Loew's State Theatre
1540 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1540 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
39 people
favorited this theater
Showing 326 - 350 of 535 comments
Nice photo, Warren. The “Kill the movie tax” sign hanging under the canopy reminds me of the “Stop Pay TV” notices that I’ve seen spelled out on 42n Street grind houses in photos from the early 1970’s. I’ve never heard of a the movie tax. I suspect it was a movement in Congress that was defeated…? Any illumination on that topic?
Has anybody seen Rose Marie in cinemascope? Is it any good or is it one of those low budget muddy ansco color studio bound remakes MGM seemed to be grinding out at the time.
Vincent’s comments above re Biography (“Long live early R'n'R!”) and the archival footage of the Times Square area reminded me of just how fast the Manhattan scene can change.
In an earlier post, I’d remarked about observing some of the filming of “The Godfather” back in ‘71. The building formerly occupied by Best & Co. (5th & 51st) had already been closed for a year when Coppola & Puzo made the realtors an offer they couldn’t refuse. Fifth Avenue between 51st and 52nd was sealed off by the NYPD, snow blowers and 1945-era taxis were in place, and the front windows of the store were stocked with colorful Christmas gift items and apparel. As soon as the Francis the Director was satisfied with the rushes of Michael and Kay’s holiday shopping jaunt, demolition began.
One year later, just prior to the movie’s premiere at the State, a new building, a towering building of glass, chrome and steel – the Aristotle J. Onassis Building – was in place and open for business on the corner where Best & Co. had been. That’s PDQ in my book, folks!
Nice one Robert.
A b&w pic of the state, but I can’t make out the marquee
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I don’t know how many of you have seen the Biography two hour program on the early rock and roll songwriters of the Brill buiding but it is a must.
Great footage of Times Square during the era and great color film of the camera sweeping from the Astor to Loew’s State. Though this might have been before the era they were talking about with Stalag 17 and The Moon is Blue playing. I think 7 Year Itch was playing at the State but the entire marquee was not shown.
Anyway the Square sure looked magnificent.
Better than Florence during the Renaissance!
Thanks, Warren. I wonder if that 8:30 AM showing was the one Richard Brooks attended, when he stormed into the projection booth and made them crank up the volume for “Rock Around the Clock”.
As best as I can recall, it was just a hole in the ground during the years between the Loew’s buidling’s demolition and the construction of Virgin complex and Bertlesmann Building that rises above it. You would have seen nothing by blue construction shedding (plastered with posters and such) at the time. I remember the same for the Rivoli site – although I don’t believe that lot stood vacant for quite as long as did the State’s.
And I’ve definitely experienced the same disorientation when trying to confirm suspicions as to the theaters where I saw certain films. I used to keep a log back around 1979 through 1984 or so which tracked each movie I saw, the theater I attended and the admission price paid. I sure wish I could find that damn book today! I’m still looking around, believe me!
That is odd that I don’t have any memory at all of the State. Not only can’t I remember it from the 1980s, I can’t even remember what was on that block after the theatre closed in ‘87. There was a long gap between the closing of the State in '87 and opening of the Virgin/four theatres in '96 and I am drawing a blank on what was there. And I worked on Sixth Avenue a block away so I was in Times Square often.
I must have seen AGAINST ALL ODDS in the upstairs theatre at the State if if looked like those steep upstairs theatres at the Embassy.
When you research these things — about where you saw what films — it is amazing what tricks your memory plays. I could swear I saw a film in a certain theatre and find that it wasn’t even playing at the theatre where I thought I saw it.
The Embassy II, III, IV had the balcony carved in two, while the State’s balcony theater featured the entire original balcony area and used the original upper proscenium arch to house the screen. Most of the upper side wall and ceiling ornamentation was intact and visible from the State’s upstairs theater (which would have been the State 2). The downstairs theater had a relatively low ceiling (due to the extension of the balcony overhang to accommodate the theater upstairs) and had sidewalls that were completely obscured by drapery that blended in with the screen curtains. The building that housed the State was very similar in design to that which houses the Embassy II, III, IV so that might be where your confusion is setting in. Both were also on the same side of Times Square and occupied northeast corner lots.
