Roll-A-Palace
| Roll-A-Palace | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Address | 1728 Sheepshead Bay Road Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY |
| Country |  United States |
The Roll-A-Palace Disco Skating Rink[1] was a roller disco rink[2] established in 1977 in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Formerly a movie theater, it reopened as a rink at 1728 Sheepshead Bay Road.[3][4]
In 1979, Billboard and Cue magazines praised the rink, respectively describing it as "a typical example of the modern roller disco" and "the front-runner of the roller-disco craze".[5] At its height, it served over 5,000 patrons per weekend, with separate sessions for families, teens, and young adults.[5][6]
History
[edit]Movie theater
[edit]The Sheepshead Bay Century Circuit Theater opened on July 12, 1929. It featured a Kimball International theater organ and a Western Electric sound system.[7]
In 1930, Motion Picture News praised the theater as a "palace erected to the presentation of sound pictures".[8] The building was designed by architect Thomas R. Short in what was then called a pronounced Modernist style, which was considered on-trend. It had an oval-shaped lounge for ladies featuring "the modernistic scheme with the French idea accentuated", designed for what it called the "comforts of the woman patron". Construction was done by A. H. Schwartz of the Homack Construction Company; interior design by Wiliam Rau of Rau Studios Inc.; and furnishings by Teresa Jackson. It was built in what was then Sheepshead Bay's business district.[8]
In 1943, it transferred ownership to movie theater chain Rugoff & Becker, becoming Sheepshead Theatre. In the late 1950s, it changed ownership again to Century Theatres, operating until its 1970 closure.
Renovation and reopening
[edit]After a million-dollar renovation of the Sheepshead Bay Century movie theater,[9] the establishment reopened as a roller skating venue in 1977. By the following year, they were known as a family-friendly establishment; a promotional item in New York read, "Roller Skating for the Family . . . No Dungarees" [sic].[10]
Its admission price in 1979 was $4, including rentable skates.[5] The rink featured a light and sound system; a snack bar with a 400-person capacity; and a separate dance floor area (possibly a sprung floor or illuminated dance floor).[6]
Local comments recall that the rink
1979 disco craze
[edit]
The year 1979 was the height of popularity of the Roll-A-Palace. In 1979, Cue magazine praised the rink as "a fabulous $2 million roller disco in a former movie theater" and "the front-runner of the roller-disco craze".[5]
Similarly, in that year's ranking of various roller discos, Cue described New York's Empire Roller Disco, the birthplace of roller disco,[11] as "not as snazzy as the Roll-A-Palace".[12]
The same year, Billboard prominently featured Roll-A-Palace in its article "Going Back to the 1870s: Skating To Music".[6] Billboard also claimed the rink's popularity was in part due to the proximity of Bensonhurst, which was the setting and filming location of 1977 drama film Saturday Night Fever.[6]
Circa 1979, Roll-A-Palace collaborated with WKTU (the nation's preeminent disco radio station) to promote a new song and dance titled the "Disco Dip".[6][13] Written by Ed Chaplin, the song was widely considered the first song/dance written specifically to promote the roller disco hobby. It would also be "the first roller disco record played in a skating rink".[13] Roll-A-Palace hosted the song's debut party, as well as a follow-up series of "'Disco Dip' nights to promote roller-disco".[6]
One local reminisced in 2003,
I waited online [sic] on Sheepshead Bay Road to get into this theatre as a kid. ... Once inside, the auditorium was gutted and there was a wood floor for skating. [The] DJ booth was up a ladder, probably where the projection booth once was. ... There was a horrible acoustic echo as the sound bounced all over.[14]
In the 1979 Complete Book of Roller Skating, local roller skating students were said to agree that "this rink is one of the nicest places to learn to skate in the area".[9]
Later years
[edit]There was a lawsuit involving the rink in 1983.[15]
Legacy and impact
[edit]The rink impacted the lives of several local DJs, who would go on to popularize house and electro music.[16][17]
House DJ Frankie Bones has recalled the rink's influence on his life and career, stating he learned how to skate at the Roll-A-Palace as a child.[16] In 2003, he wrote that he experienced the peak disco era (1979) through roller-skating.[17] On his first visit to Roll-A-Palace on May 11, 1978, he "came home and typed up a HOT 100 record chart", placing The Eruptions' cover of "I Can't Stand the Rain" at #1.[17]
Similarly, Lenny Dee began his DJ career spinning records at the Roll-A-Palace circa 1985, at the age of 17.[18]
Nearby rink RollerJam USA in Staten Island has hosted a reunion or reunion(s) for Roll-A-Palace skaters. RollerJam was considered the last remaining roller rink in NYC, prior to its 2024 closure.[19]
See also
[edit]
- Roller Boogie (1979), a jukebox film released at the height of the roller skating craze
References
[edit]- ^ Lawrence, Peter D. (1982). A Kids' New York. Avon. ISBN 978-0-380-81315-5.
