In this 1937 image, the Criterion’s marquee is hard to spot amidst competition from signage for Crawford Clothes, the International Casino, and Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum: View link
Not exactly a cinema, but Brooklyn has the fourth largest auditorium in all of New York City at Brooklyn Technical High School. Why couldn’t that be used for public events instead of spending around $100 million on Loew’s Kings? According to the New York Times, the Brooklyn Tech auditorium has 3,104 seats, spans four floors, and has a fully-equipped stage and orchestra pit. Built in 1934, it also originally had a full music hall pipe organ, replaced in the 1960s by an electronic organ. which was removed in the 1980s. Here’s a view of the auditorium, which the NYT claims is exceeded in size only by Radio City Music Hall, the Theatre at Madison Square Garden, and the United Palace (ex-Loew’s 175th Street): View link
The Loew’s circuit took over the Embassy in 1930 and operated it for at least twenty years, a fact that needs to be mentioned in the introduction and also in an “aka” Loew’s Embassy above the main heading.
The cinema can be seen to the extreme right of this view of the Airlines Terminal building. Instead of a marquee, the Embassy had an attraction board over the entrance. This photo also suggests that there was no entrance to the cinema on the Park Avenue side of the terminal building. View link
In the lower left foreground of this vintage photo is an ultra-rare view of the marquee and entrance to Loew’s 42nd Street, which had a long, one-story lobby connecting to an auditorium that ran parallel to 42nd Street: View link
In this vintage view looking west towards Central Park, the marquee of Loew’s 86th Street can be seen at left, almost directly across the street from that of Loew’s Orpheum. The marquee just to the west of Loew’s 86th Street belongs to the Grande Theatre (listed at CT as the 86th Street Grande): View link
John, your vision is sharper than mine. “Prison Train” was released in October, 1938. George Raft & Ellen Drew starred together in “The Lady’s From Kentucky,” released in May, 1939. So the photo may have been taken in the late spring or summer of 1939, since the American Theatre had a sub-run policy. “The Lady’s From Kentucky” probably had its first Greenpoint showing at the Meserole, since it was a Paramount release. “Prison Train” was a low-grade programmer released by an independent distributor, so most of its bookings were probably helter-skelter at the lesser neighborhood houses.
This previously linked photo shows the marquee in the process of being changed for a double bill of “Kings Go Forth” and “Kings of the Sun,” whose casts included at least one genuine queen: View link
Yet another 1934 view, with elevated subway tracks at right:
View link
Another 1934 view of the entrance: View link
Here’s an undated auditorium view: View link
Here’s the main entrance in 1934: View link
Circa 1932-33, 50th Street looking west, with Roxy Theatre in background: View link
The photo at right of the Sixth Avenue elevated subway shows a RCMH vertical sign in the background: View link
By 1946, the block had changed considerably: View link
In this 1937 image, the Criterion’s marquee is hard to spot amidst competition from signage for Crawford Clothes, the International Casino, and Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum: View link
Not exactly a cinema, but Brooklyn has the fourth largest auditorium in all of New York City at Brooklyn Technical High School. Why couldn’t that be used for public events instead of spending around $100 million on Loew’s Kings? According to the New York Times, the Brooklyn Tech auditorium has 3,104 seats, spans four floors, and has a fully-equipped stage and orchestra pit. Built in 1934, it also originally had a full music hall pipe organ, replaced in the 1960s by an electronic organ. which was removed in the 1980s. Here’s a view of the auditorium, which the NYT claims is exceeded in size only by Radio City Music Hall, the Theatre at Madison Square Garden, and the United Palace (ex-Loew’s 175th Street):
View link
The Loew’s circuit took over the Embassy in 1930 and operated it for at least twenty years, a fact that needs to be mentioned in the introduction and also in an “aka” Loew’s Embassy above the main heading.
Loew’s Paradise and its clock tower can be seen at the center of this vintage view of the Grand Concourse: View link
Here’s another photo from that same engagement of “We’re In The Money” and “Without Regret”:
View link
Here’s a 1935 view as Grand Opera House with double bill of “We’re In The Money” and “Without Regret”:
View link
Here’s the Roxy Theatre in early stages of construction: View link
The cinema can be seen to the extreme right of this view of the Airlines Terminal building. Instead of a marquee, the Embassy had an attraction board over the entrance. This photo also suggests that there was no entrance to the cinema on the Park Avenue side of the terminal building.
View link
In the lower left foreground of this vintage photo is an ultra-rare view of the marquee and entrance to Loew’s 42nd Street, which had a long, one-story lobby connecting to an auditorium that ran parallel to 42nd Street: View link
Here are two vintage views of Loew’s Orpheum: View link
In this vintage view looking west towards Central Park, the marquee of Loew’s 86th Street can be seen at left, almost directly across the street from that of Loew’s Orpheum. The marquee just to the west of Loew’s 86th Street belongs to the Grande Theatre (listed at CT as the 86th Street Grande): View link
John, your vision is sharper than mine. “Prison Train” was released in October, 1938. George Raft & Ellen Drew starred together in “The Lady’s From Kentucky,” released in May, 1939. So the photo may have been taken in the late spring or summer of 1939, since the American Theatre had a sub-run policy. “The Lady’s From Kentucky” probably had its first Greenpoint showing at the Meserole, since it was a Paramount release. “Prison Train” was a low-grade programmer released by an independent distributor, so most of its bookings were probably helter-skelter at the lesser neighborhood houses.
The Melanie concert booking was described above on 5/27/05 at 1:38pm. It was apparently just to fill a gap in movie bookings.
Portions of the Fox’s marquee and roof sign can be seen at left in both of these vintage photos: View link
John, I would guess late 1930s or early 40s. I wish that I could make out the posters, but the photo loses clarity with enlargement.
Here’s a vintage view as the American Theatre: View link
Here’s a vintage view of the Flatbush Theatre as a showcase for Keith’s vaudeville (displayed in positive and negative versions): View link
This previously linked photo shows the marquee in the process of being changed for a double bill of “Kings Go Forth” and “Kings of the Sun,” whose casts included at least one genuine queen:
View link