Loew's State Theatre
A former Loew's movie palace and vaudeville venue on Times Square that operated from 1921 to 1987.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Loew's State Theatre was a large movie palace and live-entertainment venue at 1540 Broadway in Times Square, Manhattan. Operated by Loew's Theatres, it opened on August 29, 1921, as part of a sixteen-story office building and became one of the prominent entertainment venues on Broadway. The building and theater were designed by architect Thomas Lamb in the Adam style. At opening, the auditorium had capacity for roughly 3,200 patrons and was promoted as the first Broadway theater to cost $1 million. The State was initially associated with the mixed-program format common to major American theaters of the period. It presented films alongside vaudeville acts, personal appearances, and short subjects. For much of its earlier operating history, it functioned as a second-run house, often showing MGM films after their premiere engagements at Loew's Astor and Capitol theaters nearby. Joseph Vogel managed the theater during its early years; he later became president of Loew's Inc. and subsequently an executive at MGM. As vaudeville declined, the State remained notable for continuing to book live acts. Its final vaudeville performance took place on December 23, 1947, marking the end of the theater's long association with that form of entertainment. The venue also had a connection to the performer Tiny Tim, who worked there as a messenger boy from March 1951 through August 1952. The theater hosted a number of major film premieres, including The Three Musketeers in 1948, Annie Get Your Gun in 1950, Ben-Hur in 1959, Becket in 1964, and Doctor Dolittle in 1967. In 1959, it underwent an approximately $850,000 modernization. The renovation reduced seating, widened the seats, increased spacing between rows, removed the proscenium arch, installed a widescreen projection system, and redecorated the interior in beige and gold. The renovated venue reopened with the New York premiere of Some Like It Hot, attended by Marilyn Monroe. Changing exhibition economics led to further alteration. In 1968, the former balcony was converted into a separate auditorium called State II, while the orchestra level became State I. State II opened on December 18, 1968, with the U.S. premiere of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The two-screen configuration allowed the theater to continue operating in a changing market, and both sections were used for the 1972 world premiere and subsequent opening of The Godfather. The property was sold to developer Bruce Eichner in 1986. Loew's State Theatre closed on February 19, 1987. The theater was subsequently demolished and replaced by the Bertelsmann Building, ending the venue's existence as a cinema and live-performance house.
History
Loew's State Theatre was built as part of the rapid expansion of Times Square as a major center for commercial theater, cinema, and popular entertainment. Located at 1540 Broadway, the theater occupied space within a sixteen-story office building and was designed by Thomas Lamb in the Adam style. It opened on August 29, 1921, under Loew's Theatres. With an opening capacity of approximately 3,200 seats, it was among the large urban movie palaces that combined ornate presentation with mass-market entertainment. Its reported construction cost of $1 million made it the first theater on Broadway to reach that figure. The original program reflected the entertainment model of the early 1920s: a feature film was combined with vaudeville, short subjects, and other live attractions. The State was generally a second-run theater, commonly presenting MGM pictures after their first engagements at the Astor Theatre and later the Capitol, both nearby Loew's houses. The venue also promoted personal appearances and live acts, giving it a role that extended beyond simple film exhibition. Joseph Vogel served as an early manager. His later career included leadership of Loew's Inc. and an executive position at MGM. The theater remained an important vaudeville venue even after the format began to lose ground to sound films, radio, and other forms of entertainment. It was the last Times Square theater to continue booking vaudeville acts. That chapter ended with the final show on December 23, 1947, which was accompanied by commemorative farewells from the stage. The State continued as a cinema and hosted notable performers and public appearances. A young Herbert Khaury, who later became known as Tiny Tim, worked at the theater as a messenger boy from March 1951 until August 1952. The venue's film profile included major premieres. Among the films associated with premieres at the theater were The Three Musketeers in 1948, Annie Get Your Gun in 1950, Ben-Hur in 1959, Becket in 1964, and Doctor Dolittle in 1967. These engagements demonstrate the State's continued value as a high-visibility Broadway and Times Square presentation venue, even though its ordinary schedule also included standard commercial runs. By the late 1950s, the theater required modernization to accommodate changing expectations in cinema presentation. A remodel completed in March 1959 reportedly cost $850,000. The work reduced the seating count from more than 3,300 to 1,885, while providing wider seats and greater distance between rows. The proscenium arch was removed, and a wide-screen projector was installed for CinemaScope and VistaVision presentations, although the auditorium was not equipped for Cinerama. The interior was redecorated in beige and gold. The remodeled theater reopened with the New York premiere of Some Like It Hot, attended by Marilyn Monroe. The theater was subdivided in 1968 as the single-auditorium movie-palace model became less practical. The former balcony reopened on December 18 as State II with 1,214 seats, while the orchestra auditorium was renamed State I and had 1,172 seats. The first State II program was the U.S. premiere of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The split configuration allowed the property to present different films and manage capacity more flexibly, but it also represented the gradual conversion of the landmark palace format into a multiplex-style operation. State I hosted the world premiere of The Godfather in March 1972, and the film opened at State II the next day. Despite such prestigious engagements, the venue faced the broader pressures affecting large downtown theaters, including changes in film distribution, audience habits, urban development, and the economics of maintaining valuable Times Square property. The theater was sold to developer Bruce Eichner in 1986 and closed on February 19, 1987. It was subsequently demolished, and the Bertelsmann Building replaced the former theater site. The closing ended the State's sixty-six-year history as a cinema and live-entertainment venue.