- ^ Miezitis, Vita (1980). Night Dancin'. Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-28649-9.
- ^ Israel. Fodor's Travel Publications. 2001. ISBN 978-0-679-00610-7.
- ^ Fodor's New York City and State. D. McKay. 1981. ISBN 978-0-679-00610-7.
- ^ a b c d "What's Hot? What's Not?". Cue: The Weekly Magazine of New York Life. Cue Publishing Company. 1979.
... the front - runner of the roller - disco craze , a fabulous $ 2 million roller disco in a former movie theater that has been earning its $ 4 ( including skates ) admission price for the past two years . Spic and span , it looks for all ...
- ^ a b c d e f Riedinger, Bob Jr. (1979-03-03). "Going Back to the 1870s: Skating To Music". Billboard. pp. 48, 57.
- ^ "Sheepshead Theatre in Brooklyn, NY". cinematreasures.org. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
- ^ a b "A Modernistic Trend Followed". Motion Picture News. February 1, 1930. pp. 39–41.
- ^ a b Phillips, Ann-Victoria (1979). The Complete Book of Roller Skating. Workman Pub. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-89480-067-2.
... Roll - A - Palace was born two years ago , after a million - dollar renovation of the Sheepshead Bay Century movie theatre . All of Charlie's stu- dents agree that this rink is one of the nicest places to learn to skate in the area ...
- ^ New York. New York Magazine Company. 1978. p. 51.
... Roll - A - Palace ( ROLLER SKATING FOR THE FAMILY . . . NO DUNGAREES ) , where kids practice their roller - disco moves . The green - painted girders of the Belt Parkway , a couple of blocks down Bay Road , are a gateway to the piers ...
- ^ "The Legacy of NYC's Empire Roller Rink". Untapped New York. 2023-05-19. Archived from the original on January 3, 2025. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
- ^ Cue: The Weekly Magazine of New York Life. Cue Publishing Company. 1979. p. 19.
- ^ a b "Faster Than Sound". Kalamazoo News. 15 November 1979. p. 16. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
- ^ "Comments about Sheepshead Theatre in Brooklyn, NY - Cinema Treasures". cinematreasures.org. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
- ^ "Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York March 1983 cases". Casetext. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
- ^ a b "10 Mixes: A Guide to Frankie Bones". daily.redbullmusicacademy.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2024. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
- ^ a b c "Discogs Groups - Let's talk about some good Disco records that mean". Discogs. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
- ^ "Industrial Strength Records 20th Anniversary". Resident Advisor. Resident Advisor Ltd. Archived from the original on January 3, 2025.
His [Dee's] 1st residency was at Brooklyn's roller disco Roll-A-Palace at 17 & he's played world-over at parties such as MayDay, Love Parade, Woodstock, Thunderdome & the Jane's Addiction Reunion tour.
- ^ Frishberg, Hannah (2024-05-08). "NYC's 'last remaining roller rink' closes after 17 years". New York Post. Retrieved 2025-01-02.