Kings Theatre

OMG The photos are breathtaking. I don’t know how I would react to actually be there.

Thanks so much Matt. And Mike, I would go in a heart beat, but I am loading out a religious show Sat till well after 8 pm.

Did not know it was on. Missed it.

To Mr. Greenberg.

 The furnishings, couch, king high back chairs, the wooden carved chair, the two Louis the XIV patterned chairs, round table, and two marrle top tables are now on view in the upprr mezzanine restroom all restored. No one is allowed to sit on them and they are ropped off. Your aunt, Dorothy Penzica (please forgive me if I spelt the last name wrong, was manager of the Loew's Kings when I was attending the theatre from 1966 to 1975. I remember her well. At the time (1970-1974), I worked at the Granada Theatre at Church and Nostrand Avenues. There was a policy between the seven theatres to pass employees from the Beverly, Kenmore, Astor, Albemarle, Granada, Kings and Rialto to each other for coplimentary movies. I always paid to see movies at these theatres and didn't ask for passes to the other theatres and was unaware of the policy. In 1972, I told my manager at the Granada (Mr. Sam L.) that I was going to the "Loew-eze" to see a movie and he said he would call me in a pass. Being unawre ot the pass policy, I told him I didn,t know about and he said to me "You've been paying to go to all those theatres? Ha! Ha!" and I said yes. He then told me about the policy and got me into the Loew's Kings. When I got there, your aunt, Mrs. Penzica was called out to the box office and personally escorted me into the theatre on my pass. She said to me, "I've seen you here before many times and took me to the office. She offered me a job and I said, "I've worked at the Granada for four years and the staff there is like my second family and like me a lot." She understood as she smiled at me. I said "Thank you very much for the offer and told her "I loved the Loew's Kings very much" She replied, "Thank you and you are welcome here anytime." What a fantastic manager she was and a fine person she is to deed the furniture back to Kings Theatre. I will watch over it in her memory as long as I am an employee of her Kings Theatre. Working there today was a life long dream of mine and it became true when I was offered a position at the theatre by the current ACE Theatrical Group for which I have the highest gratitude. Thank you Matt (for taking care of your own), Charley (for spotting me take a picture of the facade) and Jason and Dan for training me for a live venue. Most of all the Front of House Staff (you all know who you are), for being the great people that you are, I LOVE YOU ALL!!!
                

and look forward to seeing you every time I work, you are my family at every event in our Kings Theatre.

                         Sincerely yours,
              
                                         Orlando Lopes
                

There is a photo online of that sign underneath the marquee online just as Orlando describes. Also that original sign was covered up by another sign that simply said “Welcome To Loew’s Kings Showcase Theatre” I wonder where both those signs are today? I hope they were saved for prosperity.

Thanks Orlando for the great answers. I thought neon came along in the 30’s. Now I know I was wrong. Years and years later LED is the fashion of the times.

The original (first marquee)was a high hat style and had stationary lights under the canopy and the reader boards were back lit. The corners were tiffany-like curves also back lit. The vertical sign (NOT BLADE SIGN) was neon but not animated. The second marquee had larger reader boards which had lime green neon all around the chaser lights borders inside and out (2 strips of green that went on and off. The front of the marquee had two panels that spelled out “Loew’s Kings” in red Loew’s lit up first and then Kings and then did an on of sequence and repeated same. The vertical sign had L O E W ‘ S in red neon andd horizontal white tubing (neon). It was very animated and went like this, each letter would light up from top to bottom andd then the white horizontal tubing would follow, when it was all lit up, the “LOEW’S” name wouldd flash on and off three times, go off and then the white tubing would go off from top to bottom. The cycle repeated itself. The “Loew’s” name would also on occasin would grow fron the inner most part of the letters to the outer most. Each letter had an inner, middle and outer neon tube. I know it will be hard to envision this, but take my word on this, you could see this vertical sign from Maple Street where I lived on Flatbush Avenue almost 15 blocks away. The Albemarle and thhe Kenmore also had fabulous marquees and vertical signs. I wish we had the sophisticated cameras of today back then. What is imbedded in my memory will always be there forever!

P.S. Find the 1970 film “Cotton Comes To Harlem” in Pan and Scan and you will see Loew’s Victoria which had the same Loew’s Kings marquee. You will see it working in on of the night scenes. The new Kino Lorber widescreen version omits it however.

Remember Kings Theatre is a Performing Arts Center, so there is no need for any type of chasing lights. A new replica of the vertical sign will read K I N G S with Theatre below it when it is installed at a later date. Personally, I think I would like to see the terra cotta without any sign on it.

Thanks for report on the neon. Did the original marquee have neon do you know? Chasing bulbs(not led)look so much better and so movie palace like.

By the way, Barbra Streisand N E V E R worked at the Loew’s Kings, she worked at a little Chinese restaurant on Nostrand Avenue. Read one of her biographies and “That’s the Truth” (Lily Tomlin’s character Edith Ann)!

Auditorium #2 in the Sony/Loews Theatres Lincoln Square complex on New York’s Upper West Side is named in honor of this former Loew’s Motion Picture Palace.

With all the wonderful photos of the newly opened Kings, can we get a photo on the page showing that, instead of the plastic covered chairs? I think the Kings deserves it.

Thanks for posting the pics, Bill. I was hoping to get out there, but will have to hope they do another open house some time soon.

was at the open house today…i almost started to cry I got so choked up. Good crowd showed up…all very enthusiastic. I wish they could have had pics of the pre-restoration on display, so people could appreciate what a loving, monumental achievement this is.