I just saw the Joan Crawford picture “Daisy Kenyon” (1947) and her character lived on 12th Street; there was one scene where she looks in the newspaper to see what’s playing at “the Greenwich,” and then there was a long, long look at its lovely wraparound marquee. I couldn’t make out what was supposedly playing, but it was cool to see this theatre so prominently feaured.
Located at 81 Larkfield Road. 500 seats. One screen. Independent theater owned by Stuart and Sarah Baker, and sort of associated with AIT, but not quite. Booked by Lightstone. Closed in the early 1980’s.
I wonder in general how many prints an individual theater with a long booking would use. In this case, The Red Shoes is so lovely in Technicolor I would hate to think of seeing it with scratches, splices, fading, or any of the other wear and tear problems that come with frequent unspooling.
Forrest, you have selected some of the worst 70mm musicals ever made; it was over-produced, lumbering dinosaurs like these that helped close some of our best picture palaces. Audences didn’t come to see these movies then, and they won’t come now.
That said, I do agree that a well booked and promoted 70mm fesival is a great idea; any well-selected and well-advertised fesival would help fill the seats in this last example of a New York showplace.
Forrest, you’ve picked some of the worst examples of 70mm musicals, or any 70mm films for that matter; it was these over-produced, bloated spectacles that helped close some of our best picture palaces. Nobody came to see these movies on their original release, and no one will come see them now.
But I do agree that a 70mm festival, or any decently booked and promoted festival, would help fill some seats here.
Clearview has booked a string of bombs in this place recently…The Island, The Great Raid, and now The Baxter. Over 1100 empty seats at each performance. Good Lord!
“Beyond the Forest” was Bette Davis' last movie under her Warner Bros. contract. She hated everytinbg about the movie; I thnk it got bad reviews, but it has since become a camp classic. It contains the memorable line, “What a dump!” which was memorably quoted in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe.
I just had a flashback rush when I saw that pic. Truly one of the filthiest theatres I have ever been in, in every sense of the word. Made the Variety Photoplays seem like a day at the Cloisters.
There is a picture of this theater in Entertainment Weekly issue 833, as the first movie palace. (This issue also has a lot of other theater info that would interest members of this site)
I watched the end of Blazing Saddles last night to get a good look at the Chinese, and I could see the shallow lobby and that the concession stand (“Raisinettes, please.”) was just a few feet away from the front door. I guess it has been moved after the booth went back upstairs. Also, in the auditorium scenes I could see some black structure in the rear, which I guess was the booth. The most amazing thing was that Gene Wilder was holding a popcorn bucket that said 35 cents on it; you couldn’t get the same size for $3.50 now!
I saw a movie here as a kid in the mid-1960’s, something with dinosaurs around the bend in a river, but we had to leave before it was over when my cousin got a nosebleed.
I just saw the Joan Crawford picture “Daisy Kenyon” (1947) and her character lived on 12th Street; there was one scene where she looks in the newspaper to see what’s playing at “the Greenwich,” and then there was a long, long look at its lovely wraparound marquee. I couldn’t make out what was supposedly playing, but it was cool to see this theatre so prominently feaured.
Located at 81 Larkfield Road. 500 seats. One screen. Independent theater owned by Stuart and Sarah Baker, and sort of associated with AIT, but not quite. Booked by Lightstone. Closed in the early 1980’s.
It’s still there but has been converted to offices.
I wonder in general how many prints an individual theater with a long booking would use. In this case, The Red Shoes is so lovely in Technicolor I would hate to think of seeing it with scratches, splices, fading, or any of the other wear and tear problems that come with frequent unspooling.
Less easy to skip a reel when it’s all on one platter. But there are times when I wish I had a fast forward button.
How many prints would be used during the course of a two year run?
Forrest, you have selected some of the worst 70mm musicals ever made; it was over-produced, lumbering dinosaurs like these that helped close some of our best picture palaces. Audences didn’t come to see these movies then, and they won’t come now.
That said, I do agree that a well booked and promoted 70mm fesival is a great idea; any well-selected and well-advertised fesival would help fill the seats in this last example of a New York showplace.
Forrest, you’ve picked some of the worst examples of 70mm musicals, or any 70mm films for that matter; it was these over-produced, bloated spectacles that helped close some of our best picture palaces. Nobody came to see these movies on their original release, and no one will come see them now.
But I do agree that a 70mm festival, or any decently booked and promoted festival, would help fill some seats here.
Clearview has booked a string of bombs in this place recently…The Island, The Great Raid, and now The Baxter. Over 1100 empty seats at each performance. Good Lord!
It’s just bats, man.
I see in the ad for the Carrol Baker picture that the Astor was listed as a Walter Reade theatre. I didn’t know Reade booked this house.
“Beyond the Forest” was Bette Davis' last movie under her Warner Bros. contract. She hated everytinbg about the movie; I thnk it got bad reviews, but it has since become a camp classic. It contains the memorable line, “What a dump!” which was memorably quoted in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe.
What happened to the lobby space and all its decor?
Fantastic photo.
Warren, PA = Prince Albert? Then the tour should include the Cameo, no doubt.
I live near this theater and I am going to check out what it’s currently used as. I know when it closed it became a video store, o bitter irony.
Two big bombs in 1969 ad…Goodbye Mr Chips and Paint Your Wagon. There must have been lots of echoes in the empty halls of the Palace and the State.
Is this theater (and the Midway Park) open to the general public? I love how they change movies every day.
Essentially the same marquee in 1950’s and 1977, but I wonder if all the neon was still working in the latter days.
Meredith, you are a sentimental sap, but then again so am I!
I just had a flashback rush when I saw that pic. Truly one of the filthiest theatres I have ever been in, in every sense of the word. Made the Variety Photoplays seem like a day at the Cloisters.
There is a picture of this theater in Entertainment Weekly issue 833, as the first movie palace. (This issue also has a lot of other theater info that would interest members of this site)
I watched the end of Blazing Saddles last night to get a good look at the Chinese, and I could see the shallow lobby and that the concession stand (“Raisinettes, please.”) was just a few feet away from the front door. I guess it has been moved after the booth went back upstairs. Also, in the auditorium scenes I could see some black structure in the rear, which I guess was the booth. The most amazing thing was that Gene Wilder was holding a popcorn bucket that said 35 cents on it; you couldn’t get the same size for $3.50 now!
Is the ticket booth still on the street?
Meredith, all is well.
I saw a movie here as a kid in the mid-1960’s, something with dinosaurs around the bend in a river, but we had to leave before it was over when my cousin got a nosebleed.
This movie house had degenerated into a pervert’s paradise before it closed, and I mean that in a nice way.