Paramount Theatre

1501 Broadway,
New York, NY 10036

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Showing 301 - 325 of 508 comments

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on October 31, 2005 at 5:45 am

Hmmmm. That’s a shame, Warren. Public access is certainly something to consider. I hope it’s something that is in the AMMI’s future plans. Perhaps they are waiting to amass a sufficient amount of material to warrant some sort of Library? They might consider a partnership with Lincoln Center since they already have facilities – though I know how bad the politics can get sometimes between these kinds of institutions.

RobertR
RobertR on October 31, 2005 at 5:10 am

I don’t even think the Theatre Historical Society let’s you see a thumbprint pic to order photographs. You have to buy them blind.

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on October 31, 2005 at 5:09 am

Just a thought, but it occurs to me that the American Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria Queens might also be interested in ActorGuy’s collection of material on the Paramount. They have a reasonable collection of material on display regarding the theatrical presentation of film over the last century. The collection includes tons of advertising material (programs, magazines, matchbooks, posters, lobby cards, etc.) and scores of photographs from the Loew’s organization. They also have an incredible cutaway scale model of the Roxy Theater on display that will absolutely knock your socks off if you ever make it down to Astoria to visit the Museum. I highly recommend it.

Anyway… they might be very interested in ActorGuy’s documentation.

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on October 31, 2005 at 4:52 am

Well… I must admit, the devestation of New York City never entered my mind as a factor to consider in this matter! Hee hee… My tongue is firmly planted in cheek, Jim. Seriously, you do make some valid points. Does the Theatrical Historical Society offer remote access to its archives so that folks from New York – who may have personal experiences having attended the Paramount and other theaters – might peruse its collection? After all, there is still the matter of local heritage. I’ll leave Warren to defend the merits of the Lincoln Center Library, which, after all, is dedicated to the Performing Arts and would seem to have a narrow enough field of focus to do well by the material. I like your final suggestion that copies of the material be scanned and burned to DVD so that they might be shared across multiple institutions… but I’m not sure ActorGuy is looking to make that kind of investment in the material.

JimRankin
JimRankin on October 31, 2005 at 1:14 am

ActorGuy, if you advertise anywhere, you can probably sell the collection off in pieces, which may make money for you, but which will render the collection much less valuable to any institution. If your motive is profit, then you probably will not care who gets the materials, but if it is for the love of this theatre and others, then do consider the viableness and accessability of the materials for generations to come.

One reason I suggested the Theatre Historical Society is that it is devoted to THEATRES, whereas in contrast, other institutions are not so specialized and have to therefore spread their maintenance funds out over a number of collections. Most any institution will accept a collection if for no other reason than to be able to list it on their credits as being part of their documentary base, but that doesn’t mean that they will fully process or accession the items after they have been received by them. The Library of Congress, for example, received a huge collection of trade catalogs 50 years ago, but it has never been fully accessioned or catgaloged due to “lack of funds.” Large institutions tend to have a world-weary disdain for the enthusiasts and their ‘hobbyist’ documents, and therefore may treat your collection slightingly in favor of larger or more popular collections now and later donated to be cared for by scarse funds. Theatre Historical is by no means rolling in funds, but since this is their sole field of interest, it is likely that their assurances as to processing and openness of the collection will have a lot more weight in fact. They will also cross-index to the many other items in their collection about the NY PARAMOUNT, whereas a local institution of other focus may not have much to cross-index to, if they even care to.

Another factor to consider is what record exists for posterity if some disaster should befall New York city. When the hurricanes destroyed many libraries in the south, the records there were often destroyed, and any memories of lost theatres there are now also lost to everyone! A Chicago suburb is far from NYC, and thus more likely to be able to keep such vital history should something happen in Gotham. Those without foresight will poo-poo such a possibility, but realists will not. Examine your motives and think ahead. Should copies on DVD be made of the items so that the DVD copies can be sent to archives in the NYC area? That is something for you to explore, if preservation is more your aim than profit.

Jean
Jean on October 30, 2005 at 10:32 am

Maybe an article in the NY Times would spark some interest here locally ( NYC ). In addition, you can get some attention for yourself, which you may want. How ‘bout it? I for one, would like to read about it.

I myself have one of the stained glass EXIT signs from the Gramarcy theatre in NYC. ( By the way, that’s MY photo at the top of this page!)

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on October 30, 2005 at 8:54 am

ActorGuy, I have to agree with Warren that the material should remain in New York, but then I am a rather biased native New Yorker. I urge you to contact Warren and consider his suggestion before you take the material elsewhere. The New York Historical Society or even the Musuem of the City of New York come to mind as possible alternatives to Lincoln Center, should they elect to pass on the material.

