Movie Theatres of old New Haven, CT

[@edwardgabriel1946]

When I saw the picture of the Bijou theater, my heart skipped a beat. I'm 93 and I used to shine shoes on the corner across the street. Right in front of the Schulte cigar Store. There was a classic wooden cigar store indian right next to my spot on that corner. You can't see it, but there was a shoe repair and hat blocking store right next to the Bijou where I also shined shoes. I lived about 5 blocks from the city center. Broadway shows always opened first in the Schubert Theater on College St. New Haven was a great little city because it was not only a manufacturing town but Yale University occupied a good section of it. Jobs were plentiful and all immigrant factions got along so well with each other. I will now view the rest of this video. Hope I can contain myself. Never thought I would live out my remaining years on a small dairy farm in upstate New York. Just viewed the rest of the video. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Just remembered Charlie Chaplin silent movie in the Bijou. An organist played the organ on stage according to the scenes on the screen.

[@elonmartin3294]

Awesome story I worked at Shubert for 10years I read about the history but to hear it from someone who's been around that time is dope thanks for the history

[@mikebaldelli8734]

Good bless you, Edward. I hope I'm still watching movies when I'm 93. I hope you're still out there and read my message.

[@GeneaVlogger]

So cool to see! My great-grandfather Morris 'Maury" Nunes and his wife Jennie owned many Theatres in New Haven, including the Shubert and Whalley Theatres but I know they had a hand in many others. When my grandfather Myron 'Mickey' Nunes was a teenager he worked as an usher at the Whalley.

[@jackfarrell4727]

My grandfather was an orphan and he said he was raised by people who owned a theater in New Haven. I was young and do not remember the name.

[@chasbodaniels1744]

You probably know that the old Whalley at #379 was converted into the Edge of the Woods Market in 1987-88 which is still thriving to the present day (July 2024). I worked there, and it still amazes me how a new flooring system was built over the seating area to create a level surface. All those seats are still down there.

[@leemichaels7628]

Really glad to see that you included the Rivoli on Campbell Avenue, West Haven.Saturday matinees, in the 50's, followed by sodas or shakes, next door at the Rivoli Sweet shop. It sure helped that I was friends with the owner's daughter...;)

[@terryterzakis4020]

My grandfather owned the Rivoli Sweet Shop.

[@RonRicho]

So great. I am from New Haven and this was like a walk through my childhood. Much appreciated.

[@EthanLong]

this is incredibly up my alley

[@kevingleason1051]

There was a really good 1928 Wurlitzer Style H, 2 manual 10 rank instrument in the Paramount, most notably played by Eddie Weaver. After removal from its original home, plans were for it to be installed in the Sterling opera house in Derby, but it didn't happen. After years of storage it was sold. 😢

[@coffeehubby]

My family lived there for four generations, so this was familiar to my grandparents and uncles generation

[@billywalik6411]

Milford Drive Inn! Ah! Been both Driver and in the Trunk!

[@GLuft3]

I saw Rollerball and the Sting at the Bowl Drive-In.

[@kevinshea5168]

My grandfather owned the branford theatre I can remember going with him and being the only one in the theatre he would have the projectionist put a movie on and I would get a bowl pop corn candy what ever I wanted and enjoy the show or I would help the projection guy load up the reels and test run the film set up

[@old64goat]

Thanks for the great photos, I remember the Paramount theater it was beautiful inside as were most all of them back then. I also remember the Grand theater on Grand ave., seen many westerns on Saturday's I went to quite a few of them in the late 50's. It is a shame they are all gone now.

[@lewgoogle5530]

On any given Saturday afternoon, I and my friends were at the Loews or the College or the Roger Sherman theater, when we were in grammar school or junior high school. We got there by bus from Westville mostly.

[@xyz231]

Our family owns the old Cameo Theater in West Haven 495 Campbell Avenue (It appears at the 35 second mark on this video) . We turned it into a men's clothing store in 1977. I wold love to see someone or some group buy it from us and turn it into a theater again

[@mrpeel3239]

Awesome! A melancholic reminder that it's not only the pictures that got small, but also the theaters. I so miss the York Square. Wonder how many left in the phone book?- oh wait, no more, telephone books, either!!

[@nunyabusiness8668]

OMG. SMH grew up in West Haven that took the bus to New Haven. Remember a lot of these all except the ones in Savin rock.

