to vindanpar- in answer to your pointed “why does
it matter in 2016” question the answer is simple.
i have a decent sized movie memorabilia
collection a big part of which are movie souvenir
programs. to which there are a number of the big
roadshow films which played the 7 Times Square
theaters i mentioned in my original post that i
have never come across a souvenir program for.
so though ever roadshow film i went to had a
souvenir program i wondered if some for whatever
reason didn’t.
to patryan6019- thanks for the info about Patton.
that was a big highly promoted roadshow film so i
am quite surprised it did not have a souvenir
program. i wonder what Fox’s reasoning was. also
for this theater i have never come across a
souvenir program for Cheyenne Autumn which opened
here Dec. of 1964 on a roadshow engagement.
i find it fascinating that this theater has been
in continual operation since it opened making it
the oldest movie theater in NYC. if it hadn’t closed
the Fall of 2012 or 2013 the Coliseum in upper
Manhattan would be the winner. it opened the in
1920.
I thank everyone for their replies but the central
question I asked in my original post still hasn’t been answered. of the 7 theaters in the Times Square
area the studios used for most of their roadshow
engagements(Criterion,Loews State, RKO Palace,
Demille, Warner, Rivoli and Loews Capitol)does
anyone know of a roadshow engagement at one of those
7 theaters that did not have a souvenir program?
thanks in advance for any info.
to patryan6019- i have souvenir programs for
all the films you listed except Last Tango In
Paris, Young Winston, The Last Valley or Ryan’s
Daughter. in fact i don’t think LTIP had one.
and eventhough i saw TLV in its first run
engagement at the Rivoli twice i never remember
seeing one for sale. also i saw RD at the
Ziegfeld twice and again don’t remember a program
being sold.
to Coate-
i am aware several other theaters in Manhattan
hosted roadshow engagements. in fact i went to
all the ones you listed. what i am trying to
find out is if any of the roadshow engagements
that played the 7 big theaters in the Times Square
area i listed in my original post did not have a souvenir program.
to Al A. i do tend to forget Last Tango in Paris
don’t I. but its always been my suspicion that UA
opted for a reserved seat run at the Trans Lux East
to make the film appear “important” and not because
it was warranted by the budget.
also my question pertained to the 7 Bway houses
that the studios used for their roadshow runs. so
does anyone remember/know of a roadshow film which
played one of the 7 Bway houses during the 20 year
period I mentioned in my original post that did not
have a souvenir program?
to patryan6019 thanks for your take posted on Jan.14
about the souvenir program for “Krakatoa……”. it
must have been odd for patrons to buy a program the
first two pages of which describe the “new” Cinerama
yet the film they’re about to watch isn’t “in Cinerama”.
Hello-
the heyday of the reserved seat or roadshow
engagement was the Sept. 1952 opening of This
Cinerama to the Dec. 1972 opening of Man of
La Mancha. there were seven theaters used by
the studios in the Times Square area for their
roadshow engagements this theater plus the
Criterion, Loews State, RKO Palace, Demille,
Warner, and the Rivoli. which is where my
question comes in. while I didn’t go to every
roadshow engagement in the approx. 20 year
period every one i did attend had a souvenir
program. so does anyone remember attending a
roadshow engagement in that 20 year period at
one of the seven theaters that did not have a
souvenir program?
many years ago I attended the opening day
performance of A Bridge To Far. as an added
treat Joseph E. Levine was outside the Rivoli
in a comfy chair greeting people as they
bought tickets.
i have lived in the neighborhood that the
Interboro serviced my entire life and the
reason it closed is simple. although the
theater did good business UA which was running
it at the time of its closure had no desire to
to spend the $$$ to upgrade it.
