Kings Theatre
1027 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
1027 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
86 people
favorited this theater
Showing 876 - 900 of 1,564 comments
Hi all,
I just posted the other A&E shot of the Loew’s Kings and I created a separate section for the theater:
http://www.planetplg.com/loews.htm
Enjoy!
Dan
PlanetPLG.com
I think that she would be getting some P.R. value out of it if there was a charity involved. She knows that she can charge that much and get away with it.
Check out this link to see what I am talking about with respect to the auditorium damage:
http://www.silverscreens.com/thsa.php
Kings interior photos are pretty close to the bottom. The PlanetPLG photo zooms in on the one area at the back left of the shot you will see looking out from the stage. Most of the theatre looks musty, dusty, and in need of attention…but not devastated like the area in that closeup. I heard somewhere that the roof was repaired some years ago too. So that damage to the sidewall could very well predate the repair.
Those ticket prices are beyond ridiculous but she has a certain intense following that will pay that much to see her perform. I thought that she was semi-retired at this point in her life.
Yes, I wasn’t really being all that serious about it, DFC. I probably should have done a better job at making my sarcasm more obvious. I can’t believe her fans would allow her to get away with such obscene ticket prices! $754 for the best seats. $354 for the next tier! Perhaps there is some charity involved in the proceeds, but when you’re as rich as she is and when you play for your fans as infrequently as she does, you’d think she would just make her own charitable donations and just price tickets so that people could afford the rare opportunity to enjoy her in concert! Fortunately for my wallet, I’m not among her zealous fans.
She might win me over with a nice contribution towards the Loew’s Kings cause, however.
EdSolero, realistically I don’t see Streisand (or any other ex-Brooklyn celebrity) getting involved in any substantial way with the Kings. She may pay lip service to her memories of the Loews Kings but it’s just that – lip service. She might kick in a few bucks for old time’s sake. She has to be out of Brooklyn for more than 40 years at this point. Actors and actresses are always gushing forth about something. It’s what they do best I suppose. The Streisand connection has come up before in this discussion. Has she or her “staff” ever responded officially to anything regarding the Loews Kings?
Perhaps the BP and Councilmember’s offices can convince Barbra Streisand to turn over some of the profits from her upcoming show at Madison Square Garden (top tickets going for $750 by the way) towards the theater’s restoration. I’ve always heard her pay great lip service to what was the movie palace of her youth. I wonder how she’d respond if anyone with a real plan for restoration and functionality approached her for financial backing.
A haunting and intriquing photo, by the way. I’m very much looking forward to the “Wonder Theater” segments on this week’s “Breakfast with the Arts” program.
And like I said, aside from dirt, some debris, it’s not “that” bad as I said, even in that photo.
Well, in all fairness I think that is a close-up of the one most severely damaged area of the theatre (based on other photos I have seen). I don’t think the entire building is in that bad of shape.
WOW!! Thanks for posting that photo! What a beautiful place the Kings was/is!! It’s in bad shape obviously, but it’s not “that” bad that it’s beyond hope, almost as the RKO Keith’s Flushing is.
When was the last movie played in the Kings?
Statement from Councilmember Yvette Clarke:
“Councilmember Clarke would prefer that the future of the Loew’s Theater is determined by a fair and impartial RFP process, which will allow for a discussion between the community and elected officials on how best to proceed. This project can be the cornerstone in the future economic revival of Central Brooklyn and she looks forward to working with the EDC and the Borough President toward’s this end.”
Councilmember Clarke’s RFP idea makes a lot of sense. The RFP process will determine if there is serious interest out there in a restoration of the Kings. It will force those with plans to spell out the economic viability of their proposals. The RFP process will also keep everybody honest – or so we NYC taxpayers hope.
New photo and quotes from poiticos on the Loew’s Kings on PlanetPLG.com – wow!
http://www.planetplg.com
If you had told me that the Jersey would be renovated by volunteers and bring in half-decent crowds showing classic movies, I would have said you were crazy.
