.. Thanks all for bring back memories of the “Rainbow Theater.â€
.. Perhaps I can add a bit more to this history.
.. Till 1962, I lived two flights up, at 137 Montrose Ave, directly across from Most Holy Trinity School. Our apartment’s kitchen windows faced the left side (i.e., side parallel to Meserole) of the movie house, and yes the Rainbow was quite long. If I had to guess I’d say that it ran at least 2/3 of the depth between Manhattan Ave & Graham Ave.
.. Between the back of the houses facing Montrose and the Rainbow was a significantly wide alley that ran almost along the total side, and then made an "L-turn” to a gated exit on Meserole. I say almost because there was a tenement house on Graham that abutted the movie house to the left (facing the Rainbow) and a furniture store to the right extending to Meserole.
.. Entrance was from Graham, and after buying your ticket at curbside, you entered a fairly long, somewhat narrow, uphill slanted walkway to where your ticket was collected. This entrance walkway was lined with posters of upcoming events, and many folks would actually stop to see what was posted. Once you actually entered, the interior was much wider, the width going behind the furniture store all the way to Meserole. A grand staircase on the right took you upstairs to the second level.
.. Before it was “air-conditioned”, it was quite common that the fire doors leading out to the alley would be thrown open on hot summer nights.
.. I remember one hot summer night a Mario Lanzza movie was playing and the alley doors were wide open, and my mom sitting at our kitchen window listening to him singing.
.. There were also fire doors on the Meserole side, and when movies were over, especially on weekends when there were large crowds, the ushers would open those Meserole side doors to let folks out.
.. Parking was not a problem since the bus stops were at both corners of Graham Ave.
.. The furniture store was where folks gathered on I think it was Tuesday nights, on the sidewalk, to watch Milton Berl on TV. The store had a device that was basically a magnifying glass placed on the inside store window that made the TV image look bigger.
.. To the left, on the first floor of that tenement house was a traditional candy store, and the neighborhood telephone! I earned some of my movie money by hanging around the candy store, and then running to peoples’ homes to tell them that they had a telephone call or to deliver a message. Typical “tip†was a penny, but sometimes it would be 2 cents. There were always rumors that someone got a nickel, but never I.
.. Across the street was a school-stationary store, I believe called “Jimmy’s†who sponsored Saturday movies & events. And thus almost all of my movie going was confined to Saturday’s, and Saturday morning movies were always packed!
.. I have not been back to Brooklyn now for many-many years, and really want to again thank you all for the photos’ and info.
.. Joe
..
.. Thanks all for bring back memories of the “Rainbow Theater.â€
.. Perhaps I can add a bit more to this history.
.. Till 1962, I lived two flights up, at 137 Montrose Ave, directly across from Most Holy Trinity School. Our apartment’s kitchen windows faced the left side (i.e., side parallel to Meserole) of the movie house, and yes the Rainbow was quite long. If I had to guess I’d say that it ran at least 2/3 of the depth between Manhattan Ave & Graham Ave.
.. Between the back of the houses facing Montrose and the Rainbow was a significantly wide alley that ran almost along the total side, and then made an "L-turn” to a gated exit on Meserole. I say almost because there was a tenement house on Graham that abutted the movie house to the left (facing the Rainbow) and a furniture store to the right extending to Meserole.
.. Entrance was from Graham, and after buying your ticket at curbside, you entered a fairly long, somewhat narrow, uphill slanted walkway to where your ticket was collected. This entrance walkway was lined with posters of upcoming events, and many folks would actually stop to see what was posted. Once you actually entered, the interior was much wider, the width going behind the furniture store all the way to Meserole. A grand staircase on the right took you upstairs to the second level.
.. Before it was “air-conditioned”, it was quite common that the fire doors leading out to the alley would be thrown open on hot summer nights.
.. I remember one hot summer night a Mario Lanzza movie was playing and the alley doors were wide open, and my mom sitting at our kitchen window listening to him singing.
.. There were also fire doors on the Meserole side, and when movies were over, especially on weekends when there were large crowds, the ushers would open those Meserole side doors to let folks out.
.. Parking was not a problem since the bus stops were at both corners of Graham Ave.
.. The furniture store was where folks gathered on I think it was Tuesday nights, on the sidewalk, to watch Milton Berl on TV. The store had a device that was basically a magnifying glass placed on the inside store window that made the TV image look bigger.
.. To the left, on the first floor of that tenement house was a traditional candy store, and the neighborhood telephone! I earned some of my movie money by hanging around the candy store, and then running to peoples’ homes to tell them that they had a telephone call or to deliver a message. Typical “tip†was a penny, but sometimes it would be 2 cents. There were always rumors that someone got a nickel, but never I.
.. Across the street was a school-stationary store, I believe called “Jimmy’s†who sponsored Saturday movies & events. And thus almost all of my movie going was confined to Saturday’s, and Saturday morning movies were always packed!
.. I have not been back to Brooklyn now for many-many years, and really want to again thank you all for the photos’ and info.
.. Joe
..