while I have been a big fan of the Cinema ½/3 for most of my moviegoing life I don’t see how the Cinema 1 can show a film in 70MM. the screen isn’t that big.
a year ago I asked a question as to what exactly
were the “maintenance problems” referred to in the
intro at top as the reason for the theater’s
closing. I went to the theater on a regular enough
basis and don’t remember it being in any worse
shape than the other 1st run Times Square houses.
so what exactly were said “maintenance problems”?
would any devotees of the Chinese know the difference in size if any of the Chinese’s IMAX screen and the one at the Loews Lincoln Square in Manhattan?
to AL A. thanks for your info as to this theater’s
porn period. i had a feeling it was before i starting
coming here which turned out to be the case. from
1978’S “Nighthawks” to “G.B.F.” which opened Jan.
2014 i never noticed anything “seedy” about the Quad.
but then again the N Y Post is a very negative
newspaper so I shouldn’t be surprised they painted
a negative picture of the Quad. till the last time
i went Jan. 2014 i found the auditoriums, lobby and
men’s room to be well maintained and clean. i always
found the staff to be courteous as well.
so the N Y Post’s article making it seem as if the
place was worn out, run down, etc… prior to
closing for renovation is in my view simply not
true.
in the New York Post of today 4/14/17 there is a
2 page article about the reopening of the refurbished
Quad Cinema. i beg to differ with s few points
made in said article.
1.while the Quad was never going to be mistaken
for Radio City Music Hall or the Ziegfeld i always
found the theater well kept and well maintained.
I first went here to see the pioneering 1978 U.K.
film “Nighthawks”. the last time i attended this
theater was January 2014 to see the delightful
teen comedy “G.B.F.”. at no point in the those
36 years did find the theater dirty or ratty.
the impression you get from the article is that
prior to the closing down for the redo the
theater was dirty, ratty and worn down etc….
having been a regular patron at the Quad for the
36 year period mentioned i never found that to
be the case.
2.also in those 36 years i never noticed any
inappropriate(e.g. sexual activity) in any of
the four auditoriums or the men’s room. a former
manager mentions yearsssss ago when 6th Ave. was
frequented by hookers they often brought their
“business” to the Quad. i have been a frequent
visitor to the Village since i was a senior in
high school. heck i even took classes at the
New School and NEVER remember 6th Ave. being
frequented by hookers.
i have a simple 2 part question-a)when this theater
close down as a regular movie theater was it still
a 1st run venue or had it become a 2nd/3rd run
grind house? b)what time passed between it closing
down as a regular movie theater and reopening as
an adult cinema?
i thank robboehem for your reply. when i discovered
this wonderful site late January 2013 i looked up
all the movie theaters i remembered from my trips out
to L.A. and S.F.. so i was shocked that a modern
built state of the art movie theater had such a
short lifespan. the only theater in Manhattan that
comes close is the 62 St. & 1st Avenue multiplex
built by Cineplex Odeon which opened the fall of
1992. it closed down a few years ago and is just
standing there bordered up and unused.
speaking of which. i read in the intro that this
theater wasn’t demolished until almost 6 years
after it closed. so i was just sitting there for
6 years gathering dust?
i went to this theater a number of times whenever
i visited San Francisco. for instance i saw Sofia
Coppola’s first film “The Virgin Suicides” and “The
Favor” with Brad Pitt. if i am not mistaken this
theater most have the shortest lifespan of any
modern built movie theater.
yes they were. motion pictures or flickers
to use a term from the early years made their
debut in theaters in April 1896. the showing
at Koster and Bail’s Music Hall in NYC on the night
of April 23, 1896 was the 1st time films had
been projected on a screen in a theater
before a paying audience.
did this theater show movies from the day it
opened? or did it become a movie theater later.
the original name The Graham Opera House would
imply it did not open as a picture house as
they were called.
true porn produced 1968-1975 was on film so that
shouldn’t knock the Roxy out of the running for the
title of the oldest in continual operation movie
theater in the U.S.. many small movie theaters
around NYC about the same time for lack of a better term resorted to showing porn because that was all
they could get. so the title of the oldest in
continual operation movie theater since the day it
opened i think would be more meaningful if it didn’t
need to resort to showing porn to pay the rent.
just out of curiosity as the Roxie ever shown
“adult” films? if so that would knock it out
of the running. i don’t care if it was a 2nd
run neighborhood house or a a first run venue
i am looking for the oldest theater that opened
as a movie house and has been in continual
operation as such ever since.
just in case you were wondering the oldest in
continual operation movie theater in NYC is
the Alpine in Brooklyn which opened in 1921 and
has been in continual operation ever since.
were the Roxie and Victoria which are certainly
older than the 4 Star opened as movie theaters?
if opened as theaters showcasing something else
they don’t count. for instance the Victoria has
had many interesting lives in its 109 years but
has not opened continually as a movie theater
since the day it opened.
