thanks for the other titles from when the studios
still used the Ziegfeld for exclusive 1st run
engagements. since this theater is the place to
see widescreen films that’s why it was frequently
sold out years ago. it was the only theater in
Manhattan if the not the city playing a film.
which prompts two additional questions-
*as I stated in my post if people had no trouble
finding and getting to the theater 20-25 years ago
how is it “off the beaten path” today?
*what was in fact the last exclusive 1st run
engagement of a studio film at the Ziegfeld?
the special 2 week runs of Dreamgirls and The
Princess and the Frog before hey opened wide
don’t count.:–)
after posting my query I looked up on Amazon and
both a vhs and dvd of CAGS have been released. I
am surprised I never came across either when home
video stores were all over Manhattan.
also a new question you’re going to need to put
your thinking cap on for. in the NYC metropolitan
area countless theaters were designed by premiere
movie theater architects Thomas Lamb and John
Ebberson. so many I figured how did either one
have time to eat or sleep. and this isn’t even
counting other theaters they designed across the
country. now rather recently I read that after their
careers were up and running both created firms
that had architects other than them. so that many
of the movie theaters attributed to “Thomas Lamb”
per se may have actually been designed by someone
else in the firm. this sounded reasonable to me
since I can’t imagine how either Lamb or Ebberson
could possibly have designed and coordinated
construction all the theater attributed to them.
to which my question- how can one find out how
many theaters attributed to either Lamb or Ebberson
were actually personally designed by them? much in
the same vein as how many buildings, monuments etc…
attributed to the firm of McKim/Meade/White were
actually designed by McKim, Meade or White?
I suppose we all have different takes on what’s
“off the beaten path”. being a native life long
New Yorker nothing is off the beaten path for me.
per you comment the Ziegfeld is only two blocks from
Radio City Music Hall. also when the Ziegfeld was
still used by the studios for exclusive 1st run
engagement people had no trouble finding it. you should
have seen the block long lines for Close Encounters
of the Third Kind. The Rose among others. likewise the
restored Lawrence of Arabia, My Fair Lady & Vertigo.
so if people had no trouble finding/getting to the
theater 25 or 20 years ago they shouldn’t have any
trouble today.
I was thinking about all the roadshow engagements
this theater hosted in the prime Oct. 1955 to Dec.
1972 period. one in particular came to mind “Cast A
Giant Shadow” released by United Artists and starring
Kirk Douglas which opened here the Spring of 1966.
to which my question- of all the films which played
this theater on a roadshow engagement CAGS is the
only one I have never seen on home video vhs let
alone dvd or blu-ray. I have always wanted to see
the film to judge it for myself. could there be
some legal hold up as to why its never been out
on any home video format.
like you I always like going to the Ziegfeld for
the quality of the projection and sound. plus like
you I am surprised the theater is still in
operation. the overhead most be sizable. I’m guessing
the reason the theater is still open as a 1st run
venue is that Bow Tie Cinemas would have a revolt
on their hands if it was twinned, demolished or
converted to other use.
also no matter how well reviewed a film is and
no matter how popular the film might be with the
public there’s a very simple reason why the
Ziegfeld is rarely if ever at capacity. any film
it shows is also playing at probably 12 other theaters
in Manhattan.
and might I be so bold as to ask you a question-
you are not the first person to refer to the
Ziegfeld via “its location is well off the beaten
track”. how is a theater on 54th St. off 6th Ave.
off the beaten track?
i live in NYC and the price for first run films is
already WAY TO EXPENSIVE. so like 3-D this is
simply a way to soak more $$$ out of the audience.
this is especially true since at the Bway & 84 St. multiplex you’re forced to pay for a “reserved seat”
even if there’s only 10 people in the theater.
there are a number of roadshow engagements that
had souvenir programs but I do not have in my
collection. hence my question. other than EBay
does anyone know of a website that sells movie
memorabilia? of the handful of sites selling
movie memorabilia that I’ve seen the only
programs listed are the ones I already have.
