Hollywood Theatre
237 W. 51st Street,
New York,
NY
10019
237 W. 51st Street,
New York,
NY
10019
14 people
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In the picture above you see the 51st Street marquee. But when the Warner opened it also had a Broadway marquee and box office entrance. This area was closed off when the theatre switched over to plays.
This theatre was designed by Thomas Lamb. Much of your info is incorrect. It was only briefly known as the 51st Street Theatre during some of the Depression years, when Warner Brothers sub-leased it for plays, concerts, etcetera. As soon as the Depression was over, Warners re-claimed it as the Hollywood and made it a showcase for its most-important releases such as “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “Casablanca.” When the movie of “Life With Father” in 1947, it was re-named the Warner Theatre and then the Mark Hellinger when it was sold to house stage plays. The Warner Theatre name was then transferred to the Strand Theatre (B'way & 47th Street) when it dropped its stage show + feature film policy for movies only.
The 1942 pre-release engagement of “Casablanca” took place at the Warner Hollywood Theatre, starting Thanksgiving Weekend. In 1956, the great Broadway musical “My Fair Lady” with Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews opened here when it was renamed the Mark Hellinger Theatre (after the Broadway and Hollywood producer).