AMC Empire 25
234 W. 42nd Street,
New York,
NY
10036
234 W. 42nd Street,
New York,
NY
10036
79 people
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Apparently there was also a Laffmovie in Baltimore, and another in Newark. Wondering now if this was an actual chain in the 1940s and 50s.
Two theatres with the same name, four blocks apart? How did they distinguish from each other in advertising?
The Laffmovie appears in the New York Times in August 1942 and disappears in 1947.
A second Laffmovie opened In December 1942 on 46th Street. That one advertises until 1943.
Boston also had a Laffmovie in the 1940s. Was this once a common name for a movie theatre?
Anyone know the exact years of the Laffmovie? jk
I’ve always been surprised that the Loew’s King hasn’t been converted into a live performance theatre. Yes, it probably would have difficulty competing with other venues in Manhattan, but it might be great for niche markets. NYC has a large Spanish-speaking immigrant population. It seems to me that there would be a market for live plays and musical performances done in Spanish for that specific population. I’m sure there are a lot of immigrants that would love to see performances in their native language, and a lot of Spanish-speaking talent from Latin countries that would benefit from having their work seen in NYC. It’s not like there is a lot of that content being exhibited on Broadway.
Yes, it’s sad that the city has landmarked the building, but left it to rot. However, it is up to the surrounding community to rally up and make it known that they want to retain the asset.
Carmine, great post….perhaps though, you should copy and paste it in the Loew’s Kings page instead, as more people looking to read about the Kings will probably see it there as opposed to here under the Empire.
To Whom it May Concern:–
In the past couple of hours I’ve been reading all about the
“old” movie palaces. It fascinates me. I only wish that something
could be done with the “ones” that are still standing! Namely the
former Loew’s Kings, on Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn. The theatre has
been declared a “landmark” & therefore can’t be torn down. I have passed the theatre many times, & each time that I did so, I wanted to
“cry”. The theatre which has been closed for 28yrs now-is slowly
deteriorating! I shutter to think of what it now looks like inside.
I was such a beautiful theatre, & how it could of been allowed to
deteriorate the way it has, is way beyond me.
With everything that I have read about the theatre, there’s not
a single person that get’s the capacity right. The theatre has a
capacity of 4,200 seats! Isn’t there a person out there that will
come-forth and revitalize this “magnificate” theatre. I also shutter
to think that several yrs ago, Magic Johnson was supposed to come & make a “multi-plex”, out of it. I’d rather see the place torn down!!
Sincerely,
Carmine
It happened because AMC is ultra efficiant in moving a picture around to a diffrent theater at a diffrent time, I’ve noted that. While it may apear a movie should be playing in the same theater all day (even if it apears to only be on a single screen) it’ll play in a larger house when its in a higher demand. It apears that since Andrea shows at 6:20 and 10:45 they slipped in Chicken Little at 8:45 and forgot to change over the reel.
I heard that story too on the 10 o'clock news on Fox 5. What a shame that the theatre that was supposed to show a kid’s movie showed a horrible movie. Thankfully the patrons got a refund and saw another showing of chicken little. Thank god it didn’t affect the theatres where i live. New York is known for its great movie theatres, but showing an adult movie in front of a auditorium full of kids? That’s crazy. The sky is really falling at AMC Empire 25!
View link oops…
the AMC/Loews combine will most likely sell off the E-Walk 15. The AMC Empire 25 is one of AMC theatres top theatres, along with the AMC Neshaminy 24 (in Bensalem) and the AMC 30 In The Block (in Orange, CA)
Fantastic photo.
I had that problem last time I was at AMC. I had to leave the auditorium and find someone and tell them to turn off the lights.
I disagree. AMC is a great place to see a movie and it is disingenuous to divide the 5,000 seats by 25. Some of the salles are huge and others are tiny, but all have stadium seating and fairly large screens.
