Wow, Bill. Knowing what we do about Kubrick’s reticence to discuss and analyze the meaning behind his work, that is quite a remarkable synopsis he offered up!
Bill… is that Michael York in your photos? I recognize Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey easily enough, and I suppose that looks like an older (if surgically enhanced) version of Marisa Berenson… but the gentleman seated at far right on that panel bears absolutely NO resemblance to the Michael York I remember!
So, Ken, if you are patrolling the pages of CT tonight (or in the wee hours UK time), please correct the status of this theater as closed, but not demolished.
Hey Ed… You’re probably right about the two photos (which I took and posted), but at least they indicate where the theater once stood. The street view for this theater is entirely off the mark, pointing the view arbitrarily in some residential block behind Valley Stream State Park! And you are dead on about the Belair being utterly undistinguished! Nothing remarkable about the place at all, at least form a physical standpoint. Believe the last movie I saw here may have been “Doctor Detroit,” in 1983 or so.
Posted another trio of pics, taken Saturday, December 8th, 2012. Pretty much down to the finishing details on the facade, now. No way of knowing how the interior is coming along.
Tinseltoes, the only advantage I would give to the Kings over the Paradise is that of location. While the Kings isn’t exactly in the prime downtown area, seems to me that Brooklyn on the whole has a better reputation as a destination for cultural activities than the Bronx. And this is not to denigrate the Bronx, which is the borough from which my parents and grandparents hail, but I just don’t think it has the same appeal as Brooklyn. And the United Palace is first and foremost a church. I think a deal was arranged for concerts there, primarily as a temporary replacement for the Beacon, while the latter was undergoing its extensive renovations. While sporadic bookings have continued, I don’t think it was ever seriously positioned as a competitor of the Beacon’s and other downtown venues.
Thanks for that information, Peter, regarding IAMMMMW. I imagine the running time of 197 minutes is also incorrect? Hard to imagine 43 minutes of police radio calls would sufficiently flesh out the general release run-time of 154 minutes. Even with an overture, entr'acte and exit music, 197 minutes seems like a stretch.
Hmmm. No mention of “restored” or “archival” for either 2001 or West Side Story. Are these the same prints that ran at the Ziegfeld a few years back? Can’t remember now if those were 70mm showings. I’m intrigued by the 197 minute restored IAMMMMW print. Is this the anniversary print that ran at the Dome a few years back, with the outtakes and “corrected” trims inserted to pad the running time?
I like the diagram in that article, Tinseltoes. I remember queuing up in lines like that for holiday shows at RCMH, as a child in the ‘70’s. At that time, the line went east down 50th Street, as depicted in the Boxoffice article, but then it would zig-zag back and forth in the Plaza behind the building, like the queue for a popular Disney World attraction.
You’ll have a better shot of jacking up the numbers on one of the older photos. Like the marquee shot from the “2001” engagement. The current curved screen image has 355 hits!
More pics posted showing progress as of October 27th, 2012. I chatted with a contractor, who was on site overseeing the installation of the paving stones that comprise the side walk perimeter of the theater. While that brick work was to be completed by the end of the day, he estimated that the theater itself would not be ready for opening until sometime after the holidays. So, at best, we’re looking at winter of 2013.
He said that initial capacity for the theater will be around 650. However, he indicated that if the area can sustain the flow of traffic in and out for a performance, that number may be jacked up to around 1000. The plan is to have valet parking for theater events, unless folks care to take their chances on the streets or in one of the nearby municipal lots. He didn’t see parking being much of a problem at all. Nice guy, and a local who remembered attending the theatre as a younger man.
The entire even-numbered blockfront between West 157th and West 158th Street is now occupied by a building known as Thurgood Marshall Plaza with an address of 1970 Amsterdam Avenue. There is also a recently constructed building behind this structure running parallel, the full width of the block. Appears that the Hudson Theatre should be listed as “demolished.”
Used to be able to find some parking on the side streets north of Queens Blvd, paktype. But you had to be very lucky. I think this theater has been one that called for use of mass transit for many years, now – unless you live within walking distance.
It was a Duane Reade pharmacy for a while. I have photos from 2006 showing the Duane Reade still in full swing. I go to the Costco near there from time to time and hadn’t noticed what the state of the occupancy is.
Posted another batch of images from the end of September, showing some progress, particularly on the new structure that runs along the southern auditorium wall. I’m doubtful of a fall opening for this theater – particularly since we are now in October and I haven’t heard any announcements as to what the headlining attraction will be for that opening.
You know, re-reading your last comment, Tinseltoes, it occurs to me that you suggest that the Brandon Cinemas 2 is not located where the original Continental Theatre was. I don’t think that’s the case. Unless there was an even earlier Continental, the former Walter Reade house that is depicted in your 1981 image was indeed re-branded the UA Brandon in the 1990’s.
Perhaps confusion arises with respect to the much newer Continental 3, which was opened in nearby retail space on the opposite side of Austin Street in the 1980’s, after the first Continental was twinned.
Tinseltoes, please re-post your image of the Continental from 1981, with “Fort Apache The Bronx” on the marquee. It would be the only photo on CT showing the original neon signage that has since been replaced.
Tinseltoes, the original Continental Theatre (now Brandon Cinemas) was located across the street and down the block from the Continental 3, which was opened in former retail space as a sister to the earlier house, which had been twinned by that time. I had posted a link to your 1981 image in the comment thread of the Brandon Cinemas page. I was hoping you might re-post the photo to the right theater.
Wow, Bill. Knowing what we do about Kubrick’s reticence to discuss and analyze the meaning behind his work, that is quite a remarkable synopsis he offered up!
