RKO Coliseum Theater    

On the northwest corner of 181st Street and Broadway, the RKO Coliseum boasted to be the third largest theater in the United States, with 3,500 seats, when it opened in 1920. B.S. Moss was involved with the launching of the theater as an entity. The architects were DeRosa and Periera, who designed other movie palaces of that period.

Historically the site of the Coliseum was occupied by the Blue Bell Tavern, which had been a local drinking establishment since colonial days. The Blue Bell was constructed between 1725 and 1730 and had served the public faithfully until the early part of the 20th Century. In 1753, Lieutenant-Governor Cadwalader Colden made reference to the comfortable lodgings and good food of the Blue Bell when the Colden family had taken shelter from a rain storm.

During the American Revolution, the tavern was used by American and Royalist forces (on separate occasions) as a drinking establishment and for court-martials. After the war, local citizens and travelers came back to the tavern.

Over the years the Blue Bell changed hands and was rebuilt. It closed in 1915 and was razed for a forthcoming movie theater. Passers-by could see the remnants of the basement as well as tiles used in the fireplace.

The RKO Corporation was founded in 1929 from the merger of the Orpheum theater circuit (1882), Joseph P. Kennedy’s Film Booking Office (1917) and the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) (1909). It is one of the oldest of the continuously operating movie studios. During the Golden Age of movies, RKO released an average of 40 motion pictures per year. The 1980s saw troubled times for the major studios. The following decade the film industry saw improved sales and sounded a comeback for RKO.

In its heyday many of the most famous vaudeville acts came to the stage of the Coliseum. The Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, Edie Cantor, Uncle Don’s Kiddie Show, and Gertrude Berg of televison’s “The Goldbergs” were among the performers who had been there.

In the early 1980s, the theater was made into a triplex. The orchestra seats were one theater and the mezzanine was split up into two theaters. At this time the ornate ceiling could still be seen and appreciated by those who have a passion for nostalgia. The ornate marquee was taken down duting the construction. The theater was later reduced to a duplex by eliminating the orchestra seats and stage to make way for stores such as New York and Co., Bravo Supermarket, Radio Shack, GNC, and Easy Connections. The Coliseum closed due to financial problems and reopened as a quad theater in July 1991.

The Coliseum Theater is presently closed and its future uncertain. For more information, visit RKO Pictures. The League of Historic American Theaters may have some information on the Coliseum.

Send This Article to a Friend

E-mail to:

From (your e-mail):

 

Message (optional):
  

Readers’ Comments

Remembered seeing a show featuring Eubie Blake it was an all African American show that featured Eubie at the piano and his orchestra. One of the biggest shows I remember seeing there. (Posted by Peter J. Devito on July 21, 2003 06:04 PM.)

As a child (pre television) I spent every Sunday in this wonderland of excitement. Leo Weber would play the organ and everyone would sing to the bouncing ball. What a treasure for all. On Saturday you could watch three hours of cartoons and a double feature to the delight of many children who were thrilled to the core not to mention the happy mothers who could have some quiet time at home alone.. (Posted by Mary Lou on November 12, 2003 11:16 PM.)

ive lived in washington heights mostly all my life(20 of 23).165th.street and broadway to be exact.right across the Sreet from the infamous ballroom,where malcoom X was assasinated.I ALWAYS BRING THAT up proudly when someone is stoppin’ by or asks me where i live.i have slowly but vastly dwelled on learning some more about this neighberhood.pictures in paticular.i have been curious to see my street or building in an old picture documented somewhere.however i have heard my very apartment building was an old hotel(600west.)it would make much sense ,since the building has alot of features, defending the that theory.tall tale or not?i dont know.im wondering if you could provide any truth to that at all.i would enjoy any pictures of this neighberhood that you could provide me.especially anything of my street or even my building more than appreciated.i enjoy this site .it helps me ackowledge any other history that would otherwise go over my head .hope you have anything of the kind in your archive. thanks…ARMAN A. (Posted by arman aziz on January 8, 2004 11:00 PM.)

I wondered if anyone here could help me, I am an artist who has been asked by an elderly woman to paint her childhood neighborhood in Fort Washington/Washington heights as viewed from the hudson river, she lived at 181st and riverside drive, she lived here in 1925 before the gwb was built, any images would be appreciated, thank you (Posted by rene halligan on March 22, 2004 02:55 PM.)

The Coliseum closed sometime last year, and I thought it was gone forever. But just the other day (actually… Friday, July 9th 2004) I noticed that it is once again open for business with Spider Man 2, King Arthur and Shrek 2 headlining. I’ve never been inside, but after reading the history, maybe I’ll go in just to be part of it all. (Posted by paul slater on July 10, 2004 05:17 PM.)

Free sex http://www.seriesporno.net (Posted by Free porn on February 2, 2005 06:29 PM.)

Post a Comment