Trylon Theater
98-81 Queens Boulevard,
Rego Park,
NY
11374
98-81 Queens Boulevard,
Rego Park,
NY
11374
18 people
favorited this theater
Showing 151 - 175 of 207 comments
Hello;
I can not make the meeting, so I am suggesting that others attend. According to an E-Mail I received the theater is under the threat of demolition.
A theater can find other uses after it closed. Many of them became houses of worship. Others became performing arts centers. In other words, the Trylon, and other theaters should not be let alone to die.
Hi Robert & all Cinema Treasures friends, Hope you can all attend the meeting/community gathering at 68-12 Ingram St on Sat, Sept 24th, which I believe starts at 3 PM (as noted on my invitation). We can all voice our opinion regarding the Trylon, & I am confident that something CAN be done. This is an URGENT PRESERVATION MATTER. Did you all check out the photos of the Trylon “then” & “now” posted under the news category on this site? Please RSVP regarding this Trylon/community gathering. Thank you!
Being a lifelong Forest Hills resident I have gone to this theatre all my life. It pains me to see the crap that is opening here. How is a center for the Bukharan community something that benefits the area? First the West Side Tennis Stadium, then the Forest Hills Theatre and now the Trylon. I’m ready to move to Great Neck :(
On Saturday, September 24, at 4:30 p.m., there will be a meeting to discuss saving the Trylon Theatre. Joe Nocerino, who recently ran for city councilman and lost to Melinda Katz, will be giving an update regarding the demolation of the theatre and what the possibilities are for registering the Trylon as a landmark.
Location: 68-12 Ingram Street, in the driveway (as part of a community gathering)
The following article from the City section of the N.Y. Times just came out today. If you pay close attention to the comments made by M. Katz & the Landmarks Preservation Commission throughout various Trylon newspaper articles you’ve seen, you would find that the landmarking issue changes quite often (A little too often!).
Forest Hills
FOR AN ART MODERNE THEATER, A STRUGGLE OVER ACT II
The New York Times
By JEFF VANDAM
Published: September 18, 2005
When readers of a movie industry publication called Theatre Catalog scanned the 1941 edition for a listing for the two-year-old Trylon Theater in Forest Hills, Queens, they learned it was a “striking and modern” cinema named for a World’s Fair monument, complete with a stone and glass tower that lit up Queens Boulevard at night.
Today, the Trylon is crumbling. The marquee, which once trumpeted “The Wizard of Oz” as its premiere film, is blank and broken. Plywood walls of construction, plastered with posters for a Tupac Shakur album, have replaced the ticket booth and the entrance.
The theater, closed since 1999, is being converted into a home for the Educational Center for Russian Jewry, a community space to serve the area’s growing population of Bukharan Jews. Yet local preservationists claim that historic elements of the theater, on Queens Boulevard near 99th Street, are being lost in renovation.
“They’ve already torn out the whole lower facade,” said John Jurayj, co-chairman of the Modern Architecture Working Group. “It was a completely intact Art Moderne entryway. I’m trying to think of what other things there are in this style, and I kind of draw a blank.”
This summer, Forest Hills residents formed the Committee to Save the Trylon Theater, led by Michael Perlman, a journalist and preservationist who lives nearby. This weekend, the committee, which according to Mr. Perlman has 75 to 100 members, was sponsoring a meeting featuring presentations on the theater by historians.
“When the demolition men started smashing the ticket booth with a jackhammer,” Mr. Perlman said, referring to construction he saw under way in July, “that’s when I became furious.”
Efforts to have the theater designated as a landmark, however, have thus far come up short. According to Robert Tierney, chairman of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the theater has been considered for landmark status but never been the subject of a vote. For various reasons, he said, it does not meet the commission’s landmark criteria.
Nahum Kazev, a spokesman for the Educational Center for Russian Jewry, declined to comment on the renovations because, he said, that work was still under way. But in the opinion of City Councilwoman Melinda Katz, who represents the area, being able to renovate the theater without restrictions would save both time and money.
“It’s a much-needed center for the Bukharan community, and I look forward to working with them,” Ms. Katz said. “I’m just not sure at this time if landmarking just the front of the building would be the best for the community.”
Despite the dispute and the construction, the Trylon was silent on a recent visit. Pigeons flew in and out of missing sections in the marquee, and a young girl ran up to the plywood and scrawled a message in black ink where moviegoers once bought tickets. The message: “Love always, Delilah.”
