The Travel Channel just aired a special on Times Square. They showed film footage of the New Amsterdam before the Disney makeover. What a mess! They said mushrooms were growing in the orchestra section. Then, they showed the makeover. You get to see footage of the Mayfair (DeMille) and most of the 42nd Street theatres in all their seedy glory.
-I saw MAROONED opening week in December 1969 at the Zeigfeld. There was a console in the theatre’s center controlling everything. I assume it not there anymore.
-The Criterion used to closed down from time to time in the 70s waiting for good product. Question…what do you do with the employees during the down time? Fire ‘em and rehire them?
-Here in Wisconsin, Marcus Theatres is installing “Ultra Screens” is some of their multiplexes. They make two auditoriums into one and install a 75 foot, floor to ceiling screen.
-There is guy in Ohio who has a 3 strip Cinerama print of HOW THE WEST WAS WON and shows it in a make shift sort of theatre (I think in his home!).
First film at the new Loews Orpheum in 1968 (with, as the ads said, “rocking chair seats”)was “THE DETECTIVE” with Frank Sinatra. The Loews Cine opened in 1968 with “KISS THE OTHER SHEIK”. It bombed so badly that they rushed in “HANG ‘EM HIGH”, day-dating with the Victoria, in Times Square.
I saw the Windjammer in either Cinemiracle or Cinerama here. I remember seeing Mutiny on the Bounty (1963), A Star is Born (1976), and Fiddler on the Roof (1972) here, as well. La Dolce Vita had a long run here in the early 60s.
The Jerry Lewis Twin (I saw Annie Hall there) was (I believe) a liquor store after the theatre closed. The Massapequa Drive-in was a tad west of there. In 1964, the drive-in’s wooden marquee on Sunrise Highway burned. A new modern green and white marquee with flashing balloons atop was built and debuted with the double feature “A HARD DAY’S NIGHT” and “SIX BLACK HORSES”.
I spent 24 years living not far from the Pequa. It showed a Russ Meyer film, “Cherry, Harry & Raquel”, in 1969, and the X rated Frankenstein, but never porn. It had a special section for comfy seating, at an extra charge. I saw tons of films there from the early 60s. It’s now a Lexus dealership. It’s the original building.
The Massapequa Drive-In was a few miles east on Sunrise Highway. There is a Sears on that site. The Massapequa Drive-In was next to my high school, Berner HS. I use cross through the drive-in to get to school, until the manager chased us with a bat. The Massapequa Zoo & Kiddie Park was next to the drive-in in the 60s. The monkey mountain was next to the ticket booth. They shot off fireworks near the 4th of July.
There was a Sam Elliot film (it began with an “S”, I can’t remember the name) where they show the verticle New Amsterdam sign crash onto 42nd Street. How did they do it?
WBAB Radio had a DJ booth for “live” broadcasts from the Copiague Drive-In. The place had a restaurant, tram car to shuttle people around, et al. Saw hundreds of films there, including matinees at the indoor in the 1960s…2 hits for the price of one! The indoor was huge with a balcony. I once saw “The Chairman” and “The Detective” in 1968 at the indoor and was the ONLY person there for the 2pm show!
The Travel Channel just aired a special on Times Square. They showed film footage of the New Amsterdam before the Disney makeover. What a mess! They said mushrooms were growing in the orchestra section. Then, they showed the makeover. You get to see footage of the Mayfair (DeMille) and most of the 42nd Street theatres in all their seedy glory.
Some comments about the above comments.
-I saw MAROONED opening week in December 1969 at the Zeigfeld. There was a console in the theatre’s center controlling everything. I assume it not there anymore.
-The Criterion used to closed down from time to time in the 70s waiting for good product. Question…what do you do with the employees during the down time? Fire ‘em and rehire them?
-Here in Wisconsin, Marcus Theatres is installing “Ultra Screens” is some of their multiplexes. They make two auditoriums into one and install a 75 foot, floor to ceiling screen.
-There is guy in Ohio who has a 3 strip Cinerama print of HOW THE WEST WAS WON and shows it in a make shift sort of theatre (I think in his home!).
