Not a damn surprise, I really, truly hate to say. With as vocal and as passionate an advocate as Harvey Weinstein getting involved, however, I think there’s a better than fair chance of the Cinema 1-2-3 and the Beekman being saved. (Meanwhile, I would have hoped for a more emotionally engaged response from Woddy Allen, but perhaps stronger words – and actions – will soon follow; below, for the record, is the NY Post article Paul first brought to our attention.)
SAD CINEMA SEQUEL
By LOU LUMENICK Post Movie Critic
January 6, 2005 — A second historic Upper East Side movie theater, the Cinema 1, 2 & 3 behind Bloomingdale’s on Third Avenue, will close this spring and be converted to retail space, The Post has learned.
The latest shocker came as New Yorkers were stunned by The Post’s report yesterday that the prestigious Beekman Theatre, at Second Avenue and 66th Street, will close in June, be torn down and replaced by an outpatient-treatment center run by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital.
Miramax honcho Harvey Weinstein said he will fight to keep the theaters open.
“I spent my formative years as a teenager haunting these movie theaters,” Weinstein told The Post from Paris, where he was attending the European premiere of “The Aviator.”
“I used to take the train from my home in Flushing when movies like ‘Raging Bull,’ ‘Rocky’ and ‘Midnight Cowboy’ would open exclusively at the Cinema 1.”
Weinstein vowed to do “whatever I have to do, including financially” to save the endangered theaters.
“To me, they’re shrines of the ‘70s movie experience, and it would be a great loss to the city’s cultural life for them to close,” he said.
New York’s most famous filmmaker agreed.
“Of course I think it’s sad,” said Woody Allen, who shot a famous scene in “Annie Hall” at the Beekman. “It joins a long list of charming Manhattan landmarks I’ve filmed at over the years that have since vanished.”
Reading International, the parent company of City Cinemas, has filed for a permit with the city’s Buildings Department to demolish the interior.
The company’s executives did not return phone calls.
Seri Worden, executive director of the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic District, said the owners had recently applied a stucco facing over the blue tiles outside the theater â€" apparently to prevent the building from being placed on the landmark list.
A friend who works in downtown Boston just informed me that, earlier this afternoon, he saw construction-type (or, more aptly, given the situation, demolition) workers in the former Gaiety lobby space… an interesting sight, to say the least, given the circumstances and some of the illegal demo-prep done prior to the work-stop action issued against Kensington…
The Lyric was, in the early- to mid-‘90s, the third-to-last (not counting the MoviePlex 42) of the Deuce grindhouses to close its doors for business, followed by the Selwyn and the Harris.
I’m not sure if that possibility entered their thinking, Ron, or the consideration of, if necessary, negotiating a height variance with the city which would allow them to build their hospital as is, in terms of overall interior square footage, while still preserving the Beekman.
Great article. Something tells me things are going to be different this time and, with the lead time we have and with Lou Lumenick giving this situation a voice in print in a major newspaper at such an early date (optimism… imagine that, coming from a New Yorker and a Mets fan, to boot :–), we CAN save the Beekman. I am busy with work and other side projects but anything I can do to help the cause, I’m willing to do…
Define irony: the banner I spotted hanging on a utility pole extension outside the Gaiety/Publix Theatre building (and, granted, these banners are posted throughout the area) while visiting family over the holidays, touting passersby presence in ‘Boston’s Historic Theatre District’. Interesting idea that, hanging one of those banners out front of a building so distinctly, at least in the eyes of Mayor Thomas Menino and the other supporters of the Kensington Place development, NOT a theatre…
For a time after the Charles triplex closed its doors, the removed seats from the upstairs auditorium were stacked and stored in its accompanying lobby.