I recently read “Movie Roadshows” by Kim Rolston
and I was amazed at the number of such films that
had souvenir programs I have never come across.
any help would be appreciated.
the not sending out of messages noting
someone has responded to a comment is
happening again. I did not receive a note
in my inbox that my entry on souvenir
programs had been replied to by you..
the prime roadshow era was from the Oct. 1955
opening of Oklahoma to the Dec. 1972 opening of
Man of La Mancha after which the studios
discontinued the policy. I have 137 souvenir
programs in my collection. I have to admit a
dozen or so of that number are not actual
souvenir programs sold in the theater lobby but
fancy brochures the studio released to publicize
the film.
of the 125 souvenir programs in my collection
13 are hardcover.other than the hardcovers in my
collection the only other one I know of is for
Porgy and Bess which played the Warner.
of the 13 I own two are from films which opened
when this theater was the Demille a prime
roadshow house. namely Spartacus and Hawaii.
the other 11 are-
The Alamo
Around the World in 80 Days
Ben-Hur(1959)
El Cid
The Greatest Story Ever Told
How The West Was Won
King of Kings(1961)
Mutiny on the Bounty(1962)
My Fair Lady
South Pacific
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm
a bit of info on just how elaborate these
hardcover programs could get. both the Ben-Hur
and Spartacus programs had a fold out with
several watercolor paintings of scenes from
the film. and to top that the King of Kings
program included a sealed package of 8x10 color
photo portraits of the main actors in the film.
thanks for the info. as you state the 179min. cut
was just used in previews and was cut to 158mins.
for the premiere roadshow runs like the one at the
Capitol. so however long the film’s roadshow run
was at the Capitol the Dodge City sequence was intact
the entire run and was only cut for the general
release prints which went to neighborhood theaters
around NYC.
I asked around so to speak and Cheyenne Autumn’s
premiere engagement at the Loew’s Capitol was a
traditional roadshow engagement with 2 shows during
the week and 3 on the weekend. unfortunately it
didn’t have a healthy or long run. still since it
was a traditional premiere roadshow engagement I
just can’t imagine it not having a souvenir program
regardless of the length of said engagement.
a further question about Cheyenne Autumn. was the
engagement of the film which opened Dec. 1964 a
traditional 2 shows during the week and 3 on the
weekend roadshow engagement?
thanks for your reply about roadshow engagements
having souvenir programs. the reason I ask is simple.
I have approx. 135 souvenir programs in my
collection starting with the one for the 1925 silent
version of Ben-Hur. most I bought at the theater
when I saw the film others at memorabilia shops in
Manhattan and L.A..to which with all the memorabilia
shops I’ve been too and all the online sites selling
such stuff I have never come across souvenir
programs for such prominent roadshow engagements as
The Diary of Anne Frank(RKO Palace),Cheyenne Autumn
(Loew’s Capitol)and Gigi which played the Royal
which was normally a legit theater. these are just
a few of the prominent roadshow engagements in the
17 year period mentioned for which I have never
come across a souvenir program. so I wondered if
quite possibly they didn’t have one hence my
question.
my fellow posters have always been most kind in
answering my questions. this time I have a good
one on a subject that I find interesting.the prime
roadshow period was the Oct. 1955 opening of
“Oklahoma” at the Rivoli thru the Dec.1972 opening of “The Man of La Mancha” also at the Rivoli. now
in this a bit over 17 year period the studios
heavily used 7 Times Square theaters for their
roadshow engagements(Criterion, Loew’s State, RKO
Palace,Demille,Warner, Rivoli and the Loew’s
Capitol). which is where my question comes in.
Regardless of how good a film turned out to be if
a film played at one of these 7 theaters it can
be classified as a prominent release. so can
anyone think of a prominent roadshow engagement at
any of the 7 theaters named above that did not
have a souvenir program? every roadshow engagement
I ever went to had a souvenir program so I can’t
imagine a prominent roadshow run not having one.