The following is an article that is available to subscribed Times Ledger members, but as a result of the importance of the Trylon Theater preservation effort, and its dilemma, I feel it should be available to all. You can try following the link, or read the article below. It appeared in the Forest Hills Ledger, in addition to affiliate newspapers. First are my thoughts regarding the article.
(Even if we can prove that there is enough support to preserve the Trylon’s key architectural features, such as the facade & marquee, I still feel M. Katz will not give in. I do not know what M. Katz was talking about when she said “It would need so much work to make it look half as decent as it originally did.” I personally feel that it would right now, since the entrance pavilion was already gutted. Prior to the demolition, every mosaic tile was intact, but only the marquee needed some work, as evident in my photos on this website.) *PLEASE REACH OUT & HELP. Thank you! Contact
View link
“Rehab On Old Trylon Draws Fire: Preservationists Want Theater In Forest Hills Landmarked"
By Zach Patberg
09/08/2005
The renovation of the Trylon Theater has once again sparked protest from some who worry that what made the Forest Hills relic a centerpiece in history will soon be lost at the hands of new construction.
“It’s absolutely essential that if something is done, it be done immediately,” said Mitchell Grubler, executive director of the Queens Historical Society.
Work on the Queens Boulevard theater, which opened in 1939 during the New York World’s Fair, began this summer after it was announced last year that The Educational Center for Russian Jewry would be moving in.
For most, the reopening comes as a blessing. Since its closing in 1999, the World War II-era movie house has deteriorated into a ghost-like structure, with a crumbling marquee, garbage on the lobby floor and graffiti on the outer walls.
A volunteer for the incoming Bukharian community center, David Alishaev, said the center will try to preserve as much as possible, such as the balcony and stage, but that most of the theater, including the facade and marquee, will be completely changed in the next two months.
“It’s been an eyesore for six years,” Alishaev said. “There’s no way, no point, to keep it how it is. It will look so much better.”
But Michael Perlman, a local preservationist, said he realized the renovation had gone too far when he witnessed the demolition of the Art Deco mosaic tile on the ticket booth in July. What has followed, he said, is a boarded-up entrance pavilion and a gutted interior. Before its dismantling, the ticket booth featured the theater’s symbol — a marbleized trylon that paid tribute to the 610-foot high one at the 1939 World’s Fair in Flushing.
“It was heartbreaking,” Perlman said. He has since joined the movement started last year to landmark the theater’s exterior and pavilion. That goal has not materialized, however, partly because Councilwoman Melinda Katz (D-Forest Hills), who has allocated more than $200,000 for the new center, is reluctant to give her approval.
Katz questioned whether the theater in its current condition should be landmarked. “The outside would need so much work to make it look even half as nice as it did originally,” she said.
A spokeswoman at the city Landmarks Preservation Commission acknowledged that a building rarely gets landmarked without the local Council member’s blessing.
“So often the problem with restoring an old building properly is finding a use and funding,” said Grubler. “Here there is a use and plenty of funding to do it right. If the owner was at all enlightened he’d hire an architect who is sympathetic to the theater’s original features.”
Post a query on this site and within a couple of hours or 24 hours and beyond, plenty of helpful individuals answer your questions and provide you with the information you’re seeking – remarkable, but certainly not a surprise. Thanks to everyone for your responses :–)
While the screen was definitely bigger in the 90’s than seen here, other than that, Warren’s photos look just like I remember the theater.
The whole front and orchestra was draped and the new screen was slightly in front of the proscenium with Austrian drapes that went up and down. The opening for the fire doors (the doors were set way back) had the drapes crisscrossed to allow people to walk in and out and also the air conditioning return ducts were back there so you could feel a breeze when you sat in the front. The scope picture was created from a top masking that came down and was really quite small. The flat picture was decent.
I’d bet that one change must have widened the proscenium to acommodate CinemaScope in ‘53. That’s one of the narrowest (but handsomest) prosceniums I’ve ever seen. Widening it would have been difficult, because the exit doors close in so tightly upon it. Does anyone know what they did to widen the screen?
Did the auditorium retain its original appearance until the 1999 closing?
I thought this would be of interest. Please follow this link, and help me, the founding member of the Committee To Save The Trylon Theater, to halt the theater from further demolition.
View link
Similar articles have been published in the Queens Ledger, Queens Courier, Queens Chronicle, Forest Hills Times, Leader/Observer, Glendale Register, & the LIC – Astoria – Jackson Heights Journal.
Anyone interested in joining the committee, please e-mail Preservationist/Journalist, Michael, at Thank you!
