Granada Theatre
2819 Church Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
2819 Church Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11226
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Showing 1 - 25 of 59 comments
My dad managed the Granada in the early 70s, after working at the Century circuit all over Brooklyn for 15 years. He died suddenly in 1974.
The Avoca Villa Theatre was formerly known as the Crescent Theatre according to a 1929 ad.
As a child and preteen I lived in that neighborhood and went to the Granada on many a Saturday afternoon. Always the double feature, maybe a newsreal, the races ..the Saturday Kiddie Matinee’s. I also remember the incentives offered for weekday nights ..towels, dishes etc..to get the ladies in. Across the street but fairly close was a woolworth’s. Candy was 6 for 25 cents. It was a lot less then in the theatre..but if we bought the candy at woolworth’s we usually had enough money to get a box of bon bons ice cream. I also remember there was a small chinese restaurant either nextdoor to the theatre of a store or two away. My friend Robert Dong lived there ..his sister and brother in law owned the restaurant… I am 71 now..and yet I still remember all of us kids walking over to the theatre for our Sat. matinee’s…I also remember a green grocer on the corner of Nostrand and Church..and big wooden barrels..some had pickles and some had nut in shells..and the trolley with the electric wire overhead..lots of good memories..
Orlando, if you worked at the Granada Theatre from l960 you knew my father, Erwin Breuer. On many Saturdays I worked behind the candy stand. I remember those matinees. The candy stand was jumping. Linda Breuer Lissman
Will the person who has the negtives of pictures of the Granada Theatre please get in touch with me. My father owned the Granada until his death in l965. Linda Breuer Lissman
My name is Linda Breuer Lissman. My father owner the Granada Theatre until his death in l965. I have very fond memories, spending many Saturdays there. I remember Joe Coppolino. My father was very fond of him.
50 years ago, today… I was sittings myself down to see Walt Disney’s first run The Jungle Book", here at the Granada Theatre. It was a Saturday and doors opened early on the second day (Saturday) at 10:30 AM. The 2nd feature was “Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar”. I was and still am 11 in mind. Envisionment is a wonderful thing! Happy Holidays and Season’s Greetings….
Uploaded a picture from the American Classic images collection.
That picture of the Granada Theatre is not on this website, it’s actually in the archives of the Theatre Historical Society of America as part of the Edward T. Gibbs Collection.
Someone told me that was a posted picture of the Granada Theatre of the marquee playing the Sicilian Clan and The Kremlin Letter as co-feature. Every week I took a photo of the front and side panels of the marquee, but some how they disappeared. I also have the backlog of the exhibitor ads from 1964 to 1974 that read Granada-Highway-Rugby (Adults $1.00 At All Times) Ads that were the 3 theatrs trademark running Wed, Fri, and Sat in the NY Post (then the best known MovieGuide Listing for the five boroughs) and in the Brooklyn addition of the Daily News. I hope no one is using my lost Granada photos in this listing as I have all the negatives which I never redeveloped.
The Granada closed July 30, 1982. It was first run at the time under the RKO-Century banner. It was still doing very good business at its' closing time but (ALMI) wanted to unload the theatre for the land price (which was $250,000 including the theatre) a mere pittance in today’s market. The same operated Albemarle went soon after.
Just a brief note, the building has been refaced with a tan-beige color and the top and awning was replaced by the same in a darker brown color and a new storefront sign. Happy 90th Birthday, Granada Theatre. We will both survive to see you 100!. My best memories are of you.
My mom worked here in the candy dept. for years in the 40’s. We still have the beautiful silver plates and use on Holidays all the time. I remember going up to the bathrooms and they had attendants. And put the penny in and get your fortune. I happily won a great tea set during one of the Saturday races. Went there all the time and even in my late teens. Yes, they went $1. We all hung out at the Candy Store on Nostrand/Church every night. We were good kids.
anyone remembers the Kiddie Carnival. Every satuday double feature, race, newsreel and cartoons. This was the late 50’s and the early sixties.
So just to set the record straight Paul after exhausted hours (ok, maybe 2 minutes) of research I came to this conclusion. It was the Highway, not the Kingsway that Mr. Schiering owned.
