Sutton Theater

And don’t forget we still have the Beekman and Paris, Rhett, both single screen art houses, though I concede they are hardly in the same “monumental” league as the Astor Plaza and Ziegfeld.

This is really pissing me off. Every old time theater is being sold and closed. Someone in NYC should get the mayor involved. NYC will be left with no theater history. We will be overwhelemd with these damn multiplexes.

The Sutton was originally Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company, the only change to the exterior when it was converted to a theatre in the 50s was the addition of the marquee. The Wendy’s on Third Avenue btwn 57 & 58 is part of the Sutton property. The Sutton, The Murray Hill and The Beekman were all similiar in that they had the concession area tucked under the stadium with a large window so you could still watch the movie while getting your candy and popcorn. The Beekman still has this set-up.

After reading these posts I had to make my way over to the Sutton and it’s shocking to see what’s been done to the facade. It makes no sense. It isn’t just a mild chip or hack here and there. The entire front has been hacked and hacked all over. I am amazed that anyone was able to do this without anyone noticing. It’s definitely an undeniably vandalism. I’ve never seen anything like it.

I caught Kill Bill Vol. 2 on its last night here on Thursday and they were only selling tickets on the inside at concessions. The door to Sutton 1 is right next to Sutton 2. The upstairs is very strange. If you’re sitting on the side it’s hard to enjoy the film. The bottom theater is fine and a fine experience.

I’ll head back over for the Broadway documentary going on now. It’s so odd to see such a nice large marquee and signage in a once character-filled city like New York, laying beneath a vandalized facade, and knowing that this too will be erased from the city’s character and another soulless square bland building will then exist here.

It’s amazing it’s legal to destroy property like this. It’s so obviously not a proper job of whatever they said they were doing.

Can someone tell me which theater is with the original Sutton screen….the top(balcony) or bottom. I’ve never been there..and when is it closing?

Hi all at Cinema Treasures and all loyal followers,

We live in the UK and recently visited New York,we stayed on 57th street and were looking for a movie theatre that was still playing the movie we wanted to see,luckily we came upon the Sutton.
Our first thoughts of the place when we first walked in early afternoon to get tickets for the 7pm showing were not good,the place was deserted apart from one member of staff who was no kidding,sitting down asleep,sound asleep to the point where we couldnt wake them with our intentionally loud conversation,the Junior mints and popcorn were a free for all!
Obviously being law obiding British citizens we left empty handed but with cautious thoughts in our minds about returning to the later showing.
Throwing caution to the wind and really wanting to see this movie we returned just before 7,half expecting the place to have been robbed,luckily it was busy,so we decided to stay.

In the end both the staff there were very helpful and friendly,snacks were good and most importantly the screen was excellent.
Although we are more used to the modern multiplexes this movie theatre was a breath of fresh air,the floor and seats were clean,the movie played perfectly and the sound was great.
What a pleasure to enjoy a movie(which by the way was also excellent)in such a respected theatre with such history.
We were lucky to get the main screen and sneaking a peak at screen two we were glad.
All in all after the initial first impression a great time was had by all in a classic American theatre,well done to all the staff for making us feel at home and to all of New York city for a fantastic time which included my Proposal of marriage to my partner(she said yes!)

Thanks again,

Steve Cunnington and Leanne Onderka ,Nortants,UK

Isn’t the Cinema Rendezvous/Playboy/57th Street Playhouse/Trans-Lux Normandie/DGA Theatre listed anywhere? I can’t find it under any name.

The Cinema Rendezvous was in various incarnations the Playboy and the 57th St Playhouse and is now the DGA screening room I believe

The exterior of the Sutton, quite frankly, looks like a pure wreck at this point. (Congratulations, Ismael Leyva – your men truly did their ‘job’.) I’d be shocked and stunned if the Sutton is still open for business within two years' time.

This is a real shame…like the old Plaza on 58th St this is a theatre that should have been left to age gracefully and carry on as a landmark…The twinning of it was bad enough…Among the pictures I saw here in the 70s were Butch Cassidy, The Sicilian Clan, Network, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, High Anxiety, Young Frankenstein, The Three Stooges Revue…The other great thing from a location point of view is that people queuing had a long block to do it in…part of the fun of going to the movies in Manhattan in the cold when theatres got 6 shows a day in

Ismael Leyva – a sense of decorum — as well as the desire to post additional messages on this site in the future — restrain me from offering my exact opinion of you as a human being but I’m sure everyone associated with this site one way or another (or anyone who otherwise loves movie theatres or appreciates architecture in general) shares in my unspoken sentiments. If there’s any legal action that can be taken against you and/or the Clarett Group, I sincerely hope it’s pursued (and hope as well that the Sutton Theatre is both restored and remains open).

I read the above post and the story on the homepage and cant make heads or tails of any of it??? Whats the scoop? Did City Cinemas close the theatre?

Judging from the exterior architecture, I think this theater more likely dates to the ‘40’s… but I have no factual data on that. Back in the early '70’s, I saw the Marx Brothers classic Animal Crackers here, which enjoyed a successful theatrical re-release (“in glorious black and white” as the ads went) after many years out of issue. That was probably '74 or so.

As for other theaters on 57th Street, there was another called The Festival on the West Side just off 7th Avenue and down the block from the Hard Rock Cafe. Not sure how far that cinema dated back… I recall seeing “The Complete Beatles” there around 1982 or ‘83. I believe there was also a theater called the 57th Street Playhouse near Carnegie Hall between 6th and 7th Avenues. Not to mention the old Carnegie Cinemas, but I think they were actually on 7th Avenue, not 57th.