Talk about “broom closets”. I saw a screening of “Ben-Hur” a few years back. Figuring they would play such an epic on the Big Screen as it should have, they played it in one of their “broom closets”. On top of that, the picture kept loosing it’s framing and they didn’t turn the lights off. I had to get out of my seat 3 times to tell them. (High schoolers who know nothing of theaters as well as people who know nothing about movies)
The sizes may vary but the rooms all seem pretty big, with large screens, stadium seating, high ceilings and great sound.
With their wonderful lobby from the old EMPIRE theatre, the new AMC 25 screen complex is a good place to BUY A TICKET but methinks NOT a good place to SEE A MOVIE. Their near 5000 seats divides up into 200 per auditorium. Broom closets. But I give credit where credit is due: the 3 story lobby and entrance is both historic and beautiful —– in contrast with the new LOEW’S complex directly across the street, which offers little at the entrance and little inside.
42nd has always had some fun, creative programming. Here’s an Empire double bill when Liz Taylor broke up Debbie Reynolds' marriage to Eddie Fisher:
View link
The AMC 25 is the highest grossing theatre in the country so I do not think AMC would give it up. The E-Walk is another matter.
I found it interesting that THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY has opened at the AMC and at the Quad. AMC must be desperate for product to fill all those screensif they are booking a movie that is also playing at the Quad.
On the other hand, given all the screens downtown, Angelika, Landmark and IFC, I am surprised that the Quad was able to get TBC. I would have thought that Sony Pictures Classics, which is distributing TBC, would have had the clout with those other, more high-profile downtown art houses to place TBC there.
CRONICOS is also opening at AMC, but it is opening downtown at the Angelika.
Clearview wouldn’t go for it. Sell off the E-Walk, that theatre sucks. I hope this means Loews will start offering Moviewatchers. Loews theatres quality has declined shaply after they were sold off from the Sony Empire. I look foward to the AMC changes.
The Kips Bay Theatre is a Loews property, as is the Orpheum at 3rd and 86th.
If AMC/Loews is forced to divest itself of either the E-Walk or the Empire, I suspect it’s the Empire they’d let go of, just on the sheer basis of its size. (Not that that wouldn’t represent a goldmine of an opportunity in the eyes of Philip Anschutz, the principal owner of Regal, or, they’re willing to make the investment, the Dolans and Clearview Cinemas/Cablevision/Rainbow Media…)
I imagine that the combined entity will have to divest itself of some theatres similar to the way Cinemaplex Odeon & Loew’s sold some of their theatres to Clearview when they merged.
In Manhattan, AMC only owns the 25-plex while Lowe’s has a number of ‘plexs, including W. 84th St., Lincoln Square, the E-Walk, the underattended W. 34th Street 'plex, 19th Street, the soon to be closed State and the East Village 'plex. I can’t remember if Kipp’s Bay is Regal or Loew’s and I can’t remember if Loew’s has a 'plex on the Upper East Side.
I imagine AMC/Loew’s will have to divest itself of either the E-Walk or the AMC 25-plex.
The merger of AMC and Loews has just been announced. Will be interesting to see how the deal affects bookings for the Empire and E-Walk.
Actually ‘Top of the Empire" isn’t even always the case with those art products, AMC in their efforts to streamline will move a picture around during diffrent showtimes- fequently there are Hollywood movies playing on the top level and indies playing on the bottom levels, it depends on the movie, time of day, and antispiated audience.
The “Top of the Empire” was just a catagory in their showtime ads for their first year of operation, still most of the films I see there are art movies and I do have to travel up all those escalators to get there (I think 7, if I counted correctly, its unreal). I think though, that by being in Manhatten a theatre, especially a multiplex has to carry some exclusive bookings- even the Loews State in Times Square (the new 4 plex, when it first opened before E-Walk and Empire) would play a new art pictures as well as mainstream pictures, although I do agree if Loews E-Walk wasn’t a factor you would see less and less art pictures at the Empire.