Does anyone know what became of the building which housed the Trans-Lux South Street Seaport Cinema? (I don’t make it that far downtown all that often.) Was it demolished or converted to retail?
Could a decent five-screen multiplex even fit into the remaining space within the Plaza building and, really, just how realistic a possibility is there of that multiplex even opening at this point?
The Bijou later served for several years as home to a nightclub, which closed sometime around 2001. The property – including the apartments above – are currently vacant, leading me to suspect a renovation of some sort of the entire property or perhaps a redevelopment isn’t too far away…
The Music Palace, the last of the Chinatown movie houses, closed for business sometime around 1999 or 2000, with the building which housed it to be torn down for a new retail/residential development. Those plans, however, fell through and the Music Palace, its lower exterior covered with graffiti, is still sitting there, awaiting whatever fate may lie ahead for it.
For a short time – and I mean a VERY short time, maybe for a month or two – after the Giuliani-engineered clean-up of Times Square, the Cine 1 & 2 harkened back to its grindhouse days, showcasing low-budget, straight-to-video horror flicks in triple bills.
The Cosmo shut its doors sometime in the late 1980s; two of the more notable – if that’s the appropriate word – Cannon releases shown at the Cosmo in its latter years were 1987’s ‘Masters of the Universe’ (a proud moment, I’m sure, in the careers of everyone involved) and 1988’s ‘Salsa’.
Thanks for adding this entry, Robert. Richard Schwartz opened the Thalia Soho in 1984, in a space which had, among other past uses, served as an early home for the Film Forum. It closed in late August/early September of 1990 (as did the Cinema Village, for a time), upon Schwartz either falling ill or suddenly passing away, and then sat empty until February of 1992, when Jackie Raynal who, at that point, was widowed from her husband, with whom she had co-founded the Bleecker Street Cinemas, opened a venue called Le Cinematheque in the space. That enterprise, however, lasted for less than a year, and, save for sporadic independent bookings, the old Thalia Soho space sat empty for most of the next few years until it was renovated and became the Vandam (and later the Soho) Playhouse, remaining open to this day and serving as a popular venue for off-Broadway theatrical productions.
A minor correction to the initial description above – the Chelsea Cinemas and Chelsea West Cinemas actually operate as an 11-plex… the nine screens @ the Chelsea, plus the two @ the Chelsea West.
I hate to sound cold, but Corrine and her fellow owner(s) have few other people to blame but themselves for the current state of the Westbury, both the structure itself and the fact that the property ever had to be auctioned off.
David Freeland’s article in last week’s NY Press noted that “a soon-to-be-named ‘celebrity operator’ has been hired to run the (Metro) and scout out cutting-edge films from around the world”. Is Peter Elson the ‘celebrity operator’ Albert Bialek makes reference to and what exactly qualifies Peter Elson as a ‘celebrity booker’, at least one worthy of note? The films shown in his previous properties – the various Embassy theatres in Times Square, the Embassy 72nd Street, and the Guild at Rockefeller Plaza – may have been mostly dignified (especially the majority of the bookings at the Embassy 72nd Street and the Guild), but I’d hardly classify them as being ‘cutting edge’.
You’re probably the person who can answer this for me, Robert – did the Cinema Village and Thalia Soho ever share operations? I remember a time around 1987 and ‘88 when both theatre’s calendars shared a similar layout and size (i.e., those large, approximately 17" x 22" sheets) and, at one point in the late rep days for the Cinema Village (and near or at the final days of the Thalia Soho in 1989/1990), both theatres sharing the same calendar, with the Cinema Village’s schedule printed on one side and the Thalia Soho’s on the other…
The Rivoli/UA Twin closed in June of 1987, with one of its final offerings being the Jon Cryer comedy ‘Morgan Stewart’s Coming Home’. Demolition on the building began barely a month later, right around if not at the same time the Strand/Warner Twin and/or Loew’s State were being torn down.
The owner of the New Beverly is bleeding cash (you, thankfully, Robert, made it there on a night with a big crowd – that, regrettably, isn’t always the case), but is thankfully persisting in keeping this jewel open.
The Hollywood Galaxy, which closed in the fall of 2003 (‘Under the Tuscan Sun’, ‘House of the Dead’, and ‘Step Into Liquid’ were among its final features), was indeed squeezed by the Arclight Cinemas and Chinese 6 within the same booking zone, playing deep-run films at full prices during the final two-plus years of its existence. Its former space is currently being divided for two new tenants – a 24-Hour Fitness branch and a pharmacy.
The exterior of the property looks much as it did – see my posting from this past March 7th – during its years of operation as a movie theatre. Of the marquee, all that remains are stubs of the wire supports visible to the left and right of the center of the marquee in the above photo.
I suspect that, ultimately, if the threat of the demolition of the Loew’s Kings should arise (it isn’t landmarked, is it?), then we’ll probably see a group akin to those who’ve, as best they can, renovate and restore the Loew’s Jersey, take charge of getting the Kings up and running again. Until that day, it’ll probably continue lying in disrepair and breaking several hearts in the process.
Does anyone know what became of the building which housed the Trans-Lux South Street Seaport Cinema? (I don’t make it that far downtown all that often.) Was it demolished or converted to retail?
Could a decent five-screen multiplex even fit into the remaining space within the Plaza building and, really, just how realistic a possibility is there of that multiplex even opening at this point?
