Footfall has always been a dubious figure in the industry with theatres keeping it secret so that comps, discounts, unsellable seats and footfall rent triggers did not get exposed.
You can get figures adjusted for inflation from boxofficemojo but for individual films, not theatres. Variety once speculated that BIRTH OF A NATION or DEEP THROAT, not GWTW, would probably hold the true attendance record.
The “Popular Price” run of CAVALCADE had already run two weeks in April of 1933 with no stage show but that may have been a planned engagement instead of a hold-over.
LITTLE WOMEN had a three week run advertising ‘an unusual 'Roxy’ stage show' in the NYT, but no headliner.
Let’s not underestimate the star power of Katherine Hepburn in 1933 or the fact that the film itself was a nationwide hit.
Once the nine-plex opened, this one woke up, although it was almost always given left overs. I remember exceptional grosses when they played the right film.
For example, Spike Lee had a fit over the limited seating at Chelsea for JUNGLE FEVER so MALCOLM X opened at triplex to exceptional numbers. I also recall a solid week of sell-outs for a four-wall rental of an African film called SANKOFA.
The product was also compromised by the decision to include Loews 19th Street into the same zone, effectively keeping many titles out of Chelsea.
For a while in the nineties the Chelsea Nine and the 23rd St West produced some of the highest grosses in the city presenting the Angelika and Lincoln Plaza a serious challenge for exclusives.
The Chelsea nine was the highest grossing Manhattan house for a short time until Lincoln Square came along.
Since distributors preferred the nine-plex to the triplex, it was redone to a twin and renamed Chelsea West so that it would have the largest and best auditorium in the area and become more interchangeable with its bigger brother.
I suspect that the short lifespan of new movies and an attendance drain from the West 34th street has lead to this latest eminent switch away from mainstream film.
This neighborhood and theatre are still pretty much better off now than ever in their history and the SVA is making a smart investment.
In September of 1990 Pathe lost their lease at this location. They decided to re-open elsewhere so they removed the marquee and moved out. Loews took over and renamed the location LOEWS FINE ARTS.
In late 1992 it became LOEWS PARIS FINE ARTS and by summer 1993 it was the PARIS once again without Loews' involvement. Either Pathe returned or the landlord bought the rights to the name, as it never did open elsewhere.
Advertisements and the marquee were changed and news stories are available along with a “goodbye” ad in the NYT from Pathe when they lost the lease.
I have not heard of the Dramatic either but it could have been a legit house.
There were also a number of silent downtown Miami theatres that closed after the big mid-twenties hurricane when the city was almost wiped off the map.
I may be able to help if you can narrow the scope. Are you looking for every booking at each theatre in New York? Manhattan?
Are you looking for specific dates?
If you are just looking film releases during this period IMDB, boxofficemojo and the Variety website have lists. Chances are the film played NY somewhere even for a day if it was released to theatres at all.
I originally thought the CANAL had closed in the mid-fifties but a CANAL theatre appears in an ad for TELEFON in the NYT in January 1978. Does anyone know the final closing date?
For the record, I was just trying to narrow the scope for the date on the photo. My memory plays tricks on me all the time and I don’t think I am crazy either, but I can contribute by looking some stuff up easily at my end.
I wasn’t born yet when Leroy was a doorman at the Astor & Victoria and I would not think of belittling his valuable first-hand accounts in any way.
I never make mean spirited comments as I am just not wired that way.
Leroy, I think your memory is playing games. How could MEET ME IN LAS VEGAS have played prior to THE ROSE TATTOO when it opened in March 1956? The sign over the theatre in the photo even announces the date.
THE ROSE TATTOO opened in December 1955 as Warren stated.
Since the marquee mentions Oscar nominations, that places the photo after February 19, 1956 and before March 13 when MEET ME IN LAS VEGAS opened at the Astor. Magnani won that year on March 21. Sinatra didn’t win for the movie with the Saul Bass logo.
“When it was announced that the Cinerama was going to be demolished and an office building put in its place, it was also stated there would be a new multiplex theatre in the basement, similar to what happened with the Loews State. However, once the old theatre was down, the developer stated that plans changed and there would be no new theatre in the building at all. I doubt there was ever a plan for a new theatre, and it was a BS story on the part of the developer just to get the theatre down without a lot of noise from the public. The old theatres closing came at the same time as RKOs takeover by the Canadians (who were scrambling to get office space set up at 126 E. 56th St 20th flr. The RKO offices had been upstairs of the Cinerama Theatre). When the announcement came that there would be no new theatre, there was no fuss made about it by the Canadians in the trades.
posted by dave-bronx on Oct 15, 2004 at 1:05pm
Although the “demolish and replace†deal was signed with RKO, Cineplex Odeon was the beneficiary of the settlement when the developer failed to build the basement multiplex. C was happy to accept the settlement as they had already sigedn the World Wide site.
