See the unsightly edifice above. Hard to look at, isn't it? What ghastly colors. And that charmless sign.
This was once a center of old world Red Hook activity. This building, at the corner of Pioneer and Richards Streets, was, from 1921 (Jazz Age! Woo-hoo!) to 1955 (Dodgers win the Series! Yes!) the Pioneer Theatre, a 600-seat first-run movie house. Longshoremen and their families gathered here nightly for a little fun. Facing Coffey Park and just down the street from the Visitation of Our Lady Roman Catholic Church, it's hard to imagine a place of recreation more central. Wonder why, when they converted it, they felt compelled to erase every bit of evidence that it was ever a movie theatre.
I have discovered a few things about the theatre from reading a rather fascinating website called the South Brooklyn Network, in which former Red Hook born-and-breds reminisce in the most sentimental and unguarded way possible about the old days in the Hook. You learn a lot of history that wasn't in the papers from these folks. And you meet a lot guys named Natz and Joey Big Head.
Apparently there was a man who worked at the Pioneer who had a missing finger named Mr. Nichols. There was a tall lady matron named Mary who caused the kids to jump whenever she spoke. And one poster offered up a yarn as to why the Pioneer closed. I don't believe it, but I like the story, so I'm going to repeat it here. The tale is that the owner's wife ran off with a married man named Eddie. (It would be a guy named Eddie, wouldn't it?) He was so distraught, he closed the Pioneer and spent his life saving chasing after his wife to bring her back home.
That South Brooklyn site is GREAT! I've spent hours reading those posts. I've been meaning to make myself a map and take a look at where all the old theaters, candy stores, pizza places, and etc. were. I think they had a reunion last year--I bet that was truly entertaining!
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