Boulevard Theatre

82-22 Northern Boulevard,
Jackson Heights, NY 11372

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Showing 1 - 25 of 38 comments

Comfortably Cool
Comfortably Cool on November 3, 2021 at 7:14 am

Perhaps G&G operated the Boulevard at the very end of its cinema connection, but for most of that history it was Fox/Skouras and possibly United Artists when that circuit name change took place.

fred1
fred1 on November 3, 2021 at 6:44 am

I Remember the theater was managed by G & G theaters cicuilt of Long Island

br91975
br91975 on November 2, 2021 at 4:10 pm

According to the below Facebook post, the Boulevard was demolished earlier this year: https://www.facebook.com/100050393744073/posts/417900349899753/?d=n&substory_index=0

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on August 28, 2020 at 2:20 pm

According to Ken Roe, status: Still looks like it is open as a restaurant with live shows in October 2019 Google Street Views. Still open as the Boulevard Columbian Latino restaurant with live performances.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on November 9, 2018 at 6:25 pm

1925 postcard added courtesy of Scott Genghis Wong‎.

Greenpoint
Greenpoint on April 20, 2017 at 8:02 pm

My mom took me here to see cheech and chong movies in the 80’s, as a little tyke….mommy whats the smell? I concur with fred1…yes it was later a nightclub…in the 90’s i frequented a heavy metal club across the street .

robboehm
robboehm on January 9, 2017 at 11:26 am

As I recall there was a gym or health club on the second floor in later years.

fred1
fred1 on January 9, 2017 at 10:38 am

This theater had been closed for years. it is now a restaurant / nightclub. Please update

AOManzor
AOManzor on January 9, 2017 at 9:17 am

I can’t believe I just found this page. My family owned this theater in the 70’s and early 80’s until we sold to our partners. It broke our heart to watch the theater fall into disrepair and eventually close since some of our fondest memories happened there.

And Minooch is right, the triplexing happened in the early 80’s, not the 70’s, much to our chagrin. If it was viable, we would have just had one screen.

robboehm
robboehm on March 26, 2015 at 5:18 pm

Added photo showing original entrance and marquee.

minooch
minooch on February 15, 2015 at 11:31 am

The “triplexing” didn’t happen until the early ‘80s…and as for the “decline in the neighborhood” being a reason for its closure, well, that’s just a baffling matter of opinion to me. I’ve lived here for over 50 years and that section of Northern Boulevard is more alive and vibrant than it’s ever been…especially at night. I believe the reason for its closure was most likely due to mismanagement and neglect. By the time it closed down the place was filthy and literally falling apart. That’s not to say it wouldn’t have closed down regardless, as most of the local Queens (and New York City in general) movie houses seem to have disappeared from the map.

michaelkaplan
michaelkaplan on January 3, 2014 at 7:07 pm

Many stories to tell about the Boulevard. But for beginners, here’s a list of the movies I saw there (in order of which I remembered them: The Robe The King and I Beneath the 12 Mile Reef It Came from Outer Space (3D) A Star is Born Second Chance (3D) Phantom of the Rue Morgue (3D) Creature from the Black Lagoon (3D) The Best Years of Our Lives (reissue) Lady and the Tramp River of No Return Carmen Jones New Faces of 1952 East of Eden Three Coins in the Fountain Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? The Glenn Miller Story Calamity Jane I Am Curious Blue Song of the South Help! Gentlemen Prefer Blondes The Man Who Fell to Earth There’s No Business Like Show Business The Marriage of Maria Braun Breakfast At Tiffany’s Pillow Talk Beat Street The Command Hell and High Water Knife in the Water Rocco and his Brothers Boccaccio 70 Marriage Italian Style

Jeffrey1955
Jeffrey1955 on December 17, 2013 at 7:50 am

Interesting! Though the “Boulevard Latin Cuisine” sign makes no mention of a theater, as the old one did. Wonder if they’re still utilizing that space.

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on December 17, 2013 at 7:21 am

Looks like the name Boulevard has returned to this establishment, per this recent photo posted to the Flickr website. Not sure when Natives went down and Boulevard took its place, but seems to be more or less the same business model.

LugosiResearch
LugosiResearch on December 29, 2012 at 6:46 pm

On Tuesday 6 March 1951, Bela “Dracula” Lugosi presented his in person Horror and Magic Stage show at Skouras Boulevard. Currently I am conducting research on all things Lugosi; if anyone out there actually saw this show and/or has memorabilia (poster, handbill, photos) related to this show, please contact Bill at Thanks in advance for any assistance!

cblog
cblog on November 6, 2012 at 4:14 pm

I forgot to note that the Daily News published a WWII photograph showing a victory garden taking up the entire block between the Boulevard and St.Marks on 34th ave.

cblog
cblog on November 2, 2012 at 3:39 am

I went to movies at the Boulevard in the 60’s with my best friend, Richard L. A movie I recall seeing was ‘Yours Mine and Ours’ with Lucille Ball. We used to be slightly difficult with the matron, throwing candy at her bottom, never realizing she was there to protect us! Very young, I remember attending a children’s theater stage show of ‘Aladdin and His Magic Lamp’ produced by a friend of my mother’s. My Junior High graduation was also held here; my parents told me there was line for the payphone(s) thru the ceremony while guys called their bookies! Ah Queens! All the theaters in Jackson Heights were a little ‘off’ in the 60’s, like a worn-out bowling alley (which Jackson Heights also had), which definitely lent to their appeal for us! I believe on the corners were Paladino Pharmacy, Cook Funeral Home, and a Firehouse. I recall one block west was the Manufacturers Hanover Bank, and the A&P with wooden floors and a cow-catcher at the checkout that the checker mightily pulled to bring your groceries to the register.

Michael D. Jackson
Michael D. Jackson on March 21, 2012 at 9:05 pm

At this theatre Mae West’s play THE PLEASURE MAN had a week long try-out before opening on Broadway and the Biltmore Theatre for 1.5 performances before it was raided by the police. Because of the openly gay characters in the play it was deemed indecent. The run at this theater was the week of September 24th 1928.

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller on March 31, 2011 at 8:35 pm

Thank you for sharing these images of the facade & interior, Ed. Too bad the facade has that tacky aluminum siding. I hope the owners see our correspondence, and restore the theater. A restored facade = A greater entrance, which is better for business. I love envisioning what it would be like to peel back the layers.

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on March 31, 2011 at 7:53 pm

Sorry to be more than a day late and a dollar short, NativeForestHiller, but here are the updated links to the photos I had posted back in 2006:

Long shot Sept 2005

Tighter shot Sept 2005

Interior restaurant from website

Interior bar area from website

Balcony theater from website

There is some original architectural work still preserved in the ceiling of the first two interior shots and a glimpse of some sidewall decoration exposed in the last shot, just to the right of dead center where that opening in the red curtain is.

ronnie21
ronnie21 on May 21, 2010 at 9:12 pm

dag. none of these photos work??

NativeForestHiller
NativeForestHiller on January 14, 2010 at 9:42 pm

Ed, can you re-post the photos from your 2006 postings? I am looking for other historic photos as well, from anyone else who may have some. Thank you!

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on May 14, 2009 at 10:39 pm

Here is a view of the lobby, circa 1930s:
http://tinyurl.com/oe3pvf