Roxy Theatre

Scale model added of the Roxy auditorium displayed at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens. Photo credit and copy Jeffrey Nickora.

“What’s playing at the Roxy?

I’ll tell you what’s playing at the Roxy.

A picture about a Minnesota man falls in love with a Mississippi girl.

That he sacrifices everything and moves all the way to Biloxi.

That’s what’s playing at the Roxy."

(But was it an A picture or a B picture? A studio release or an independent? Was there a stage show and did the ushers wear pants or skirts…?)

Simon, thanks for clarifying this point once again. It’s interesting to remember that during the original five year run under Roxy himself it was the theatre itself that was the main attraction with its huge orchestra, organ, and stage spectaculars including the ballet corps, the male choir, and the Roxyettes. For those who don’t already know, these shows were created by the same people who later made the Radio City Music Hall famous for its stage spectacles: producer Leon Leonidoff and choreographer Russell Markert. The movie was just one piece of the whole amazing show.

After the exit of Roxy and all of his staff and performers to the Music Hall the Roxy Theatre really struggled for a few years, as Simon tells us. It’s parent company Fox Pictures was in receivership and didn’t have enough top product to fill the Roxy’s screen. After the advent of the 20th Century-Fox merger and better corporate support of the Roxy Theatre through Fox’s theatre arm, the Roxy flourished again, especially during WWII as all theatrs did. It remained a leading World premiere film showcase until its demise in 1960. Remember that 20th-Fox’s CinemaScope process had its world premiere at the Roxy with the film “The Robe”.

From the late 1930s and through the 1950s, The Roxy only booked A films. Exception was the Depression Era when the theater struggled to survive and booked B movies. B movies were often booked during the early years (1927 – 1932) when Roxy himself was managing director and wanted his elaborate stage shows to be the main attraction. The last A film to play the Roxy and its last film (sans stage show) before demolition was “The Wind Cannot Read” with Dirk Bogard

Well here’s another photo that show women ushers at the Roxy as late as 1947.

Dated 1947, it has this caption: “Roxy usherettes (l to r) Marie Prange, Sheilah Knox, and Jo Ann De Santis dispense coffee and doughnuts to line of movie patrons headed by Mrs. Lily Vieder, at the premiere of "Forever Amber” outside the Roxy Theater, New York City Date Created/Published: 1947.

Here’s the link. Only a tiny thumbnail is available. Pic is under copyright.

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/98519346/

Women were probably employed in concessions, box office, and as secretaries and receptionists. Earlier, there would have been a “matron” in the ladies lounge and a nurse in the theatre’s medical rooms. And of course, as cleaners. It’s an excellent question. Perhaps someone with direct knowledge can recall what jobs were open to women, other than as performers, at the Roxy in the 1950s and earlier.

Simon is saying that after WWII the Roxy went back to an all male usher staff. That sounds right, even though I wasn’t there, I’ve never seen a picture of a female usher at the Roxy except during wartime. I have a photo that I downloaded, I don’t know where from, that shows an older woman and her staff of wartime usherettes at the Roxy. The uniform is a very basic uniform dress with one row of buttons all the way down the front. If it’s not already in the photo section here, I will try to add it the next time I’m at my computer. Cheers

As a Roxy usher in 1956 and 1957, I can tell you that there were no women ushers during that time. I recall a couple of women in uniforms who worked at the candy concession.

what did the female usherette uniforms in the 1950s look like?

Can anyone tell me if there were female ushers at the Roxy. If not, what jobs were available for girls in the early 1950s?

Radio City Music Hall has Rockefeller Center behind it, the Roxy and the Capitol had no one.

What you say is true. The Roxy must have had huge operating expenses, and while I don’t think it ever lost money it must have been clear by 1960 that it’s days as a big moneymaker were quickly dwindling. However, I think the Roxy was doomed more by the value of its Midtown Manhattan real estate. From the time it was acquired by Rockefeller Center in the early 50s I imagine the plan was to just keep it going until the most advantageous deal could be made to capitalize on its location as Rock Ctr developed the west side of Sixth Ave. First the air rights were used for other development and then the lot was finally used for a new office building. Rock Ctr already had Radio City Music Hall and had no interest in keeping two huge movie palaces going. It probably never had a chance to survive after about 1952.