Kings Theatre

Bruce 1;
Did you ever get a certificate of incorporation from New York State? In order to start a not for profit you need this. It may be a good idea to try and solicit funds for the restoration. Not necessarily to restore the theater, but to inform people of the group. This way you can buy more flyers and such. Also, you can do yardsales. That’s what they do with the Raymond Theater in Pasadena, California.

The group was started by someone I showed this page. If you use the E-Mail above you will contact him. Furthermore the webpage I mentioned before has the page about it. It is part of a main New York Nostalgia Page called the Unofficial New York Nostalgia Buff Website, which has its url at http://www.ic.sunysb.edu/Stu/awaseniu and that should take you to the index. It’s a fairly large site.

Theaterrat;
Bruce 1 has his E-Mail, which he has already given on this page is

Bruce 1;
maybe I should also tell you that I suggested these sites because they are people interested in restoration of old buildings. There is some work I have been doing.

Bruce1 – I live in Manhattan and have Time Warner cable. I’d love to see your shows on the Kings. Any chance they will be shown here? If so, pls let me know when. Thanks—

It seems to me that a few people have made suggestions as to what should be done to help save the Loew’s Kings. i.e. Gustavlifting wants to make a documentary, Gustavlifting wants to do a combined effort to save the Kings and the Brooklyn Paramount, Gustavlifting has compiled a list of web sites on historic preservation/getting grants, etc., other well meaning people post ‘theatre building’ that have been converted to supermarkets, still others think ‘we’ or ‘me’ should file for a 501c3, but…IF you notice, nobody goes on line and says that THEY HAVE DONE ANYTHING. Instead of all the folks with suggestions (exception: Jim Rankin-who doesn’t even live here in NY) how come NOBODY goes out and DOES anything?? HOW COME nobody actually watched my TV episodes on the Kings? How come nobody has called or written to newspapers, real estate developers, concert promoters? How come? Or how about the suggestion of contacting stars that may have appeared or even worked at the Loew’s Kings and trying to enlist their interest? HOW COME nobody actually reports DOING A THING other than making the suggestion?

If I have offended anyone, perhaps it will motivate you to do more than write suggestions!

Best Regards,
Bruce1

C Connolly…Interesting group of former theaters in web entry. Enjoyed seeing them. Maybe someday{when I figure out how to use my digital camera) I’ll post mine. Thanks

http://www.disassociate.com/lost_big_thumb03.html

Some interesting photos of the movie palaces of Brooklyn including the Kings.

Is the Loews Pitkin in there as well? It’s not labeled but it look like it…

Theaterat has a good idea, BUT it must FOLLOW, not preceed, the forming of a not-for-profit corporation that is legally able to collect funds towards the publicity and restoration of the KINGS. Any celebrity will have their mail screened by a service looking for any type of handouts (they reportedly get dozens of such each day) so they will never see the letter unless it (1) is on the letterhead of a registered 501c3 (tax exempt) entity; and (2) it has some details of their association with the KINGS along with some photo of them there that will jog their memories. You are appealing to two points: (1) Their interest, one presumes, in their own histories, and (2) in Historic Preservaton of a theatre. It may not be wise to include photos of its present condition, since many could not imagine it ever returning from its present state. Any such solicitation of their interest must not look juvenile or amateurish, but neither should it look glossy as from a professional funds raiser.

While a letter may get through to them, don’t count on it for too much. I remember back in the early 80s when the St. Louis FOX was planning restoration and they wrote to Bob Hope who had appeared there, and he eventually wrote back without a check, that he thinks he still has a trunk there, and he wishes them well on their efforts, but regrets that all his funds are tied up for the foreseeable future. When he died, his estate was reportedly worth almost a half billion dollars, so I doubt it was a shortage of funds in his case. Remember the old saying of the rich: ‘You don’t stay rich by spending too much money.’ You could offer them a plaque on the wall or suchlike, but they already have all the fame they need, so make this a price-point offer, not a guarantee. You might say, while any amount over $100 is deeply appreciated, your generosity will be better memorialized by a bronze plaque for any donation in excess of $10,000. In this way you make it clear that a $20 ‘pat-on-the-head-and-go-away’ donation is not encouraged. To get their name behind it and a larger donation, you will have to enclose photos of it as it was, a detailed plan to restore it, a letter from the city showing both their ownership and their support for its restoration (enclose the RFP?). Tell them that you are NOT asking for their time, only a brief voice over that can be recorded at or near their home, to be broadcast behind a photo of them. Any live action theatre’s management in your area will have a directory sold only to them with the current star’s home address or that of their agent. Remember, that going through their agent may not help, since the agent is in the business of sniffing out any PROFITABLE enterprise for them (and for the agent’s 10%!), so it is best to go to them directly if possible. If I receive your letterhead in the mail with your 501c3 registration on it, as well as any local and state registrations required, I will know that a legitimate group exists, and will be willing to write up a solicitation letter for you. There is not much more I can do from a thousand miles away. Best Wishes.

