Loew's 46th Street Theatre

I saw a lot of movies, shows, and rock concerts at the Loew’s 46th St theater as I grew up just two blocks away. Here are a couple more bits of information on the 46th St as Bananafish Garden:

This is a YouTube video of a 1973 concert performance by John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra at Bsnanafish Garden, for the TV show “Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEL5AfLQwwk

and this is a bit of background info on the place and the owner, Mike McGrath

View link

Great movie theater, and great concert venue. Among the movies I saw there were: Psycho in 1960, Zotz, Hatari! with a live stage show by Sonny Fox from Wonderama. Loved going on Saturdays for the cartoons and a double feature. Admission was 50 cents for kids as I recall back then. Also saw the Grateful Dead, Rare Earth, 10 Wheel Drive, the James Gang, and more at the rock concerts.

So sad to see the building in its current state. I wish there was some way it could be restored, but, alas, neighborhood demographics do change, and it’ll never happen under the current conditions.

Awesome website people. I too attended a number of rock concerts at the old 46 St theatre when it was called Bananafish Gardens. Most of the shows I caught there were taped for ABC’s In Concert which aired on Ch 7 Friday nights at 11:30 PM. Those shows were also simulcast on WPLJ 95.5 FM which was owned by ABC. After reading all the posts I see that some people have different recollections in regards to the name of the theater during the rock concert era. The names Bananafish Gardens and Bananafish Park have both been mentioned and this is where it gets confusing. At the time there were actually three venues in Brooklyn going under the Bananafish name. Across the street from the theatre there was a small bar on 11th Ave that may have been called Bananafish Park. There was also a rock club in Bay Ridge right off 3rd Ave going under the Bananafish Park name. Over the years the rock club in Bay Ridge had a number of different names and some of you may recall it as Bob Shu Bob in the late 1980’s but by that time the main entrance was moved to 3rd Ave. The three Bananafish venues were very short lived and I don’t know what the connection was between the three.

Antiquelover, thanks for posting your photos of the former Loew’s 46th Street auditorium. I remember when it was in decent condition. I, and am sure other members, would enjoy seeing more pictures of the stage and proscenium arch. It’s like seeing the ruins of an entertainment era that is gone.

An architectural treasure for any theater fan..excellent photos..Thank you for posting!!

oops that was supposed to be a different photo.

yes it needs work but it’s so outsandingly beautiful. I just wanted to sit there and stare at it. couldn’t get my flash to work… but look how detailed the wall carvings are:

Great picture Bway, may not be in great shape but at least is has not been torn down.

The 46th Street interior would cost a fortune to restore. With the neighborhood extremely Hasidic. To be realistic,the former theatre will never reopen as an entertainment edifice. That,unfortunately, is definitely a thing of the past.

I just returned from Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Conservancy is central in making the community aware of the need to preserve the old vaudeville and movie houses theaters on Broadway in LA. Is there any such organization in Brooklyn or New York that does this? Some of these LA theaters show classic films on designated evenings. Other theaters are privately owned and rented out for various functions and/or location shootings for commercials, etc. Some are being used as churches, and others still have their exteriors, but the interior floor space is used for commercial use.
Some are in great shape, and others are in varying states of deterioration. As a former Boro Park resident and one who went every Sat. in the 1950’s and early 60’s to the Lowes 46th Street, I am so saddened that as New Yorkers we have abandoned our treasures. At least can we organize or work with an organization to get landmark status so what remains is not demolished and lost to us and future generations?

When did the 46th St operate as a concert venue?

For thirty-six years the auditorium has been a storage area for furniture. The orchestra was leveled, and the ceiling is in bad shape, as are the surrounding ornaments. Remembering the theatre’s appearance when I was young, this photo makes me very sad. As I mentioned before, the real estate is valuable in this area. Someday the building will be razed. This ultra-religious community will never allow it to become a theatre again. The people once supported such cultural things(including myself)have all moved away.

It looks like a play is about to take place within all that furniture onstage, like the Twilight Zone episode, “The After Hours”, all those dept. store mannequins whispering “Marcia !”