Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre
707 7th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10036
707 7th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10036
38 people
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I was by the theater today and the “For Lease” sign is still up.
>>I wonder how long a lease the church has on the Mark Hellinger?
Answer, from Hollywood Thearer page:
By 1989, the Nederlander Organization, the current owners, leased the theater to a church group. Three years later, the building was sold for $17 million and became the home for the Times Square Church.
Interesting… I trust if there’s a Cinema Treasures member who can confirm that, it would be William…
I hear rumors that someone has just about to sign a long term lease on the DeMille and do a major renovation. Anybody hear the same thing?
There were stories in the papers again about the shortage of legit houses. I wish someone would convert this, but I can imagaine the rent must be huge. I wounder how long a lease the church has on the Mark Hellinger?
Didn’t the DeMille open SPARATACUS on October 7, 1960 and run it for almost 2 years?
There is a very nice shot of the De Mille Theatre (“War and Peace”–“Vojna i mir” Russia 1968 on the marquee) in the opening credits of “Sweet Charity” (1969). You can pause it on the dvd-Chapter 2 after the overture-3.01-3.04 minutes in.
It looks like they are going to cover more of the front of the building on the 7th Avenue side above the marquee. There are about 6 new holes cut into the building front.
The last time this theatre was maintained was when it was a Reade theatre. The Embassys were barely cleaned and zero renovating took place.
This theater was a dump
The interior of the Embassy 2-3-4, at least from what I’ve gleaned from peeks through the boarded-up entrance, is still intact (not accounting for, I imagine, spots of chipped paint, fallen bits of plaster, bits of water damage, and so on).
I walked by yesterday. It looks like the scaffolding is there because a large billboard is about to be placed on the building above the marquee. Nothing else appeared to be going on.
Has anyone been by to see if this is being gutted?
A few notes about the Russian KinoPanorama showings at the Mayfair(DeMille, Embassy 1 or 2,3,4). In spite of the advertisements, the full 9 channels were not used, only 7, leading the “Variety” reviewer to comment that there was no loss there “as the narration borders on the inane.” The screen measured 60 x27 feet, the 3 projectors were the same ones used a year earlier at the Roxy for the CineMiracle presentation of “Windjammer.” Apparently, after the first week or so, public interest waned. By the 3rd week, box office grosses weren’t even reported to “Variety,” sure sign of embarrassment. The first attraction, “Great Is My Country” dragged on until mid-July 1959 when the second feature “The Enchanted Mirror” replaced it. So dismal was the business then that both films were shown together, something of a first for 3-panel presentation, and probably a boon for the concession stand in that the audience now had the opportunity to grab a bite to eat during all of two film changes plus two intermissions. Interestingly enough, later that year when exhibitor Walter Reade Jr (who now owned the theatre) was elected to the Board of Directors of Cinerama, Inc., he made noises to the press that Cinerama would from then on premiere at this theatre in New York. The Loews-Cinerama Inc deal less than a month later put the kabosh on that idea.
I wish I could get close up color photos of the the ‘60s corner signs. I remember seeing as an insert on the Family Affair(Brian Keith)show a brief shot of the Hawaii sign.
Something is going on with this theater today. There is scaffolding directly underneath the marquee. Does anyone know what’s up with this? Is it the beginnning of the end for the old DeMille?
Warren posted on March 12 that the Columbia’s first show was emceed by a Charles Howard, jewish dialect comedian. Does anyone know anything about this Charles Howard, or where information can be found?
tlm
You can see pictures of the Winter Garden as a movie theatre on the Criterion DVD of “The Killers” with Burt Lancaster.
Looking at those picture of Times Square during that era, was when Times Square was worth going to than now.
Your welcome Bill,
It must have shown them at one point during its history and then been converted back to a legit theatre like the RKO Palace was.
Thanks, Theatrefan. Those pictures are wonderful. I also never knew that the Winter Garden ever showed movies, and good ones, too (“Stairway to Heaven”).
Mikeoaklamdpark,
Try it this way: http://www.artkraft.com/
I think that should work!
Thanks theater fan, except when I click on it it says the site doesn’t exist anymore.
Vincent,
You might want to check out Artkraft’s website: www.artkraft.com, they do have a lot of famous historical photo’s in the gallery section, some even feature movie theatre advertising. You can see many theatres that are no longer with us like the Rivoli, Criterion, etc.
Hopefully one day someone will put together a book of famous marquees and billboards of Times Square, with all the changes to the Square and all the interest surrounding it I can’t see why it wouldn’t sell well.
Theater fan,
For years I have been looking in vain for a book just like that. With all the NY photo books why hasn’t somebody done a book of all the billboards and marquees of Broadway and Times Square from the beginning of the century through the end of the ‘60s?
Wasn’t Artkraft Strauss responsible for all those type of signs, if so maybe they have an archive at their headquaters in NYC. I for one would love to see a book of all the theatre advertising during the glorious heyday of Times Square.