I can’t stand the reclining seats the 84th multiplex
has. for one if you a big person and I don’t mean
overweight just big your leg is constantly pressing up
against the button with opens the chair. its almost
impossible if you are a big person to just sit in the
chair in a regular fashion comfortably.
also the pricing at 84th St. is highway robbery.
ticket prices for 1st run theaters in Manhattan are
already to high. yet the 84 St. forces you to pay
more for a “reserved seat” even if there are only 5
people in the theater.
thanks for the info on Cheyenne Autumn. another
question. from when i went with my parents to
when i started going by myself one thing i always
liked about reserved seat engagements was buying
the souvenir program in the lobby during
intermission. i have approx. 135 in my collection
most of which i bought at theaters. others were
purchased in memorabilia stores. which is where
my question comes in. did Cheyenne Autumn have a
souvenir program? i can’t imagine a big epic like
CA with a big director and big stars released on
a reserved seat engagement not having a souvenir
program. yet in all memorabilia stores i have
been to and all the online memorabilia sites i
have looked at i have never seen one. in fact
there are a few others big even award winning
reserved seat films i have never come across a
souvenir program for. i always thought roadshow
engagements and souvenir programs were inseparable
like peanut butter and jelly.
thanks for the info. just to be sure another
question or two. i assume Stevens longest cut
at 4 hrs. 20 mins. like Mankiewicz’s 5 hr. 20 min.
cut of Cleopatra was never theatrically shown .
now was the 238 min. cut you refer to used just
for the World Premiere night screening or
was it used for the entire roadshow run the
Warner. in other words how long was the 238min.
cut used at the Warner and at what point did
they switch to the 3hr. 19 min. cut used on the
blu-ray. i am wondering if the premiere 238min cut
actually shows Sal Mineo’s being killed. to have
him walking in the crowd at the Temple than the
next time you see him he’s dead lying on the
altar steps you just know something was cut.
you are always quite helpful with my questions.
to which could you please go to the Strand/Warner
Cinerama page and see if with your font of
knowledge you can answer my question about The
Greatest Story Ever Told which opened at that
theater Feb. of 1965. thank you.:–)
i recently bought the blu-ray disc of The
Greatest Story Ever Told. the running time
of the disc is 3 hrs. 19 mins.. which is
where my question comes in. the liner
notes on the back cover say-“restored to
its theatrical brilliance with Overture and
Intermission”. now i saw TGSET twice during
its Cinerama reserved seat engagement but
can’t remember what the running time was.
now i recently found out the original
running time of the roadshow run print was
3 hrs. 45 mins. but did the Warner Cinerama
ever play that print or did it only play
the 3 hr. 19 min. print?
a case in point. there’s the scene towards
the end where Jesus is talking at night time
to a large crows at the Temple. you see
Roman soldiers pushing in then it switches
to another scene. the next time see Jesus
he’s entering the house where the Last
Supper takes place. but then there’s a quick
cut back to the Temple we see are a few dead
bodies scattered around including the young
former cripple (Sal Mineo)lying across the altar steps. what happened to the scene of the
Roman soldiers aggressively dispursing the
crowd resulting in the dead bodies we see?
thanks to William for the tech info. a additional
question. I don’t know what the dimensions of the
screen was when How The West Was Won played here
starting April 1963. to which my question- when
Cheyenne Autumn opened here Dec. 1964 how much of
the screen that the HTWWW projection covered was
covered by CA projection?
also I wanted to ask a question about The Greatest
Story Ever Told so anyone who is knowledgeable about
the Warner Cinerama please take a look at that
page. thank you.
its nice to know the sending of messages has
returned. i guess the disruption will remain
a mystery.
now a few weeks back i mentioned i was 99% sure
that Cheyenne Autumn which opened here Dec.1964 was
a single lens Cinerama film or as the ads would said-
“presented in Cinerama”. i had no newspaper ads or
mail order forms to back my 99% certainty. now
my fellow posters have stated in reply that this
was not the case. so trying to figure a reason for
my 99% certainty maybe i read an ad that said
something like “see it on the giant Cinerama
screen” since the Cinerama was still up maybe
they figured lets use it as a selling point.
