New York Theatre

Al… my fellow Times Square veteran and enthusiast… If you would be so kind, can you tell us if this theater was ever known as Cine 1 and 2 before it’s time as the Big Apple Theater? If not, could you offer a possible explanation for the words “Cine 1” seen either on or through the glass doors in the “Unknown Soldier” photo I posted above on July 5th, 2006?

My mistake, by the way… the Richard Basciano porn palace on 7th near 47th adjacent to the DeMille and known at one time as Cine 1 and 2 was called “Show Follies” in the late ‘80’s into the '90’s, not Show Palace.

Don Rosen… Check out the “Unkown Soldier” photo I posted a few comments back… You can clearly make out “CINE 2” either on or through the right-most glass doorway into the theater. At first, I thought it was stenciled on the glass door… but I think now that it’s actually above the auditorium entrance which I think you can make out in the distance beyond the glass doors. There are two possibilities that come to mind: A) the theater was in fact once known as Cine 1 & Cine 2; or B) The word “Cine” only ever was employed inside the theater doors to distinquish the two auditoriums,

I don’t ever remember this being anything other than the Big Apple Theater in the ‘80’s and right up to its demolition. Additionally, I do know that the old Show Palace porn emporium next to the DeMille on 7th and 47th was known as Cine 1 & 2 and did show Spanish-language films just as Warren describes in the introduction for THIS theater. It’s possible that Warren was thinking of that other theater when composing the introduction for this one, but that “Unknow Soldier” photo sure does corroborate an association somehow with the name “Cine.”

This page features an image of the former Toffenetti’s building during a snow storm in 1996, after Nathan’s and the New York/Big Apple had been shuttered. The entrance to the theater would have been towards the right edge of the building in the storefront that appears to be open to the elements.

The six boarded up doors under the Nathan’s signage were set catty-corner to the intersection, at a 45 degree angle to both Broadway and 43rd Street. Keep that in mind when comparing the shot to this 1950 image that Warren had posted back on April 2, 2006.

Excellent point, Don! I didn’t catch that. This is a stretch, but perhaps that meant the box office itself did close for a brief period of time in the wee hours, but that patrons who were already inside for the “late show” were allowed to stay until the last of the “4 big adult hits” was completely over.

Did you also notice that the third of the four glass entrance doors must have been shattered or broken (shot at?) sometime prior to this photo? It’s somewhat obscured by the figure of the “unknown soldier” in the 2nd photo, but you can make out more clearly in the first image the the door is completely encased in a plastic covering. That must have made for an interesting story.

Here are two great late 1980’s shots by photographer Matt Weber (urbanphotos.com) depicting some of our boys from the military cruising Times Square looking for the fun in Fun City’s good old bad old days:

Three Gobs
The Unknown Soldier

Both shots feature the former New York theater’s turnstile entrance & outer vestibule as a back drop. This is when the theater was known as the Big Apple. If you look just above the “Best Porn in N.Y.C.” sign in the 2nd photo, you can just make out the sign “Sweetheart’s Big Apple Theater”. It seems “Sweetheart” also ran the 42nd Street Anco, according to another couple of Matt’s photos that I posted on the Anco’s page. It also seems like the word “Cine” is still stenciled on one of the theater’s glass doors (the one furthest right past the turnstile).

Thanks to Matt Weber for allowing me to share these photos with the CT community.

wow good for him , glad he is doing well..

What ever happened to Steve Wiener from CO??

Something is not right here. The Globe was on 46th street, the Big Apple on 42nd and CANDY premiered at the Astor.

Does anyone know anything about the Loews New York (Bdwy & 45th St)? It was showing movies full time by 1916 and apparently burned down the year this one opened. It had a roof garden advertised as the “New York Annex” that showed staggered showings of the film below, making it, in my book, the first twin theatre.

Here it is when it was called the Big Apple
View link

I’m trying to place this theatre – wasn’t this known as the Big Apple during its later years and a few doors down (to the right, on Broadway) from the former Nathan’s Famous restaurant?

I remember walking by this many times, I had forgotten all about it until reading this post.