Bill… is that Michael York in your photos? I recognize Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey easily enough, and I suppose that looks like an older (if surgically enhanced) version of Marisa Berenson… but the gentleman seated at far right on that panel bears absolutely NO resemblance to the Michael York I remember!
So, Ken, if you are patrolling the pages of CT tonight (or in the wee hours UK time), please correct the status of this theater as closed, but not demolished.
Hey Ed… You’re probably right about the two photos (which I took and posted), but at least they indicate where the theater once stood. The street view for this theater is entirely off the mark, pointing the view arbitrarily in some residential block behind Valley Stream State Park! And you are dead on about the Belair being utterly undistinguished! Nothing remarkable about the place at all, at least form a physical standpoint. Believe the last movie I saw here may have been “Doctor Detroit,” in 1983 or so.
This is a great shot! Love it!
Posted another trio of pics, taken Saturday, December 8th, 2012. Pretty much down to the finishing details on the facade, now. No way of knowing how the interior is coming along.
Tinseltoes, the only advantage I would give to the Kings over the Paradise is that of location. While the Kings isn’t exactly in the prime downtown area, seems to me that Brooklyn on the whole has a better reputation as a destination for cultural activities than the Bronx. And this is not to denigrate the Bronx, which is the borough from which my parents and grandparents hail, but I just don’t think it has the same appeal as Brooklyn. And the United Palace is first and foremost a church. I think a deal was arranged for concerts there, primarily as a temporary replacement for the Beacon, while the latter was undergoing its extensive renovations. While sporadic bookings have continued, I don’t think it was ever seriously positioned as a competitor of the Beacon’s and other downtown venues.
Thanks for that information, Peter, regarding IAMMMMW. I imagine the running time of 197 minutes is also incorrect? Hard to imagine 43 minutes of police radio calls would sufficiently flesh out the general release run-time of 154 minutes. Even with an overture, entr'acte and exit music, 197 minutes seems like a stretch.
Hmmm. No mention of “restored” or “archival” for either 2001 or West Side Story. Are these the same prints that ran at the Ziegfeld a few years back? Can’t remember now if those were 70mm showings. I’m intrigued by the 197 minute restored IAMMMMW print. Is this the anniversary print that ran at the Dome a few years back, with the outtakes and “corrected” trims inserted to pad the running time?
I like the diagram in that article, Tinseltoes. I remember queuing up in lines like that for holiday shows at RCMH, as a child in the ‘70’s. At that time, the line went east down 50th Street, as depicted in the Boxoffice article, but then it would zig-zag back and forth in the Plaza behind the building, like the queue for a popular Disney World attraction.
Wow, Al… That’s a pretty remarkable ad for this movie!
You’ll have a better shot of jacking up the numbers on one of the older photos. Like the marquee shot from the “2001” engagement. The current curved screen image has 355 hits!
More pics posted showing progress as of October 27th, 2012. I chatted with a contractor, who was on site overseeing the installation of the paving stones that comprise the side walk perimeter of the theater. While that brick work was to be completed by the end of the day, he estimated that the theater itself would not be ready for opening until sometime after the holidays. So, at best, we’re looking at winter of 2013.
He said that initial capacity for the theater will be around 650. However, he indicated that if the area can sustain the flow of traffic in and out for a performance, that number may be jacked up to around 1000. The plan is to have valet parking for theater events, unless folks care to take their chances on the streets or in one of the nearby municipal lots. He didn’t see parking being much of a problem at all. Nice guy, and a local who remembered attending the theatre as a younger man.
The entire even-numbered blockfront between West 157th and West 158th Street is now occupied by a building known as Thurgood Marshall Plaza with an address of 1970 Amsterdam Avenue. There is also a recently constructed building behind this structure running parallel, the full width of the block. Appears that the Hudson Theatre should be listed as “demolished.”
Used to be able to find some parking on the side streets north of Queens Blvd, paktype. But you had to be very lucky. I think this theater has been one that called for use of mass transit for many years, now – unless you live within walking distance.
It was a Duane Reade pharmacy for a while. I have photos from 2006 showing the Duane Reade still in full swing. I go to the Costco near there from time to time and hadn’t noticed what the state of the occupancy is.
Posted another batch of images from the end of September, showing some progress, particularly on the new structure that runs along the southern auditorium wall. I’m doubtful of a fall opening for this theater – particularly since we are now in October and I haven’t heard any announcements as to what the headlining attraction will be for that opening.
Al, I was about to post many of the same sentiments, but you not only beat me to it, you elucidated them more clearly than I ever could have.
Thanks for this, Tinseltoes.
You know, re-reading your last comment, Tinseltoes, it occurs to me that you suggest that the Brandon Cinemas 2 is not located where the original Continental Theatre was. I don’t think that’s the case. Unless there was an even earlier Continental, the former Walter Reade house that is depicted in your 1981 image was indeed re-branded the UA Brandon in the 1990’s.
Perhaps confusion arises with respect to the much newer Continental 3, which was opened in nearby retail space on the opposite side of Austin Street in the 1980’s, after the first Continental was twinned.
Tinseltoes, please re-post your image of the Continental from 1981, with “Fort Apache The Bronx” on the marquee. It would be the only photo on CT showing the original neon signage that has since been replaced.
Love the banner under the marquee… I wonder what they were playing!
Thanks, Ken.
Tinseltoes, the original Continental Theatre (now Brandon Cinemas) was located across the street and down the block from the Continental 3, which was opened in former retail space as a sister to the earlier house, which had been twinned by that time. I had posted a link to your 1981 image in the comment thread of the Brandon Cinemas page. I was hoping you might re-post the photo to the right theater.
Nice find!