Opps I forgot to add an interesting note.for about
a month now I have not received any messages in my
inbox that theaters in Manhattan that I am on the list
for have received new comments. these notes on
Cheyenne Autumn being an example. I only realized they
were posted because I looked this page up.
thanks for the info. one’s memory does play tricks
on you and I guess this is an instance. I don’t
know why I thought this. its just i swear I can
remember seeing an ad in a NYC newspaper at the time
of its opening. oh,well.
i hope my fellow fans of the late but great Loew’s
Capitol/Cinerama can answer a question. John Ford’s
“Cheyenne Autumn” opened the fall of 1964 on a
reserved seat engagement. this is where my question
comes in. i wouldn’t bet my next paycheck but i am
99% certain that the film was one of the 10 or so
single lens Cinerama films. now i can find no
newspaper ads or copies of the mail order form and
like stuff online to bolster my claim. so was
“Cheyenne Autumn” one of the 10 or so films presented
“in Cinerama” or not? again i’m 99% certain it was.
i’m guessing the pic above is fairly new since the building was torn rather recently.
a few questions.
1.while the building was standing for almost 100
years it hadn’t been a movie theater for decades.
so what would you say is the longest lived movie
theater built as such and operated as such? my
guess would be the Bunny at Bway & 145 St.. it
opened Dec. 1913 and closed the fall of 2010?
the runner up i’m guessing would be the Coliseum
at Bway & 181 St, which opened in 1920 and closed
at the fall of 2012.
2.in the listing of comments for this theater is
one that states a rare photo of the façade can be
found on nyc.org. I tried finding it but zippo.
I can’t help but wonder if its the same photo in
the issue of Motion Picture News from the beginning
of 1918.
to Bill H.–
thanks for the other titles from when the studios still used the Ziegfeld for exclusive 1st run engagements. since this theater is the place to see widescreen films that’s why it was frequently sold out years ago. it was the only theater in Manhattan if the not the city playing a film.
which prompts two additional questions-
*as I stated in my post if people had no trouble finding and getting to the theater 20-25 years ago how is it “off the beaten path” today?
*what was in fact the last exclusive 1st run engagement of a studio film at the Ziegfeld? the special 2 week runs of Dreamgirls and The Princess and the Frog before hey opened wide don’t count.:–)
to AL A.–
after posting my query I looked up on Amazon and both a vhs and dvd of CAGS have been released. I am surprised I never came across either when home video stores were all over Manhattan.
also a new question you’re going to need to put your thinking cap on for. in the NYC metropolitan area countless theaters were designed by premiere movie theater architects Thomas Lamb and John Ebberson. so many I figured how did either one have time to eat or sleep. and this isn’t even counting other theaters they designed across the country. now rather recently I read that after their careers were up and running both created firms that had architects other than them. so that many of the movie theaters attributed to “Thomas Lamb” per se may have actually been designed by someone else in the firm. this sounded reasonable to me since I can’t imagine how either Lamb or Ebberson could possibly have designed and coordinated construction all the theater attributed to them.
to which my question- how can one find out how many theaters attributed to either Lamb or Ebberson were actually personally designed by them? much in the same vein as how many buildings, monuments etc… attributed to the firm of McKim/Meade/White were actually designed by McKim, Meade or White?
to robboehm-
I suppose we all have different takes on what’s “off the beaten path”. being a native life long New Yorker nothing is off the beaten path for me.
per you comment the Ziegfeld is only two blocks from Radio City Music Hall. also when the Ziegfeld was still used by the studios for exclusive 1st run engagement people had no trouble finding it. you should have seen the block long lines for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The Rose among others. likewise the restored Lawrence of Arabia, My Fair Lady & Vertigo.
so if people had no trouble finding/getting to the theater 25 or 20 years ago they shouldn’t have any trouble today.
