Photograph copyright Peter Mauss
The Quad Cinema, located at 34 West 13th Street in Greenwich Village, was opened by entrepreneur Maurice Kanbar and his younger brother Elliott S. Kanbar in October 1972. It is New York City’s first small four-screen multiplex theater and has been described as “one of the oldest independent cinemas in the city” and “a vibrant center for art house films.”
Maurice Kanbar, a real estate investor and inventor, bought a six-story loft in Manhattan during the late 1960s. His original plan was to establish an off-Broadway theater. However, things didn’t work out as expected, and he was left with considerable space on the ground floor. He thought a movie theater with several small auditoriums could be profitable even with smaller audiences, unlike a few larger ones. Consequently, in October 1972, Maurice and his younger brother, Elliott S. Kanbar, inaugurated the Quad. Kanbar claimed that it was “the East Coast’s first multiplex.”
Between 1972 and 1988, Bernard Goldberg, the executive vice president of Golden Theatre Management, operated the theater. The theater was one of seven New York City houses he managed, including the Quad. During this time, the theater showcased a variety of films, including Hollywood productions, independent films, and older films that were brought back for revival screenings. In 1988, the theater’s operations were taken over by Maurice’s brother, Elliott.
To compete with the new theaters that opened in Lower Manhattan, the Quad Cinema decided to showcase foreign and independent films. The theater was a favorite spot of Andy Warhol, whose fans would flood the place, and his influence was a significant factor in attracting a large audience of the LGBTQ community to specific films.
The Quad was sold to Charles S. Cohen’s Cohen Media Group in 2014, and major renovations were planned. In May 2015, the Quad was closed for a multi-million dollar alteration. It finally reopened on April 14, 2017. After Cohen acquired Landmark Theatres in December 2018, Landmark took over booking for the Quad.
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If you think a theater deserves recognition in our “Sacred Houses” series, kindly contact us with details of its name, location, and significance to either you or your community. We’re enthusiastic about backing local theaters and feel they should be celebrated alongside the more renowned historic venue
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