a friend of mine told me The Ten Commandments(1956)
roadshow run at this theater lasted only 15 weeks. TTC’S
roadshow run at the Criterion in Manhattan lasted well
over a year. is the length of TTC’s roadshow run at this
theater correct?
to Mike(saps) thanks for the info. on the photo pages for
this theater is the ad from when the film opened and was
surprised to see it was rated R. I was never aware it had
been officially rated. I remember some the sex scenes
being quite graphic so I’m surprised it didn’t get an X
rating at the time.
I rather enjoyed A Very Natural Thing which opened here
the summer of 1974. its one of the top gay themed films
ever in my opinion. oddly I don’t think its ever been
issued on home video, vhs or dvd let alone Blu-ray.
to stevenJ thanks for the reply. you’d expect since the
exterior was a façade on the Columbia lot they’d at least
build one that actually looked like the New Amsterdam Theater.
at the beginning of Funny Girl Barbra Streisand walks into
what is supposed to be the New Amsterdam Theater on 42 St..
as any native New Yorker will tell you the interior looked
nothing liked the New Amsterdam. this has always been a big
mistake for me. to which what L.A. theater was used for the
interior of the New Amsterdam?
in my search for the 1st purpose movie theater in Manhattan
a fellow poster mentioned a theater with the name City
Photoplays which I had never heard of. i later found the
theater on a list but can’t remember the website. i thought
my fellow poster might have meant the Variety Photoplays
at 3rd Ave. & 14 St.. but the list i found listed a seating
capacity that would have been too for the Variety Photolays.
so where was the City Photoplays theater to which my'
fellow poster referred?
traveling west along 116 St. just before you get to 3rd Ave.
one sees that the auditorium section still exits. has it been
gutted or simply covered over for retail use?
I thank my fellow moviegoers for info on the roadshow
engagement policy. now does anyone know of a first rate
book on the subject? Kim Holston’s “Movie Roadshows”
not only a few mistakes but omits films altogether as well.
I thank everyone for help with my “first theater built from
the ground up with the intent of showing movies” question.
opened Feb. 1913 and the Rialto opened April 1916. so wouldn’t
the Crescent which was located at 36 W. 135 St. and opened
on the night of Dec. 16, 1909 be the first. granted it was
built to showcase both films and live acts but weren’t the
Regent and the Rialto built as combo houses as well?
thanks to robboehm for your reply. my astonishment was not
so much on the length of TDOAF’S reserved seat rum at the
Palace but that in S.F. it wasn’t even a roadshow run at
all. it has always fascinated me why a studio would open
a film on a roadshow run in one city but not others. I always
assumed if a film opened on a roadshow run in Manhattan it
did so I every city it opened in.
a question for my fellow moviegoers. for the first several
years of the movie biz whatever “movie theaters” existed in
Manhattan were music halls. vaudeville theaters and
legitimate theaters etc… renovated to show movies. but I
have always wanted to find which was the 1st theater built
in Manhattan brick by brick from the ground up with the
intent of being a movie theater. any guesses as to the answer
or how to find out?
it was customary when a roadshow engagement finished the
film would move to another 1st run theater in Manhattan
on “continuous performances at popular prices”. but does
anyone remember a roadshow engagement that went from
reserved seat to continuous performances at popular
prices in the same theater?
i just became aware of this theater and got all excited thinking they had had restored Loews Delancy but the address is different. is the Loews Delancy quite close to this theater.
to the best of my recollection when Krakatoa East of Java
opened June 1969 at the Warner Theater (47 St.& Bway) it was
not continuous nor reserved seat but a reserved performance
policy.
another question about roadshow films on Blu-ray. when
Cleopatra premiered at this theater June 1963 it was
4 hours. it was cut down to 3hrs. 40 mins. and then
3hrs. 15mins. for its run at neighborhood theaters
around NYC. the Blu-ray is the New York cut as its
known so Fox at least kept the trims. but why are some
companies better at keeping the trims than others?
to Al A.– thanks for the correction as to the length of
Half A Sixpence's roadshow run at the Criterion
which was 11 weeks not 6. but even at 11 weeks
doesn't that make it the shortest roadshow run
in the seven houses I listed?
