Movieland
1567 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1567 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
9 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 75 of 140 comments
Notice the huge, high, Capitol theatre sign to the right of the flag, near the horizon.
And not a bad shot of the theater either.
Here is a photo circa 1956:
http://tinyurl.com/mzsgsh
Movieland
View link
As the Holiday.
View link
Renewing link.
When the theatre became Movieland, it opened with Private Benjamin and not Any Which Way You Can. The October 10th, 1980 New York Times even features a “Warner Bros. welcome New York’s newest movie house” blurb bordering the Movieland listing in its full page ad.
I never went here as a theater; only when it was Club USA. They did an incredible job is turning the theater into one of the legendary clubs of New York.
One of the distinctions was a second dance floor that was two levels higher than the orchestra section. It was designed by Tierry Mugler and was named after him. It had a very high ceiling and on one side of the room was a white stairway to nowhere where one could sit and see everyone who was dancing or see everyone lined up against the bar.
There was also a roof deck where you could see and hear the cacophony of Times Square.
Such a shame that this beautiful theater never made it to be a part of the new Times Square though it did contribute to its rebirth.
Went here once, when I first landed in the city, to see The Serpent & The Rainbow. The place was big, but a pit. It reminded me of some of the 42nd Street grindhouses; filthy, sticky floors, broken seats and a noisy, scary crowd that bordered on homeless. Of course, I loved it. It disappeared shortly thereafter.
Sorry! Please advise: What is the proper … nomenclature?
It doesn’t like to be called a blog.
Having trouble keeping the checkmark box checked for this theater. I’m hoping that by adding once more to the blog, that’ll do the trick.
Thank you, William. I had not realized that search tool was there. I tried it successfully just now. It will save me a lot of time.
Ed, When you use the search area here. If it does not come up under current name, check the previous names box. It comes right up as New World Stages.
Just located that blog, Al, thanks to you. Never would have been able to figure that out, and I no longer get to NYC to see for myself. Will read it now.
By the way, his strikes me as another excellent example where it would help if the blog were electronically cross-referenced (maybe that’s impossible or too premature a request) or simply filed under the theater’s best-known identity.
Again, thank you.
It is now the New World Stages, Ed.
This theater seems to have had uncommonly sharp waves of up and down. One of the ups occurred when “Serpico” opened here in December 1973, and lined stretched around the block. It broke some house records there.
On another front, can anyone tell me if there’s a Cinema Treasures blog for the now-defunct Worldwide Cinemas between Eighth Avenue and Ninth Avenue on, I think, West 49th or West 50th? Have tried all possibly variations on the name and keep coming up empty.
The Forum showing The Legend of Boggy Creek, 7/30/73
I only knew it as the Forum.
Here is an August 1967 ad from the NYT:
http://tinyurl.com/32xcjb
Saps… hounding me from my Loew’s Valencia stories! Ha ha.
If your orientation is confused it’s because of that English teacher of yours.
I have a DVD of video footage shot by Hollywood90038 in 1990 in which you can see the boarded up Movieland awaiting conversion to retail use (actually, the auditorium would remain open for a few years as the disco Dance USA). I captured the following screen-shots from the DVD:
Marquee and facade
Sidewall down 47th
Marquee profile
Forgive the blurry captures. Is that shot down 47th the actual theater sidewall? The boarded up windows are throwing me off. I assume the fire escape is from the theater balcony, but I may have my orientation confused.
Thanks Warren. Little doubt that the Tower would have likely remained to this day, had it been built. Just as likely, however, that the theater within would have suffered the same fate as the rival Paramount just a few blocks to the south.
Dear All,
I have just found some N.Y.Times clips related to my Grandparents,
Francis S. Gray and Ella A. Gray. They were the owners of the Central Theatre building, which housed the Central Theatre, former
Gotham, Odeon, Forum and finally Movieland. I would appreciate any historical information on the Theatre and building and especially pictures.
Kind Regards
Tania Melis Di Scala