Benson Twins
2007-2009 86th Street,
Brooklyn,
NY
11214
2007-2009 86th Street,
Brooklyn,
NY
11214
7 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 75 of 88 comments
The Benson contributed to the neighborhood when it showed decent films. X rated features were shown for only a short period of its history. Lots of poeple from the neighborhood and surrounding area
went to this movie house.
I wonder if I was at the same show as you.
Yes, it was on a double feature with Mel Brooks then new >Young Frankenstein". Also about the same time the Dustin Hoffman film “ Lenny” was also featured on a double feature with “Midnight Cowboy”.
I remember seeing a re-issue of “The Producers” at the Benson after it was twinned. The sound and picture were both okay. The builders did a nice job twinning this theatre although I still perferred the original theatre. Its a shame that the Benson closed anyway and is now a drugstore.
Above comment posted by Theaterat for Phil phil.
Here is a description of the Benson theater after it became a twin. The entire theater was gutted. A new floor was poured and a thick wall was built right down the middle. The basement level bathrooms were completely modernized and had an anti odor system added. The lobby was left pretty much intact, but it was painted to freshen it up. A wall was added to the entrance of each auditorium and the candy counter was designed in a “v” shape so patrons from theater 1 and 2 could be servwed.When you bought your ticket, the ticket taker would show you in. Due to the design, you could not switch theaters.A thick curtain was hung on each side of the wall. It was probably soundproof because you could not hear the movie in the next theater. All the seats seemed new. Each theater had 2 blocks of seats seperated by 2 aisles. The seats in theater1 went up to the side wall on the left side, and the seats in theater 2 terminated on the right wall. These groups of seats were left open near the fire exits. A new screen was added to each theater. The domed celing was eluiminated- at least inside. This was the Benson Reborn. It was a rather pleasant theater that reminded me iof an “art” theater that would be right at home on NYs upper East Side.It was also the first theater in Bensonhurst to go multiplex. It opened in its new incarnation in early April of 1975I went to see fellini`s “Amarcord” at that time. and continued to go right up to the end in 1987. Unlike the Benson of old, the new version was kept clean and was a popular place to catch a movie for most of its run.
During World War II 1942,43 the Benson had going away ceremonies for the local boys going into the military. Their family and friends filled the theater and the boys were on stage, when it was over the boys enterred bus'es that took them off to basic training.
I really do not remember the Benson showing XXX films but I guess its possible. I know when it was twinned they showed regular films. I would guess that the merchants on 86th street would have raised a great protest if the Benson showed XXX films so I doudt if it lasted to long.
Someone I used to work with also said for a brief time in the early 70’s the Benson showed XXX movies. Could this have been before it was twinned?
Yes I agree. Three theatres all within a few blocks of each other and allof them are gone. With the Marboro closed there are no theatres anywhere in the area. What a shame.
I guess tyhe overall run down, shabby and generally dirty conditions at this theater kept people away.Nobody ever liked to go here- especially when there was the much better maintained Oriental and Deluxe nearby.
I never remember seeing crowds there either which is suprising considering the Benson was located on a major shopping street and the elevated subway staion was right next to the theatre.
The twin theatres were rather narrow, but long. The ticket booth was in the lobby as soon as you came in on the right side, and the concession stand was against the back wall between the two twin theatres. The Benson always seemed kind of dumpy when compared to the Oriental, I never saw huge crowds there except when there was a Star Wars film playing.
People have commented it was a narrow twin which suprises me with almost 1400 seats on one floor, it should have been quite wide.
As i remember all they did was put a wall up splitting up the orchestra into two theatres. There was also new screens that were hung infront of the old stage. I am not sure if the orchestra pit in front of the stage was covered over. The lobby ticket office and consession stands were in the same place. I was only there once or twice after the Benson was twinned. I remember seeing a rerelease of “The Producers” there.
Yankee Mike….I never went to the Benson after it wes twinned. WEas this an improvement of its original design?
I remember that the theater when twinned, there were two lines, one for each theater, and the consession both was in the middle so it could serve both theaters. This was control to prevent theater switching.
sorry wrong link
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In 1971 the Benson is advertised as a UA
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Larry King has a good commentary on the Benson in his book"When you are from Brooklyn, Everything Else is Tokyo"
The Benson was a no frills nabe .There was no balcony and the only decorative work were some moldings around the fire exits .Fairly large it had 4 blocks of seats seperated by 3 aisles. Always a last run house you went to the Benson because you had to. Nobody liked the Benson. It was dingy and run down,but not as bad as some of todays theaters. The bathrooms were in the basement and always smelled of urine. There was a stain on the screen that was never cleaned. Local legend claimed somebody threw an egg there. It Happade for some interesting viewing whenever an actors face appeared there. It looked like a glob of snot coming from his nose.One day when I was there a woman I was sitting near let out a scream(there was no horror show that day)I asked her what was wrong and she pointed to a large mouse in the aisle. We tried to see the manager but he was not in. I swore I would never go back. Even after the theater was modernized as a twin, lack of interest kept me away. I understand there was no great loss when it closed in 1988 and became another Rite Aid drugstore. Theaterat 3 6 05
They did not seam that big when they wrer twinned. The theatres were kind on narrow.
1359 seats cut in half should have been big theatres?
Yes you’re right,
I remember it being to the right as you entered the lobby. The auditoriums here always seemed kind of small, when I used to compare the Benson to the Marboro and Oriental. I remember when the Benson had “Return of the Jedi” playing in 1983, the ticket line was all the way down 86th Street.
The ticket booth was in the lobby when I went there. (Early 60’s to when it closed) I think the booth was always in the lobby.