I have been a Bronx resident my entire life and
frequently went to the Circle. to which i never
remember it ever showing “adult” films. can anyone
provide a newspaper listing or photo to back
up this claim?
as a devotee of movie theater history i find it
fascinating that i can find no reference that this
theater ever existed other than its mention on
this page.
i was a frequent patron at this theater starting
with its debut film “Marooned”. to which in
reference to Mikeoaklandpark’s post of 5/1116.
from the very beginning this theater often closed
for a week or two if no suitable film was available
for a 1st run engagement but i never remember
this theater ever showing films second run in the
sense that they had exhausted their original
engagement at other theaters.
i went to the Festival many times during its
reign as one of Manhattan’s leading art houses.
this is especially true since many of its
engagements were exclusive runs but there was
one thing about the theater i didn’t like. in
virtually all theaters when you enter the
auditorium from the back the floor is flat as
you walk toward the screen or in other
instances actually declines as you walk toward
the screen. but in the Festival the floor
actually inclined as you walked toward the
screen. it was rather uncomfortable if you
got stuck with a seat in the first row.
I still say if you knew the address the Plaza
wasn’t “hard to find” per se but you bring up an
interesting point. considering the Plaza and Paris
had similar names and were close by I can see
people forgetting which theater a film was playing
at if they hadn’t written it down.
its kind of like the late but great Ziegfeld. once
it’s closing was verified a number of people posted
that part of the problem was it was out of the way,
or off the beaten path etc….. but when the Ziegfeld
was still used by the studios for exclusive runs
of their big releases people had no trouble finding
it then so why should they have had trouble finding
it now.
speaking of which. I recently posted a question
for the late Crystal Hall on 14 St. if anyone knows
the answer I bet you do. thanks in advance.
I still say the description of the theater as “hard
to find” is unwarranted. many of the films I saw there
under the address said “between Madison and Park Aves.”
I mean even a blind person could have found it.
I frequently attended this theater. it often held
the exclusive Manhattan engagements of many top
American films and foreign films. it was not hard
to find. i don’t know why the intro at top states
so.
looking at pics of the original movie palace
I noticed an incorrect caption. one of the 2 pics
posted by Al A. on April 13, 2009 gives a date
of June 1965. now the marquee is advertising My
Fair Lady. the film opened at the Criterion the
fall of 1964 and i doubt its roadshow engagement
had ended yet.
in the above intro it never states point blank that
the building(s)which housed this theater were demolished. so does that mean that remnants of the
Crystal Hall might exist within the Whole Foods
and DSW stores?
thanks for the info. it was normal to tweak a longer roadshow film when it went to neighborhood theaters but to tweak it while it was still in its roadshow engagement seems bizarre, doesn’t it? they still only had two shows a day.
another question you might be able to answer. in
the mid to late 90s when VHS was till the dominant
home video format MGM/UA Home Video created a
vhs series MGM/UA Screen Epics. it was composed of
all the big roadshow films from both companies.
the slip case for the vhs tapes were redesigned and
a prominent series logo was atop each cover. this
is where my question comes in. if i am not
mistaken the cut of IAMMMMW used for this series
was the original roadshow cut. so couldn’t they
use whatever element they used for the vhs series
for a blu-ray disc?
i was rather disappointed by the recent Criterion
Collection blu-ray disc of the restored roadshow
cut of Its A Mad Mad Mad Mad World. while it may
have been the full roadshow cut the various
elements used were far from in prime shape. which
is where my question comes in.
it is my understanding that like its NYC engagement at the Warner Cinerama IAMMMMW was tweaked while it was still in its roadshow run at the Dome. in other words if you saw the film at the beginning of its roadshow run it was a slightly different cut than if you saw it at the end. so for how long was the original 3hr. 12min. cut used at the Dome?
i saw Me Before You here a few weeks ago. i’m assuming
the deal was already in the works at the time. the
question i have is simple- with all the $$$ Bow Tie
put into renovating the theater and updating the
projection and sound in the auditoriums why would
they sell?
you have been most helpful in the past so i am
a new question. in the intro at top it states
that the Astor closed down as a movie theater
due to “maintenance problems”. what exactly were
said problems?
The Greatest Story Ever Told began its reserved seat
run at this theater on Feb. 15, 1965. said engagement
ran 42 weeks if I am not mistaken. to which my
question- was the original 3hr. 45min. cut of the
film ever used during said 42 week run? or was it
only used for trade/press screenings and on opening
night?
