Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre
707 7th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10036
707 7th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10036
38 people
favorited this theater
Showing 876 - 900 of 1,093 comments
Here’s part of another ad for “Kiss Me, Stupid”:
View link
Liked seeing that bit of ad for Billy Wilder’s “Kiss Me, Stupid”, for adults only, at the Astor. It really was pretty dirty for the time; ever a little dirty for today!
This is an ad for “Goldfinger” featuring the DeMille’s 24-hour continuous playing times during Christmas week 1964. I’d love to see how many people attended that 4 AM show.
View link
Saw
‘Cinderella Liberty’ here.
As mentioned in earlier posts, the Columbia Theater opened January 3, 1910 as the flagship theater of the Columbia Amusement Company. My Grandfather, Sam A. Scribner, was secretary and General Manager of the company, which was incorporated July 12, 1902.
Scribner wrote his nephew, James Canning, a merchant in Brookville PA (Scribner’s home town) on January 4, 1910, stating “I think last night was the biggest night of my life. We opened the new Broadway theater, and every person in New York of theatrical and mercantile prominence was there. Your old friend John Wannamaker spent a half hour in the building just before we opened the doors, and said it was as pretty a theatre as he had ever seen. However he could not very well say anything else, because he was the decorator; that is, he furnished all the decorations, carpets, etc. Instead of painting the walls, we hung them in DuBarry rose damask, and covered the entire floor, both orchestra and gallary, with specially made carpet to match. It certainly was a big night.”
A family history compiled by my uncle, John H. M. Scribner, quotes the opening night review in the New York American as follows: “The playhouse is a twelve story building with the main enterance on Broadway. An artistically decorated room lobby leads to the auditorium, which is oval in shape, a design adapted to insure perfect accustic qualities. There are about seven hundred seats on the main floor, and the entire capacity is 1,800. There are two balconies and six large boxes. The predominating colors are old gold and various tones of French grays. The interior decorations are in the Louis XVI style. Above the procenium arch is a large painting representing the Muses, the work of Arthur Thomas, R. A.” According to my uncle’s narriative, opening night reviews also appeared in the Morning telegraph, the New York Clipper, and The Sun.
According to an article in Variety January 11, 1928, the Columbia Amusement Company (the “Columbia Wheel” and its rival Mutual Association (the “Mutual Wheel”) were merged into the United Burlesque Circuit. — Peter Scribner .com
Thanks, Robert. I wish “Becket” would get released on DVD someday. What a good movie.
3 Roadshows
View link
Saw the new trailer for ‘King Kong’ this weekend. It’s shown before ‘War of the Worlds’. Nice computer-generated ‘30s shot of the Mayfair towards the end of it.
Here is an ad from “Spartacus” when it switched to continuos showings from roadshow while still at the DeMille
View link
A Joan Crawford and Jerry Lewis Double Bill
View link
An unusual ad for the 1949 Wizard of Oz re-release.
View link
Sorry I was just reading the old posts above and found the answer to my question.
I remember reading that Mike Todd Jr. made the first and only film in smell-o-vision. I believe it was called “Scent of Mystery” and opened at the RKO Strand (Cinerama). I just found an ad for the DeMille advertising a picture in AromaRama called “Behind the Great Wall”. Anyone know the story on this one?
“6/11/69 the Demille played "Dr. Zhivago” for one week at popular prices and continuous performances. The ad does not say if it was 35 or 70mm."
What does the “70mm in NY” article over at www.FromScriptToDVD.com say? :)
6/11/69 the Demille played “Dr. Zhivago” for one week at popular prices and continuous performances. The ad does not say if it was 35 or 70mm. I would guess on a re-release like this it was 35mm, but you never know the Demille was still an “A' house then.
Writing about the preview boxes sitting in front of the Times Square theatres, does anyone remember the tripod signs for roadshow attractions with the “box attached” with ticket order forms in them?
It was just this past weekend going through some of my “treasures” of old newspaper ads and found a couple of “Ticket Order Forms” for the reserved seat engagement of “Hawaii” at the DeMille Theatre. Does anyone also remember the free programs handed out at the roadshow attractions. In this same “treasure” I have any ample supply of “The Program” from “Doctor Zhivago.” It is just one folded page with the movie’s logo on the front, the double inside has the cast of characters and the back has a synopsis of the film. Of course, you could also purchase the souveneir programs which I think back in those days were $2.00 to $5.00! All this and the thrill of seeing the film in a “palace”. Those were the days!
Christmas 1971 the DeMille was day and dating “Diamonds Are Forever” with Reades Waverly, the 86th Street East and suprisingly Cinema Studio. In Queens at Centurys Meadows, UA Midway & UA Colony. In Brooklyn Centurys King Plaza North, Kingsway, Rialto and Loews Alpine. On Staten Island at the New Richmond. In the Bronx at American, Luxor and Wakefield. In Nassau Centurys Green Acres, Grove, Parkeast, Morton Village, Meadowbrook and Town. In Suffolk at Centurys Shore, Smithaven Mall, Cinema and Patchouge.
Ok, that was it! I remember distinctly that it was on the same side as the State…don’t ask me how or why.
CC: I saw “Love at First Bite” at the National Theater, which was between 43rd and 44th St. on the same side as the Criterion and the DeMille. I think it’s the ABC TV studios now.
That’s a great story, Bob! It sure was wild in those days around 1969-1970. The new ratings system (GMRX) was in place and the floodgates were open for sexy movies. I recall passing a display for a movie playing at the Orleans Theater in 1969 (across Broadway from the DeMille) called “Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?” Rated X, released by Universal. The ads in all the New York papers spelled it like this:
“Mercy H——–”.
Bob T…great story. Even I remember those boxes and I’m considerably younger than you. Around March or April of 1979, we were in Times Square during our spring/Easter break with my Mom. We eventually ended up in Times Square where we saw “The China Syndrome” at the Loews State (upstairs). But on the way, one theater (can’t remember which) had one of those boxes playing a continuous loop of a very so-so George Hamilton flick called “Love at First Bite”. It seemed like it was on the same side as the Loews State so it may well have been the Criterion or maybe the DeMille though I don’t know if it was still the DeMille in 1979. Anyone know?
Going over some old ads 8/10/69 The Demille was day and dating with the Murray Hill on a film called The Gay Decievers. On 1/31/72 they were presenting The Abductors.
Couldnt some builder build above the existing theater like was done with the Palace?
Andy, yes the Melanie concert was one of the concerts I remember at the DeMille. It did take place and was recorded too.
So it’s been neglected in one way or another since soon after its opening.