If you had told me someone would spend the money to restore the Bronx Paradise and end up packing in nice crowds with ethnically-flavored events, I would have said you were crazy.
I think this place can serve a useful purpose again. I am not sure exactly what that purpose is. But my skepticism has certainly been challenged!
There’s nothing stopping the area from improving. In fact all of Brooklyn is better now. If Bedford-Stuyvesant and Bushwick can actually see a light at the end of the tunnel andg begin improving, and even gentrifying, so is/will Flatbush.
But gentrification or not, there would have to be a profitable use for the Kings for it to be successful. EVen if it’s a non for profit organization it still must at least make the operating/renovation costs to run and maintain the place for it to be worthwhile. That is the challenge. The neighborhood’s viablility is important, but viable or not, the Kings must still see a way to make a profit, or at least stay afloat for renovation and maitenance costs.
The biggest problem facing the Kings is that lack of imagination on behalf of most of the people who write about how much it would cost to save it and how there would not be enough support from the local communities to keep it going. Most of the people on cinematreasures writing about the Kings are white, which made up most of the population of surrounding area of the Kings until the mid 1970’s. Times have changed and so should our approach to saving the Kings.
Throughout the U.S., there are many former movie palaces that are now used as Multi-Cultural Performing Arts Venues.
The reason the Kings has not risen in 30 years is people are not looking at it from the eyes of the surrounding communites of the Kings. There are many culturals surrounding the Kings, however, thus far no one has thought of the needs of the surrounding communities. If the Kings has events that cater to these diverse populations it could be a success. The Kings is far enough away from the Brooklyn Academy of Music, so that they would not have to complete with one another.
I was born and raised in this area until the mid 1970’s. My family left because this area was no longer safe. The major reason why this area took such a hit in the 1970’s was because the people lost faith in the local government. They did nothing to stop the crime or the major exodus.
You only need to look at the history of Downtown Brooklyn. It’s downfall preceded Flatbush. Crime, drugs, Redlining and the razing of Albee and Brooklyn Fox, sent a clear message to the population that the than local government in Brooklyn, NY was not interested in saving it.
The last area in Brooklyn, NY that could be regentrified is Flatbush. The architecture is still magnificent. The only thing holding the success of the Flatbush area back is the trashy stores on Flatbush and the local government’s lack of support and vision for this area.
What a vote of confidence the local government would send to Flatbush area, if they decide to restore the Kings. However, just as important is cleaning up Flatbush Ave from Prospect Park to the Kings.
The biggest problem facing the Kings is that lack of imagination on behalf of most of the people who write about how much it would cost to save it and how there would not be enough support from the local communities to keep it going. Most of the people on cinematreasures writing about the Kings are white, which made up most of the population of surrounding area of the Kings until the mid 1970’s. Times have changed and so should our approach to saving the Kings.
Throughout the U.S., there are many former movie palaces that are now used as Multi-Cultural Performing Arts Venues.
The reason the Kings has not risen in 30 years is people are not looking at it from the eyes of the surrounding communites of the Kings. There are many culturals surrounding the Kings, however, thus far no one has thought of the needs of the surrounding communities. If the Kings has events that cater to these diverse populations it could be a success. The Kings is far enough away from the Brooklyn Academy of Music, so that they would not have to complete with one another.
I was born and raised in this area until the mid 1970’s. My family left because this area was no longer safe. The major reason why this area took such a hit in the 1970’s was because the people lost faith in the local government. They did nothing to stop the crime or the major exodus.
You only need to look at the history of Downtown Brooklyn. It’s downfall preceded Flatbush. Crime, drugs, Redlining and the razing of Albee and Brooklyn Fox, sent a clear message to the population that the than local government in Brooklyn, NY was not interested in saving it.
The last area in Brooklyn, NY that could be regentrified is Flatbush. The architecture is still magnificent. The only thing holding the success of the Flatbush area back is the trashy stores on Flatbush and the local government’s lack of support and vision for this area.