I’m trying to remember if the State featured those TV monitors under the canopy that would run coming attractions loops to advertise the movies playing inside. I remember the National (one block south of the State) definitely had them. I don’t think any of the Embassy Theaters (including the short-lived Embassy V in the fomer Victoria) had them.
I am still baffled that I have no memory of this theatre, though i moved to NYC in ‘82 and began working a block from Times Square in '87, probably right before this theatre closed (if it closed in late February '87).
I can’t even remember what the theatre looked like and have no memory if I was ever in here. I wrote before that I remember seeing “Blue Thunder” in the early-to-mid 1980s in Times Square and research shows it played at the State so maybe. I also caught AGAINST ALL ODDS on original release back in the 80’s and know I saw it in Times Square. I always assumed that it was at the Embassy II, III, IV in one of the upstairs theatres, but I remember how steep the steps were, but the Times ad has AAO playing at the State, so…
Thanks, William. That tagline was quite accurate – the scene where Richard Kiley brings his record collection to school still disturbs me!
The film was “Blackboard Jungle” which opened next on March 19, 1955.
One of the taglines for the film was “The Most Startling Film in Years!”
Another great picture from Robert R! Thanks very much. Gee, about the only thing that looks the same today as it did then is the iron fence running down the middle of the Square.
On the left side of the picture, above the State, is an ad for a movie ending in “LE” or “DE” that’s being sold as The Most Startling Film in Years. I wonder what it was – maybe Warren or William could tell us?
That picture would date around the second week of March 1955. Criterion was booked with “The Country Girl” and the State with “Timberjack” and across the street the Astor had “East of Eden”.
Love to see more photos of Times Square picture palace marquee’s from the 1950’s. Thanks Robert for the great photo.brucec
The State & it’s neighbors in the 50's
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Earlier today, I posted on the State 4 site about viewing “The Godfather” in ‘72 and seeing some scenes filmed the previous year. I was unaware that the original site had been demolished in the late '80s and that a quad had been erected in its place. (EdSolero was kind enough to point that out, and I’m sure this new one does not have that ornate crystal chandelier overhanging the lobby foyer!)
Two comments on the movie. When Kay and Michael exited Radio City Music Hall, they spotted the newspaper headlining his father’s attempted rubout. When he went to phone Sonny from a booth, a small but somewhat significant detail caught my eye. The phone cord was coiled metal, ‘70s-style. Someone must have mentioned that to Coppola the Perfectionist, and he got it fixed, probably via computer graphics. By the time the video was available years later, the cord was now a solid cloth type, '40s style. The magic of movies!
Another magic of the movies involves a fascinating piece of basic human nature. Virtually every character in the movie was a dirtbag, devoid of any redeeming social values (but they did love their families!). So what happens? We end up rooting for the Corleone family as they destroy all the enemies to their family business. The least of many evils, eh?
If my memory serves me correctly, “Dear Brigette” would have been a move over engagement. I think it was intially shown at R.C.M.H. as an exclusuive engagement for a number of weeks before going “showcase.”
1965 the State was part of Showcase
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Thanks, Warren. i stand corrected.
As I sit in front of my computer nursing a broken leg, going into Cinema Treasures, American Widesreen Museum and other film related webs is how I spend most of my time. Went into the State page hours ago enjoying all the comments and specially the photos. But a comment about Thunder Bay being the first wide screen movie is not correct. If I remember correctly from what I have read, Shane at the Radio City Music Hall, cropped at top and bottom, was the first non-scope and other processes “wide screen” film shown. It’s mentioned in the Times review of the film.
There’s a nice shot of this theatre in some archival footage used at the beginning of “The Notorious Bettie Page” currently in theatres.
And much of “Tron” was actually filmed in wide guage (as opposed to “Trek” and most other 70mm blow up engagements)! I remember coming into Times Square to see “Tron” here that summer and being blown away by the effects. I had already seen “Trek II” in Valley Stream so we didn’t make it a two-fer that day!
“Star Trek II” opened June 4th. and “Tron” opened on July 9th. at the Loews State Theatre in Times Square, both were presented in 70MM 6-Track Dolby Stereo.