“Although no x-rated movies played at the Strand/Warner, they certainly played at the Cine Orleans, built on the old Strand stage with its entrance on 47th Street. I remember the Cine’s facade was elaborate grillwork in the New Orleans style, but I never went inside.
posted by saps on Mar 2, 2005 at 4:28pmâ€
As the CINERAMA TWIN this site played many x-rated films including edited version of hard-core films such as BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR.
I suspect that since Hollywood was producing so many pro-Soviet films during the war at the government’s request, it was a worthy investment at the time.
Only six films ran more than a week at the Roxy in 1935. Distributors rarely enforced a contractual second week if attendance is not there because of the house nut guarantee. The two week minimum contract goes out the window on a flop even today. It was even less common with distributor owned depression era theatres.
The Capitol had generally longer runs in 1935 with DAVID COPPERFIELD running five weeks and MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY running four weeks).
CHINA SEAS, ANNA KARENINA and A NIGHT AT THE OPERA ran for three weeks each.
Footfall has always been a dubious figure in the industry with theatres keeping it secret so that comps, discounts, unsellable seats and footfall rent triggers did not get exposed.
You can get figures adjusted for inflation from boxofficemojo but for individual films, not theatres. Variety once speculated that BIRTH OF A NATION or DEEP THROAT, not GWTW, would probably hold the true attendance record.
The “Popular Price” run of CAVALCADE had already run two weeks in April of 1933 with no stage show but that may have been a planned engagement instead of a hold-over.
LITTLE WOMEN had a three week run advertising ‘an unusual 'Roxy’ stage show' in the NYT, but no headliner.
Let’s not underestimate the star power of Katherine Hepburn in 1933 or the fact that the film itself was a nationwide hit.
The 19th Street East has no stadium seating and seemed abandoned even during the Loews days.
The Village even without stadium seating has a better chance for a future with specialty films as it is far superior to most surviving area theatres.
The zones have fallen apart and except for 42nd street, product splitting is slowly disappearing.
Once the nine-plex opened, this one woke up, although it was almost always given left overs. I remember exceptional grosses when they played the right film.
For example, Spike Lee had a fit over the limited seating at Chelsea for JUNGLE FEVER so MALCOLM X opened at triplex to exceptional numbers. I also recall a solid week of sell-outs for a four-wall rental of an African film called SANKOFA.
The product was also compromised by the decision to include Loews 19th Street into the same zone, effectively keeping many titles out of Chelsea.
For a while in the nineties the Chelsea Nine and the 23rd St West produced some of the highest grosses in the city presenting the Angelika and Lincoln Plaza a serious challenge for exclusives.
The Chelsea nine was the highest grossing Manhattan house for a short time until Lincoln Square came along.
Since distributors preferred the nine-plex to the triplex, it was redone to a twin and renamed Chelsea West so that it would have the largest and best auditorium in the area and become more interchangeable with its bigger brother.
I suspect that the short lifespan of new movies and an attendance drain from the West 34th street has lead to this latest eminent switch away from mainstream film.
This neighborhood and theatre are still pretty much better off now than ever in their history and the SVA is making a smart investment.
The Bay Cinema will live in movie history after all with a cameo in LOVE STORY, of all films.
In the scene where Jenny and Oliver drive into New York you can see them drive by the Bay Cinema with the free standing marquee advertising FUTZ.
Susan, the Criterion you are looking for actually predates this one and can be found at: /theaters/16481/
On February 1, 1902 at 2pm that Criterion was presenting Leslie Carter in his new play “DU BARRY”.
In September of 1990 Pathe lost their lease at this location. They decided to re-open elsewhere so they removed the marquee and moved out. Loews took over and renamed the location LOEWS FINE ARTS.
In late 1992 it became LOEWS PARIS FINE ARTS and by summer 1993 it was the PARIS once again without Loews' involvement. Either Pathe returned or the landlord bought the rights to the name, as it never did open elsewhere.
