I too hate all the commercial advertisements, but I enjoy the trailers for upcoming movies. The problem with arriving after the posted start time, if the movie is new or very popular, You won’t find a seat in a good location, or enough seats together for your group, You must come early to sit where you want to, and endure all the crap.
I worked for this theater for about a year and a half – beginning one week before opening. This was considered UA’s flagship theater. We had to shine the marble tiles and polish the brass poles that held the line-control ropes. We had to wear a company-supplied jacket, bowtie, and even WHITE GLOVES. The group of people I worked with (we were all teens) became friends, and some are still friends now. A few couples who started as teen workers even ended up married. The current manager is a friend who has worked there from day one. There is an elderly woman who continues to work there since the beginning, and before that she worked at the Graham Theater in Gerritsen Beach (Mary, short with white hair).
I agree with all the other posts. The place is like a zoo. The bad design, even after renovation, leaves lines of people on top of each other as they wait for movies to start. The parking garage is a joke. I believe it holds the same number of cars the original flat parking lot held, maybe even less.
When it first opened, the front area between the seats and screen was carpeted. All the spilled soda would run down, collect in the carpet, and stink. They removed that carpet, and began shampooing the rest weekly. Now I don’t think they do that anymore, because the whole place stinks again.
The kitchen had mice. If I came in for a morning shift I’d sometimes find holes in the bags of popcorn that had been popped the night before.
The workers don’t care much about their jobs. Why should they? They are treated like sh*t and paid low wages – but that probably happens in most theaters.
At the time it was built, the building cost about 7 million dollars, if I remember correctly. The low quality building had a leaky roof that always needed repair. Theater #3, one of the largest, had to have the entire left side close during heavy rain, due to water pouring in through the foundation. It was discovered that it was caused by cracks in the cement foundation, and improper grading of the property so that water runs toward the wall when it rains. In the end the solution was to install a drainage system with a pump outside the wall, rather than regrade the property. Things like this just did not happen with the old theaters like the Marlboro, Walker, Oriental, and all the other strong, well constructed old buildings.
UA or Regal or whoever they are now should sell this place so it can be converted to a storage facility or warehouse, and reopen the Marlboro, Walker, and any other old theater that is left around Brooklyn that has a chance of being save or converted back to it’s grand old purpose!!!
I always knew it as the Graham Theater, but then again I was about 12 years old when it closed so my memory may be a little fuzzy. I was in the Men’s Room between the two movies of a double feature when the blackout of 1977 occured. I think the movies were “Lipstick” and “Black Sunday” with the second movie never being shown because the night turned into a black Wednesday (I think).
The reason the new building is the same shape as the old building is because it IS the old building. I watched as they bulldozed the interior but left the outside walls standing when the new Graham Condominiums were being constructed.
As for the old ladies with the squeaky shoes, does anyone remember “Mary”?
She now works at the UA/Regal theater off Knapp Street.
I had the privelige of working with her for about two years when the new theater first opened. She still works there to this day!
She said she remembers someone riding a motorcycle down the aisle during Rocky Horror at the Graham.
I too hate all the commercial advertisements, but I enjoy the trailers for upcoming movies. The problem with arriving after the posted start time, if the movie is new or very popular, You won’t find a seat in a good location, or enough seats together for your group, You must come early to sit where you want to, and endure all the crap.
I worked for this theater for about a year and a half – beginning one week before opening. This was considered UA’s flagship theater. We had to shine the marble tiles and polish the brass poles that held the line-control ropes. We had to wear a company-supplied jacket, bowtie, and even WHITE GLOVES. The group of people I worked with (we were all teens) became friends, and some are still friends now. A few couples who started as teen workers even ended up married. The current manager is a friend who has worked there from day one. There is an elderly woman who continues to work there since the beginning, and before that she worked at the Graham Theater in Gerritsen Beach (Mary, short with white hair).
I agree with all the other posts. The place is like a zoo. The bad design, even after renovation, leaves lines of people on top of each other as they wait for movies to start. The parking garage is a joke. I believe it holds the same number of cars the original flat parking lot held, maybe even less.
When it first opened, the front area between the seats and screen was carpeted. All the spilled soda would run down, collect in the carpet, and stink. They removed that carpet, and began shampooing the rest weekly. Now I don’t think they do that anymore, because the whole place stinks again.
The kitchen had mice. If I came in for a morning shift I’d sometimes find holes in the bags of popcorn that had been popped the night before.
The workers don’t care much about their jobs. Why should they? They are treated like sh*t and paid low wages – but that probably happens in most theaters.
At the time it was built, the building cost about 7 million dollars, if I remember correctly. The low quality building had a leaky roof that always needed repair. Theater #3, one of the largest, had to have the entire left side close during heavy rain, due to water pouring in through the foundation. It was discovered that it was caused by cracks in the cement foundation, and improper grading of the property so that water runs toward the wall when it rains. In the end the solution was to install a drainage system with a pump outside the wall, rather than regrade the property. Things like this just did not happen with the old theaters like the Marlboro, Walker, Oriental, and all the other strong, well constructed old buildings.
UA or Regal or whoever they are now should sell this place so it can be converted to a storage facility or warehouse, and reopen the Marlboro, Walker, and any other old theater that is left around Brooklyn that has a chance of being save or converted back to it’s grand old purpose!!!
I always knew it as the Graham Theater, but then again I was about 12 years old when it closed so my memory may be a little fuzzy. I was in the Men’s Room between the two movies of a double feature when the blackout of 1977 occured. I think the movies were “Lipstick” and “Black Sunday” with the second movie never being shown because the night turned into a black Wednesday (I think).
Now that’s what I’m talkin' ‘bout!!! Finally some current px.
The reason the new building is the same shape as the old building is because it IS the old building. I watched as they bulldozed the interior but left the outside walls standing when the new Graham Condominiums were being constructed.
As for the old ladies with the squeaky shoes, does anyone remember “Mary”?
She now works at the UA/Regal theater off Knapp Street.
I had the privelige of working with her for about two years when the new theater first opened. She still works there to this day!
She said she remembers someone riding a motorcycle down the aisle during Rocky Horror at the Graham.