***It is not too late too call Councilwoman Melinda Katz at (718) 544-8800 or e-mail her at .ny.us to encourage her to change her mind & preserve “what’s left” of the Trylon’s 1939 Art Deco/Moderne facade. The more people contacting her, the greater the chance of her convincing the owners to keep the facade intact, instead of renovating it. The committee to save the Trylon encourages you to please act ASAP!!!
Please follow this Queens Chronicle link:
View link
Please read this: “While John Jurayj of the HDC accused City Councilwoman Melinda Katz of not supporting landmarking, her office said the issue has not yet come up for a vote.” HMMMM……
Also, according to the article, it says that the Trylon’s inlaid mosaic tile floor is intact, which is a misprint.
It’s sort of ironic that the only movie I have ever seen in this great gem of a theater is “A Stranger Among Us”, considering they are turning it into a Bukharian Center….
I saw it there around 1994 (give or take), and it was like walking into a timewarp. The interior was beautiful, and they still opened and closed the curtains between the previews and the movies, and at the end of the movie.
I always wanted to go back, but it wasn’t to be.
What a tragedy.
What a tragedy. Unfortunately, it appears it is just about too late, if the jackhammers have begun. Unrepairable damage appears to have already been done.
I really enjoyed this theater, it’s a real shame that this is happening. Apparently with each passing day, the poor Trylon is falling deaper and deaper into the world of no return like so many other theaters have seen in their fate.
VERY URGENT/PRESERVATION ALERT: Community Calls for A Halt To Further Demolition of The Trylon Theater:
A 1939 Worldâ€\s Fair Historic Gem!!!
FOREST HILLS, N.Y. (August 10, 2005) â€" Members of the community of Forest Hills and others are appalled at the plight of their 1939 Art Deco/Art Moderne Trylon Theater, located at 98-81 Queens Blvd, in Forest Hills. The historic theater is being demolished day by day, and unsympathetically converted into a Bukharian center. Many Forest Hills, Rego Park, as well as residents in other boroughs, feel strongly about the preservation of the historic Trylon Theater. It was heartbreaking to see demolition men smashing the Art Deco mosaic tiles on the ticket booth with a jack hammer, boarding up and dismantling the entrance pavilion, and gutting the interior.
The Trylon Theater is one of the last standing architectural, cultural, & historical gems that bear strong significance to the 1939 World’s Fair. The theme of the fair was the “World of Tomorrow,†and exhibits were intended to emphasize how technology would make life better for everyone. The fairâ€\s enduring image was the “Trylon and Perisphere.†The exterior and interior of the Trylon Theater bear resemblance to the Trylon pyramid and the Perisphere globe. One of the most striking features of the Trylon Theater is the exterior box office and floor, which contains mosaic inlaid tiles, depicting the design of the 1939 Worldâ€\s Fair “Trylon.â€
It is of utmost importance to have the Trylon Theaterâ€\s façade and entrance pavilion landmarked, and to restore what was lost during the ill-conceived conversion.
Those involved in the public funding as well as the administration and programming for the Bukharian center should adhere to the concept of preservation of this neighborhood icon, rather than demolition.
“The historical and architectural significance of the Trylon calls out for an architect who is sensitive and respectful of the original features, while adapting the site to a Bukharian center,†said Mitchell Grubler, Executive director of the Queens Historical Society. Act now!
**To lend your support: Please contact (Journalist/Preservationist) & send carbon copies to (Art Deco Society of NY) & (Historic Districts Council) & THIS IS A PRESERVATION EMERGENCY!!! Call Councilwoman Melinda Katz(718-544-8800) who was the only member who opposed landmark designation & is responsible for this ACT OF DESTRUCTION. Also e-mail her at .ny.us
Citywide Effort To Halt Demolition of The Trylon Theater: A 1939 Art Deco Queens Landmark
REGO PARK, NY (August 10, 2005) – Since its closure in late 1999, community groups, historic preservationists, and the local media have tried to clarify the fate of the iconic Trylon Theater, located at 98-81 Queens Boulevard.
Sadly, the property is now undergoing profound alteration for its new use as a social services facility for the Bukharian community. At this writing, the entrance pavilion has been walled off, façade features have been destroyed, and the interior is being gutted. Original painted murals, decorative tilework depicting the Trylon and Perisphere (the 1939 New York World’s Fair symbols), and marquee elements have all been destroyed and no salvage is being conducted.
Appeals to NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and NYC Councilwoman Melinda Katz to halt the destruction and achieve a preservation-minded adaptive reuse plan for the defunct theater have been unsuccessful thus far. The Art Deco Society of New York (ADSNY) and the Historic Districts Council (HDC) have spearheaded the effort to intervene — even at this late stage — to protect the outstanding and unique Art Deco property.
