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Where To Find Shots Of Porno Theaters?
posted by
Patrick Crowley
on
July 21, 2005 at 4:55 pm
Joel Shepard asks:
Hello. OK, I know this may sound strange…but I’m trying to find photographs of porno theaters, with the marquee included in the shot. These would, of course, be older photos since porn theaters don’t really exist anymore. Ideally I’d like actual photo prints. I’m sure you’ve got better things to do, but if you have any advice or information on finding such things – I’d really appreciate hearing back from you. Thank you.
Comments (21)
Just a suggestion, and I hope you don’t take offense, but I wonder
if Joel Shepard knew you were going to reveal his interest to the public with his request to you. Sounds like maybe you could have simply suggested he post a message here instead of you doing it for him, and including his name in the post.
Joel: Check out CinemaTour.com – I’ve got photos on there of porno theatres that still currently operate in Hartford, CT; New Haven, CT; Troy, NY;, and Syracuse, NY. I know there are others on there as well.
This Boston Phoenix article shows a photo of Boston’s former Pru Cinema. The signs advertise a double feature of Sexual Witchcraft and Deep Throat (which played the Pru for years).
The Bostonian Society has this July 1972 photo of the ‘Cinema X Twin’, which was crudely carved out of a storefront on Washington Street in Boston. The photo is described here. To get a better copy of the photo, without a watermark, contact the Bostonian Society.
(The Publix/Gayety theatre next door, which was never a porn theatre, is currently being demolished. The ‘Cinema X Twin’ building is now a Vietnamese gift shop, and will soon be demolished as well.)
In his MILWAUKEE MOVIE PALACES of 1986, author/photographer Larry Widen has photos of the notorious PRINCESS which served porn from about 1964 to its razing in 1984. He has such a photo that you are looking for, as well as a feature article about this unusual 1909 theatre in MARQUEE magazine of the Theatre Historical Society. Larry can be reached through his web site: www.widenonline.com
In his MILWAUKEE MOVIE PALACES of 1986, author/photographer Larry Widen has photos of the notorious PRINCESS which served porn from about 1964 to its razing in 1984. He has such a photo that you are looking for, as well as a feature article about this unusual 1909 theatre in MARQUEE magazine of the Theatre Historical Society. Larry can be reached through his web site: www.widenonline.com
Thanks for all the information everyone. (and yes, it’s ok that Patrick posted this for me!)
No offense taken, dwodeyla. We often post questions sent to us, and this question is no different. Had Mr. Shepard expressed any concern, though, we would’ve been happy to remove it.
I found some that will interest you (while I was searching for 1950s-1960s 42nd Street images -in case anyone knows of any) at www.corbis.com Search on “42nd Street”, “Times Square”, “marquee”
Okay, I’m going to go out on a limb here and ask but, why do you want pictures of XXX theaters with the marquees?
I can think of a few reasons for such a request. One would be for the sake of academia; documentation is needed to show how porn actually save many movie theaters from the wrecking ball; to document that porn takes in almost as much money than the legitimate movie industry or the pictures are needed for some sort of art collage.
Please don’t take offense as I am sure many here are just curious.
Maybe he’s just loves watching porn on 20 foot high screens.
er he’s=he
Hmmmm, Mr. Roger Katz seems a bit rude. or perhaps I’m mis-reading the intent of his comment. Anyway, I’m working on a project documenting “lost” aspects of 70s culture….and I’m still looking for images, if anyone has come across anything else.
By far the largest repository of images of theatres is the Archive of the Theatre Historical Society of America, though I am not sure that they will have a category of ‘marquees with porno titles’ even though they do have hundreds of shots of marquees. It would be best to go there if you can, to their HQ, 15 miles west of Chicago in Elmhurst, a pleasant college town. Driving directions and access via their interurban ‘Path’ train are detailed there. If you cannot get there, you could inquire of their Ex. Dir., Rich Sklenar, who will eventually get back to you with some results. See the Archive link on their site. Here is their site: www.historictheatres.org
JOEL: I am new to this site and have not figured out how to contact members with personal photos they can download. In 1968 in Los Angeles I took the Projectionist’s test at the Dept. of Bldg. and Safety. I failed by 1 question. There were 25 questions and you could miss 7. I missed 8. The question was how many sprocket holes are in a 35mm frame of film? 2-4-6-8. I checked 4 and the answer was 8. Anyway, the Union said don’t despair. I had to wait 3 months and passed a second time at XMAS of 1968. I got to work anyway. Guess where? PUSSYCAT THEATRES!! Why? Back then all porno was 16mm which required no city license. I might add back then hard-core was still illegal and Pussycat showed what was called split-beaver. I have 1 shot in my theatre collection of the Pussycat in Hollywood. I have no idea as I said how to contact members personally.
I just found and scanned two slides of adult theaters in San Diego in ‘74, the House of Color and the Follies. How should I send them to you?
ChrisB, any chance you’d be willing to email them to me too?
CHRIS B. I don’t collect photos other than where I worked. Nowadays I am content to have my picture of the Vista and their booth from 1968 where I worked 3 solid months. I think that the man at the beginning of this comment section wants them. Joel is his name.
Academically speaking, the arrival of vcr’s and videotapes on the adult scene lit the proverbial fuse of destruction for the porno houses. This advent meant that you didnt have to throw your raincoat on for a night at the sticky cinema. I was 19 when I went to my first and only porno house,The Harem on 42nd Street in NYC (possibly now BB Kings).It wasn’t a 16mm or 35mm projection-they had a video projector, which sort of goes with that conversation in Boogie Nights with Jack Horner, Floyd Gondola and The Colnel about how the future of porn was video.
ChrisB and Hoppy would you send me your shots also..
There is a picture of the Roxy in Jacksonville,Florida on this site.Just search it.The Roxy was the first theater in the area to show Deep Throat.Troy Powell has some interior shots of the place,been trying to get him to scan and upload them if he will ever get to it.The place had a reputation for being haunted.
I’m looking for pictures of the old 8mm or 16mm peepshow machines from the 70’s porn places.