Staten Island Theaters
The Lane Theater - 1953
The St. George Theater
(The last of the great theaters)
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Before the advent of the huge megaplex theaters, many a movie theater were operating on Staten Island. In the 1930's there were as many as 13 theaters operating at the same time. They were not only movie houses but many were playhouses and some featured vaudeville acts. Old-timers can tell you about the many giveaways and contests that the movie theaters had. In 1948 the island had the first drive-in theater in New York City, it was located on Richmond Avenue. We also had two movie theaters on New Dorp Lane.
Before the advent of the huge megaplex theaters, many a movie theater were operating on Staten Island. In the 1930's there were as many as 13 theaters operating at the same time. They were not only movie houses but many were playhouses and some featured vaudeville acts. Old-timers can tell you about the many giveaways and contests that the movie theaters had. In 1948 the island had the first drive-in theater in New York City, it was located on Richmond Avenue. We also had two movie theaters on New Dorp Lane.
In years gone by movie theaters were referred to as “Movie Palaces.” They were designed and built with the intention of attracting as many customers as possible. Inside the palaces, smartly uniformed ushers led moviegoers through luxurious marble-lined halls the size of cathedrals, under crystal chandeliers, and up plushly carpeted stairs to their seats. The major film studios built luxurious “Movie Palaces” that were designed for orchestras to play music to accompany projected films. The appeal of the first few movie palaces that were built spurred a boom of buildings from 1914 to 1922. There were 4,000 new theaters in the United States built during that time. Impressive lobbies with lavish interiors were intended to give moviegoers the feeling of being royalty and be an escape from the day-to-day world. At an average price of $.27 a ticket, movies offered a relatively inexpensive way to vacation from reality. Always popular, this sort of diversion was especially sought-after during the Great Depression. Movie theaters became a booming industry. Between 60 and 80 million American’s went to the movies each week. Anything that helped people escape from reality of the Depression got a boost in business.
There were different variations of theaters many became themed theaters in the 1920s. There were those that had Egyptian, Spanish, Chinese, and Persian themes, along with theaters that simply had skies painted on the ceiling, or box seats that were formed to look like a street scene.
The function of World War II-era theaters was as a place to view newsreels about the war and learn about bond drives. One favorite way of attracting patrons was to offer sweepstakes and drawings at the theater for prize money. Even the promise of just a little bit of money was a big draw for impoverished Americans. At an average price of $.27 a ticket, movies offered a relatively inexpensive way to vacation from reality.
There were different variations of theaters many became themed theaters in the 1920s. There were those that had Egyptian, Spanish, Chinese, and Persian themes, along with theaters that simply had skies painted on the ceiling, or box seats that were formed to look like a street scene.
The function of World War II-era theaters was as a place to view newsreels about the war and learn about bond drives. One favorite way of attracting patrons was to offer sweepstakes and drawings at the theater for prize money. Even the promise of just a little bit of money was a big draw for impoverished Americans. At an average price of $.27 a ticket, movies offered a relatively inexpensive way to vacation from reality.
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Old Staten Island Website
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Old Staten Island Website