One key reason why a movie theatre probably won’t be included in the newly redeveloped Charles River Plaza is the location of the Loews Boston Common Theatre at Tremont and Avery Streets. That venue was built where it was, besides being a prime location which draws from most parts of the city and of surrounding cities and towns (with the subway station across the street helping matters greatly), in order to dissuade competition from other chains – and to essentially accelerate the closing of its other, less luxurious Boston sites (i.e., the Cheri, the Copley Place, and the Nickelodeon). Given those circumstances, it’s unreasonable to expect another cinema, save for perhaps a multi-screen, all-stadium seating art house (and one, at that, which would be operated by a chain dedicated to such fare – i.e., Landmark), to be built within geographical range of the Boston Common.
Elie Samaha… to paraphrase Cindy Adams, only in Hollywood, kids, only in Hollywood. Considering the recent $77.1 million Intermedia judgement against him for inflating production budgets and, with few exceptions, the junk he produced in the deal his company, Franchise Pictures, had with Warner Bros., it’s amazing he still has any kind of positive reputation in town, but if you’re slick or slimy enough, sometimes you find a way to hold on, I suppose…
The Plaza is currently being booked by Cinema Services. I don’t recall their association with any theatre previously in the tri-state area or know if they’re affiliated with another service, such as Creative Entertainment, Lesser, etc.
During a visit to L.A. in March of ‘96, the Vine was open for business, showing double features at a $5 admission rate, and has been, according to the listings published in L.A. Weekly, as I recall, open since.
According to the web site of the NYC Landmarks Commission(http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/), the Landmarks Law (not sure if this is a city, state, or federal law) states that, to be designated, “a potential landmark must be at least 30 years old and must possess ‘a special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the city, state, or nation.’” The general process includes the submittal of a Request for Evaluation form (http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/pdfs/designation/request_for_evaluation.pdf), accompanied by relevant material of the property (photos, slides, etc.) for which landmark designation is being sought; an evaluation of the submitted materials by an RFE committee, consisting of the Chairman of the Landmarks Commission, the Executive Director, the Chief of Staff, the Director of Research, and other agency staff members who evaluate the submitted material and subsequently make a determination of the request; a vote by the Designation Committee (consisting of five LC commissioners) should the request be deigned worthy of further consideration; and several additional steps, all of which are detailed on the main site’s FAQ page.
Sure, ‘someone’ could figure out how to build a tower around and above an existing building (and this WAS successfully done in the case of Symphony Space). The fact of the matter is, a good number of property owners are lazy, unimaginative, and cheap in the wrong places and, as a result, figure it’s just easier to demolish whatever property lies in the way of their grand plans and simply ignore the preceding public outcry. Maybe things will be different in the case of the Beekman – at least I sure in hell hope they are; it tears my heart out whenever I walk or pass by or near the former Sutton 1 & 2 site when I think of the greed that resulted in that particular theatre being reduced to a pile of rubble due to the whims and desires of one of the many bottom-line-obsessed real estate developers who only see and dream in the color green – and, maybe if we have enough lead time, they CAN be different; we’ll just have to see… and act as soon and as effectively and cohesively as possible…
What horrific news, especially in the wake of all the recent (i.e., within the last 7-10 years) Midtown East movie theatre shutterings; does anyone know who the landlord for the Beekman (and the entire block, for that matter) is?
I can’t recommend ‘Bad Education’ more highly – Almodovar is the one European director working today most boldly carrying on the tradition of filmmaker artists such as Fellini and Bunuel, directors who entertained us with their visual feasts, striking characters, and brilliant, multilayered storylines. ‘Bad Education’ is only the most recent example of Almodovar’s continually evolving, intoxicating purview and it’s nothing short of a stunning treat.
Not a damn surprise, I really, truly hate to say. With as vocal and as passionate an advocate as Harvey Weinstein getting involved, however, I think there’s a better than fair chance of the Cinema 1-2-3 and the Beekman being saved. (Meanwhile, I would have hoped for a more emotionally engaged response from Woddy Allen, but perhaps stronger words – and actions – will soon follow; below, for the record, is the NY Post article Paul first brought to our attention.)
SAD CINEMA SEQUEL
By LOU LUMENICK Post Movie Critic
January 6, 2005 — A second historic Upper East Side movie theater, the Cinema 1, 2 & 3 behind Bloomingdale’s on Third Avenue, will close this spring and be converted to retail space, The Post has learned.