Advertisements and the marquee were changed and news stories are available along with a “goodbye” ad in the NYT from Pathe when they lost the lease.
Fine Arts should be listed as an alternative name for this location although it was only for a short time in the early nineties.
So it appears this opened in 1921, was tripled in 1976, quaded in 1978 and was closed/demolished in 1985.
This was still operating as the Canal Cinema in the summer of 1978.
I have not heard of the Dramatic either but it could have been a legit house.
There were also a number of silent downtown Miami theatres that closed after the big mid-twenties hurricane when the city was almost wiped off the map.
When you consider there are over 200 screens and over 75 films playing weekly in Manhattan alone this list would be overwhelming without more detail.
I may be able to help if you can narrow the scope. Are you looking for every booking at each theatre in New York? Manhattan?
Are you looking for specific dates?
If you are just looking film releases during this period IMDB, boxofficemojo and the Variety website have lists. Chances are the film played NY somewhere even for a day if it was released to theatres at all.
I originally thought the CANAL had closed in the mid-fifties but a CANAL theatre appears in an ad for TELEFON in the NYT in January 1978. Does anyone know the final closing date?
Good grief! Thanks Ed.
For the record, I was just trying to narrow the scope for the date on the photo. My memory plays tricks on me all the time and I don’t think I am crazy either, but I can contribute by looking some stuff up easily at my end.
I wasn’t born yet when Leroy was a doorman at the Astor & Victoria and I would not think of belittling his valuable first-hand accounts in any way.
I never make mean spirited comments as I am just not wired that way.
Leroy, I think your memory is playing games. How could MEET ME IN LAS VEGAS have played prior to THE ROSE TATTOO when it opened in March 1956? The sign over the theatre in the photo even announces the date.
THE ROSE TATTOO opened in December 1955 as Warren stated.
Does anyone know if Ralph Donnelly was the brains behind Cinema 5 distribution?
They had a short but brilliant run of hit films in the late sixties/early seventies and their ad campaigns were way ahead of their time.
Since the marquee mentions Oscar nominations, that places the photo after February 19, 1956 and before March 13 when MEET ME IN LAS VEGAS opened at the Astor. Magnani won that year on March 21. Sinatra didn’t win for the movie with the Saul Bass logo.
A 1977 NYT ad for “The Renoir” lists the address as
100 7th Avenue So. Nr. Sheridan Square.
“When it was announced that the Cinerama was going to be demolished and an office building put in its place, it was also stated there would be a new multiplex theatre in the basement, similar to what happened with the Loews State. However, once the old theatre was down, the developer stated that plans changed and there would be no new theatre in the building at all. I doubt there was ever a plan for a new theatre, and it was a BS story on the part of the developer just to get the theatre down without a lot of noise from the public. The old theatres closing came at the same time as RKOs takeover by the Canadians (who were scrambling to get office space set up at 126 E. 56th St 20th flr. The RKO offices had been upstairs of the Cinerama Theatre). When the announcement came that there would be no new theatre, there was no fuss made about it by the Canadians in the trades.
posted by dave-bronx on Oct 15, 2004 at 1:05pm
Although the “demolish and replace†deal was signed with RKO, Cineplex Odeon was the beneficiary of the settlement when the developer failed to build the basement multiplex. C was happy to accept the settlement as they had already sigedn the World Wide site.
“Although no x-rated movies played at the Strand/Warner, they certainly played at the Cine Orleans, built on the old Strand stage with its entrance on 47th Street. I remember the Cine’s facade was elaborate grillwork in the New Orleans style, but I never went inside.
posted by saps on Mar 2, 2005 at 4:28pmâ€
As the CINERAMA TWIN this site played many x-rated films including edited version of hard-core films such as BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR.
I suspect that since Hollywood was producing so many pro-Soviet films during the war at the government’s request, it was a worthy investment at the time.
In 1935 the Roxy advertised a “Big Stage Show” with no headliners on hold-overs and the Capitol had stopped running stage shows altogether.
Only six films ran more than a week at the Roxy in 1935. Distributors rarely enforced a contractual second week if attendance is not there because of the house nut guarantee. The two week minimum contract goes out the window on a flop even today. It was even less common with distributor owned depression era theatres.
The Capitol had generally longer runs in 1935 with DAVID COPPERFIELD running five weeks and MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY running four weeks).
CHINA SEAS, ANNA KARENINA and A NIGHT AT THE OPERA ran for three weeks each.