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Dear Mr. Coney Island...
We were talking about all the old theaters, when we got into Coney Island the two names that popped up were The Shore and The Tilyou. Where were they?
- Coney Fan

Hello Coney Fan,

The Coney theaters were: The RKO Tilyou, operated by the Tilyou family of Steeplechase Park on Surf at West 17th (demolished 1973); The Loews theater on Surf at Stillwell (which is closed but still exists as the Shore Theater); The Surf Theater at Surf and West 32nd (closed in 1958); The Mermaid Theater at Mermaid Avenue and West 29th. (closed 1963); The Tuxedo Theater, Ocean Parkway at Brighton Beach Avenue (closed 1964). The Gate Theater, Surf at 25th Street (closed c. 1940s)

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As a teen in the late 50's I worked as an usher at the tuxedo theater. I got 60 cents an hour. I was there when century theaters took it over. I attended PS 100 just a block away, and have great memories of coney island and Brighten beach at that time. Would love to hear from any old friends.
warrenkasow@comcast.net

As a Coney Island teenager in the early 60's, I was an usher at Sam Horwitz' Mermaid Theater. Later, he owned the Tuxedo theater too (later still, he bacame a Councilman.) On Friday and Saturday nights, besides ushering, my job was to try and fit cars into the Tuxedo's tiny parking lot under the El.

Yes, that would be the Tuxedo Theater. It was on the west side of Ocean Parkway just north of the BMT line which crosses at Brighton Beach Avenue. I lived in the last apartment building on the west side of Ocean Parkway just south of the BMT and attended several "Kiddy Shows" at the theater. Directly across my apartment building there was the Brighton Theater for stage shows and south of that Club 28 (you had to be at least 28 years old for admission, which I thought was ancient at the time: Hah!). Happy New Year; do you win?

I was working in 1957 for bklyn union gas co, on ocean pky, and they were making a movie about MARK HELLINGER, and there was a theatre on ocean parkway south of the belt pky, can you tell me the name of it and was there ever a theatre there?, i also remember taking a date there, i have a bet on this question, thank you tony siano

Do you have any info about vaudeville at The Tilyou? 1920s 1930s I think My father Henry Frankel, was the orchestra Leader I was born in 1925 thank you

I remember seeing King Kong vs Godzilla at the Tilyou.

I was born in coney island and my family lived above Mezzos bakery. in the early 1950’s my dad was a foot cop on Bowery street. Rose and Myrtle operated the hammer and nail game. at the same time Sammy Spookarama was the ticket taker at the Spookarama soook house. i would love to know if anyone remembers Rose, Myrtle and sammy.

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