Times Square Theater
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Times Square Theater, with entrance to Apollo Theater (left), 1922
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| Address | 217 West 42nd Street New York City United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°45′24″N 73°59′16″W / 40.756569°N 73.987783°WCoordinates: 40°45′24″N 73°59′16″W / 40.756569°N 73.987783°W |
| Owner | City and State of New York |
| Type | Broadway |
| Capacity | 1,032 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | September 30, 1920 |
| Years active | 1920–1934 |
| Architect | Eugene De Rosa |
| Tenants | |
| New 42nd Street | |
The Times Square Theater is a former Broadway theater, located at 217 West 42nd Street, Manhattan, in New York City.
The Times Square Theater was built in 1920 by the Selwyn brothers from a design by Eugene De Rosa. It was one of three theaters they built and controlled on 42nd Street, including the Apollo and the Selwyn. It opened on September 30, 1920, with Florence Reed starring in The Mirage.
G.K. Chesterton spoke on the topic "Shall We Abolish the Inevitable?" at the theater in 1921.
Battling Butler, the basis for the Buster Keaton film of the same name, transferred from the Selwyn to the Times Square in 1924. Notable shows presented at the Times Square included the original New York productions of The Front Page by Hecht and MacArthur in 1928, George and Ira Gershwin's Strike Up the Band in 1930 and Noël Coward's Private Lives starring Coward and Gertrude Lawrence in 1931.
Only three years after Private Lives, the Times Square was converted to a cinema. It would remain in operation as a movie theater until the early 1990s, when it was closed. The final scene of the 1980 motion picture Times Square was filmed at the Times Square Theater, with Robin Johnson's character performing a "midnight concert" atop the theater's marquee.
The City and State of New York took possession of the Times Square Theater in 1990. In 1992, it was one of six 42nd Street theaters to come under the protection of the New 42nd Street organization. It was not immediately restored or renovated, as the theater lacks any entrances not directly on 42nd Street, rendering it more difficult to use for loading of scenery and props.
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