- 1987
Closure and replacement
[1]The theater closed on February 19 and was later replaced by the Bertelsmann Building.
- 1986
Sale to Bruce Eichner
[1]The theater property was sold to developer Bruce Eichner.
- 1972
The Godfather premiere
[1]State I hosted the world premiere of The Godfather, followed by an opening at State II.
- 1968
Conversion into State I and State II
[1]The balcony became a separate 1,214-seat auditorium, while the orchestra level became State I.
- 1959
Major remodeling and widescreen conversion
[1]A substantial renovation modernized the auditorium, reduced capacity, improved seating, and enabled CinemaScope and VistaVision presentations.
- 1947
Final vaudeville performance
[1]The State held its last vaudeville show on December 23, ending its role as Times Square's final continuing vaudeville theater.
- 1921
Opening of Loew's State Theatre
[1]The theater opened on August 29 at 1540 Broadway as a large Loew's venue presenting films and vaudeville.
Products and positioning
A major Times Square movie palace combining large-scale film exhibition with vaudeville, live appearances, and premiere events. Over time, it was repositioned through modernization and subdivision into a two-screen cinema.
Live entertainment · 1921
Vaudeville and live stage programs
During its early decades, the State combined feature films with vaudeville acts, personal appearances, and short subjects. Its continued booking of live acts made it notable after many comparable Times Square cinemas had abandoned vaudeville. The theater's final vaudeville program was presented in December 1947.
Cinema · 1921
Feature-film exhibition
Film exhibition was the theater's core activity throughout its existence. The State commonly handled second-run engagements but also presented high-profile New York and world premieres, including Ben-Hur, Becket, Doctor Dolittle, and The Godfather.
Split-screen cinema operation · 1968
State I and State II
Beginning in 1968, the former single auditorium operated as two cinema spaces. State I occupied the orchestra level with 1,172 seats, while State II occupied the former balcony with 1,214 seats. The arrangement supported parallel film engagements and more flexible capacity management.
Brand decisions
1987
ClosureOtherBackground
The property changed hands amid redevelopment pressure in Times Square.
Action taken
Loew's State Theatre ceased operations on February 19.
Aftermath
The structure was demolished and the Bertelsmann Building occupied the site.
1986
Sale of the theater propertyM&ABackground
The theater occupied a valuable Times Square development site during a period of major redevelopment.
Action taken
The property was sold to developer Bruce Eichner.
Aftermath
The theater closed the following year and was replaced by the Bertelsmann Building.
1968
Subdivision into two auditoriumsStrategyBackground
The economics and programming requirements of urban cinema were shifting away from the traditional single large-auditorium palace.
Action taken
The former balcony was converted into State II, while the orchestra became State I.
Aftermath
The venue operated as a two-screen cinema and continued to host significant film openings, including The Godfather.
1959
Modernization for widescreen cinemaGeneration changeBackground
The theater needed to adapt its auditorium and presentation technology to postwar audience expectations and widescreen film formats.
Action taken
Loew's remodeled the venue, reduced the number of seats, widened seating, increased row spacing, removed the proscenium arch, installed wide-screen projection, and redecorated the interior.
Aftermath
The renovated theater reopened with the New York premiere of Some Like It Hot.
Reported remodeling cost. $850,000 (1959)
Sources1 sources
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