Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre
707 7th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10036
707 7th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10036
38 people
favorited this theater
Showing 626 - 650 of 1,093 comments
It was taken in 1944. On the billboard behind you is a ad for Deanna Durbin and Gene Kelly in the film “Christmas Holiday” playing over at Loew’s Criterion Theatre. “Christmas Holiday” opened June 6th, 1944 from Universal Pictures.
Here is a photo of my grandmother (center) and her two friends when they were in nurses training at the Naval School in the Bronx. They’re standing beside the Mayfair, which is showing “Gaslight”. If I were to venture a guess I would believe this was taken in 1944.
View link
Well they have installed the new marquee in front of the former theatre. It is the same shape and size as when it was the Embassy 2,3,4. It says New York Gifts, like we need another one of those types of stores.
And if you page back a few pictures you see The State playing “The Godfather” and the Forum’s marquee on another page.
My mistake…the Cine 1& 2, formerly the Agee 1 & 2. By the way, those pix blow up super clear!
Too bad that pesky bus is blocking the DeMille marquee. I see the Agee 1 & 2 next to the DeMille and I think I see the TransLux West on the left.
The DeMille on 6/4/72, showing Buck and the Preacher, directed by and starring Sidney Poitier
Embassy 2-3-4, 5/7/81. Thief, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and Atlantic City are playing. The Cine I/II is also visible up the street.
LuisV, your comment on the marquee of the Mayfair reminded me of how it took a full time electrician to keep all the lights in the original huge wrap around marquee going. It seemed like someone was always working on it. It was beautiful and made an excellent shelter for the long line of people waiting to buy tickets on week ends.
They are still working on it.
Is there an update on the fate of this theater? Did it reopen as retail?
Warren, thanks so much for the links above! The Marquees for The Palace an The Mayfair have to be among the most beautiful that I’ve ever seen. It must have been quite a sight to see them live way back when. What a shame that they no longer insist; especially since The Palace is still is fully functioning theater. They should replace that dull one they have with a replica just as the Hard Rock Cafe put in a replica of the old Paramount. I believe The Palace is a Nederlander theater. If so, they’re notoriously cheap. Hopefully, I’m wrong.
Close up detail. Right hand side of marquee.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtians/2389280541/
Close up detail. Left hand side of marquee.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtians/2390114222/
Sorry wrong pic posted above.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtians/2389279449/
Boarded up but with plenty of life behind them!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtians/2390110382/
Behind these walls!
Amazing to think that such an incredible auditorium lies behind these walls that none seems to care about!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtians/2390110382/
March 2008
Sorry about any duplication. I try to scan through what’s been posted, but I do miss sometimes.
I just walked through Times Square last night. Man, I wish I could have seen it back then!
I’m not sure if this has been posted before, but here’s a great color shot of the exterior circa February, 1955:
View link
I was actually looking at the FDR-Willkie reference on one of the marquees. That was the 1940 election, and they didn’t start two years before like today. As I recall the usual campaign season was February to November, but the real campaigning didn’t begin until the baseball season ended in early October. They figured that people didn’t pay attention to politics until after the World Series.
Here is another circa 1940 photo from skyscrapercity.com:
http://tinyurl.com/56oah2
Well to go with my Mar 21st. post, they have removed the marquee from the building now. Just the A frame suports are left.
The site has been quite inconsistent about this. Witness the Strand and the Nokia.
Thank you Warren. The pictures are beautiful. It’s incredible what a steep rake the balcony had! I wonder how much detail is left. If the retail space does open soon, the alterations may only have been at the lower levels but I don’t hold out much hope.
The doors onto 7th were open today and the inside is a building site nearing completion into what could very well be a store!? From the other side of the street you can see building work in progress on the first floor also.
Well they have taken the front plexglass panel from the marquee off and they also have stripped the the interworking of it too. If you stand under it you can look straight up through it to the support beams.