I couldn’t figure that out, Ron. I looked at the people in the pictures, thinking that maybe they were members of some sort of theatrical company, but that didn’t seem to be the case. The most oblique comments which accompany the photographs include one mentioning that an opening at the parking garage ‘could be enclosed with plastic and made into cornfield’ (huh?) and another that the cabinets and desk in one of the offices ‘could be struck’ – all kind of weird, at least on the surface…
Thanks for the clarification on that, Mark; having never seen a film at the Chinese, I had no idea the newer six screens had stadium seating. Still, I wonder why Mann Theatres doesn’t try to negotiate for product-splitting with the Arclight. I’d have to think, based on the history of the Chinese and the quality moviegoing atmosphere at the Arclight (where I have been fortunate enough to see a couple of films), that such an agreement wouldn’t hurt either theatre greatly, if even by any negligible margin…
Is there any possibility that the Chinese 6 auditoriums could be converted to stadium seating and/or that the Chinese and the Arclight could share product, much as the Landmark and the AMC Century City 15 did last summer with ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Mamma Mia!’?
The Studio 28 is one of the few 20-screen U.S. theatres to close, but not the first. An earlier example – but still not perhaps the first – can be found here: /theaters/5793/
Along with the Ziegfeld and the Paris, there are four other remaining single-screen theatres in Manhattan: the ImaginAsian, located on 59th Street near 2nd Avenue; the Clearview 62nd & Broadway; the UA East, at 1st Avenue and 85th Street; and the AMC Loews 72nd Street East 1, on 3rd Avenue.
Off the top of my head, here’s what I think is a relatively complete list of the non-digital cinema marquees in Manhattan:
REG Battery Park Stadium 11
Film Forum
Landmark’s Sunshine Cinema
Angelika Film Center
IFC Center
City Cinemas Village East Cinemas
AMC Loews Village 7
AMC Loews 19th Street East 6
Clearview 62nd & Broadway Cinema
Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
Coliseum Cinemas
Clearview 1st & 62nd Street Cinemas
City Cinemas Cinema 1, 2, 3
United Artists 64th & 2nd
Beekman Theatre (the former NY Twin One & Two, not the original Beekman Theatre, formerly located diagonally across 2nd Avenue, between 65th and 66th Streets)
The newly-rechristened Beekman Theatre is re-opening this Friday as an independent, with ‘What Just Happened’ showing on one screen, and a split admission of ‘Elegy’ and ‘Tell No One’ on the other. Coming attractions include ‘Zack & Miri Make a Porno’, opening next Friday, the 31st, and ‘A Christmas Tale’ on November 21st. In addition, free popcorn will be given to the first 100 patrons each day this weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).
A quick, interim update on the Beekman/NY One and Two… I stopped by last night and the blue-and-red NY1 and NY2 carpeting has been laid upon the steps which lead down to each theatre’s lobby. Either Solow had extra carpeting manufactured or had some additional supply previously stashed away. As promised, I’ll make an effort to find out soon any information about a re-opening date and who the operator will be.
Thanks for the clarification, Dave, and the additional information. I’ll try to stop by the theatre sometime this week and next and find out when it’ll be re-opening and who’ll be operating it.
The Beekman/NY One and Two is about to awaken from its year-plus slumber! I walked by yesterday afternoon and there were men inside, working in the lobby. Outside, in the entrance court area, there were several pieces of cut carpet in a pile, the carpet designed similar to that found at The Paris on 58th Street – royal blue in color, with a red, cursive ‘NY2’ design throughout. I’m guessing the theatre will be run as an independent – perhaps booked and managed by the person who operates The Paris (as both buildings are owned by real estate developer Sheldon Solow) – but I can’t speak to this…
Excellent idea, Tim; it might be worth pitching it to Mark Cuban, owner of Landmark Theatres: He responds to every e-mail he receives and will at least give you a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down.
Thanks for researching and posting that photo, Warren.
I second your sentiments from 11:24 this morning, Bway. The Madison must have been a stunning theatre; what a shame it no longer exists in all its beauty and detail.
How much of the original architecture remained – in the auditorium and throughout the theatre – after the multiplexing and until the Fortway closed in 2005?
It does, Bway. I’ve noticed photos and comments from this site (including some of mine), pulled (and, in terms of comments, entirely verbatim) and posted on other websites; some people can’t be bothered to give credit where it’s due.
Thank you for that information, bx11211; is the Payless Shoe Store still there? Has the theatre structure behind the stores been converted for other uses?