Hello-
I was thinking about all the roadshow engagements this theater hosted in the prime Oct. 1955 to Dec. 1972 period. one in particular came to mind “Cast A Giant Shadow” released by United Artists and starring Kirk Douglas which opened here the Spring of 1966.
to which my question- of all the films which played this theater on a roadshow engagement CAGS is the only one I have never seen on home video vhs let alone dvd or blu-ray. I have always wanted to see the film to judge it for myself. could there be some legal hold up as to why its never been out on any home video format.
to CConnolly1-
like you I always like going to the Ziegfeld for the quality of the projection and sound. plus like you I am surprised the theater is still in operation. the overhead most be sizable. I’m guessing the reason the theater is still open as a 1st run venue is that Bow Tie Cinemas would have a revolt on their hands if it was twinned, demolished or converted to other use.
also no matter how well reviewed a film is and no matter how popular the film might be with the public there’s a very simple reason why the Ziegfeld is rarely if ever at capacity. any film it shows is also playing at probably 12 other theaters in Manhattan.
and might I be so bold as to ask you a question- you are not the first person to refer to the Ziegfeld via “its location is well off the beaten track”. how is a theater on 54th St. off 6th Ave. off the beaten track?
i live in NYC and the price for first run films is already WAY TO EXPENSIVE. so like 3-D this is simply a way to soak more $$$ out of the audience. this is especially true since at the Bway & 84 St. multiplex you’re forced to pay for a “reserved seat” even if there’s only 10 people in the theater.
Hello to my fellow posters-
there are a number of roadshow engagements that had souvenir programs but I do not have in my collection. hence my question. other than EBay does anyone know of a website that sells movie memorabilia? of the handful of sites selling movie memorabilia that I’ve seen the only programs listed are the ones I already have.
I recently read “Movie Roadshows” by Kim Rolston and I was amazed at the number of such films that had souvenir programs I have never come across. any help would be appreciated.
to techman 707-
the not sending out of messages noting someone has responded to a comment is happening again. I did not receive a note in my inbox that my entry on souvenir programs had been replied to by you..
to Ed S.–
the prime roadshow era was from the Oct. 1955 opening of Oklahoma to the Dec. 1972 opening of Man of La Mancha after which the studios discontinued the policy. I have 137 souvenir programs in my collection. I have to admit a dozen or so of that number are not actual souvenir programs sold in the theater lobby but fancy brochures the studio released to publicize the film.
of the 125 souvenir programs in my collection
13 are hardcover.other than the hardcovers in my collection the only other one I know of is for Porgy and Bess which played the Warner.
of the 13 I own two are from films which opened when this theater was the Demille a prime roadshow house. namely Spartacus and Hawaii.
the other 11 are-
The Alamo Around the World in 80 Days Ben-Hur(1959) El Cid The Greatest Story Ever Told How The West Was Won King of Kings(1961) Mutiny on the Bounty(1962) My Fair Lady South Pacific The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm
a bit of info on just how elaborate these hardcover programs could get. both the Ben-Hur and Spartacus programs had a fold out with several watercolor paintings of scenes from the film. and to top that the King of Kings program included a sealed package of 8x10 color photo portraits of the main actors in the film.
to William-
thanks for the info. as you state the 179min. cut was just used in previews and was cut to 158mins. for the premiere roadshow runs like the one at the Capitol. so however long the film’s roadshow run was at the Capitol the Dodge City sequence was intact the entire run and was only cut for the general release prints which went to neighborhood theaters around NYC.
to techman 707-
I asked around so to speak and Cheyenne Autumn’s premiere engagement at the Loew’s Capitol was a traditional roadshow engagement with 2 shows during the week and 3 on the weekend. unfortunately it didn’t have a healthy or long run. still since it was a traditional premiere roadshow engagement I just can’t imagine it not having a souvenir program regardless of the length of said engagement.
