Loew's Kings Theater
Encyclopedia
The Kings Theatre, formerly Loew's Kings Theatre, is a movie palace
-type theater located at 1025 Flatbush Avenue
in Brooklyn
, New York City
. Opened in 1929 and closed since 1977, the theater is scheduled to reopen in 2014 following a complete renovation.
. The interior decor was designed by Harold W. Rambusch. It was built and operated by the Loew's Theatres
chain, and was one of the five "Loew's Wonder Theatres" in the New York metropolitan area. This 3,676 seat house originally presented shows that combined movies and live vaudeville
. It opened September 7, 1929 with a program that included the film Evangeline, a live stage show, orchestra and solo pipe organ. The film's star, Delores del Rio made a special live appearance. With the decline of vaudeville, however, the theater soon converted to showing feature films only.
Located in Brooklyn's Flatbush
neighborhood near Beverly Road, the lavish theater was designed in the Rapp Brothers' signature French-influenced baroque style. The unusually spacious theater boasts superb sight-lines, with the majority of its seats located on the main floor. Instead of a large balcony, the Kings has only a small mezzanine, allowing the entire elegant design to be viewed from anywhere in the auditorium. It has a sweeping staircase in the lobby that leads to the mezzanine.
Many celebrities who grew up in Brooklyn and went to area high schools worked as ushers at Loew's Kings. Among them were Sylvester Stallone
and Henry Winkler
. Ben Vereen
danced on the stage at the Kings, where his mother was working. After closing, the theater was subject of a film documentary, Memoirs of a Movie Palace.
On August 30, 1977 the Loew's Kings closed. Its final film was Islands in the Stream
with George C. Scott. After the time of its closing, when its lavish 1929 interior was almost completely intact, the shuttered theater slowly deteriorated. Extensive physical damage was sustained to the Kings's interior as a result of decades of neglect, water damage and vandalism. The roof was recently repaired to halt further deterioration while today the vacant theater awaits renovation. It has been owned by the City of New York since 1979.
. The plans call for the Kings's interior spaces to be restored to their 1929 appearance. Its stage facilities are to be completely rebuilt to modern standards, accommodating some 250 performances a year.
theatre pipe organ
. The instrument contained 23 ranks of pipes played on an elaborately decorated four manual console, one of Robert Morton's "Wonder Morton" designs, installed in all the Loew's Wonder Theatres. The organ was popular with audiences and was featured in performances between film showings. The organ remained in good condition and was played one last time in 1974 prior to its being removed and donated by the Loew's company to New York City's Town Hall
. The instrument was never reinstalled however, and most of its pipes and works disappeared while in storage. In 1998, the lavish console was rebuilt for use with a comparable pipe organ in a private home in Wheaton, Illinois
.
Movie palace
A movie palace is a term used to refer to the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opened every year between 1925 and 1930.There are three building types in particular which can be subsumed...
-type theater located at 1025 Flatbush Avenue
Flatbush Avenue (Brooklyn)
Flatbush Avenue is one of the major avenues in the New York City Borough of Brooklyn. It runs from the Manhattan Bridge south-southeastward to Jamaica Bay, where it joins the Marine Parkway Bridge, which connects Brooklyn to the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Opened in 1929 and closed since 1977, the theater is scheduled to reopen in 2014 following a complete renovation.
History
Loew's Kings Theatre was designed by the architectural firm of Rapp and RappRapp and Rapp
The architectural firm Rapp and Rapp was active in Chicago, Illinois during the early 20th century. The brothers Cornelius W. Rapp and George Leslie Rapp of Carbondale, Illinois were the named partners and 1899 alumnus of the University of Illinois School of Architecture...
. The interior decor was designed by Harold W. Rambusch. It was built and operated by the Loew's Theatres
Loews Cineplex Entertainment
Loews Theatres, aka Loews Incorporated , founded in 1904 by Marcus Loew and Brantford Schwartz, was the oldest theater chain operating in North America until it merged with AMC Theatres on January 26, 2006. From 1924 until 1959, it was also the parent company of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. The...
chain, and was one of the five "Loew's Wonder Theatres" in the New York metropolitan area. This 3,676 seat house originally presented shows that combined movies and live vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
. It opened September 7, 1929 with a program that included the film Evangeline, a live stage show, orchestra and solo pipe organ. The film's star, Delores del Rio made a special live appearance. With the decline of vaudeville, however, the theater soon converted to showing feature films only.
