Radio City Music Hall
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
116 people
favorited this theater
Showing 651 - 675 of 3,322 comments
It is JOLSON, not Joltson, Momoviebuff82, I am correct, Al Jolson.
you mean jolston story, agroura.
Correction: Story.
The Jolson Storu and its sequel were fantastic. Larry Parks did not look like Jolson but he caputred his movemets. His eyes on closeups were just like Jolson’s. He was terrific. It is a shame he died young and was accused of being a comunist. Larry Parks was a great.
Imagine if the Lion King returned in 3D for its premiere at this theater lol.
Moviebuff82: Broadway shows, concerts, etc., will not go on tonight. Presumably, any event at RCMH will be rescheduled. Remember the City has closed own, no mass transit. Even if tourists are within walking distance of Broadway, authorities are telling people not to go out. Streets are deserted in my neighborhood, Upper West Side.
i wonder if this place will close tonight and tomorrow due to irene…..such a structure will withstand damage.
“Rebecca” (March 28 – May 8)and “The Philadelphia Story” (Dec. 26 – Feb. 5) were the first films to run for six weeks in 1940. Up until then “Snow White…” held the record with five weeks in 1938. “The Philadelphia Story,” however, with its opening week gross of $130,000 did not break the one week gross of $134,800 set by “Top Hat” in 1934 and played 3 weeks.
Thanks for thjat responce New Yorker 68 I have since learned that was the case with the curtain not being used during the perfomance. I was glad to hear however that it is closed prior to the show begins and raised at the start, at least the audience is not subjectd to an open curtain befoe the show begins.
Jay, The general rule to warrant a holdover during the 1950s was that $88,000 had to be reached by early Sunday evening. You didn’t have to be rocket scientist however to know from the opening day how long a film might play. As you know, a four or five week run was more typical, films opening during the summer tended to last longer and gross more.
Simon L. Saltzman:
Would you happen to know when you were there what the requirements were for a film to be held over? I was started there in July 1961 for 3 years, and then after Uncle Sam had me for three years I spent three more years there, but never asked the question. It seemed by the 4:00 stage show break on every Sunday the question would be answered.
I wonder if, perhaps, VistaVision was the causing the grosses to soar? (just kidding). But North by Northwest and High Society were the only two MGM movies to be filmed in the process and Paramount’s White Christmas, the first movie to be shot in VV, did very good business when it opened at the Music Hall.
I sat in the third row for the first show of Bambi opening morning. Not a bad way for a 6-year-old to be introduced to the Music Hall!
Answer to EdBlank regarding grosses: Yes I have the exact figures of each week of every film from the day RCMH opened. As for Bambi, it’s gross(around $90,000 and $85,000(without consulting the archives)during the two weeks it played actually didn’t warrant a holdover. Perhaps it was the sadness of the story that kept parents from bringing children and also the fact that the Music Hall never had special prices for children. “Snow White…” was another story as it was so unique being the first full-length animated feature from Disney. It ran five weeks, as you know and grossed consistently over $100,000 over the entire run. It probably could have stayed longer, but the Hall was already backlogged with product. As you know, most films were booked for only one week with a possible one week holdover.
“Bambi” at Radio City Music Hall was the American Premiere, not the World Premiere, as the film had premiered in the United Kingdom about a week earlier.
Simon, I’m intrigued by your box-office numbers regarding “North by Northwest” topping the non-holiday record held previously by “High Society.” I followed the RCMH figures (and those of about 200 other theaters) scrupulously in Variety for decades. But especially RCMH’s numbers because that was the theater that, more than any other, enjoyed the pick of the litter. Is there any chance you kept a log of RCMH’s weekly figures, film after film?
Just a little something to amuse Tinseltoes: As an usher during the 7 week run of “North By Northwest”, the staff would make bets on whether all the white lights would go on and twinkle during the “Serenade to the Stars” finale…more often than not two or three strands would fail to light up as the “queen of the night” (or whatever she was) ascended from the stage floor almost to the top of the proscenium,her gown of lights gradually unfolding to an enormous size as she was lifted higher and higher. “NBN” broke the non-holiday opening week gross with $195,000. Previous non-holiday record was “High Society” with $190,000 in 1956.
Tinseltoes, Thanks for talking about it. August 6, 1959 must have been an absolute summer night in New York City to remember for a lifetime! With North by Northwest on the big screen in the big Hall, and add the Summer Festival and the spectacular “Serenade to the Stars,” and all the New York scenes in the movie, WOW!“ So, Tinseltoes, where can one find these unforgettable "bright-lights” moments in today’s NYC?
North by Northwest is known for the flying plane going towards Cary Grant, and Cary Grant climbing Mount Rushmore. Imagine watching it on the big screen at the hall with surround sound.
For most of you, this link won’t be news, but I thought I would just share a photo of myself (second left) as an RCMH in 1958 with a short article I wrote to accompany a review of “Zarkana” http://curtainup.com/zarkana.html Enjoy. Also would like to initiate a possible reunion of staff prior to the Music Hall ending its regular stage and film policy. Anyone interested?
Going to the Music Hall tomorrow. I’m excited! Question: Does anyone know why the 50th Street underground connection between the Music Hall and the GE Building is still closed? Seems like it would relieve the surface crowd around the theater and it would be good business for the Rockefeller Center Concourse shops to have this link open? Why is it still closed? Also, why do the patrons enter through the 51st Street entrance, when the theater is meant to be entered from 6th Avenue and 50th Street? It is so much more dramatic to enter through 50th Street. Roxy had it right 79 years ago. Any thoughts?…
The contour curtain is open in the current show. And probably, and rightfully, because it wouldn’t fit into the Zarkana production design… It’s too dramatic and grand. Zarkana is dark and mysterious… And a little creepy, quite frankly.
Thanks for that New Yorker64 After looking closly at the screen caps from the video I realise that all they did, as someone else noted, was build a second proscenium inside the original, I quess they thought it looked better astetically and fitted the format of the presentation better. With shows like the one at Christmas if the curtain is not raised as high as it is for Cirgue you wont even notice the top portion of the added prosenium. All in all I guess what they have done isn’t all that bad. You forgot to mention the curtain and if they are using it for Cirque, are they?
The Cirque commitment is for three years each summer, with an option for another two. Re: changes to the structure… I would think the landmark status of RCMH would prohibit any permanent change to the proscenium. Regarding the show specifically, I’ve seen it and, well, let’s just say it’s not a spectacular Roxy would have mounted —– more like Alice in Wonderland meets Las Vegas. They’re using the music hall stage for its size, not for it’s technical ability. Mind you all, this is just one man’s opinion.
I would agree with you Ed, since the show will be returning it makes sense to leave the alterations in place for now. I wish somone could give us a more detailed explaniatin of what exactly was done for those of us who can not visit the theatre. I would also like to see how the proscenium looks with the the curtain closed. By the way, does anyone know if they using the curtain at all for the current show.?