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Meserole Theatre

723 Manhattan Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11222

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Showing 51 - 75 of 214 comments

michelemarie
michelemarie on February 23, 2009 at 9:30 am

Dear Bway,
I clicked on your post and got a perfect pic of the Mezzie. Great photo. I along with my husband Lou and my mom and dad went to see the French Connection at the Meserole..What a quaint moviehouse here in the garden spot of the world..Love Greenpoint many memories for me as a Williamsburghite keep em coming Bway……anniegirl

Bway
Bway on February 23, 2009 at 5:04 am

That’s odd, I checked before I posted some of these links on the pages to see if anyone else posted them, but there were none about the Meserole here to those photos. But sometimes I press “submit” and sometimes it doesn’t submit to an actual comment here, and sometimes I don’t confirm that the post went through, and instead just go on to the next page. That is what probably happened to you.

Oddly, by the way, those photos fit fit on my browser, perhaps it’s something to do with individual browsers. It’s nothing I can alter, I just copied the link directly from the brooklynpix site.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on February 22, 2009 at 2:10 pm

Greetings Warren. Maybe the CT admin could determine what happened to your post.

But as far as the magnified size of photos from linked-to sites, you may want to try going directly to the “brooklynpix” site via your search feature. Then click on the “Theaters 1” link in the margin. (That’s where the Meserole pic is.)

My WebTV is probably the oldest, non-computer server still going.
And often if I just search for a site directly, instead of clicking on an embedded link, I’m able to reach the site in a different size. Not always. But I have a “Resize Page” key if it’s the wrong size.

Bway
Bway on February 22, 2009 at 10:12 am

There’s two wonderful photos of the Meserole on the brooklynpix.com website. One historic, and one in later years:

View link

View link

michelemarie
michelemarie on February 15, 2009 at 5:52 am

That' right Bway..Thanks for the info. My daughter who is a computer wiz says you are right..Anniegirl

Bway
Bway on February 15, 2009 at 5:24 am

Mine still go to my normal mail. All you have to is click “not junk”, and most email programs will ask if you want to put that email address on your “safe list”, and that should fix the problem.

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on February 12, 2009 at 8:35 am

Wow, Bway, almost like, and even “better” than, the RKO Madison.

Bway
Bway on February 12, 2009 at 8:04 am

It’s sort of ironic, as I believe as a store, the balcony is still intact upstairs, with the seats still in it!

johndereszewski
johndereszewski on February 10, 2009 at 5:10 pm

Earlier today, I stumbled over the Meserole’s 1922 certificate of occupancy. It permits a 1,990 capacity. This confirms both what Warren and I previously noted that the real capacity of this theater was far higher than the far lower number – 1200 – provided in the title. Specifically, the lower number specifies the functioal capacity that existed in the theater’s waning days when the balcony was no longer used. This confirms another finding regarding the Greenpoint RKO, where the 100 or so difference in c of o versus announced capacity probably reflected the functional loss of the small second balcony, which was never used during that theater’s last decade of existence.

michelemarie
michelemarie on August 22, 2008 at 11:34 am

Dear Warren, I made a copy of the advertising to show to my husband and we watch TCM when a good old movie is playing. Since he was raised in Astoria, he will remember the Triboro….Thanks for the info..anniegirl

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on August 22, 2008 at 11:14 am

Thanks, Warren. That’s good to know.

PolishPower
PolishPower on July 11, 2008 at 9:23 pm

Thank you for all the condolences. Butch, will email you back in 48 hours. Peter K., could you email me back at – need a favor. Anyone with any knowledge of my uncle, Brian Sosnowski please email me directly. Appreciation To All! Ron

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on July 11, 2008 at 10:11 am

Brian Sosnowski was my teacher in the 1969-1970 academic year, and a good one.

