This from Variety, November 7, 1956 about a Baytown theatre. Does anyone from Baytown remember what started it?
Massed Assault on Theatre!
“Some 500 teenagers, bent on revenge for a "raw deal”, ran amok here last Wednesday night (310, egg-and-feathering a theatre, barricading a city street and beating a policemen with a club.
The yelling gang – both boys and girls – commandeered a city dump truck, roused the town with a garbage can “tom-tom” dance, let air out of tires and damaged two city patrol cars.
The horde showed up at the Bay Theatre where the manager, H.E. Brunson, had frequently called police for aid against rowdy-ism, and threw dozens of eggs at the theatre front. Then the gang smeared feathers in the “omlet”."
Vito, many Manhattan houses are now part time union or non-union. In many cases union projectionists do maintenance and repairs and other staff build up prints and run the show. The Ziegfeld was one of the last Cineplex Odeon theatres to install platters since it was single screen and often ran 70mm. Platters were considered more of a multiplex necessity. One of the projectionists filed a grievance demanding platters, which were eventually negotiated.
The BACKDRAFT incident was one of many less publicised screw-ups from an incompetent projectionist who allegedly had a substance abuse problem. The Old Waverly had a similar problem and this may be the reason it chose to reopened non-union.
If you check the 306 website you will find they are concentrating more on business conference presentations as a growth market as the actual number of theatres dwindle, albeit with more screens.
Just to clear up two items, the platters were not installed due to the BACKDRAFT debacle. They were installed much later due to grievance from a 306 projectionist with a bad back who had trouble lifting the reels. Running reel to reel may now actually be a contract violation.
MY FAIR LADY did fairly well on its opening weekend then died after exhausting its obviously finite audience. When you consider the cost of restoring the print, that run not only failed but stopped other planned restorations from taking place.
Although many Manhattan theatres are no longer union, the ratio of good/bad projectionists appears to be the same as before.
I can confirm that the ad for HIM posted above ran in the New York Times on March 29, 1974. Later ads included review quotes from Al Goldstein, The Village Voice, Gay Scene, Michael’s Thing, Variety, and Where it’s at.
It would appear it was not only a real movie but that it ran for around two months at the 55th St. Playhouse.
The review above is re-print from allmovie.com and not an actual NYT review, so a theatre is not mentioned. Wakefiled Poole’s filmography does not list HIM although he did film a bible epic released as IN THE BEGINNING in New York.
That 1994 re-release of MY FAIR LADY was a box office disaster. Meryl Streep’s THE RIVER WILD was rushed in to cover (it was supposed to open at the National). It sold the place out.
“Biz is holding up so well for "Marty” at the arty Sutton Theatre that film rental on this United Artists release may be sufficient to pay off the $325,000 estimated negative cost.
Albert Greene who ran the Avenue U decided it would be a good idea to chrome plate 36,000 pennies to hand out as change to his patrons. The patrons were then asked drop one into a “Wagner bottle†in order to drive home his protest against the 5% admission tax imposed on theatres.
After a visit from the Treasury Men, Greene was warned that adding weight to coins was illegal and he should desist immediately a turn over all the altered pennies, of which 12,000 remeined. In an effort to undo the damage he offered two copper pennies for each chrome one returned.
Unfortunately neighborhood kids with chemistry sets caught on to the deal and “fake†chrome pennies started turning up in massive numbers.
Greene responded by running a trailer addressed to the “fathers of Junior Counterfeitersâ€
“We beg you to assert your parental authority on the chemistry genius in your family. Pul-e-e-ze tell your boys to stop producing synthetic chrome plated pennies. This is against the law, besides being of great annoyance to us. Show mom how firm you can be.â€
Once enough pennies had been returned, Greene decided to “strip†them of the chrome instead of turning them in and again ran afoul of the Treasury Department for tampering with the currency.
Once the stunt hit the news, neighborhood merchants started pitching in, helping to round up renegade chrome pennies, 1400 of which had ended up at the CBS “It’s News to me” show.
Ed, regarding your post of January 13, when I ran the Meadows the maskings had to moved manually. We used to set them up every Thursday night for the coming show. It is a shame that no one even bothers now.
Paramount theatre, Brooklyn, was focal point in a gruesome joke last Saturday when a man committed suicide by jumping out of a window and landing on the sidewalk in front of the house.