Hello-
to vindanpar- in answer to your pointed “why does it matter in 2016” question the answer is simple. i have a decent sized movie memorabilia collection a big part of which are movie souvenir programs. to which there are a number of the big roadshow films which played the 7 Times Square theaters i mentioned in my original post that i have never come across a souvenir program for. so though ever roadshow film i went to had a souvenir program i wondered if some for whatever reason didn’t.
to patryan6019- thanks for the info about Patton. that was a big highly promoted roadshow film so i
am quite surprised it did not have a souvenir program. i wonder what Fox’s reasoning was. also for this theater i have never come across a souvenir program for Cheyenne Autumn which opened here Dec. of 1964 on a roadshow engagement.
Hello-
i find it fascinating that this theater has been in continual operation since it opened making it the oldest movie theater in NYC. if it hadn’t closed the Fall of 2012 or 2013 the Coliseum in upper Manhattan would be the winner. it opened the in 1920.
Hello to All-
I thank everyone for their replies but the central question I asked in my original post still hasn’t been answered. of the 7 theaters in the Times Square area the studios used for most of their roadshow engagements(Criterion,Loews State, RKO Palace, Demille, Warner, Rivoli and Loews Capitol)does anyone know of a roadshow engagement at one of those 7 theaters that did not have a souvenir program? thanks in advance for any info.
Hello to All-
to patryan6019- i have souvenir programs for all the films you listed except Last Tango In Paris, Young Winston, The Last Valley or Ryan’s Daughter. in fact i don’t think LTIP had one. and eventhough i saw TLV in its first run engagement at the Rivoli twice i never remember seeing one for sale. also i saw RD at the Ziegfeld twice and again don’t remember a program being sold.
to Coate-
i am aware several other theaters in Manhattan hosted roadshow engagements. in fact i went to all the ones you listed. what i am trying to find out is if any of the roadshow engagements that played the 7 big theaters in the Times Square area i listed in my original post did not have a souvenir program.
Hello-
to Al A. i do tend to forget Last Tango in Paris don’t I. but its always been my suspicion that UA opted for a reserved seat run at the Trans Lux East to make the film appear “important” and not because it was warranted by the budget.
also my question pertained to the 7 Bway houses that the studios used for their roadshow runs. so does anyone remember/know of a roadshow film which played one of the 7 Bway houses during the 20 year period I mentioned in my original post that did not have a souvenir program?
Hello-
to patryan6019 thanks for your take posted on Jan.14 about the souvenir program for “Krakatoa……”. it must have been odd for patrons to buy a program the first two pages of which describe the “new” Cinerama yet the film they’re about to watch isn’t “in Cinerama”.
Hello- the heyday of the reserved seat or roadshow engagement was the Sept. 1952 opening of This Cinerama to the Dec. 1972 opening of Man of La Mancha. there were seven theaters used by the studios in the Times Square area for their roadshow engagements this theater plus the Criterion, Loews State, RKO Palace, Demille, Warner, and the Rivoli. which is where my question comes in. while I didn’t go to every roadshow engagement in the approx. 20 year period every one i did attend had a souvenir program. so does anyone remember attending a roadshow engagement in that 20 year period at one of the seven theaters that did not have a souvenir program?
Hello-
many years ago I attended the opening day performance of A Bridge To Far. as an added treat Joseph E. Levine was outside the Rivoli in a comfy chair greeting people as they bought tickets.
Hello-
after they finished their 1st run engagements in Manhattan 20th Century Fox’s big films always played the Valentine. this is where i saw Cleopatra.
Hello-
i have lived in the neighborhood that the Interboro serviced my entire life and the reason it closed is simple. although the theater did good business UA which was running it at the time of its closure had no desire to to spend the $$$ to upgrade it.
Hello-
I have been a Bronx resident my entire life and frequently went to the Circle. to which i never remember it ever showing “adult” films. can anyone provide a newspaper listing or photo to back up this claim?
Hello-
as a devotee of movie theater history i find it fascinating that i can find no reference that this theater ever existed other than its mention on this page.