Hello-
a further question about Cheyenne Autumn. was the engagement of the film which opened Dec. 1964 a traditional 2 shows during the week and 3 on the weekend roadshow engagement?
to techman 707-
thanks for your reply about roadshow engagements having souvenir programs. the reason I ask is simple. I have approx. 135 souvenir programs in my collection starting with the one for the 1925 silent version of Ben-Hur. most I bought at the theater when I saw the film others at memorabilia shops in Manhattan and L.A..to which with all the memorabilia shops I’ve been too and all the online sites selling such stuff I have never come across souvenir programs for such prominent roadshow engagements as The Diary of Anne Frank(RKO Palace),Cheyenne Autumn (Loew’s Capitol)and Gigi which played the Royal which was normally a legit theater. these are just a few of the prominent roadshow engagements in the 17 year period mentioned for which I have never come across a souvenir program. so I wondered if quite possibly they didn’t have one hence my question.
Hello-
my fellow posters have always been most kind in answering my questions. this time I have a good one on a subject that I find interesting.the prime roadshow period was the Oct. 1955 opening of “Oklahoma” at the Rivoli thru the Dec.1972 opening of “The Man of La Mancha” also at the Rivoli. now in this a bit over 17 year period the studios heavily used 7 Times Square theaters for their roadshow engagements(Criterion, Loew’s State, RKO Palace,Demille,Warner, Rivoli and the Loew’s Capitol). which is where my question comes in. Regardless of how good a film turned out to be if a film played at one of these 7 theaters it can be classified as a prominent release. so can anyone think of a prominent roadshow engagement at any of the 7 theaters named above that did not have a souvenir program? every roadshow engagement I ever went to had a souvenir program so I can’t imagine a prominent roadshow run not having one.
Hello-
I can’t stand the reclining seats the 84th multiplex has. for one if you a big person and I don’t mean overweight just big your leg is constantly pressing up against the button with opens the chair. its almost impossible if you are a big person to just sit in the chair in a regular fashion comfortably.
also the pricing at 84th St. is highway robbery. ticket prices for 1st run theaters in Manhattan are already to high. yet the 84 St. forces you to pay more for a “reserved seat” even if there are only 5 people in the theater.
Hello-
thanks for the info on Cheyenne Autumn. another question. from when i went with my parents to when i started going by myself one thing i always liked about reserved seat engagements was buying the souvenir program in the lobby during intermission. i have approx. 135 in my collection most of which i bought at theaters. others were purchased in memorabilia stores. which is where my question comes in. did Cheyenne Autumn have a souvenir program? i can’t imagine a big epic like CA with a big director and big stars released on a reserved seat engagement not having a souvenir program. yet in all memorabilia stores i have been to and all the online memorabilia sites i have looked at i have never seen one. in fact there are a few others big even award winning reserved seat films i have never come across a souvenir program for. i always thought roadshow engagements and souvenir programs were inseparable like peanut butter and jelly.
to William-
thanks for the info. just to be sure another question or two. i assume Stevens longest cut at 4 hrs. 20 mins. like Mankiewicz’s 5 hr. 20 min. cut of Cleopatra was never theatrically shown . now was the 238 min. cut you refer to used just
for the World Premiere night screening or was it used for the entire roadshow run the Warner. in other words how long was the 238min. cut used at the Warner and at what point did they switch to the 3hr. 19 min. cut used on the blu-ray. i am wondering if the premiere 238min cut actually shows Sal Mineo’s being killed. to have him walking in the crowd at the Temple than the next time you see him he’s dead lying on the altar steps you just know something was cut.
