Loew's Kings Theater
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The Loew's Kings Theater was a movie palace in Brooklyn, New York City in the United States of America from 1929 to the late 1970s. Designed by the architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp, it was one of the five Loew's "Wonder Theaters" in the New York metropolitan area. This 3,676 seat house first opened as a movie/vaudeville house. With the decline of vaudeville, the fare was later switched to movies only.
Located in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood, the theater's architecture was inspired by the Palace of Versailles and the Paris Opera House. It had a sweeping staircase in the lobby that led to the mezzanine. The theater did not have a balcony.
After closing in 1977, the Loew's Kings slowly deteriorated. There is currently extensive physical damage as a result of water and vandalism. It is currently owned by the City of New York though the structure lies vacant. However, the roof was recently repaired.
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, Henry Winkler, and Barbra Streisand.
When its curtain closed for the final time it became the subject of a film documentary, Memoirs of a Movie Palace.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Gray, Christopher. (11 March 2007) The Kings Is Dead! Long Live the Kings!, The New York Times Accessed 11 March 2007 (Registration may be required.)