Hello-
i was a frequent patron at this theater starting with its debut film “Marooned”. to which in reference to Mikeoaklandpark’s post of 5/1116. from the very beginning this theater often closed for a week or two if no suitable film was available for a 1st run engagement but i never remember this theater ever showing films second run in the sense that they had exhausted their original engagement at other theaters.
Hello-
i went to the Festival many times during its reign as one of Manhattan’s leading art houses. this is especially true since many of its engagements were exclusive runs but there was one thing about the theater i didn’t like. in virtually all theaters when you enter the auditorium from the back the floor is flat as you walk toward the screen or in other instances actually declines as you walk toward the screen. but in the Festival the floor actually inclined as you walked toward the screen. it was rather uncomfortable if you got stuck with a seat in the first row.
Hello-
is this theater the oldest continually in operation movie theater in New York City?
Hello-
I still say if you knew the address the Plaza wasn’t “hard to find” per se but you bring up an interesting point. considering the Plaza and Paris had similar names and were close by I can see people forgetting which theater a film was playing at if they hadn’t written it down.
its kind of like the late but great Ziegfeld. once it’s closing was verified a number of people posted that part of the problem was it was out of the way, or off the beaten path etc….. but when the Ziegfeld was still used by the studios for exclusive runs of their big releases people had no trouble finding it then so why should they have had trouble finding it now.
speaking of which. I recently posted a question for the late Crystal Hall on 14 St. if anyone knows the answer I bet you do. thanks in advance.
Hello-
I still say the description of the theater as “hard to find” is unwarranted. many of the films I saw there under the address said “between Madison and Park Aves.” I mean even a blind person could have found it.
Hello-
I frequently attended this theater. it often held the exclusive Manhattan engagements of many top American films and foreign films. it was not hard to find. i don’t know why the intro at top states so.
Hello-
looking at pics of the original movie palace I noticed an incorrect caption. one of the 2 pics posted by Al A. on April 13, 2009 gives a date of June 1965. now the marquee is advertising My Fair Lady. the film opened at the Criterion the fall of 1964 and i doubt its roadshow engagement had ended yet.
Hello-
in the above intro it never states point blank that the building(s)which housed this theater were demolished. so does that mean that remnants of the Crystal Hall might exist within the Whole Foods and DSW stores?
to Peter A.–
thanks for the info. it was normal to tweak a
longer roadshow film when it went to neighborhood
theaters but to tweak it while it was still in
its roadshow engagement seems bizarre, doesn’t it?
they still only had two shows a day.
another question you might be able to answer. in the mid to late 90s when VHS was till the dominant home video format MGM/UA Home Video created a vhs series MGM/UA Screen Epics. it was composed of all the big roadshow films from both companies. the slip case for the vhs tapes were redesigned and a prominent series logo was atop each cover. this is where my question comes in. if i am not mistaken the cut of IAMMMMW used for this series was the original roadshow cut. so couldn’t they use whatever element they used for the vhs series for a blu-ray disc?
Hello-
i was rather disappointed by the recent Criterion Collection blu-ray disc of the restored roadshow cut of Its A Mad Mad Mad Mad World. while it may have been the full roadshow cut the various elements used were far from in prime shape. which is where my question comes in.
it is my understanding that like its NYC engagement
at the Warner Cinerama IAMMMMW was tweaked while it was still in its roadshow run at the Dome. in other
words if you saw the film at the beginning of its
roadshow run it was a slightly different cut than
if you saw it at the end. so for how long was the
original 3hr. 12min. cut used at the Dome?
Hello-
i saw Me Before You here a few weeks ago. i’m assuming the deal was already in the works at the time. the question i have is simple- with all the $$$ Bow Tie put into renovating the theater and updating the projection and sound in the auditoriums why would they sell?
Hello to Ed S.–
you have been most helpful in the past so i am a new question. in the intro at top it states that the Astor closed down as a movie theater due to “maintenance problems”. what exactly were said problems?
Hello-
The Greatest Story Ever Told began its reserved seat run at this theater on Feb. 15, 1965. said engagement ran 42 weeks if I am not mistaken. to which my question- was the original 3hr. 45min. cut of the film ever used during said 42 week run? or was it only used for trade/press screenings and on opening night?