Can anyone confirm what was built on the site of the Cine Capri? I just ran a search on Google Maps and it looks as if one large building (retail, perhaps?) was constructed on the site.
I’m trying to imagine, from the July 29, 1982 certficate of occupancy Lost Memory cited in his post from this past May 3rd (great research, as always, on the behalf of LM) and based on the seating capacities in 1979 and 1982 – and presuming the Allerton had a balcony, what the division from a twin to a triplex must have been…
I suspect Clearview is locked into a long-term lease the landlord won’t allow them to terminate.
This theatre really hasn’t had any sustainable ‘oomph’ to it since the three-year disagreement between Fox and Loews Theatres over Manhattan booking terms ended in 2002, and lost a lot of its strength previously when the Loews Lincoln Square opened in November of 1994. During the Fox-Loews discord, it was the beneficiary of being the sole UWS venue (save for the Metro at Broadway & 99th and the Olympia at Broadway & 107th) for Fox product, but, since then, it’s just kind of hung on (much as the former Clearview 59th Street East Cinema did in its final years).
I went there for the first time in over nine years last December and was struck by its lack of charm; the auditorium itself felt more akin to a medium-sized, uni-leveled lecture hall, with curtainless, mostly white walls, save only for some moderate decor from the venue’s Cineplex Odeon days. The lack of character could have been overlooked when this was a popular theatre, but, at current, it’s obvious and depressing.
The Wilshire Galleria was built within a former I. Magnin Department Store (circa 1939); many of the key architectural details have been retained. The M Park 4 Theatre is located on the third floor.
I don’t think we (or anyone else, for that matter) can influence what specific theatres Indy 4 is booked into, as those agreements between theatre chains/owners and distributors are commonly made months in advance.
Here in NYC, along with the Ziegfeld, Indy 4 has been booked into the Village East Cinemas, the AMC Loews 19th Street East 6, the AMC Loews Orpheum 7, the AMC Loews Kips Bay 15, the AMC Loews 34th Street 14, Clearview Cinemas' First and 62nd Street Cinemas, Regal Cinemas Battery Park Stadium 11, the Magic Johnson Harlem 9, and the Coliseum Cinemas, as well as, I believe, the Upper West Side triumverate of the Clearview Cinema at 62nd and Broadway, the AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13, and the AMC Loews 84th Street 6.
Just out of curiosity, new yorker, how did you come upon these items? Are there plans for a new tenant to move into the Ridgewood Theatre space?
I couldn’t figure that out, Ron. I looked at the people in the pictures, thinking that maybe they were members of some sort of theatrical company, but that didn’t seem to be the case. The most oblique comments which accompany the photographs include one mentioning that an opening at the parking garage ‘could be enclosed with plastic and made into cornfield’ (huh?) and another that the cabinets and desk in one of the offices ‘could be struck’ – all kind of weird, at least on the surface…
A random set of photographs of the Circle Cinemas, taken in mid-October: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31393958@N02/
The Opera House in Boston featured in that photograph, Warren, is this one: /theaters/23/
Thanks for the clarification on that, Mark; having never seen a film at the Chinese, I had no idea the newer six screens had stadium seating. Still, I wonder why Mann Theatres doesn’t try to negotiate for product-splitting with the Arclight. I’d have to think, based on the history of the Chinese and the quality moviegoing atmosphere at the Arclight (where I have been fortunate enough to see a couple of films), that such an agreement wouldn’t hurt either theatre greatly, if even by any negligible margin…
I’m sending good thoughts your way as well, Roger. Take care and all the best…
Is there any possibility that the Chinese 6 auditoriums could be converted to stadium seating and/or that the Chinese and the Arclight could share product, much as the Landmark and the AMC Century City 15 did last summer with ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Mamma Mia!’?
The Studio 28 is one of the few 20-screen U.S. theatres to close, but not the first. An earlier example – but still not perhaps the first – can be found here: /theaters/5793/
Along with the Ziegfeld and the Paris, there are four other remaining single-screen theatres in Manhattan: the ImaginAsian, located on 59th Street near 2nd Avenue; the Clearview 62nd & Broadway; the UA East, at 1st Avenue and 85th Street; and the AMC Loews 72nd Street East 1, on 3rd Avenue.
Off the top of my head, here’s what I think is a relatively complete list of the non-digital cinema marquees in Manhattan:
The newly-rechristened Beekman Theatre is re-opening this Friday as an independent, with ‘What Just Happened’ showing on one screen, and a split admission of ‘Elegy’ and ‘Tell No One’ on the other. Coming attractions include ‘Zack & Miri Make a Porno’, opening next Friday, the 31st, and ‘A Christmas Tale’ on November 21st. In addition, free popcorn will be given to the first 100 patrons each day this weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday).
