Empire Theatre
236 W. 42nd St., New York, NY
Seats (approximate)
900
Built
1912
Closed
1942
ABOUT THIS THEATRE
Laff Movie
Eltinge 42nd Street Theatre
Description
Thomas W. Lamb, architect. Built by Al Woods and named for the female impersonator whose career made Woods's fortune. Woods introduced a new seating system: "slender," "medium," and "stout" seats for patrons of all sizes. Woods lost the theatre in the depression and it became a burlesque house. By 1941, it was a movie house. In 1998, redevelopment of 42nd St. in full swing, the whole building was lifted, moved down the block, and transformed into the facade and entrance of the AMC multiplex cinema.
Media
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