Bruce 1;
It may be a good idea for you to make them available to the general public. You can also make them into one giant video. A little idea, celebrities go a long way, one should emphasize on the stars that started there. Right now my little hobby is one on the 64-65 World’s Fair, and I’m hopeful to get stars from the past on it. In other words, vintage footage of stars. I know you work in television, and you would have a better idea of what to do. I just figured I would make a suggestion. When I got my television degree it was said that stars sell, and you need something that sells to get the idea across.

Dear Jim,
I have already done at least 6 half hour episodes about the Loew’s Kings. They have been shown throughout Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and Nassau County, Long Island.

In those shows, I have toured the interior of the theater, interviewed restoration specialists: (ornate plaster and decorative painting), former patrons and the the theater’s manager, candy matron, an usher from the 70’s and two ushers from the 1930’s!

At this time, the building’s owner: NYC is not allowing anyone access inside.

Gustave, you have an excellent idea; a new documentary is just what the doctor ordered! Of course, it would have to be more than a camera tour of the place today. Only true visionaries will see what can be done with all that ruin. Likely the Theatre Historical Soc. would allow you to buy opening day photos from them which you could pan and zoom into to create a sort of tour at its opening. A few shots of today inserted next to them would show what was and could be again. An interview with Bruce might instill the spirit that is needed, and an appropriate city official (one NOT running for election) interviewed who believes in the structure’s potential to Brooklyn, would be good to include. While there are theatre historians who could comment on its historical position vis-a-vis other movie palaces, that might only interest historians, but your purpose would be to produce a promotional for today, to interest potential buyers/users. If you know of local groups that need a performing space, you might interview them. If someone at your school is good at making simple models, perhaps you can persuade him to make up some of areas of the theatre adapted to new uses (but preferably in a quasi theatrical vein — we don’t want another gymnasium a la the Brooklyn Paramount). You would film that model, and perhaps computer animate some people on stage, or the like.

We who love theatres tend to be very visual naturally; money men tend not to be = you have to show them exactly what you mean. Maybe you and Bruce can be the first to meet about this, and maybe invite the person writing up the RFP to be issued to see what could go into such a documentary. Would the local PBS stations be interested in showing such? Maybe wise to ask them about it in advance. And the local chamber of commerce or the Flatbush Business Advancement Association would be willing to help and give advice — maybe even donations to the documentary (now don’t you wish you had incorporated?!) I know it is easy for me to talk from a thousand miles away, but I believe that there is some merit to my suggestions. Best Wishes to you all in any case.

To: Life’s too short
I have been the only attendee for quite a while and that hasn’t stopped me yet. Besides, when I have asked for people interested in forming a group, I get no response. Then if I something looks like a response, nobody gets specific. A few people have made suggestions, but even for them, they don’t seem to be available (time or distance) for a meeting.

But even if nobody wants to meet, that doesn’t mean someone can’t do something on their own. If somebody has a way of getting this theater back in business. i.e. Contact a theater operator & tell them about the NYC Economic Development Corp’s Request For Proposal that will be issued this or next month. Not one person has actually reported any concrete move they have made.

Life—-I have been trying to save this theater since 1987 and if you’re a regular reader of this message board, you can see what I have tried to accomplish. Even when I announced that my TV show would feature the Kings on specific times and channels throughout the metro area, not one person watched it. Not one person responded!

But in the meantime, I will keep trying.