I was an usher at the Granada from 55 to 58. The threatre was owned by a wonderful man, Erwin Breuer, and Max Schiering, another wonderful man, was the manager (and maybe a part owner). Mr. Breuer had been general manager at Rugoff and Becker and when he left they sold him the Granada. Mr. Schiering had been a studio manager for one of the tv networks and had worked with Bill Cullen. Mr. Brueuer went on to own four other local theatres, the Rugby, the Fair (in Queens) the Avenue D and the Highway. When Mr. Breuer died, Mr. Schiering took over the business. When I left in 58 Mr. Breuer said to me “This theatre is like my home and you will always be a guest in my home” and for the next 12 years I saw free movies in five theatres. They were both exceptional men and I have not forgotten them.
Psingh, I think you must be thinking of a different theatre as the manager during those years was a man. Paul, your info is not quite on the mark either. First of all I dont remember you so maybe you have the years wrong. Also the Rugby was not on Church Ave it was on Utica Ave. The Granada was on Church Ave. Also I am pretty sure that Mr Schiering did not own or operate the Kingsway. Howard
I worked at the Grenada from around 1973-75 or so, right after graduating Tilden High School and continuing while I went to Brooklyn College, hired by the wonderful Max Schiering, who owned the theater. I was an usher, along with my friend Steve (I remember you, Orlando, Artie and the others!!). After hiring me, Mr. Schiering asked me about my last name, which was familiar to him. It turned out he remembered by grandfather, Alfred, a projectionist who died in 1930, and my grandmother, who had been a cashier (at, among others, the old Congress Theater on St Johns Place and the Loew’s Pitkin on Pitkin Ave.). Mr. S had been an usher when my grandfather was a projectionist; the grayhaired cashier, Irene, remembered my grandmother, who had trained her for the job when Irene was just a kid herself! I loved that job and that old theater. We used to roam around backstage and explore; I still ticket stubs somewhere from when their was a kiddie land amusement park in the parking lot next door…WISH I still had all the old movie posters we found down there. Also worked a couple of times at the Rugby, on Church Avenue, that Mr. S also owned (and/or operated; and he also owned/operated the Kingsway (?) on Kings Highway.
Paul Kupperberg
Granada Theatre on Church Avenue after great Blizzard of 1947 as Sand Car 9813 from Canarsie Depot works it’s way toward 39th Street Ferry Loop. Photo, thanks to Ed Doyle:
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During 1972-77 there was a lady who managed the place..heavy smoker black hair..what was her name?
Does anyone remember Tony and Nelson from the Granada 1975-1977?
Tony went on to the Ruby..
Artie the camera man
Jerry, that was his name. It just came to me.
Hey Orlando and Bruce. I too worked at the Granada in 1973 and 1974. Good times. Mr. Scheiring (as we called him) owned the place and was a good man. Hey Orlando, is he still around? I figure if anybody would know it would be you. What was that other guy that worked upstairs with us Bruce. Remember how packed that place was for Lady Sings the Blues. That was one movie I didn’t mind watching 30-40 times. I dont think we should mention what went on in the storage room where they kept the popcorn. Hey Bruce, you still taking the 10:10 to Ronkoamo? Orlando, dont know if I ever thanked you for helping me get the job there, so Thanks. How are you guys doing anyway. Having lived in the area I to remember when I was a kid going to the Saturday matinee and watching the horse race on the screen. I even wone once and got a game (dont ask me what it was). The old lady in the white hair Orlando, guess shes not with us anymore huh. She was a riot. And the manager, poor fella, he always seemed so overwhelmed. Maybe it was because he wore his pants up at his chest. Remember 4 Gs dinner across the street. We would go there for a 15 min break. The guy behind the counter would tell us to talk to the wall. Good times. And yes there definetly was a balconey as thats where they put me and Bruce and the other guy although Bruce would try to make his move downstairs. Hope to hear a response from you guys. And to all, Brooklyn Rocks. Howard
Warren – Once again, many thanks! I just tried checking Andrew Stone out for those films. No soap on IMDb, and no info on the two shorts there or on Google. But maybe someday…It could be I’m thinking of a different series, as I don’t remember any adults being in these things, just kids, and maybe just soapbox racers. But of course I’m going with a memory that has to reach back a long, long time. So you’re probably right about all of it.