Yes, Brother Brian, the first five books of the Old Testament are the pentateuch, not the pentitude, as I once mis-heard and mis-spelled it.

michelemarie
michelemarie on July 10, 2008 at 5:20 pm

Dear Ron,
I did not know Brian, however I offer my condolences to you and your family….anniegirl

PeterKoch
PeterKoch on July 10, 2008 at 1:33 pm

Ron Wheeler, I’m sorry to read of Brian Sosnowski’s tragic death. He was my 9th grade religion teacher at St. Francis Prep. I offer you my condolences.

michelemarie
michelemarie on July 10, 2008 at 8:04 am

Do you still contact the Brown Sisters Dolly and Teresa and their younger brother Bubba, By the way Henry Schwenk married Paulette Godlewski who was my best friend. Henry graduated 8th grade with my sister Mary Anderson in Transfiguration School on Marcy Ave and Hooper Street in Williamsburg. I was one of Paulette’s bridesmaids. Her sister was her maid of honor. They lived on Noble Street Do you keep in contact, if so could you give them my e-mail address and we can communicate with each other. I would love to contact Paulette and Henry again, we have lost touch for many years now. My e-mail address is Thanks Butch. Anniegirl

olson16
olson16 on July 10, 2008 at 5:24 am

I practically grew up in McCarren park. hung out in the pool for many years. I knew the Brown sisters & Zowie. The name Schwenk rings a current day bell. My daughters in-laws have a friend with that name. Their name is Vintis (from the South Side).

michelemarie
michelemarie on July 9, 2008 at 2:19 pm

Dear Butchofthepoint,
Did you ever hang out in McCarren Park..A few of my friends were Eddie Dzierowski. He lived on Loimer Street between Wythe and Bedford right across from the park..I also hung out with Bubba Brown who’s sisters were Dolly and Teresa Brown..They lived on Bedford on the North Side.. Paulette Godlewski (now Schwenk) married to my Sister Mary’s friend Henry. Zowie( can’t remember his last mame. The Dietz Sisters Donna and Tina, they also lived on Bedford on the North Side..We all hung out in and around the park in the 60’s. I was going to e-mail you but decided to write to you instead on this thread. By the way Warren’s picks of the Meserole are fantastic..A true treasured memory of the Meserold Theater. anniegirl

olson16
olson16 on July 9, 2008 at 10:13 am

Ron Wheeler
My email is

olson16
olson16 on July 9, 2008 at 10:12 am

Ron Wheeler
I knew Brian when we hung out on Leonard St. behind St. Anthonys.
We were a group know as the COUSINS. Sorry to hear of his passing.

PolishPower
PolishPower on June 19, 2008 at 10:30 pm

Hello All,

I was doing an internet search on Brian Sosnowski and it led me to this sight. My name is Ron and I am his nephew. I’d like to start a chat concerning him or head out to the Point to talk further…to anyone that knew him. I’m sorry to say that he was killed by a drunk driver in Bayville out here on the Island back in 1983. He left a wife and 4 children…yes, he left the brotherhood. Please post!!!

michelemarie
michelemarie on April 29, 2008 at 1:51 pm

Dear Warren, When I hung out with friends on Loimer Street, where the loading dock is on the left is where we sat a many a afternoon into the night….What good times we had on that block and of coarse going to the mezzie on Friday nights when a good movie was playing….anniegirl

Bway
Bway on April 28, 2008 at 10:52 am

This theater still has “seats” as the balcony’s seats are still up there, lol!!!

johndereszewski
johndereszewski on April 27, 2008 at 7:25 pm

Since the numbers that Warren cited were generated by the theater’s managers, I guess the 1,200 figure represents the number of seats that were actually used – and reported as capacity – in the Meserole’s waning days of operation, when the balcony was not open. The Building Dept’s public assembly capacity data for the Meserole – if it is available – could provide more official confirmation for these conjectures.

The one thing I do know is that no independent factor, such as the reduction of capacity due to fire damage or building renovation, had anything to do with this. This distinguishes the Meserole from the Graham Theater, where a damaging fire that occurred in the 1930’s provided powerful circumstantial evidence for the capacity reduction that occurred at about that time.

Bway
Bway on April 27, 2008 at 3:43 pm

Well of course if that is the case, Warren is correct, as the seating capacity should show the seating in the entire theater, not just the lower level, but the orchestra level plus the balcony. I don’t know why it changed by 20 or seats over the years on either side of 2000 from 1926 to 1945 to 1957, but I would agree that 2000 would be close enough, either that or the original number which would be 2006 using the year 1926’s capacity, or the most recent available which would be in 1956 showing 2016.