Also, the new website of the Beekman Theatre: http://www.beekmantheatre.com
A quick, interim update on the Beekman/NY One and Two… I stopped by last night and the blue-and-red NY1 and NY2 carpeting has been laid upon the steps which lead down to each theatre’s lobby. Either Solow had extra carpeting manufactured or had some additional supply previously stashed away. As promised, I’ll make an effort to find out soon any information about a re-opening date and who the operator will be.
Thanks for the clarification, Dave, and the additional information. I’ll try to stop by the theatre sometime this week and next and find out when it’ll be re-opening and who’ll be operating it.
The Beekman/NY One and Two is about to awaken from its year-plus slumber! I walked by yesterday afternoon and there were men inside, working in the lobby. Outside, in the entrance court area, there were several pieces of cut carpet in a pile, the carpet designed similar to that found at The Paris on 58th Street – royal blue in color, with a red, cursive ‘NY2’ design throughout. I’m guessing the theatre will be run as an independent – perhaps booked and managed by the person who operates The Paris (as both buildings are owned by real estate developer Sheldon Solow) – but I can’t speak to this…
Excellent idea, Tim; it might be worth pitching it to Mark Cuban, owner of Landmark Theatres: He responds to every e-mail he receives and will at least give you a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down.
Thanks for researching and posting that photo, Warren.
I second your sentiments from 11:24 this morning, Bway. The Madison must have been a stunning theatre; what a shame it no longer exists in all its beauty and detail.
How much of the original architecture remained – in the auditorium and throughout the theatre – after the multiplexing and until the Fortway closed in 2005?
It does, Bway. I’ve noticed photos and comments from this site (including some of mine), pulled (and, in terms of comments, entirely verbatim) and posted on other websites; some people can’t be bothered to give credit where it’s due.
Thank you for that information, bx11211; is the Payless Shoe Store still there? Has the theatre structure behind the stores been converted for other uses?
Can anyone confirm what was built on the site of the Cine Capri? I just ran a search on Google Maps and it looks as if one large building (retail, perhaps?) was constructed on the site.
I’m trying to imagine, from the July 29, 1982 certficate of occupancy Lost Memory cited in his post from this past May 3rd (great research, as always, on the behalf of LM) and based on the seating capacities in 1979 and 1982 – and presuming the Allerton had a balcony, what the division from a twin to a triplex must have been…
I suspect Clearview is locked into a long-term lease the landlord won’t allow them to terminate.
This theatre really hasn’t had any sustainable ‘oomph’ to it since the three-year disagreement between Fox and Loews Theatres over Manhattan booking terms ended in 2002, and lost a lot of its strength previously when the Loews Lincoln Square opened in November of 1994. During the Fox-Loews discord, it was the beneficiary of being the sole UWS venue (save for the Metro at Broadway & 99th and the Olympia at Broadway & 107th) for Fox product, but, since then, it’s just kind of hung on (much as the former Clearview 59th Street East Cinema did in its final years).
I went there for the first time in over nine years last December and was struck by its lack of charm; the auditorium itself felt more akin to a medium-sized, uni-leveled lecture hall, with curtainless, mostly white walls, save only for some moderate decor from the venue’s Cineplex Odeon days. The lack of character could have been overlooked when this was a popular theatre, but, at current, it’s obvious and depressing.
The Wilshire Galleria was built within a former I. Magnin Department Store (circa 1939); many of the key architectural details have been retained. The M Park 4 Theatre is located on the third floor.
Indy 4 has been booked into the Regal EWalk Stadium 13 in Times Square.
I don’t think we (or anyone else, for that matter) can influence what specific theatres Indy 4 is booked into, as those agreements between theatre chains/owners and distributors are commonly made months in advance.
Here in NYC, along with the Ziegfeld, Indy 4 has been booked into the Village East Cinemas, the AMC Loews 19th Street East 6, the AMC Loews Orpheum 7, the AMC Loews Kips Bay 15, the AMC Loews 34th Street 14, Clearview Cinemas' First and 62nd Street Cinemas, Regal Cinemas Battery Park Stadium 11, the Magic Johnson Harlem 9, and the Coliseum Cinemas, as well as, I believe, the Upper West Side triumverate of the Clearview Cinema at 62nd and Broadway, the AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13, and the AMC Loews 84th Street 6.