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View of the auditorium from the balcony.

Located in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens, NY, the Boulevard Theatre has a rich history that spans nearly a century. It first opened its doors on September 10, 1926, as one of three theaters built in Queens by the Grob & Knobel circuit with Herbert J. Krapp as architect. The other two were the Jackson Theatre and the Sunnyside Theatre.  It was the only one of the three that had large enough stage facilities to handle a musical or Broadway style play.

View of the auditorium from the stage during demolition.

The theater, with 1,839 seats, was designed to showcase shows that had recently closed on Broadway or were on trial before their official run. This made it a popular place for theater enthusiasts. In 1928, William Fox acquired the Grob & Knobel theaters, and Louis Werba managed the Boulevard Theatre. But due to the Depression, both Fox and Werba faced bankruptcy. As a result, the Boulevard Theatre became a double-feature movie house under Fox’s successor, Skouras Theatres. Skouras also took control of the Jackson Theatre and Sunnyside Theatre, which were later sold to Century Theatres.

After years as a live theater venue, the Boulevard switched formats and became a movie theater. In the 1960s, it was a first run movie theater.  A special screening of “Yours, Mine and Ours” starring Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda was shown at the theater in 1968 before its wide release.

Triplexed in the 1970s, the Boulevard Theatre encountered difficulties because it was located in a residential area on Northern Boulevard, far from the 82nd Street shopping district around Roosevelt Avenue. This, combined with a decline in the neighborhood, led to the theater closing in the 1980s and its owner planned on demolishing it. However, this did not happen partially because of the community’s disapproval of his plan.

Eventually, the Boulevard Theatre was sold and transformed into the successful Natives Restaurant-Theatre, catering to Queens’ Hispanic community. The entrance was converted into a restaurant-bar, and the three auditoriums were used for various events. However, by 2016, it had turned into a restaurant/nightclub, which closed during the Covid-19 Pandemic. In early 2021, it was demolished, putting an end to its rich and storied history.

The remains of one of the stairways leading to the balcony.