Criterion Theatre

I find it really interesting that the Criterion was demolished to make way for Toys R Us which is now condiering closing all their stores after Christmas.A great theater was lost for nothing.

Warrenâ€"
Thanks for the ’36 photos of the Criterion’s debut. I wondered how they could have twinned it upstairs/downstairs in the ‘80s, since the balcony was so shallow. The pics confirmed my memory of that shelf-like space. Loew’s had a share in ownership through the late ‘40s, no? The films through the mid-‘50s were mostly mediocre. I recall as a kid seeing there “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” and William Bendix in “The Life of Riley.” Disney favored it in the early ‘50sâ€"I remember being brought to “Snow White” (’52 revival), “Robin Hood” (the live-action one), “Alice in Wonderland.” They also showed several 3-D schlockersâ€"“Fort Ti” and “I, the Jury” (parents wouldn’t take me to “The French Line,” ‘cause the Legion of Decency condemned it). As a high-school kid, I sought it out for mature fareâ€"I recall “Anatomy of a Murder” and “Advise and Consent.” My visit to “The Ten Commandments” in ’56 left me with wounds still borne today: To accommodate an extra reserved-seat showing, they ran an early-bird 9am screening that suited my teen-age wallet. I arrived at 8:59:99 and sprinted past the usher-women to find my seat (knowing where it was, thanks to Stubs). The lights were already down and Mr. DeMille’s prologue had begun. I crashed loudly into an industrial-size trash-can left in the far aisle after the previous night’s showing. A thousand eyes turned to me in the darkness, lit only by light shining from the screen. The can rolled toward the proscenium. Usher-women fanned out down the aisle on a witch-hunt. I darted into my seat, terror-stricken that I’d be ejected for causing a ruckus (not the least for being an unaccompanied 14-y.o.). I survived ejection, but limped for several weeks with what might have been a fractured shin. Shoudda sued ‘em.

Sorry to go off-Criterion for a minute, but here are pictures of the inside of the Hollywood Pacific theater:

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To get back to the Criterion, I have good memories of seeing “Tora! Tora! Tora!” “Nicholas and Alexandra” and “Alien” there. And its marquee was always prominently featured on the annual TV coverage of New Year’s Eve in Times Square.

I hope someday the Hollywood Pacific is restored.

brucec, Yes both Pacific and Mann kept their theatres in good shape. But Pacific took extra good care of the Hollywood Pacific Theatre. They kept that lobby and theatre so clean and changed the bulbs in the original light fixtures and maintained a wonderful theatre.

60s memories of the Criterion include roadshows such as Is Paris Burning and Patton…later memories include Rambo III on the main screen at ground level, The World According to Garp and A Cry in the Dark in Number 2 upstairs and Sharkey’s Machine and sin of sins not to have seen in first run at the Sutton Raging Bull in the smaller basement screens…the latter was notable for simultaneous translation going on behind me in Spanish…Remember in the summer of 88 trying to see Die Hard in first run here and the air conditioning being down…they closed the theatre I think that night

That’s why I hated going to some of their theatres. By their management cost cutting programs. The Egyptian was maintained and ran well during the 80’s, but when the 90’s hit. It all went down hill fast. During their last year open they tried, running it as a bargain house. ($1.50 or $2.00 any seat format) I went there a few more times before it closed. And it was not a pretty site to see how they let their Flagship West Coast Theatre die.

It was a Charity show for the Variety Children’s Network
-Holly

It might have been just a rental for doing the video and concert. We have had people rent theatres for meetings, screening and filming in a theatre auditorium. Maybe since they were going to close the theatre and someone wanted to do a rental.

UA’s maintenance of all their theatres is always north of non-existernt. Then they wonder why people stop coming and the theatres close.

Hi, My name is Holly, I’m 14 and a Big Dream Street fan, A band that performed their very first concert at the Criterion. In the video it seemed in fine shape, why did they knock it down? The concert was 12/14/99 Wayyyy back there. Yeah so I was like so sad when I read the back of the video box. It said that the concert took place just days before the Criterion was to close it’s doors forever. Forever is such a sad word. Yes I am very emotional.
-Holly

You are right the building’s 45th St. sidewall is intact as are the other walls of the auditorium which I now believe is a stockroom for truck deliveries for Toys Are Us. The Toys R Us marquee or television monitor is exactly where the theatre’s original marquee was. Since the building was only partially demolished, they were able to keep the ordinance that allowed them to retain the extended marquee they have now. I also worked as a fill in manager for B.S. Moss and I was there for Alien and Bo Dereks film “10”. I can still remember her running on the beach ion her famous scene from that film. It was still a single screen at the time and a Moss theatre. During a Saturday matinee of “10”, there was civil unrest outside the theatre that caused us to close the front doors and suspend the sale of tickets for a hhalf hour until the crowd outside simmered down. People in the theatre were unaware of the turmoil outside. I have a set of 11 x 14 movie stills from ALIEN that were discarded that I kept as a momento of the theatre.

I remember back in 1954 when “The French Line”
starring Jane Russell played in 3-D and played to record crowds.
Remember the giant billboard above the marguee?
JR in 3-D Need we say more?