Classic Theatre

180 Tompkins Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11206

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Additional Info

Architects: Walter B. Wills

Functions: Church

Nearby Theaters

Classic Theater, Brooklyn, NY

The theatre may or may not have been a classic, but it served its neighborhood well for many years with late-run double features. The Classic Theatre was opened in 1916. In 1923 it was equipped with a Wurlitzer 2manual 3ranks theatre organ. The Classic Theatre was closed in 1942.

Contributed by Warren G. Harris

Recent comments (view all 10 comments)

deleted user
[Deleted] on October 27, 2004 at 6:33 pm

I find no listing for this theatre after 1950. It may have closed or changed names.

Bway
Bway on March 31, 2005 at 3:48 pm

The classic Theater building’s status can be changed from unknown. It is the “People’s Church of Apostolic faith”. It looked similar to the Wyckoff Theater and Mozart Theater.

Here is a photo I took of the building yesterday:

View link

Bway
Bway on March 31, 2005 at 3:58 pm

Did the same owners run both the Wyckoff Theater and the Classic Theater?

The buildings are identical twins!!!

Click here for a photo of the Wyckoff (linked above), and compare to the classic linked above.

Bway
Bway on March 31, 2005 at 4:05 pm

I’m sorry, I posted a bad link to the Classic Theater Above:

Here is the proper link for the Classic Theater photo

Bway
Bway on March 31, 2005 at 4:16 pm

Argh!!! One last time, this time I promise it’s the right link!

Click here for the proper link to the Classic Theater Photo I took

Astyanax
Astyanax on April 2, 2005 at 5:58 am

Thanks Warren for the posting, Bway for the photo. Over the years I have passed by this theatre innumerable times, never realizing its history. As much as we appreciate the role of the ornate movie palaces, the simple, often non-descript “storefront” movie houses played a vital role in the neighborshoods they served.

Bway
Bway on June 13, 2006 at 6:33 am

I wonder if they put one into the Wyckoff the same year. The buildings are 100% identical.

Bway
Bway on April 30, 2009 at 10:49 am

Here’s a google street view of the Classic. it’s a twin to the Wyckoff theater in Ridgewood/Bushwick, although the Wyckoff is in better shape, at least on the exterior:

View link

Willburg145
Willburg145 on June 21, 2011 at 1:15 pm

I remember the Wycoff during its final days as a theater company run by a community group but not sure of the name. I should have gone in but never did. I believe it still had the marquee up.

HomecrestGuy
HomecrestGuy on December 10, 2018 at 4:44 am

New photo added to gallery, from the NYC Tax Photos, 1939-41. Only the marquee, no film, looks closed for good.

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