United Palace & Other Uptown Theaters

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 6:28pm

As someone who loves theater history - especially the actual, physical theater - I'm always curious when I come across a new one. I was walking back from a friends and saw the United Palace, which is this gigantic, gorgeous theater. I was curious if anyone knew the history on it? It looks like it's kind of become like the Beacon and really only does concerts, etc, but what was the original use? Also passed the Coliseum Cinemas? It's this gigantic building as well that I guess use to be a movie theater, but judging from the architecture must have once been a theater? 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 6:44pm

It started as one of the top line Loews theaters. The Coliseum was an RKO property. The website you want is http://cinematreasures.org/

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 7:04pm

I live in the West 140s, so this website is amazing. So many buildings that I've walked by and thought "That looks like a theater..." 

 

http://untappedcities.com/2012/03/20/upper-broadways-forgotten-movie-theaters/7/

[MyFavoriteBrunette]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 2:24am

In all my years living in The Bronx and later when mom moved to Washington Heights, the Unitd Palace was just part of the neighborhood.  I learned more about it during a PBS special A Walk Up Broadway.  https://youtu.be/v9FYyUTeuk0 (scroll to 1:05:00)

I had the wonderful opportunity to see the interior twice.  Once for my niece's 8th grade graduation ten years ago, and a year ago next week when I took my late mom to see Mary Poppins when Lin Manuel Miranda was present and donated a digital projector to The United Palace.  The lobby looks like gilded gold--like stepping back in time.  I believe Reverend Ike is th owner and has maintained it all these years.  

So much history in old theaters and movie houses here in NY.  My favorite of the old theaters was the Lowes Cinema Paradise on the Grand Concourse in The Bronx.  I saw Grease and Saturday Night Fever there (whyyyyy my mom took me and my sister when we were kids!).  It was no where in its splendor, the floors were sticky like the old 2 for $5 movie theaters in Times Square, but when I'd walk in, I wondered what it was like.

Updated On: 10/14/17 at 02:24 AM

[MyFavoriteBrunette]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 2:24am

Above the Coliseum theater is a faded movie poster for Mad Hot Ballroom.  

https://youtu.be/-rlJuTC637c

 

This was a documentary about the Dancing Classrooms program in NYC public schools.  It was a wonderful way of bringing the arts to children!  The documentary was featured at the TriBeCa Film Festival and one of the schools featured in the movie was my niece's elementary school, just blocks away from that abandoned theater.  It was nice that the movie played there--so many in the community went to see it and support the neighborhood kids.  

 

Whenever I'm uptown, I still look up at the poster.  Surprised no one has taken it down.  Nostalgia of the children's dream?  The boy and girl in their tango pose in the poster are now in their early 20's.  The young lady continued to pursue dance and did take up ballet.

 

 

Updated On: 10/14/17 at 02:24 AM

[Melissa25]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 5:00am

I grew up in Washington Heights and my earliest memory of the Loew’s 175th St was when my older brother took me to see Batman with Adam West.  Rev Ike bought the theater soon after.  

I spent a good chunk of my childhood at the RKO Coliseum.  They had a children’s section with a matron who wore a white uniform and she carried a huge flashlight.  She did her best to keep us in order.  I would love to sneak off and go explore the rest of the theater.  It was humongous...this was before they split it into a triplex.  Many good memories.  I always loved their iconic black and white lettered marquee.

[Damiensta]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 9:17am

Someone wanted to tear down the Coliseum building about a year back, to make it Center with parking and a couple of stores. I know it was going to board approval but not sure if got approved or not. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 12:46pm

Maybe as gentrification makes its way up Broadway some of this will get restored. Although The Metro has been vacate for decades. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 4:58pm

I think the primary problem with restoration in any positive way is size: the RKO house for instance was 3500 seats. To what use would it be restored?