also the theater in Pryor,OK. is out of the
running as the oldest movie theater in the
U.S. in continual operation since the day it
opened since according to the info at top it
didn’t open till 1917, 4 years after the 4 Star.
i know we can’t preserve every old building
but if i am correct in stating that the 4 Star
is the oldest in continual operation movie
theater in the U.S. it should be preserved
as a landmark.
the last thing we need is another condo tower
for spoiled Silicon Valley yuppies. so since the
4 Star is I believe the oldest in continual
operation movie theater in the U.S. it should at
least be preserved as a revival house.
i thank stevenj and walterk for the info. i am going
under the assumption that one had to have a building
license to operate a movie theater. so i find it
bizarre that the only notice i have found of this
theater is the one on this page. i even contacted
the Bronx County Historical Society even they can’t
offer an additional info then what’s on this page.
from the fact it was in operation in July of 1910
i assumed it was in the Hub area as its known or
close by.
is this theater really in any eminent danger
of closing any time soon? people had been talking
about the eminent closing of the Ziegfeld
yearsssssssssssss before it actually happened.
people had been talking about the approaching
demise of the Ziegfeld countless years before it
actually happened. so i bet it will be the same
with this theater.
also i would hardly call the Cinema Village and the Quad without “walking distance” of the Sunshine.
i was reading about early sound film and the
book stated the 1st feature length sound western
was In Old Arizona starring Warner Baxter. it
said the film opened at the Criterion Theater.
i can find no theater on the L.A. page that was
called the Criterion.
the last time i was in the IMAX auditorium was to
see The Jungle Book this past April. i thought the
projection and sound were A+ so why were renovations
needed?
to patryan6019 i thank for your replies to
my posts. in fact your reply prompts another
question. i live in NYC and after a film’s
roadshow run it moved to another first run
theater and was made shorter by simply cutting
out the overture, intermission and exit music.
it was at the point a film moved to
neighborhood theaters around NYC that they
actually tweaked the film. which is where my
question comes in. if a film opened on a 2
performance a day roadshow run what was the
rationale behind cutting it so early. it was
still going to be shown only twice a day.
i apologize if i have already asked this question.
of all the films the Dome played on a roadshow
engagement were there any that did not have a
souvenir program?
Hello-
while I have been a big fan of the Cinema ½/3 for
most of my moviegoing life I don’t see how the
Cinema 1 can show a film in 70MM. the screen isn’t that
big.
Hello-
a year ago I asked a question as to what exactly were the “maintenance problems” referred to in the intro at top as the reason for the theater’s closing. I went to the theater on a regular enough basis and don’t remember it being in any worse shape than the other 1st run Times Square houses. so what exactly were said “maintenance problems”?
Hello from NYC-
would any devotees of the Chinese know the difference
in size if any of the Chinese’s IMAX screen and the
one at the Loews Lincoln Square in Manhattan?
Hello-
to AL A. thanks for your info as to this theater’s porn period. i had a feeling it was before i starting coming here which turned out to be the case. from 1978’S “Nighthawks” to “G.B.F.” which opened Jan. 2014 i never noticed anything “seedy” about the Quad.
but then again the N Y Post is a very negative newspaper so I shouldn’t be surprised they painted a negative picture of the Quad. till the last time i went Jan. 2014 i found the auditoriums, lobby and
men’s room to be well maintained and clean. i always found the staff to be courteous as well.
so the N Y Post’s article making it seem as if the place was worn out, run down, etc… prior to closing for renovation is in my view simply not true.
Hello to All-
in the New York Post of today 4/14/17 there is a 2 page article about the reopening of the refurbished Quad Cinema. i beg to differ with s few points made in said article.
1.while the Quad was never going to be mistaken for Radio City Music Hall or the Ziegfeld i always found the theater well kept and well maintained. I first went here to see the pioneering 1978 U.K. film “Nighthawks”. the last time i attended this theater was January 2014 to see the delightful teen comedy “G.B.F.”. at no point in the those 36 years did find the theater dirty or ratty. the impression you get from the article is that prior to the closing down for the redo the theater was dirty, ratty and worn down etc…. having been a regular patron at the Quad for the 36 year period mentioned i never found that to be the case.
2.also in those 36 years i never noticed any inappropriate(e.g. sexual activity) in any of the four auditoriums or the men’s room. a former manager mentions yearsssss ago when 6th Ave. was frequented by hookers they often brought their “business” to the Quad. i have been a frequent visitor to the Village since i was a senior in high school. heck i even took classes at the New School and NEVER remember 6th Ave. being frequented by hookers.
Hello From NYC-
i have a simple 2 part question-a)when this theater close down as a regular movie theater was it still a 1st run venue or had it become a 2nd/3rd run grind house? b)what time passed between it closing down as a regular movie theater and reopening as an adult cinema?