Located in Brooklyn's Flatbush
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
neighborhood near Beverly Road, the lavish theater was designed in the Rapp Brothers' signature French-influenced baroque style. The unusually spacious theater boasts superb sight-lines, with the majority of its seats located on the main floor. Instead of a large balcony, the Kings has only a small mezzanine, allowing the entire elegant design to be viewed from anywhere in the auditorium. It has a sweeping staircase in the lobby that leads to the mezzanine.
Many celebrities who grew up in Brooklyn and went to area high schools worked as ushers at Loew's Kings. Among them were Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
and Henry Winkler
Henry Winkler
Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days...
. Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen is an American actor, dancer, and singer who has appeared in numerous Broadway theatre shows. Vereen graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts.- Early years :...
danced on the stage at the Kings, where his mother was working. After closing, the theater was subject of a film documentary, Memoirs of a Movie Palace.
On August 30, 1977 the Loew's Kings closed. Its final film was Islands in the Stream
Islands in the Stream (film)
Islands in the Stream is a 1977 American drama film, an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel of the same name. The film was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starred George C...
with George C. Scott. After the time of its closing, when its lavish 1929 interior was almost completely intact, the shuttered theater slowly deteriorated. Extensive physical damage was sustained to the Kings's interior as a result of decades of neglect, water damage and vandalism. The roof was recently repaired to halt further deterioration while today the vacant theater awaits renovation. It has been owned by the City of New York since 1979.
Renovation plans
After having been the object of numerous proposals for its restoration over the years, the Kings Theatre is now under plans to return it to use as a performing arts center by 2014. The City of New York announced on February 2, 2010 a $70 million renovation of to be completed in partnership with a private developer, ACE Theatrical Group of Houston. ACE has previously overseen major restorations of a number of historic theaters including the Boston Opera HouseBoston Opera House (1980)
The Boston Opera House is a performing arts venue located at 538 Washington St. in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally built as a movie palace, it opened on October 29, 1928 and was rededicated in 1980 as a home for the Opera Company of Boston...
. The plans call for the Kings's interior spaces to be restored to their 1929 appearance. Its stage facilities are to be completely rebuilt to modern standards, accommodating some 250 performances a year.
Organ
When the Loew's Kings Theatre opened it was equipped with a Robert MortonRobert Morton Organ Company
The Robert Morton Organ Company was a producer of theater pipe organs and church organs, located in Van Nuys, California. Robert Morton was the number two volume producer of theatre organs, building approximately half as many organs as the industry leader Wurlitzer...
theatre pipe organ
Theatre organ
A theatre organ is a pipe organ originally designed specifically for imitation of an orchestra. New designs have tended to be around some of the sounds and blends unique to the instrument itself....
. The instrument contained 23 ranks of pipes played on an elaborately decorated four manual console, one of Robert Morton's "Wonder Morton" designs, installed in all the Loew's Wonder Theatres. The organ was popular with audiences and was featured in performances between film showings. The organ remained in good condition and was played one last time in 1974 prior to its being removed and donated by the Loew's company to New York City's Town Hall
The Town Hall
The Town Hall is a performance space, located at 123 West 43rd Street, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, in New York City. It seats approximately 1,500 people.-History:...
. The instrument was never reinstalled however, and most of its pipes and works disappeared while in storage. In 1998, the lavish console was rebuilt for use with a comparable pipe organ in a private home in Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County...
.
External links
- Save The Loew's Kings on PlanetPLG.com
- Page for Loew's Kings Theatre at the Cinema Treasures website
- NYC Economic Development Corp - Loews Kings Theatre Restoration Project
- New York Times - Restoration of Loew’s Kings Theater Slideshow
- Brooklyn Eagle - Loew's Kings To Be Transformed Into ‘Wonder Theater’ Once Again
- The Loew's King in Brooklyn YouTube
- 2011 Photos of Kings Theater by Matt Lambros