The 110 Drive-in had one of the best drive-in marquees I’ve ever seen.
In the 60s, when owned by Prudential, the Regent used to day & date with the Rialto, while the Bay Shore and Patchogue day & dated.
First film at the new Loews Orpheum in 1968 (with, as the ads said, “rocking chair seats”)was “THE DETECTIVE” with Frank Sinatra. The Loews Cine opened in 1968 with “KISS THE OTHER SHEIK”. It bombed so badly that they rushed in “HANG ‘EM HIGH”, day-dating with the Victoria, in Times Square.
The Lyric 42nd St.
In the movie “Taxi Driver” you can see the Hollywood marquee in the background when DeNiro is walking. Is this the same theatre?
I remember reading that they opened without a license and were immediately shut down. I think they reopened a short time later.
Wasn’t their a sort lived Dearborn Theatre in the 1980’s?
I saw the Windjammer in either Cinemiracle or Cinerama here. I remember seeing Mutiny on the Bounty (1963), A Star is Born (1976), and Fiddler on the Roof (1972) here, as well. La Dolce Vita had a long run here in the early 60s.
Yes. Next door to where the drive-in was.
I saw THE MUSIC MAN, MAJOR DUNDEE, THE UGLY AMERICAN, POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES, STAR!, and countless other films at this wonderful theatre.
The other Amity Theatre was an A.I.T. run theatre in the Inter-County shopping Center.
This was the UA Premiere Showcase Theatre and later the UA Red Carpet Theatre.
From earlier in this thread…THE LEGEND OF LYLAH CLARE was the final film at the Loews State, right after DOCTOR DOLITTLE.
I have the full page NY Times ad boasting that a triplex was built without missing a single performance of CAMELOT.
Before SONG OF NORWAY played at the CINERAMA, a few X rated films played there.
This was the theatre that opened “FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE” in 1967 on showcase.
The Jerry Lewis Twin (I saw Annie Hall there) was (I believe) a liquor store after the theatre closed. The Massapequa Drive-in was a tad west of there. In 1964, the drive-in’s wooden marquee on Sunrise Highway burned. A new modern green and white marquee with flashing balloons atop was built and debuted with the double feature “A HARD DAY’S NIGHT” and “SIX BLACK HORSES”.
I saw The Exorcist at it’s NY premiere there.
The Regency was featured in the film “Cocktail” with Tom Cruise, as well as Seinfeld.
I spent 24 years living not far from the Pequa. It showed a Russ Meyer film, “Cherry, Harry & Raquel”, in 1969, and the X rated Frankenstein, but never porn. It had a special section for comfy seating, at an extra charge. I saw tons of films there from the early 60s. It’s now a Lexus dealership. It’s the original building.
The Massapequa Drive-In was a few miles east on Sunrise Highway. There is a Sears on that site. The Massapequa Drive-In was next to my high school, Berner HS. I use cross through the drive-in to get to school, until the manager chased us with a bat. The Massapequa Zoo & Kiddie Park was next to the drive-in in the 60s. The monkey mountain was next to the ticket booth. They shot off fireworks near the 4th of July.
Back a-ways, it was mentioned that GOLDFINGER might of played here 24 hours…that was the DeMille (7th & 47th St.).
I thought the Annie Hall scenes were at the Beekman Theatre, not the New Yorker.
There was a Sam Elliot film (it began with an “S”, I can’t remember the name) where they show the verticle New Amsterdam sign crash onto 42nd Street. How did they do it?
I have a photo of this theatre in operation. I’ll scan it and post it.
WBAB Radio had a DJ booth for “live” broadcasts from the Copiague Drive-In. The place had a restaurant, tram car to shuttle people around, et al. Saw hundreds of films there, including matinees at the indoor in the 1960s…2 hits for the price of one! The indoor was huge with a balcony. I once saw “The Chairman” and “The Detective” in 1968 at the indoor and was the ONLY person there for the 2pm show!
The Guild 50th has been featured in a few films and tv shows, most notably “The English Patient” episode on Seinfeld.