The latest shocker came as New Yorkers were stunned by The Post’s report yesterday that the prestigious Beekman Theatre, at Second Avenue and 66th Street, will close in June, be torn down and replaced by an outpatient-treatment center run by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital.
Miramax honcho Harvey Weinstein said he will fight to keep the theaters open.
“I spent my formative years as a teenager haunting these movie theaters,” Weinstein told The Post from Paris, where he was attending the European premiere of “The Aviator.”
“I used to take the train from my home in Flushing when movies like ‘Raging Bull,’ ‘Rocky’ and ‘Midnight Cowboy’ would open exclusively at the Cinema 1.”
Weinstein vowed to do “whatever I have to do, including financially” to save the endangered theaters.
“To me, they’re shrines of the ‘70s movie experience, and it would be a great loss to the city’s cultural life for them to close,” he said.
New York’s most famous filmmaker agreed.
“Of course I think it’s sad,” said Woody Allen, who shot a famous scene in “Annie Hall” at the Beekman. “It joins a long list of charming Manhattan landmarks I’ve filmed at over the years that have since vanished.”
Reading International, the parent company of City Cinemas, has filed for a permit with the city’s Buildings Department to demolish the interior.
The company’s executives did not return phone calls.
Seri Worden, executive director of the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic District, said the owners had recently applied a stucco facing over the blue tiles outside the theater â€" apparently to prevent the building from being placed on the landmark list.
A friend who works in downtown Boston just informed me that, earlier this afternoon, he saw construction-type (or, more aptly, given the situation, demolition) workers in the former Gaiety lobby space… an interesting sight, to say the least, given the circumstances and some of the illegal demo-prep done prior to the work-stop action issued against Kensington…
The Lyric – which was then in its period as one of the handful of the Deuce’s porno theatres – was featured in the film ‘Taxi Driver’.
The Lyric was, in the early- to mid-‘90s, the third-to-last (not counting the MoviePlex 42) of the Deuce grindhouses to close its doors for business, followed by the Selwyn and the Harris.
I’m not sure if that possibility entered their thinking, Ron, or the consideration of, if necessary, negotiating a height variance with the city which would allow them to build their hospital as is, in terms of overall interior square footage, while still preserving the Beekman.
The article which accompanied Lumenick’s commentary piece (also penned by Lumenick) can be found here: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/37683.htm
Neither the interior or the exterior of the Beekman is landmarked, William; any related references at this point are essentially rhetorical.
Great article. Something tells me things are going to be different this time and, with the lead time we have and with Lou Lumenick giving this situation a voice in print in a major newspaper at such an early date (optimism… imagine that, coming from a New Yorker and a Mets fan, to boot :–), we CAN save the Beekman. I am busy with work and other side projects but anything I can do to help the cause, I’m willing to do…
I meant to type…
When the events of January 17, 1992 – which Ron made reference to in his post earlier today – occurred, the Beacon Hill was part of the Loews chain.
When the events of January 17, 1992 – which Ron made reference to in his post earlier today, the Beacon Hill was part of the Loews chain.
For a time in the 1980s, the Modern Theatre auditorium was used after hours as storage space for Downtown Crossing vendor pushcarts.
The CVS Pharmacy which is part of the Ritz-Carlton Towers/Millenium Place occupies roughly the same patch of land where the State Theatre once stood.
Define irony: the banner I spotted hanging on a utility pole extension outside the Gaiety/Publix Theatre building (and, granted, these banners are posted throughout the area) while visiting family over the holidays, touting passersby presence in ‘Boston’s Historic Theatre District’. Interesting idea that, hanging one of those banners out front of a building so distinctly, at least in the eyes of Mayor Thomas Menino and the other supporters of the Kensington Place development, NOT a theatre…
For a time after the Charles triplex closed its doors, the removed seats from the upstairs auditorium were stacked and stored in its accompanying lobby.