The Trylon Theater, designed by Joseph Unger, reflects the cultural impact of the 1939 World’s Fair and its theme of “The World of Tomorrow,” in decorative tiles, murals, and overall aesthetics. The streamlined Art Deco property is a rare surviving neighborhood movie theater due to the loss of hundreds of such buildings in New York and meets criteria to become a designated and protected Historic Landmark.
**To lend your support: Please contact (Journalist/Preservationist) & send carbon copies to (Art Deco Society of NY) & (Historic Districts Council) & THIS IS A PRESERVATION EMERGENCY!!! Call Councilwoman Melinda Katz(718-544-8800) who was the only member who opposed landmark designation & is responsible for this ACT OF DESTRUCTION. Also e-mail her at .ny.us
URGENT (Please read): Many Forest Hills and Rego Park, NY residents feel strongly about the preservation of the Art Deco/Moderne Trylon Theater (98-81 Queens Blvd). However, last week it was heartbreaking to see demolition men smashing the Art Deco mosaic tiles on the ticket booth with a jack hammer, & boarding up the entrance pavillion. It is going to be converted into a Bukharian Center. I tried contacting the NY Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to have at least the facade landmarked, since it is one of the LAST STANDING architectural & historical gems that bear strong significance to the 1939 World’s Fair. The LPC told me that they are aware of it, and they’re concerned as well, but they are slow in acting. They advised me to also contact other historical societies/preservation groups, and spread the word. Hopefully, we can have the Trylon theater landmarked, and possibly coordinate a fundraiser to restore the exterior. I understand that the demolition of the RKO Keith Theatre in Flushing was halted by the city a little while ago, & is currently undergoing a restoration.
I was informed by a higher official that there is still a chance that the 1939 historic Trylon Theater can be saved, designated a landmark, & then a fundraiser/restoration can be organized. The only factor that is “preventing landmark designation” from the NY Landmarks Preservation Commission is a signature from local councilwoman, “Melinda Katz,” who is reluctant to give her approval. We need detailed letters, phone calls, & E-mails to Councilwoman Melinda Katz. It is not too late to convince her to reverse her decision! (This has to be a LOCAL & NATIONWIDE effort)
**CONTACT ASAP (1ST): COUNCILWOMAN MELINDA KATZ
104-01 METROPOLITAN AVE
FOREST HILLS, N.Y. 11375-6735
(718) 544-8800
.ny.us
PLEASE CC: ROBERT B. TIERNEY, CHAIR
NYC LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION
1 CENTRE ST, 9TH FLOOR
NEW YORK, NY 10007
PHONE/FAX: (212) 669-7955
.gov
Co-Chair of the Modern Architecture Working Group & Historic Districts Council would like to be contacted as well, so he can keep track of how many letters are being sent:
John Jurayj: E-mail:
Phone: (718)782-2007
More specifically, click on :
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044345/
to go right to it.
Those wishing to research “Times Gone By”, or any film of interest to them, may do so most profitably on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) :
www.imdb.com
Fascinating, RobertR, great get glimpses of so many of our local theaters in their heydays. The movie at the Trylon is surprising. A search of the IMDB indicates that “Times Gone By” is an obscure Italian anthology film that was already 2 years old at the time — not what we of the 1960’s and 70’s cohort would have expected to find at the Trylon. By enlarging and squinting at the featured players, it looks like the film may have been promoted as part of the Gina Lollabrigida craze, though her actualy part is so small that I had to go WAY down the cast list to find her.
There is a small ad from the Trylon on the bottom of this page from 1954
View link
In the days when Interboro had the Trylon it was more of a second run double bill house, and then started to get some of the first run showcase films. Loews actually booked this theatre well when they took it over. “Saturday Night Fever”, “Looking For Mr GoodBar”, “Flashdance” all played at least 6 months each. One of the last times I remember it selling out show after show was “Indecent Proposal”.
My memories of the Trylon strt in the late 1960’s. I seem to recall it as a poor relation to the first run houses a few blocks up Queens Blvd. [Midway, Forest Hills, Continental] I remember it as a second run house at that time that played a lot of double features. for instance I remember seeing Help on a double with Two For The Road. I moved back to the area in the early 1980’s and went their often, but the crowds were going elsewhere and the place was not well maintained. Still it was always fun to sit in the Balcony, and I always loved the Art Deco feel of the place
I remember so well seeing “Orca” here in 1977, by no means a great film but summer fun anyways.
View link