The Bijou later served for several years as home to a nightclub, which closed sometime around 2001. The property – including the apartments above – are currently vacant, leading me to suspect a renovation of some sort of the entire property or perhaps a redevelopment isn’t too far away…
The Music Palace, the last of the Chinatown movie houses, closed for business sometime around 1999 or 2000, with the building which housed it to be torn down for a new retail/residential development. Those plans, however, fell through and the Music Palace, its lower exterior covered with graffiti, is still sitting there, awaiting whatever fate may lie ahead for it.
For a short time – and I mean a VERY short time, maybe for a month or two – after the Giuliani-engineered clean-up of Times Square, the Cine 1 & 2 harkened back to its grindhouse days, showcasing low-budget, straight-to-video horror flicks in triple bills.
The Cosmo shut its doors sometime in the late 1980s; two of the more notable – if that’s the appropriate word – Cannon releases shown at the Cosmo in its latter years were 1987’s ‘Masters of the Universe’ (a proud moment, I’m sure, in the careers of everyone involved) and 1988’s ‘Salsa’.
Thanks for adding this entry, Robert. Richard Schwartz opened the Thalia Soho in 1984, in a space which had, among other past uses, served as an early home for the Film Forum. It closed in late August/early September of 1990 (as did the Cinema Village, for a time), upon Schwartz either falling ill or suddenly passing away, and then sat empty until February of 1992, when Jackie Raynal who, at that point, was widowed from her husband, with whom she had co-founded the Bleecker Street Cinemas, opened a venue called Le Cinematheque in the space. That enterprise, however, lasted for less than a year, and, save for sporadic independent bookings, the old Thalia Soho space sat empty for most of the next few years until it was renovated and became the Vandam (and later the Soho) Playhouse, remaining open to this day and serving as a popular venue for off-Broadway theatrical productions.
The Strand/Warner Twin closed during the spring of and was torn down during the summer of 1987.
Thanks for responding to my query, Robert; I suspected something of the sort.
According to the current issue of Los Angeles magazine, the Aero’s reopening as a branch of the American Cinematheque may occur as soon as this month.
The Metropolitan ended its days as a movie house just prior to Memorial Day weekend, 1996.
A minor correction to the initial description above – the Chelsea Cinemas and Chelsea West Cinemas actually operate as an 11-plex… the nine screens @ the Chelsea, plus the two @ the Chelsea West.
I hate to sound cold, but Corrine and her fellow owner(s) have few other people to blame but themselves for the current state of the Westbury, both the structure itself and the fact that the property ever had to be auctioned off.
The Beekman received its most recent renovation during the fall of 1997.
David Freeland’s article in last week’s NY Press noted that “a soon-to-be-named ‘celebrity operator’ has been hired to run the (Metro) and scout out cutting-edge films from around the world”. Is Peter Elson the ‘celebrity operator’ Albert Bialek makes reference to and what exactly qualifies Peter Elson as a ‘celebrity booker’, at least one worthy of note? The films shown in his previous properties – the various Embassy theatres in Times Square, the Embassy 72nd Street, and the Guild at Rockefeller Plaza – may have been mostly dignified (especially the majority of the bookings at the Embassy 72nd Street and the Guild), but I’d hardly classify them as being ‘cutting edge’.
You’re probably the person who can answer this for me, Robert – did the Cinema Village and Thalia Soho ever share operations? I remember a time around 1987 and ‘88 when both theatre’s calendars shared a similar layout and size (i.e., those large, approximately 17" x 22" sheets) and, at one point in the late rep days for the Cinema Village (and near or at the final days of the Thalia Soho in 1989/1990), both theatres sharing the same calendar, with the Cinema Village’s schedule printed on one side and the Thalia Soho’s on the other…
The Rivoli/UA Twin closed in June of 1987, with one of its final offerings being the Jon Cryer comedy ‘Morgan Stewart’s Coming Home’. Demolition on the building began barely a month later, right around if not at the same time the Strand/Warner Twin and/or Loew’s State were being torn down.
It is – the Vine – at the long-running discount cost of $5 per ticket.
The owner of the New Beverly is bleeding cash (you, thankfully, Robert, made it there on a night with a big crowd – that, regrettably, isn’t always the case), but is thankfully persisting in keeping this jewel open.
Under Cineplex Odeon, the Coliseum was a twin. (I’m not sure if that encompassed the balcony being divided in half or an orchestra/balcony split.)
The Hollywood Galaxy, which closed in the fall of 2003 (‘Under the Tuscan Sun’, ‘House of the Dead’, and ‘Step Into Liquid’ were among its final features), was indeed squeezed by the Arclight Cinemas and Chinese 6 within the same booking zone, playing deep-run films at full prices during the final two-plus years of its existence. Its former space is currently being divided for two new tenants – a 24-Hour Fitness branch and a pharmacy.
Thanks for your response to my September 2nd post, Robert – just out of curiosity, where was the Astro located?
The exterior of the property looks much as it did – see my posting from this past March 7th – during its years of operation as a movie theatre. Of the marquee, all that remains are stubs of the wire supports visible to the left and right of the center of the marquee in the above photo.
I should have written ‘renovated’ and ‘restored’; apologies for my typos…
I suspect that, ultimately, if the threat of the demolition of the Loew’s Kings should arise (it isn’t landmarked, is it?), then we’ll probably see a group akin to those who’ve, as best they can, renovate and restore the Loew’s Jersey, take charge of getting the Kings up and running again. Until that day, it’ll probably continue lying in disrepair and breaking several hearts in the process.