UA Duffield Twin Theatre

Please update, theatre closed March 11, 1991 after the tragedy of New Jack City.. Story in photos

What is the name of the movie theatre in Downtown Brooklyn, off of Fulton, that is now a Berkley College and Planet Fitness? I thought it was the Duffield

Only time I was in this theatre was to see the showcase engagement of Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid. A Randforce house, it was not particularly distinguished and didn’t compare to the chain’s other venues including the Savoy, the Commodore or the Alba, and was totally out of league with the downtown flagship heavyweights such as the Fox, the Paramount, the Albee and the Metropolitan.

I ageee with many of the others who have commented here. Even though the Duffield was only a few blocks away from the RKO Albee and Loews Metropolitan, it wasn’t in the same universe as those theaters. I saw numerous films at the Albee and Loews Met. from the early to mid-1960s and they were beautiful and memorable theaters. I saw only 1 film at the Duffield “Move Over Darling” with Doris Day and James Garner and, to be honest, neither the film or the theater were very memorable at all. Its a wonder this place lasted as long as it did although, if you think about it, as Downtown Brooklyn went down the drain it was somehow appropriate that the crumbiest theater there should be the one left to symbolize what this area deteriorated into.

Thanks Sap The Rockivlle was the one. Did a google map street view and it shows a for sale sign on it.. At least when i went there you couild not only see but hear the movie without hearing commentaries all through it.

Hi Saps no this was a few miles east of the GA 5plex. It was also on the southe side of Sunrise Highway

Things were going bad in areas like that long before New Jack City came out. Long before that in Valley Stream LI there was the Sunrise Drive in. It was demolished and the Sunrise Multiplex was built. Sometimes when my GF and I used to go out we would oft times go see a movie there after dinner when this other theatre we used to go to didn’t have something we wanted to see. In the very begining the Sunrise was not so bad. But if you know where it is what comes next is not to much of a surpise. Since it is near the Queens county border the residents would walk drive to get to there. It was not the best of neighborhoods and most of them came there and were very disorderly. yelling screaming cutting lines. I stopped going there when the comentary in the theatre was louder then the movie it self. After some incidents took place including a couple of guns going off in there Airport type metal screening detectors were installed at the main entry ways. The Queens locals balked but who wants to see a movie where someone may have a gun or knife on them. Basical the same kind of crowd like the Duffer. I never thought I would see the day when going to a movie was like checking in at an airpot. It got so bad for a while the managment had to take on off duty Nassau County cops to augment the private security because it was legal for them to carry a weapon where the private guys were non carry. All they had were batons and cuffs.

Does anyone remember a theatre about 5 miles east of there on Sunrise? It was a single that was cut to a duplex. It was either a Loews or a Century

Dave-Bronx, yeah thats probably true- I didnt do the math…he looked about 50ish when I was 16…so yeah he must be long retired by now..damn thats almost 18 years…wow!

Hey East Coast rememeber Alexanders…that was a fun place- remember the bowl of fries…Yes those days are now gone- but believe it or not Fulton is trying to inch itself back….There is an awesome cookie-cutter theatre on Court Street…12 theatres.I go there for movies after work. 1 stop away on the F line from my job.Getting back to the shooting- my parents didnt want to let me leave the house after the cops brought me home-I was 16 at the time and when the detectives brought me home- they took my parents to the side and told them what happenned-I remember this like it was yesterday.I was on lock-down for like a month.Another thing about the Duff was they didnt card me for “R”…Broadwaychris- if you were working that night, do you remember what the older-spanish detectives name …I think he was from the 84th precinct? I am wondering how he is doing after all these years- he was one really nice guy.

I was in the Duff seeing New Jack City that day,I just heard the gunshot, I told the cops all I knew…the detectives were even nice enough to give me a ride home back to Greenpoint. My theory was if I was going to see a movie with a predominantly black cast, I should see it in a predominantly black theatre- and Broadwaychris can probably atest to that fact….in fact I was probbably the only white kid in the joint. One of the many theatres I miss.Heres a picture of the Brooklyn store..

http://www.seanrichards.com/duff.jpg

Thanks.

What two types of porno, saps, gay and straight ? Or did you have something else in mind ?