Hello Again from NYC-
i thank robboehem for your reply. when i discovered this wonderful site late January 2013 i looked up all the movie theaters i remembered from my trips out to L.A. and S.F.. so i was shocked that a modern built state of the art movie theater had such a short lifespan. the only theater in Manhattan that comes close is the 62 St. & 1st Avenue multiplex built by Cineplex Odeon which opened the fall of 1992. it closed down a few years ago and is just standing there bordered up and unused.
speaking of which. i read in the intro that this theater wasn’t demolished until almost 6 years after it closed. so i was just sitting there for 6 years gathering dust?
Hello from NYC-
i went to this theater a number of times whenever i visited San Francisco. for instance i saw Sofia Coppola’s first film “The Virgin Suicides” and “The Favor” with Brad Pitt. if i am not mistaken this theater most have the shortest lifespan of any modern built movie theater.
Hello-
Beauty and the Beast in playing the IMAX theater in regular IMAX not IMAX 3-D?
Hello-
yes they were. motion pictures or flickers to use a term from the early years made their debut in theaters in April 1896. the showing at Koster and Bail’s Music Hall in NYC on the night of April 23, 1896 was the 1st time films had been projected on a screen in a theater before a paying audience.
Hello-
did this theater show movies from the day it opened? or did it become a movie theater later. the original name The Graham Opera House would imply it did not open as a picture house as they were called.
Hello-
true porn produced 1968-1975 was on film so that shouldn’t knock the Roxy out of the running for the title of the oldest in continual operation movie theater in the U.S.. many small movie theaters around NYC about the same time for lack of a better term resorted to showing porn because that was all they could get. so the title of the oldest in continual operation movie theater since the day it opened i think would be more meaningful if it didn’t need to resort to showing porn to pay the rent.
Hello-
just out of curiosity as the Roxie ever shown “adult” films? if so that would knock it out of the running. i don’t care if it was a 2nd run neighborhood house or a a first run venue i am looking for the oldest theater that opened as a movie house and has been in continual operation as such ever since.
just in case you were wondering the oldest in continual operation movie theater in NYC is the Alpine in Brooklyn which opened in 1921 and has been in continual operation ever since.
Hello-
were the Roxie and Victoria which are certainly older than the 4 Star opened as movie theaters? if opened as theaters showcasing something else
they don’t count. for instance the Victoria has had many interesting lives in its 109 years but has not opened continually as a movie theater since the day it opened.
also the theater in Pryor,OK. is out of the running as the oldest movie theater in the U.S. in continual operation since the day it opened since according to the info at top it didn’t open till 1917, 4 years after the 4 Star.
Hello-
i know we can’t preserve every old building but if i am correct in stating that the 4 Star is the oldest in continual operation movie theater in the U.S. it should be preserved as a landmark.
Hello-
the last thing we need is another condo tower for spoiled Silicon Valley yuppies. so since the 4 Star is I believe the oldest in continual operation movie theater in the U.S. it should at least be preserved as a revival house.
Hello-
i thank stevenj and walterk for the info. i am going under the assumption that one had to have a building license to operate a movie theater. so i find it bizarre that the only notice i have found of this theater is the one on this page. i even contacted the Bronx County Historical Society even they can’t offer an additional info then what’s on this page.
from the fact it was in operation in July of 1910 i assumed it was in the Hub area as its known or close by.
Hello-
just out out curiosity what do you consider
“walking distance”?
Hello-
is this theater really in any eminent danger of closing any time soon? people had been talking about the eminent closing of the Ziegfeld yearsssssssssssss before it actually happened.
Hello-
people had been talking about the approaching demise of the Ziegfeld countless years before it actually happened. so i bet it will be the same with this theater.
also i would hardly call the Cinema Village and
the Quad without “walking distance” of the
Sunshine.
Hello From NYC-
i was reading about early sound film and the book stated the 1st feature length sound western was In Old Arizona starring Warner Baxter. it said the film opened at the Criterion Theater. i can find no theater on the L.A. page that was called the Criterion.
Hello-
the last time i was in the IMAX auditorium was to see The Jungle Book this past April. i thought the projection and sound were A+ so why were renovations needed?
i’m sure it was what we refer to in NYC as
as “business fire”.
Hello-
to patryan6019 i thank for your replies to my posts. in fact your reply prompts another question. i live in NYC and after a film’s roadshow run it moved to another first run theater and was made shorter by simply cutting out the overture, intermission and exit music. it was at the point a film moved to neighborhood theaters around NYC that they actually tweaked the film. which is where my question comes in. if a film opened on a 2 performance a day roadshow run what was the rationale behind cutting it so early. it was still going to be shown only twice a day.
Hello From NYC-
i apologize if i have already asked this question. of all the films the Dome played on a roadshow engagement were there any that did not have a souvenir program?