The Coliseum Theatre was a cultural and performing arts center located at 4260

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

between West 181st and 182nd Streets in the Washington Heights neighborhood of

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. A full-block building, it was bounded on the east by Bennett Avenue. The Coliseum Theatre occupied the site of the Blue Bell Tavern, which stood from 1720 to 1915. Built in 1920 as B.S. Moss' Coliseum Theatre, the venue was originally a movie palace designed by architect

Eugene De Rosa Eugene De Rosa (1894 – ''c.'' 1945) was an Italian American architect, called at birth Eugenio. He worked in New York City and specialized in the design of theatres. De Rosa's business flourished from 1918 to 1929 and was at its height durin ...

. Marble interiors were done by Voska, Foelsch, & Sidlo Inc, terra cotta by New York Architectural Terra Cotta Company, ornamental plastering by Architectural Plastering Company, Inc., Peter Clark installed the rigging system, windows supplied by S. H. Pomeroy Company, Inc., Sexauer & Lemke Inc. installed the ornamental iron work, draperies and wall coverings by Louis Kuhn Studio, mirrors & console tables by Nonnenbacher & Co, and the pipe organ was installed by M. P. Moller. The Coliseum was launched by

Bow Tie Cinemas Bow Tie Cinemas is an American movie theater chain, with 38 locations in Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. As of 2013, it is the eighth-largest movie theater chain in the United States and is the oldest, havin ...

before being taken over by

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...

. It housed many

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

acts, including

The Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...

W.C. Fields WC or wc may refer to: * Water closet or flush toilet Arts and entertainment * ''W.C.'' (film), an Irish feature film * WC (band), a Polish punk rock band * WC (rapper), a rapper from Los Angeles, California * Westside Connection, former hi ...

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences, ...

, Uncle Don’s Kiddie Show, and

Gertrude Berg Gertrude Berg (Born Tillie Edelstein; October 3, 1899 – September 14, 1966) was an American actress, screenwriter, and producer. A pioneer of classic radio, she was one of the first women to create, write, produce, and star in a long-running hi ...

. During the 1980s, a local arts group wanted to rejuvenate the Coliseum as a community arts center, and put on a fundraiser benefit performance ''Salute to Ol' Vaudeville''. It also was the site of the Dominican Film Festival and Children's Film Festival before closing. In 2011, the building was denied landmark status, and a shopping mall was slated to be opened after demolition. The theater was demolished in 2020.

Gallery

File:Auditorium from stage, Coliseum Theatre, 181st Street.jpg File:Coliseum Theatre Washington Heights 4261 Broadway.jpg File:Coliseum Theatre Washington Heights east facade detail.jpg File:Coliseum Theatre Washington Heights south facade detail.jpg File:Coliseum Theatre, 181st Street.jpg File:Entrance to upper foyer, Coliseum Theatre, 181st Street.jpg File:Interior, side view, Coliseum Theatre, 181st Street.jpeg File:Lobby of Coliseum Theatre, 181st Street.jpg

References

{{reflist 1920 establishments in New York City Broadway (Manhattan) Cinemas and movie theaters in Manhattan Former theatres in Manhattan Movie palaces Theatres in Manhattan Theatres completed in 1920 Washington Heights, Manhattan Buildings and structures demolished in 2020 Demolished theatres in New York (state) Demolished buildings and structures in Manhattan