Vito
Vito on October 30, 2005 at 4:10 am

Ohhh Warren the thought of that material has you salavating :)

JimRankin
JimRankin on October 30, 2005 at 2:22 am

“Actor Guy,” you indeed have a treasure there! I am sure that the Theatre Historical Society of American in Elmhurst Illinois would be interested. They have thousands of records of theatres across the nation but could probably find more room. Contact their Executive Director, Richard Sklenar, at: or phone him at their numbers given on their web site: www.historictheatres.org during business hours. Try to give him an idea of the extent and nature of the collection. Their Archive is above the YORK theatre in Elmhurst, about 15 miles west of Chicago and hosts many hundreds of researchers every year.

On the off chance that they cannot accept your gift, or transportation problems loom, it is quite possible that the Theatre Collection of the City of New York at the main Library would also be interested. For both groups it will depend upon space available, and staff resources to catalog and package the collection for preservation. If you encounter such problem, consider retaining portions of the collection until they can accept more. They will probably offer to name the collection after you, but you can be anonymous if you choose.

By the way, I know how you feel finding such a trove in a dumpster. I came upon such regarding an abandoned local feed mill that had several unique buildings from the 1870s, and could only rescue some photos and the like. I am so glad that you had the foresight and determination to save what you could; after I joined the staff of the PABST theatre to reconstruct its history in my native Milwaukee, I was told of how many file cabints of documents and boxers of “old stuff” were discarded during the “restoration” of the 1895 theatre long before I was hired, and so one can only guess at what was lost —and shake one’s head at the shortsightedness and laziness of the city supervisors that allowed the contractors to simply dump all that history rather than rent a semitrailer to hold it until space could be found. I cringe at the thought to this day! More power to you! Jim Rankin, former Archivist/Historian to the Pabst Theater, and member of the Theatre Hist. Soc. since 1976

Broan
Broan on October 29, 2005 at 8:42 pm

Theatre historical society would probably be interested.

ActorGuy
ActorGuy on October 29, 2005 at 8:36 pm

Back in the 1970s I was a struggling actor in NYC, one of my agents was located in the Paramount Theatre building. One evening as I was leaving the building I saw a dumpster cart, with a bunch of old documents, and rolled up tattered papers. I was curious and being an old hand at “Dumpster Diving” I investigated. (I had furnished 2 apartments that way) I began pulling things out… I thought someone was going to yell at me so I tried keeping it neat.
What I found KNOCKED My Socks Off… It was a veritable history of the building being THROWN OUT. I had always been interested in theatre history, so I went back to my agents office and got some garbage bags. The dumpster cart had a lot of stuff, and I could only fit so much. I stuffed as much as I could, into the garbage bags and left the rest behind, it more than I could carry!
I have been carrying that stuff around for over 25 years. I decided to put “Paramount Theatre” in a search engine and found this site.
I have read with great interest the postings and realized I have a major part of theatre history. The rolled up papers I found were Blue prints of the Paramount building including the theatre, (including the Paramount’s marquee) also postcards and promotional material for the opening of the office building.
I always thought they had some value, but until I found this sit…
I HAD NO IDEA!
Any offers ? ? ?

OK…. Now what to do with them

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on October 28, 2005 at 7:00 am

“Money from Home” opened flat at the Paramount in 1/54, but it was test screened (previewed) in 3-D at the Criterion in 11/53.

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on October 28, 2005 at 6:19 am

Many other Martin and Lewis films opened at the Paramount, including MY FRIEND IRMA.

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on October 26, 2005 at 5:19 am

The film that Lewis cut was either MY FRIEND IRMA, the first movie in which he and Dean Martin appeared, or AT WAR WITH THE ARMY.

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on October 26, 2005 at 4:24 am

You think word ever got back to the director of “Dear Brat” that his work had been mutilated by Lewis? I say that as facetiously as one can imagine!

mauriceski
mauriceski on September 29, 2005 at 3:26 pm

the last big band that played the paramount was count basie with nat cole , ella fitzgerald and joe williams.but the headliner was nat cole. this was maybe 1956 or 57

William
William on September 9, 2005 at 5:29 am

They did cut into the proscenium when they installed the screen.

VincentParisi
VincentParisi on September 9, 2005 at 5:15 am

That’s a pretty good size for such a narrow theater and it doesn’t look like the proscenium suffered much damage either. I assume they used the regular Paramount curtain for this screen.

William
William on September 9, 2005 at 4:41 am

The Paramount Times Square Theatre’s VistaVision screen was 64 feet by 45 feet.

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on September 9, 2005 at 4:24 am

Great images, thanks Warren. Any idea what the dimensions are?

Vito
Vito on September 2, 2005 at 1:26 am

The Recent Comments link hads returned. My thanks to Ross and Patrick for working things out. Thanks guys!

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on September 1, 2005 at 10:17 am

I notice in the ARTISTS AND MODELS ad it states “See it on the worlds largest theater screen.”

Does anyone know the size of the Paramount Theater’s VistaVision screen?

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on September 1, 2005 at 9:37 am

“The Silver Chalice” – probably the funniest example of unintentional humor ever seen on the screen. Even that ad is funny (“With A Cast of Thronging Thousands”).

spencerst
spencerst on September 1, 2005 at 7:55 am

artists and models-1954
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