[@elonmartin3294]

Fairmont still there lol damn good old forest

[@janetriggione6637]

New haven ct was like a mini New York City back in the day

[@ShakepearesDaughter]

Y'know, I always thought so! Born in 1959, able to experience some of the old New Haven back when we lived on Derby Avenue, walking to Barnard School when I came of age, I told the grownups in my life that I thought it was a mini New York City...they thought I was crazy! New Haven?? They had come from upper New York state post-war not because they had any New Haven relatives, but for the factory jobs, Winchester for my grandfather and Strouse-Adler and Robby Len for my grandmother. They looked down on it so, especially once it started to change after the big renovations of the early 60s that chewed up an entire neighborhood, did away with Legion Avenue where some of their small favorite stores were and Rositani's Pizzeria, which was a Friday night take-home treat, and the death of Schartenberg's big department store. But I was a kid and I always liked it. Grants, Woolworths, Kresge's. Horwitz's. And my remarks about it being "a mini New York City" were made after my mom had taken me on the train to NYC a few times, for Christmas shopping. So I had a real point of comparison, if only from a little kid point of view. New Haven, back then, had a steaming hot dog smell like New York, and a clack of women's heels on the sidewalk---like New York. And coffee smells when you went by a luncheonette. And those diamond-pane steel doors on the sidewalk, where shops and restaurants and bars got deliveries down their basement stairs---remember those? Well, so did New York City! The "old New Haven" had a very different feel---very like what one felt coming out of Grand Central onto the street. Eateries, dress shops, shoe stores, all sorts of little shops with fancy neon lighting crawling up the front of the building...yeah.

[@redbeard5181]

that guy Lee really screwed NH huh?

[@thaddeusproshansky5389]

Thanks for the memories Mark.Tad Proshansky

[@jdauria61]

The Hyperion theater at 3:23 in video looks so familiar. I seem to recall going to a theater that was down a narrow alley like that in 70's or early 80's, Anyone know where that was located any what the place in 70's - 80's may have been?

[@joewoodchuck3824]

I had forgotten about York Square. I had no idea there were so many at Savin Rock. Off topic, but I'd love to see an overlay of the 60s Savin Rock aligned with today. My clearest memories are of the race track, boat rides, fun house, merry go round (brass ring one time), Jimmy's (not a very good place in recent times), and a roller coaster (first and last time on one, ever).

[@MarcPSGM]

Hi Joe - I'm some what of a self-appointed Savin Rock historian. There actually is a video that does just what you're talking about, showing where the old rides and fun houses were, in today's world. I didn't make the video, but supplied many of the photos to James, and helped him with the locations. Here's the link to that video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX7TiKl_oNqLmc0

[@joewoodchuck3824]

@@MarcPSGM Thanks Marc. That was great. If it was ever possible to do an overhead version I'd love to see that as well. Nice job on the theaters too. When I was younger I didn't even know about the Lincoln until "Endless Summer" or was it "Endless Wave" played there. I lived in New Haven a few different times from the 50s through 80s, and worked there for over 35 years. I'm continually afflicted with the incurable disease known as nostalgia.

[@davidclark5379]

My grandmother used to tell me that every neighborhood because there wasn't a lot of people that own cars you know especially in the twenties every neighborhood had their own movie theater so people can walk to the movie theaters and they had a little you know convenience store where everybody shopped probably a more friendly times you knew your neighbors

[@italiano8nyc]

GREAT COLLECTION.....REALLY ENJOYED IT! .... IT IS HARD TO FIND PHOTOS OF THE 'POST DRIVE-IN' AND CAPITOL THEATER IN EAST HAVEN......

[@redbeard5181]

italiano8nyc Fairmont lol

[@italiano8nyc]

A COUPLE OF MISTAKES - - ONE OF THE LOEW'S POLI PHOTOS IS THE THEATER IN WORCESTER MASS. - - ALSO THE FIRST SHUBERT THEATER PHOTO IS NOT THE NEW HAVEN SHUBERT.

[@Rio-GE-V]

My hometown at Winthrop ave since 1nine8three one 99seven forest theater at 1nin 49 sec

[@chopagain739]

Lincoln had to be the most special. York Square was last of the legends.

[@joewoodchuck3824]

I remember most from the late 50s onward. I saw Perfect Wave at the Lincoln. I wasn't even aware of the theater until that movie was published. So many of them gone. Even some modern ones have come and gone. I wonder what changes might lie ahead after C19 is under control.

[@Thebrothaisback]

In some ways, new haven looked more spectacular then. Now they build small. The city area is still small and hamden is larger so New haven still has its limits.

[@slotslidershoslotcars]

The STRAND ? did I miss it ?

[@rickclay]

Missed..........its there😁👍

[@dacosta0656]

Democrats messed up this state

[@joewoodchuck3824]

Big time!

[@gailm8462]

Not True