Harlem Bespoke had taken a photo (second from bottom) of the Bunny Theater on Broadway and 147th Street a month ago and never got around to post a story on the building. Unfortunately, we walked by today, and the demolition crew was at the top of the structure and were half-way done with the removal of the ornamentation on the front facade. This building had been a 99 cent store since 2002 but originally opened in 1913, aptly named "Bunny Photoplays." From the top photo, one can see the actual bunnies sculpted into the building which was a reference to the silent film actor John Bunny. Through the 1980's the theater was in use as a cinema called Nova Theatre. There was a gut renovation of a storefront at the south end of the building mall from last month, but it did not seem that the owners were going to destroy the last remnant of the theater's past. The lower photo is from this afternoon. Truly sad. The close-up shot is from the photoblog, satanslaundrymat.com and the top photo is from newyorkcitywalk.com.
When I was a kid in the 1970s, this was called the Tapia, but later the name was changed to the Nova. My mom remembers it was named the Dorset when she was a teenager.
ReplyDeleteThank you Michael for the insight. Any first hand account is immeasurable in value since the oral history will disappear unless we have record of it from people who were there to witness the people and places that made Harlem unique.
ReplyDeleteOMG I remeber this as the Tapia theater where they used to show Spanish language movies. Many times the neighborhood kids would go to the RKO on W.146 st and the Spanish speaking parents would go to the Tapia.
ReplyDeleteUs kids thought the movies they showed at the Tapia was corny old melodramas. Us hipper kids wouldnt be caught dead there, we would rather go to the RKO and watch a a first double feature for 50 cents!
I hear that the RKO may be restored. Is this true?
I dont r