The Oriental did not even have a stainless steel marquee like the one shown in the movie.
An upcale cinema in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn? Where would the customers come from? Regal operates an indie/foreign division called Regal Cinema Art, maybe they will be in charge if the project goes thru.
In Saturday Night Fever, Tony (John Travolta) runs under the marquee of the Benson Twin Theatre, not the Oriental. You can see the Chase Bank and the 20th Avenue subway entrance clearly in the backround.
The Marboro theatre will reopen in 2006 with stadium seating, Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound and a brand new interior, this has been confirmed by the Regal Entertainment Group Construction Department. A much needed and missed theatre will be coming back to serve the residents of Bensonhurst Brooklyn!
There was talk in the early 90’s of modernizing this theatre into a true multiplex, unfortunately it never happened because of parking. In the film “Angie” with Gena Davis there is a brief shot of this theatre at the start of the movie. The marquee lit up at night is visible in this scene.
I remember what crummy shape the seats were in the last time I was in the upstairs theatre, when you sat down the whole row would rock back and forth with you. Remember the big marble staircase leading up to the former balcony sections, I think the bathrooms were in the upstairs section just like the Kingsway, so much for being ADA friendly.
And, if you look up at the facade of the buiding today you will see the initials “B” for Benson flanking either side of where the original Benson entrance would have been.
Check with your local libraries regarding the “Memoirs of a Movie Palace” documentary, one of the branches here in New York City has it for loan and I was able to borrow it and watch it. It’s really is quite an experience to see this video. I do hope the NYC Economic Development Corp. is finally able to do something with this former Loew’s Movie Palace, unfortunately it will cost millions of dollars to restore it to its original splendor.
I was there on the last day of business, May 23 and saw Van Helsing. The place was in pretty much good shape, the seats fairly new, the carpets clean, the staff was pleasent, the sound and pictue quality great. It’s a shame this theatre had to close, now all we have is the Park Slope Pavillion (formerly the Sanders).
No 12 screen cinema for this area Mark, the renovation of the Marboro is all that we can hope for. The site of the former Clairidge will be occupied by luxury condos.
The Kent has recently put in new seats and carpeting, although not the most comfortable, it’s an improvement over what was there before.
The Benson Twin closed in 1988, it was gutted and turned into a Pathmark Drug Store and later a Rite Aid. A glimpse of this theatre can be seen in the film “Saturday Night Fever”, at the start of the film after Tony Manero (John Travolta) put a deposit on a shirt, he is seen running towards the marquee of the Benson, which has Network as one of the films playing at the time. I believe Golden replaced the marquee with a more triangle shaped one in 1983, it had the letter “B” in cursive font in the front.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Kings Plaza’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 124 seats, Theatre 2: 309 seats, Theatre 3: 125 seats, Theatre 4: 244 seats, Theatre 5: 560 seats, Theatre 6: 244 seats.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Metropolitan’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 676 seats, Theatre 2: 698 seats, Theatre 3: 600 seats, Theatre 4: 599 seats.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Kenmore’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 668 seats, Theatre 2: 660 seats, Theatre 3: 550 seats, Theatre 4: 551 seats.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Fortway’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 468 seats, Theatre 2: 390 seats, Theatre 3: 388 seats, Theatre 4: 210 seats, Theatre 5: 210 seats.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Alpine’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 393 seats, Theatre 2: 373 seats, Theatre 3: 211 seats, Theatre 4: 216 seats, Theatre 5: 188 seats, Theatre 6: 188 seats, Theatre 7: 191 seats.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Kingsway’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 433 seats, Theatre 2: 429 seats, Theatre 3: 315 seats, Theatre 4: 550 seats, Theatre 5: 450 seats.
Here is some information on the seating capacity for each of the Marboro’s auditoriums. Theatre 1: 489 seats, Theatre 2: 433 seats, Theatre 3: 214 seats, Theatre 4: 289 seats.
Remember the days when presented in 70 mm and Dolby stereo actually meant something. I still remember seeing Indiana Jones and the temple of doom in 1984, what a thrill! I wish we could go back to those days of showmanship by movie theatres.
Like so many other theatres, United Artists spent absolutely no time and effort on the upkeep of the Marboro. I remember the last time I was here when this theatre was still open for business, it was falling apart at the seams. the plaster was crumbling, the carpets were torn, the roof leaky and the seats all broken. I honestly can say I don’t blame people who wanted to go to the UA Sheepshead Bay. If and when this renovation project ever happens they will have to gut the place, very little inside is salvagable.
Bway,
Those photos are sad. To see such a once great theatre in such awful shape is depressing. Regal just walked away and threw the keys away, letting the vandals destroy the place. But they can never destroy our memories!!!
It was twinned in 1976, and triplexed in 1983, at the very start of Saturday Night Fever, when the B Train zooms off, you can see the Loew’s Oriental Building and writting in faded paint Loew’s Oriental. Does anyone remember the upstairs theatres with the orange seats?
I am not wrong Carl, I grew up two blocks away from the Benson and I know the area. In the movie Tony buys two slices at Lenny’s Pizza, then goes into Shirtown on the corner of 86th St. and 20th Avenue, how is it possible that you can see the marquee of the Oriental if it’s actually two Avenues over from 20th Ave? Trust me it’s the Benson Marquee that you see in the movie. The Oriental did not even have a stainless steel marquee like the one shown in the movie.
An upcale cinema in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn? Where would the customers come from? Regal operates an indie/foreign division called Regal Cinema Art, maybe they will be in charge if the project goes thru.
In Saturday Night Fever, Tony (John Travolta) runs under the marquee of the Benson Twin Theatre, not the Oriental. You can see the Chase Bank and the 20th Avenue subway entrance clearly in the backround.
Did they ever have concerts at this theatre?
The Marboro theatre will reopen in 2006 with stadium seating, Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound and a brand new interior, this has been confirmed by the Regal Entertainment Group Construction Department. A much needed and missed theatre will be coming back to serve the residents of Bensonhurst Brooklyn!
I remember this theatre one being part of the RKO Century Warner Chain, Then Cineplex Odeon.
There was talk in the early 90’s of modernizing this theatre into a true multiplex, unfortunately it never happened because of parking. In the film “Angie” with Gena Davis there is a brief shot of this theatre at the start of the movie. The marquee lit up at night is visible in this scene.