One key reason why a movie theatre probably won’t be included in the newly redeveloped Charles River Plaza is the location of the Loews Boston Common Theatre at Tremont and Avery Streets. That venue was built where it was, besides being a prime location which draws from most parts of the city and of surrounding cities and towns (with the subway station across the street helping matters greatly), in order to dissuade competition from other chains – and to essentially accelerate the closing of its other, less luxurious Boston sites (i.e., the Cheri, the Copley Place, and the Nickelodeon). Given those circumstances, it’s unreasonable to expect another cinema, save for perhaps a multi-screen, all-stadium seating art house (and one, at that, which would be operated by a chain dedicated to such fare – i.e., Landmark), to be built within geographical range of the Boston Common.
Elie Samaha… to paraphrase Cindy Adams, only in Hollywood, kids, only in Hollywood. Considering the recent $77.1 million Intermedia judgement against him for inflating production budgets and, with few exceptions, the junk he produced in the deal his company, Franchise Pictures, had with Warner Bros., it’s amazing he still has any kind of positive reputation in town, but if you’re slick or slimy enough, sometimes you find a way to hold on, I suppose…
The Plaza is currently being booked by Cinema Services. I don’t recall their association with any theatre previously in the tri-state area or know if they’re affiliated with another service, such as Creative Entertainment, Lesser, etc.
During a visit to L.A. in March of ‘96, the Vine was open for business, showing double features at a $5 admission rate, and has been, according to the listings published in L.A. Weekly, as I recall, open since.
According to the web site of the NYC Landmarks Commission(http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/), the Landmarks Law (not sure if this is a city, state, or federal law) states that, to be designated, “a potential landmark must be at least 30 years old and must possess ‘a special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the city, state, or nation.’” The general process includes the submittal of a Request for Evaluation form (http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/pdfs/designation/request_for_evaluation.pdf), accompanied by relevant material of the property (photos, slides, etc.) for which landmark designation is being sought; an evaluation of the submitted materials by an RFE committee, consisting of the Chairman of the Landmarks Commission, the Executive Director, the Chief of Staff, the Director of Research, and other agency staff members who evaluate the submitted material and subsequently make a determination of the request; a vote by the Designation Committee (consisting of five LC commissioners) should the request be deigned worthy of further consideration; and several additional steps, all of which are detailed on the main site’s FAQ page.
Sure, ‘someone’ could figure out how to build a tower around and above an existing building (and this WAS successfully done in the case of Symphony Space). The fact of the matter is, a good number of property owners are lazy, unimaginative, and cheap in the wrong places and, as a result, figure it’s just easier to demolish whatever property lies in the way of their grand plans and simply ignore the preceding public outcry. Maybe things will be different in the case of the Beekman – at least I sure in hell hope they are; it tears my heart out whenever I walk or pass by or near the former Sutton 1 & 2 site when I think of the greed that resulted in that particular theatre being reduced to a pile of rubble due to the whims and desires of one of the many bottom-line-obsessed real estate developers who only see and dream in the color green – and, maybe if we have enough lead time, they CAN be different; we’ll just have to see… and act as soon and as effectively and cohesively as possible…
What horrific news, especially in the wake of all the recent (i.e., within the last 7-10 years) Midtown East movie theatre shutterings; does anyone know who the landlord for the Beekman (and the entire block, for that matter) is?
My best advice would be to e-mail Landmark at and see what they can do about getting a copy to you.
The David Cinema was actually located at 236 W. 54th Street; its former space is presently occupied by the upscale Divine Bar West lounge club.
An unfortunate incident outside the UA Midway 9 the other night: View link
The official web site of the New Metro Twin: http://www.metrobroadway.com
I can’t recommend ‘Bad Education’ more highly – Almodovar is the one European director working today most boldly carrying on the tradition of filmmaker artists such as Fellini and Bunuel, directors who entertained us with their visual feasts, striking characters, and brilliant, multilayered storylines. ‘Bad Education’ is only the most recent example of Almodovar’s continually evolving, intoxicating purview and it’s nothing short of a stunning treat.