City Line Cinema
1114 Liberty Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11208
1114 Liberty Avenue,
Brooklyn,
NY
11208
7 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 32 comments
@Jorge, I bought most my records from from A- appliance on the northwest corner of Berriman and Pitkin on the other side of the corner of the Kinema theater. Then when TSS opened went there. I did buy maybe one or two Musique also.
1978 as Cityline not the Earle http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4244/photos/12253
I lived on 78 ST off 101st Avenue from 1956 thru 1976, went to PS64/JHS210/John Adams. As young teen me and my friends used to walk over to City Line and go to the Earl, John’s Bargain Store, etc. I remember the Earl showing cartoons, the races (which I won at least once) and 2 movies. I don’t remember it being itchy and scratchy. Remember Aldos, Meats & Treats, Bohacks and the A&P? I even walked to the Lindenwood Diner, besides to Woodhaven and Forest Park.
The pizza place accross the street is where my friends and I used to hang out, and then go to boldocs bar down the block next to John’s bargain store on liberty and sheridan ave
Thanks for that google link fatman…I think my mother got confused between the Crossbay UA (which is now a Modell’s) & the old location of the Earl (per my incorrect post above)…hitting ‘terrain’ is the EXACT location of where the theater once was…in fact, the building looks exactly the same & resembles a theater building. I see the ‘Musique’ music store that used to be across the street (Lincoln Ave) is no more…used to be my source for buying all those old-school Freestyle records growing up. :o(
I went to the “City Line” in the 60’s and 70’s and remember it as the City Line it is amazing that it had two names. I remember taking the “12” bus to get to it. I also remember the pizza shop across the street. It’s a clothing store as I write it. It was a small place.
View link
I remember going there while my friend David’s mother went to the Bingo on Atlantic Avenue and Crescent. We then took the Atlantic Avenue Bus.
The Earl was located on Liberty Avenue in the area known as “City Line,” the borderline between Brooklyn and Queens. I was there with my father only once in 1964 to see an MGM double-feature of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” and Elvis in “Viva Las Vegas.” The only thing I remember was that it was the smallest theater that I had ever seen. Since that time, I can only think of possibly 2 smaller theaters: The Trump in Brooklyn and the various auditoriums that make up the Film Forum in Manhattan. But boy, the Earl was small.
I was born in Brooklyn in 1974…and have a VERY GOOD recollection of my mom taking me to see the 1979/Frank Langella version of DRACULA at this theater…so it surprises me to read they were showing XXX movies at this location because my only memories were standard Hollywood fare my mom used to take me maybe once every two weeks (then again, I was only 5 or 6…so my memory is very fuzzy??) I remember walking by the theater the day after the fire & seeing a little bit of the inside & thinking I saw a BODY fused to the seats…what a vivid & borderline “sick” imagination I had! I also recall being saddened as this was the ONLY theater within true walking distance from where I lived (corner of Belmont Ave. & Autumn Ave in Brooklyn)…my next closest one was the Crossbay UA in Queens!
I can also confirm an ‘Odd Lot’ 5-&-dime type store opened in the same location shortly after. My mom recently went back a fwe weeks ago (we live in Florida now) & states there is now a Modell’s in the same spot.
I remember going to the Earl on Saturdays in the early ‘60s. For 50 cents you could see two movies, cartoons and a race (they gave out tickets for the race, which was on film, and if your number won, you got a prize.)
The building is still there, looking as it does in the 2005 photo, though with a different crappy discount store as the occupant.
If the 1939 photo is the same building, the el would be the old Fulton Avenue line, and this portion would have been replaced by underground service in 1956. (The rest of the el from 80th-Hudson Street in Queens is still used by the “A” train.)
Hello MVitale,
I went to St Sylvester from 1954 to 1962 and I had an older sister too. I have an address for Sister Mary Julius and I have not written her but I should! Thank you for the embassy link.
Hi OzGuy,
I went to St. Sylvester’s too, from 61-69, but I had two older sisters.
Check out the forum for the Embassy, as there is a LOT of discussion about the neighborhood there.
I was born in Ozone Park, attended St Sylvester on Grant Ave in Brooklyn and watched movies at the Earl. This was in the 1950’s and early 60’s. We called it the “Itch & Scratch”. It was owned at that time by a very short bald-headed chap named Max.
LOL…. Jack, I just saw this. I saw The Stewardesses in 3D there too!!! Too funny.
Around 1969 or 70, we went to see NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD at the Earl. I have to agree with MVitale. I never knew of the Earl ever being called anything but the Earl. Seeing NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD at the Earl certainly added to the creepiness of the movie. It was a late show (maybe midnight?) and there were about 8 people in the theatre! The co-feature was (ready for this?)THE STEWARDESSES in 3D! What a double feature!
It was always The Earl or The Itch to me, and I lived in the neighborhood from 1955-1974. Never heard it called the City Line. If you sat in the last row, you risked getting roaches in your hair from the venetian blinds behind you!
As long as I can remember, this movie house was known as “The Earl” or “The Itch”. My first recall of attending here was around 1936.
It may have been listed under another name, but everyone I never
heard it.
haymay
The green photo looks much like the night photo of Iraq being bombed. When compared to the 2005 photo you could see similar characteristics. It is the same building.
Someone posted a list of theaters from 1965 on this site, and the Earl is listed, showing “Mary Poppins.”
Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook;1926 and 1927 as the City Line Theatre with a seating capacity of 900. The F.D.Y. 1930 edition lists the City Line Theatre with 700 seats.
It is the 700 seat Earl Theatre in the 1941 edition of F.D.Y., which has a listing of 835 seats in 1943 and 1950 and 1957.
1973 the City Line was playing porn, excpet on Sunday they had Italian films AND matinees for the kids. Now that’s serving the neighborhood. :)
View link
I’ve read all the posts and have come to one conclusion…. no-one actually went to the EARL THEATER, because if they did….they would know the real name was “THE ITCH” ! lol !
It was definately City Line Cinema at the end becase I remember seeing it on the small marquee.
This originally was on here as City Line Cinema and was later changed
1978 as the City Line Cinema
View link