to vindanpar- the currently available Blu-ray disc of
Cleopatra in terms of richness of the colors
and the crispness, clarity and sharpness of
both the picture and the multi-channel
tracks is he very definition of !WOW! when
Taylor descends from the Sphinx her outfit
is bright shiny gold with a capital G. so
I have no idea what the quote you quoted
is talking about.
again thanks to Al A. for your font of knowledge about the
roadshow policy. of the seven houses the studios used for
their roadshow engagements during the 1952-1972 period
(Criterion, Loews State, RKO Palace, Demille, Warner,Rivoli
Loews Capitol) the shortest roadshow run I can remember
was Half A Sixpence at the Criterion which ran a grand
total of 6 weeks. either Paramount or the management of
the Criterion or both decided to pull the film. my point
being simple- apparently if a roadshow run wasn’t doing
business it would/could be pulled rather quickly. therefore
I assuming that TGSET’s box office at the Warner was in fact
sufficient enough to keep it there 44 weeks otherwise as
HAS demonstrates the theater and or studio would have no
trouble pulling it.
another thought. the blu-rays discs of Hello Dolly and
Cleopatra make those two films truly come alive. anyone
watching these two films for the first time on blu-ray disc
will certainly wonder why they’re considered flops duds, etc…
the answer is simple- they’re considered flops, duds etc….
because they cost too damn much for the dollar value of
their day(June ‘63 and Dec. 69) there was no way they could
possibly break even.
to Al A. as always thanks for your font of knowledge when ‘
it comers to the roadshow policy. another question. I hope
to find it again but a few years I came across a site that
listed Manhattan’s roadshow engagements listed by length of
run with the theater listed. now I saw The Greatest Story
Ever Told twice during its roadshow run “in Cinerama” at
the Warner. I enjoyed it regardless of the reputation the
film has. now the list stated TGSET roadshow run at the Warner
lasted 44 weeks. at the time the film was a big loss for UA
since it cost to damn much for the dollar value of the day to
turn a profit. but if it was a disappointment for UA why in
God’s name did the Warner keep it for 44 weeks? some
roadshow runs that were considered successes didn’t run
44 weeks.
Hello-
a friend of mine told me The Ten Commandments(1956) roadshow run at this theater lasted only 15 weeks. TTC’S roadshow run at the Criterion in Manhattan lasted well over a year. is the length of TTC’s roadshow run at this theater correct?
Hello –
to Mike(saps) thanks for the info. on the photo pages for this theater is the ad from when the film opened and was surprised to see it was rated R. I was never aware it had been officially rated. I remember some the sex scenes being quite graphic so I’m surprised it didn’t get an X rating at the time.
Hello from NYC-
did this theater ever host any roadshow engagements in the 1952-172 period?
Hello-
I rather enjoyed A Very Natural Thing which opened here the summer of 1974. its one of the top gay themed films ever in my opinion. oddly I don’t think its ever been issued on home video, vhs or dvd let alone Blu-ray.
Hello-
to stevenJ thanks for the reply. you’d expect since the exterior was a façade on the Columbia lot they’d at least build one that actually looked like the New Amsterdam Theater.
Hello from NYC-
at the beginning of Funny Girl Barbra Streisand walks into what is supposed to be the New Amsterdam Theater on 42 St.. as any native New Yorker will tell you the interior looked nothing liked the New Amsterdam. this has always been a big mistake for me. to which what L.A. theater was used for the interior of the New Amsterdam?
if i am not mistaken this was always a 1st run theater. to which what was the last film to play here before the Directors Guild too kit over?
Hello-
in my search for the 1st purpose movie theater in Manhattan a fellow poster mentioned a theater with the name City Photoplays which I had never heard of. i later found the theater on a list but can’t remember the website. i thought my fellow poster might have meant the Variety Photoplays at 3rd Ave. & 14 St.. but the list i found listed a seating capacity that would have been too for the Variety Photolays. so where was the City Photoplays theater to which my' fellow poster referred?
Hello-
traveling west along 116 St. just before you get to 3rd Ave. one sees that the auditorium section still exits. has it been gutted or simply covered over for retail use?
Hello-
I thank my fellow moviegoers for info on the roadshow engagement policy. now does anyone know of a first rate book on the subject? Kim Holston’s “Movie Roadshows” not only a few mistakes but omits films altogether as well.