A little insight into better times from Variety, August 8, 1951
RIVALRY MOUNTS FOR B’WAY PIX: DEMANDS SOARING WITH HOT BIDDING
Product jams at a couple of spots and intensifying rivalry within the ranks of both distributors and exhibitors are resulting in sweeping departures from traditional booking practices in N.Y.’s showcase sector.
There’s a rift between United Paramount Theatres’ flagship house, the Paramount, and Paramount Pictures. UPT refused to go along on Par’s terms on “Rhubarb†and consequently the pic has been booked for Harry Brandt’s nearby Globe. Par’s “A Place in the Sun†is set for the Capitol marking the first time the Loews house will serve as a first-run outlet for Par.
Columbia and City Investing Co., operator of the Astor and Victoria, disclosed a deal yesterday (Tues.) for a continuing tieup. This is designed to guarantee the two theatres a constant source of supply and, of course, provides Col with important showcase outlets.
The long runs of Metro’s “The Great Caruso†and the current “Show Boat†are forcing three films, which normally would play the Hall, elsewhere, including “Place in the Sunâ€. Other two are Par’s “Here Comes the Groom†and Warners’ “Streetcar Named Desireâ€.
WB’S “Capt. Horatio Hornblowerâ€, which follows “Show Boat†at the Hall, also is expected to hold for a long run and this will further aggravate the booking jam Conditions… (article continues)
pmullins and cypress, as two CT members who have actually paid your $15 to help keep this place open in the past, I think you do undeniably hold the moral high ground.
This from Variety, November 7, 1956 about a Baytown theatre. Does anyone from Baytown remember what started it?
Massed Assault on Theatre!
“Some 500 teenagers, bent on revenge for a "raw deal”, ran amok here last Wednesday night (310, egg-and-feathering a theatre, barricading a city street and beating a policemen with a club.
The yelling gang – both boys and girls – commandeered a city dump truck, roused the town with a garbage can “tom-tom” dance, let air out of tires and damaged two city patrol cars.
The horde showed up at the Bay Theatre where the manager, H.E. Brunson, had frequently called police for aid against rowdy-ism, and threw dozens of eggs at the theatre front. Then the gang smeared feathers in the “omlet”."
Vito, many Manhattan houses are now part time union or non-union. In many cases union projectionists do maintenance and repairs and other staff build up prints and run the show. The Ziegfeld was one of the last Cineplex Odeon theatres to install platters since it was single screen and often ran 70mm. Platters were considered more of a multiplex necessity. One of the projectionists filed a grievance demanding platters, which were eventually negotiated.
The BACKDRAFT incident was one of many less publicised screw-ups from an incompetent projectionist who allegedly had a substance abuse problem. The Old Waverly had a similar problem and this may be the reason it chose to reopened non-union.
If you check the 306 website you will find they are concentrating more on business conference presentations as a growth market as the actual number of theatres dwindle, albeit with more screens.
Just to clear up two items, the platters were not installed due to the BACKDRAFT debacle. They were installed much later due to grievance from a 306 projectionist with a bad back who had trouble lifting the reels. Running reel to reel may now actually be a contract violation.
MY FAIR LADY did fairly well on its opening weekend then died after exhausting its obviously finite audience. When you consider the cost of restoring the print, that run not only failed but stopped other planned restorations from taking place.
Although many Manhattan theatres are no longer union, the ratio of good/bad projectionists appears to be the same as before.
LOL. Good ‘ole Wikipedia!
Michael Medved’s book addresses the 1974 film and even quotes the ad copy.
I can confirm that the ad for HIM posted above ran in the New York Times on March 29, 1974. Later ads included review quotes from Al Goldstein, The Village Voice, Gay Scene, Michael’s Thing, Variety, and Where it’s at.
It would appear it was not only a real movie but that it ran for around two months at the 55th St. Playhouse.
The review above is re-print from allmovie.com and not an actual NYT review, so a theatre is not mentioned. Wakefiled Poole’s filmography does not list HIM although he did film a bible epic released as IN THE BEGINNING in New York.
Historical reality check.
That 1994 re-release of MY FAIR LADY was a box office disaster. Meryl Streep’s THE RIVER WILD was rushed in to cover (it was supposed to open at the National). It sold the place out.
Ken, the Madonna is the Roxy and is listed here, somewhere.
Sorry to read about the Lincoln being closed. Anything announced as coming up there?
Here is a NY Times review for a 1984 film by director Wiktor Grodecki called HIM.