to AL A-
you are always quite helpful with my questions. to which could you please go to the Strand/Warner Cinerama page and see if with your font of knowledge you can answer my question about The Greatest Story Ever Told which opened at that theater Feb. of 1965. thank you.:–)
Hello-
i recently bought the blu-ray disc of The Greatest Story Ever Told. the running time of the disc is 3 hrs. 19 mins.. which is where my question comes in. the liner
notes on the back cover say-“restored to its theatrical brilliance with Overture and Intermission”. now i saw TGSET twice during its Cinerama reserved seat engagement but can’t remember what the running time was. now i recently found out the original running time of the roadshow run print was 3 hrs. 45 mins. but did the Warner Cinerama ever play that print or did it only play the 3 hr. 19 min. print?
a case in point. there’s the scene towards the end where Jesus is talking at night time to a large crows at the Temple. you see Roman soldiers pushing in then it switches to another scene. the next time see Jesus he’s entering the house where the Last Supper takes place. but then there’s a quick cut back to the Temple we see are a few dead bodies scattered around including the young former cripple (Sal Mineo)lying across the altar steps. what happened to the scene of the Roman soldiers aggressively dispursing the crowd resulting in the dead bodies we see?
Hello-
thanks to William for the tech info. a additional question. I don’t know what the dimensions of the screen was when How The West Was Won played here starting April 1963. to which my question- when Cheyenne Autumn opened here Dec. 1964 how much of the screen that the HTWWW projection covered was covered by CA projection?
also I wanted to ask a question about The Greatest Story Ever Told so anyone who is knowledgeable about the Warner Cinerama please take a look at that page. thank you.
Hello-
its nice to know the sending of messages has returned. i guess the disruption will remain a mystery.
now a few weeks back i mentioned i was 99% sure that Cheyenne Autumn which opened here Dec.1964 was a single lens Cinerama film or as the ads would said- “presented in Cinerama”. i had no newspaper ads or mail order forms to back my 99% certainty. now my fellow posters have stated in reply that this was not the case. so trying to figure a reason for my 99% certainty maybe i read an ad that said something like “see it on the giant Cinerama screen” since the Cinerama was still up maybe they figured lets use it as a selling point.
Hello-
Opps I forgot to add an interesting note.for about a month now I have not received any messages in my inbox that theaters in Manhattan that I am on the list for have received new comments. these notes on Cheyenne Autumn being an example. I only realized they were posted because I looked this page up.
to Peter A.–
thanks for the info. one’s memory does play tricks on you and I guess this is an instance. I don’t know why I thought this. its just i swear I can
remember seeing an ad in a NYC newspaper at the time of its opening. oh,well.
Hello-
i hope my fellow fans of the late but great Loew’s Capitol/Cinerama can answer a question. John Ford’s “Cheyenne Autumn” opened the fall of 1964 on a reserved seat engagement. this is where my question comes in. i wouldn’t bet my next paycheck but i am 99% certain that the film was one of the 10 or so single lens Cinerama films. now i can find no newspaper ads or copies of the mail order form and like stuff online to bolster my claim. so was “Cheyenne Autumn” one of the 10 or so films presented “in Cinerama” or not? again i’m 99% certain it was.
to Ed S.–
i’m guessing the pic above is fairly new since the building was torn rather recently.
a few questions.
1.while the building was standing for almost 100 years it hadn’t been a movie theater for decades. so what would you say is the longest lived movie theater built as such and operated as such? my guess would be the Bunny at Bway & 145 St.. it opened Dec. 1913 and closed the fall of 2010? the runner up i’m guessing would be the Coliseum at Bway & 181 St, which opened in 1920 and closed at the fall of 2012.
2.in the listing of comments for this theater is one that states a rare photo of the façade can be found on nyc.org. I tried finding it but zippo. I can’t help but wonder if its the same photo in the issue of Motion Picture News from the beginning of 1918.