Hello-
I thank everyone for help with my “first theater built from the ground up with the intent of showing movies” question. opened Feb. 1913 and the Rialto opened April 1916. so wouldn’t the Crescent which was located at 36 W. 135 St. and opened on the night of Dec. 16, 1909 be the first. granted it was built to showcase both films and live acts but weren’t the Regent and the Rialto built as combo houses as well?
Hello-
thanks to robboehm for your reply. my astonishment was not so much on the length of TDOAF’S reserved seat rum at the Palace but that in S.F. it wasn’t even a roadshow run at all. it has always fascinated me why a studio would open a film on a roadshow run in one city but not others. I always assumed if a film opened on a roadshow run in Manhattan it did so I every city it opened in.
Hello-
a question for my fellow moviegoers. for the first several years of the movie biz whatever “movie theaters” existed in Manhattan were music halls. vaudeville theaters and legitimate theaters etc… renovated to show movies. but I have always wanted to find which was the 1st theater built in Manhattan brick by brick from the ground up with the intent of being a movie theater. any guesses as to the answer or how to find out?
Hello-
it was customary when a roadshow engagement finished the film would move to another 1st run theater in Manhattan on “continuous performances at popular prices”. but does anyone remember a roadshow engagement that went from reserved seat to continuous performances at popular prices in the same theater?
Hello-
why does this theater have an absurdly long time between the 8:35a.m. and 1:40p.m.showings of Long Shot?
Hello-
i just became aware of this theater and got all excited
thinking they had had restored Loews Delancy but the address
is different. is the Loews Delancy quite close to this
theater.
Hello-
the last film i can remember seeing here was
A Clockwork Orange.
Hello-
can anyone remember the last movie to play here? the only film i can remember seeing here was The Three Stooges Meet Hercules.
Hello-
as pellboy asked June 2013 is closing date of 1969 as stated in the intro entirely accurate?
Hello-
as I asked seven years when did this theater close down as
a movie theater?
Hello-
to the best of my recollection when Krakatoa East of Java opened June 1969 at the Warner Theater (47 St.& Bway) it was not continuous nor reserved seat but a reserved performance policy.
Hello-
another question about roadshow films on Blu-ray. when Cleopatra premiered at this theater June 1963 it was 4 hours. it was cut down to 3hrs. 40 mins. and then 3hrs. 15mins. for its run at neighborhood theaters around NYC. the Blu-ray is the New York cut as its known so Fox at least kept the trims. but why are some companies better at keeping the trims than others?
Hello-
to Al A.– thanks for the correction as to the length of
to vindanpar- the currently available Blu-ray disc of
Hello-
again thanks to Al A. for your font of knowledge about the roadshow policy. of the seven houses the studios used for their roadshow engagements during the 1952-1972 period (Criterion, Loews State, RKO Palace, Demille, Warner,Rivoli Loews Capitol) the shortest roadshow run I can remember was Half A Sixpence at the Criterion which ran a grand total of 6 weeks. either Paramount or the management of the Criterion or both decided to pull the film. my point being simple- apparently if a roadshow run wasn’t doing business it would/could be pulled rather quickly. therefore I assuming that TGSET’s box office at the Warner was in fact sufficient enough to keep it there 44 weeks otherwise as HAS demonstrates the theater and or studio would have no trouble pulling it.
another thought. the blu-rays discs of Hello Dolly and Cleopatra make those two films truly come alive. anyone watching these two films for the first time on blu-ray disc will certainly wonder why they’re considered flops duds, etc… the answer is simple- they’re considered flops, duds etc…. because they cost too damn much for the dollar value of their day(June ‘63 and Dec. 69) there was no way they could possibly break even.
Hello-
to Al A. as always thanks for your font of knowledge when ‘ it comers to the roadshow policy. another question. I hope to find it again but a few years I came across a site that listed Manhattan’s roadshow engagements listed by length of run with the theater listed. now I saw The Greatest Story Ever Told twice during its roadshow run “in Cinerama” at the Warner. I enjoyed it regardless of the reputation the film has. now the list stated TGSET roadshow run at the Warner lasted 44 weeks. at the time the film was a big loss for UA since it cost to damn much for the dollar value of the day to turn a profit. but if it was a disappointment for UA why in God’s name did the Warner keep it for 44 weeks? some roadshow runs that were considered successes didn’t run 44 weeks.