View link
A “Harrison” theatre advertised in 1994 as being on 89th and Broadway. Does anyone know what venue that may have been?
A “Harrison” theatre advertised in 1994 as being on 89th and Broadway. Does anyone know what venue that may have been?
That’s the one! Thanks guys, I will figure it out some day.
A British newspaper covers midgnight movies and EL TOPO at the Elgin.
View link
My previous post appears to be missing, but anyway, the Tapia name I was enquiring about appears in ads in the early seventies.
Warren, thanks for posting those porn ads on the Cinemart page. I guess you were being funny after all!
Variety June 22, 1955
“Biz is holding up so well for "Marty” at the arty Sutton Theatre that film rental on this United Artists release may be sufficient to pay off the $325,000 estimated negative cost.
According to a July 1928, 1954 Variety story:
(CHROMED PENNIES DRAW T-MEN TO B'KLYN THEATRE)
Albert Greene who ran the Avenue U decided it would be a good idea to chrome plate 36,000 pennies to hand out as change to his patrons. The patrons were then asked drop one into a “Wagner bottle†in order to drive home his protest against the 5% admission tax imposed on theatres.
After a visit from the Treasury Men, Greene was warned that adding weight to coins was illegal and he should desist immediately a turn over all the altered pennies, of which 12,000 remeined. In an effort to undo the damage he offered two copper pennies for each chrome one returned.
Unfortunately neighborhood kids with chemistry sets caught on to the deal and “fake†chrome pennies started turning up in massive numbers.
Greene responded by running a trailer addressed to the “fathers of Junior Counterfeitersâ€
“We beg you to assert your parental authority on the chemistry genius in your family. Pul-e-e-ze tell your boys to stop producing synthetic chrome plated pennies. This is against the law, besides being of great annoyance to us. Show mom how firm you can be.â€
Once enough pennies had been returned, Greene decided to “strip†them of the chrome instead of turning them in and again ran afoul of the Treasury Department for tampering with the currency.
Once the stunt hit the news, neighborhood merchants started pitching in, helping to round up renegade chrome pennies, 1400 of which had ended up at the CBS “It’s News to me” show.
Ed, regarding your post of January 13, when I ran the Meadows the maskings had to moved manually. We used to set them up every Thursday night for the coming show. It is a shame that no one even bothers now.
From Variety May 5, 1950
GRIM TRAILER
Paramount theatre, Brooklyn, was focal point in a gruesome joke last Saturday when a man committed suicide by jumping out of a window and landing on the sidewalk in front of the house.
Picture at the theatre was D.O.A.
A little insight into better times from Variety, August 8, 1951
RIVALRY MOUNTS FOR B’WAY PIX: DEMANDS SOARING WITH HOT BIDDING
Product jams at a couple of spots and intensifying rivalry within the ranks of both distributors and exhibitors are resulting in sweeping departures from traditional booking practices in N.Y.’s showcase sector.
There’s a rift between United Paramount Theatres’ flagship house, the Paramount, and Paramount Pictures. UPT refused to go along on Par’s terms on “Rhubarb†and consequently the pic has been booked for Harry Brandt’s nearby Globe. Par’s “A Place in the Sun†is set for the Capitol marking the first time the Loews house will serve as a first-run outlet for Par.
Columbia and City Investing Co., operator of the Astor and Victoria, disclosed a deal yesterday (Tues.) for a continuing tieup. This is designed to guarantee the two theatres a constant source of supply and, of course, provides Col with important showcase outlets.
The long runs of Metro’s “The Great Caruso†and the current “Show Boat†are forcing three films, which normally would play the Hall, elsewhere, including “Place in the Sunâ€. Other two are Par’s “Here Comes the Groom†and Warners’ “Streetcar Named Desireâ€.
WB’S “Capt. Horatio Hornblowerâ€, which follows “Show Boat†at the Hall, also is expected to hold for a long run and this will further aggravate the booking jam Conditions… (article continues)
I went to the Paris recently to see BREAKING AND ENTERING and the place was immaculate. It looked like a theatre that had just opened.
After the war, did anybody really care what was playing as long as the Rockettes were kicking up their heels?
Where were you when the lights went out?
Thanks for that Tapia ad.
I have another suspect now for the Tapia.
The PEERLESS, 314 East 148th Street.
pmullins and cypress, as two CT members who have actually paid your $15 to help keep this place open in the past, I think you do undeniably hold the moral high ground.