What a vote of confidence the local government would send to Flatbush area, if they decide to restore the Kings. However, just as important is cleaning up Flatbush Ave from Prospect Park to the Kings.
By the way, the A&E channel will be airing a series of segments on the Loew’s Wonder Theaters that I am told will include a segment on the Loew’s Kings.
Set your DVRs! Sunday, June 18th between 8am-10am on A&E.
Dan
PlanetPLG.com
No one I know is talking about renovating it as a movie theater. The idea is to create a performing arts center with music, dance, theater etc. and possibly some commerical space as well. If acts are scheduled which target the large local carribean population it should do very well.
That said, you are going to have to sell a lot of tickets to make your initial investment back. I agree that a public investment in the economic future of that part of Brooklyn – in partnership with private investors – would likely be neeed. IMO there are far worse things to spend public money on than the economic well-being of a long underserved area, the restoration of an historic landmark and the arts.
Sounds like Marty Markowitz is trying to do something. No sane businessperson has come forward in 32 years with a realistic plan. My guess is that somehow the NYC taxpayer will end up paying for a multi-million dollar restoration of the Kings. I hope I’m wrong. But would any of you invest your own money in this place considering the surrounding area? I know it’s near beautiful Ditmas Park, but those folks aaren’t going flock to the Kings. They have nice air-conditioned home theaters.
From PlanetPLG.com:
We started to think that either the project had stalled out, and no one wanted to admit it, or that some kind of behind the scenes negotiations were taking place which no one wanted to talk about before a deal is signed. While we have nothing concrete to back up the latter idea, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, when reached by the Planet for comment, had this to say;
“I am putting the entire effort of my office in saving and in restoring the Loew’s Kings as a performance venue for this and future generations of Brooklynites. It will be a challenging assignment but one that will really benefit Brooklynites.”
When pressed for specifics Markowitz stated “I will discuss in further details sometime in July”. Hmmm… this sounds promising but, unless we find someone willing to talk off the record, it looks like we’ll have to wait until July to see if our optimistic hunch is on the mark.
Thanks Jim for your input! Yes, it does convey the massiveness of the building. Unfortunately, it would take tens of millions to restore the Kings, and while we would all love to see it, who would come up with the 50 or 60 million necessary to redo the building? There would have to be a profitable reason to do so, or no one will do it. Like you said, even the upkeep, like the roof is terribly expensive on a building that size.
Bway: That’s a very interesting image and one of the few exterior images to convey the massiveness of the KINGS. How would you like to pay to re-do that multi-acre roof? $50,000?
As to theatres that did not sit square on their lots, there were many, with New York’s own long-lost ROXY being perhaps the most notorious for this. Ben Hall explains in his landmark book “The Best Remaining Seats” that it was very difficult to install symetrical stage sets there due to this.
Does anyone know of any current photos of the interior of the Kings. I wonder how bad the neglect of the interior may be.
Anyway, the Kings is very interestingly placed on the block, it’s actually built on the diagnal, instead of straight with the property lines. This is the first theater I have seen built like this (at least that I know of). It’s very apparent in this aerial view:
View link
You know Bruce, I frankly thought it unlikely that you could get celebrities associated with the Kings to return and support it. But apparently a group trying to restore the Fischer in Danville, IL pulled off such an event. Check it out:
/theaters/3897/
http://www.fischertheatre.com/
Text from Fischer Theatre web site:
1983: The City of Danville now owned the theatre. Vermilion Heritage Foundation was formed to restore the theatre. The five Danville stars, Donald O'Connor, Bobby Short, Dick Van Dyke, Jerry Van Dyke and Gene Hackman came to Danville to do a benefit for the theatre. Approximately $400,000 was raised at the time. Because an expected state grant did not come through, little was done to restore the theatre, and some donations were shifted to other charities.
A 1972 Academy double bill (remember them) for “Summer of 42” and “Klute"
View link
Near the end
View link