Criterion Theatre
1514 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1514 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
27 people
favorited this theater
Showing 326 - 350 of 606 comments
Agreed … all around. The Criterion of the 1950s and 1960s (and certainly earlier) was a nice house – stimulating to attend, especially if one had a sense of the great movies that had played there.
I was a little put off by the change when I went in their after the first subdivide and saw the sleeper “Taps” in one of the large upstairs auditoriums.
But I never returned after an experience in that filthy downstairs area.
When I attended the adjacent Roundabout Theater, I always wondered if the backstage area was sufficiently sealed off from the unpleasantness of the Criterion’s basement in the final years.
I can remember the Criterion still keeping its classy stature during the “Alien” engagement in 1979. I guess the bad times started not too long after that.
This was the worst theater I ever went to. It always smelled bad, the popcorn gross. Good riddence.
Those basement shoeboxes were a seedy horror. Anyone else remember seeing a rat run up the screen in one of them?
Bill I guess we are about the same age. Did you see the early ‘71 reissue of My Fair Lady? Though in super Panavision it was continuous perfs with no intermission.
They still had the female usherettes with their black dresses and white collars and the guy in a black tux selling programs.
It was the very end of that era. I got a very brief taste of it.
I also saw Nicholas but skipped Tora as the reviews were so terrible.
After that it the theater immediately went into exploitation with no reprieve. Same with the great Rivoli.
I wonder if it was a change of management and they had no idea what they were doing.
Too bad roadshows were dying at that time if not there would have still been some holdovers in the fall of 70 when I started going into the city but the fall of '69 films just ended after of few months with no hits taking them a full year. The last great roadshow hit was Funny Girl which ended its Criterion run in Jan of '70. Would have loved to have seen it there though seems as though I just missed it.
Loews State continued to thrive with excellent bookings and also the Astor Plaza. Why did they get these films and not the other two when the Criterion and the Rivoli were the great movie theaters and treated as such just a year before?
I wish I did. I was lucky enough to see two 70mm roadshows at the Criterion: “Tora! Tora! Tora!” and “Nicholas and Alexandra”, both extremely impressive. If I was about 10-15 years older than I am, I would’ve seen “South Pacific” there for sure.
Any of you saw SP at the Criterion? Any memories?
Stoppit.
(And it’d be hard to dispute that a new DVD release tied into the first Broadway revival could have benefited both.)
I think that “relase” anniversary has been overshadowed by the real thing.
Unnoticed?
SOUTH PACIFIC just opened on live at Lincoln Center for the first Broadway production since the 1949 original. Although reviews have been good, another film version would depend on audience reception.
Search no more, Saps. I believe your molester is on this site and has manifested his proclivities into correcting punctuation.
I spent many happy hours in the two upstairs theaters, and many drunken nights in the dank basement theaters, in a fruitless search for my erstwhile molester. Alas and alack, there were to be no repeat performances.
I got felt up at this theater once, before it was twinned. I wish I had paid more attention to its architecture, but at the time I was slightly distracted.
Here is an October 1953 ad from the NYT:
http://tinyurl.com/2lnq9u
The “New” Criterion opened on September 16, 1936 with the film, GIVE ME YOUR HEART" staring Kay Francis. It was a Warner Bros., Cosmopolitan production. Harry Charnas, a brother-in-law of the Warner brothers was vice prseident of the operating company Macon Amusement Company) and manager of the theatre. Charnas had held the position of General manager of the Warner Bros. Broadway Theatres before becoming vice presidet of Macon Amusement Company and manager of the Criterion.
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”.
An aunt of mine died at the Criterion Theatre on Feb 1, 1902 (New York Times article Feb 2, 1902). She was the wife of Sherman W. Knevals who was a law partner of President Chester A. Arthur and was at the bedside of President Arthur when he died. Is there any way to find out what play was performing on stage at the matinee performance at the Criterion on Feb 1, 1902? Thank you,
Susan (Knevals) Yesalonia
Easton Pa.
70mm in 1959
View link
There has always been a slight issue (at least from my perspective) with the status “Closed/Demolished” on this site and when it should be applied. In my mind, a complete gutting of a theater to the bare brick walls (particular when it was not a standalone theatre, but a space within a larger building) is tantamount to demolition. At least with a standalone gut-job, the exterior elements of a theatre might remain (such as the Astoria, Bayside or Forest Hills Theatres in Queens). However, in the case of the Criterion (just as with the Paramount across Times Square) where the office building remains but virtually all vestiges of the theatre itself have been erased, I have no problem with “Demolished.”
Perhaps it would be better still if a new category of “Closed/Gutted” could be added to the mix to add a further level of clarification.
To JKane’s posting from last November 22nd: the Criterion always benefited from its location, especially after the lounge/basement area was carved up into auditorium space. After the Criterion was sub-divided, it was mostly the crowds who made it a fun place to see a film, not the quality of the theatre itself; it MIGHT have survived if it was allowed to double-book with the E-Walk and the Empire 25, but likely not for long…
To Howard, from earlier today: I think someone might have mentioned it in an earlier post, but the Bond 45 restaurant (with its entrance on 45th Street) occupies the section of the former Criterion (the screen and where the front rows were) orchestra auditoriums.
Excellent idea. Volunteer Warren to do it.
Warren, you should write a new introduction that highlights the the pre-roadshow era.
Warren, earlier today I asked for a revision to:
It has since been gutted to become a massive Toys R Us store.
You are correct in that the Intro needs a complete overhaul to describe the history of this Criterion. I might try that sometime in the future. In the meantime, at least the 70mm Roadshows are there.
You can see the that “The Godfather” was playing over at the State Theatre in that shot.
What a wonderful shot of the city, J.F. Beautiful resolution for an old camera.
CIVILIZATION at the Criterion dates back to the latter half of 1916 so this photo actually belongs on the older Criterion page.
/theaters/16481/