Oh, really? It looks to me like “Dystopos” posted it, and that “Lo Mem” just poached it from their scrapbook. Or is “Dystopos” another pseudonym being used by the amnesiac phantom? WMWL!
The Bijou Theatre was vividly described in yesterday’s “Metropolitan Diary” in The New York Times. The letter by a former patron is the second entry here: View link
The 1952 Christmas show opened on December 4, 1952, with “Million Dollar Mermaid” on screen.
The program before that opened on November 13, with “Plymouth Adventure” as the film.
The movie before that was “The Happy Time,” which opened on October 30.
Thanks, “JAlex.” It’s a pleasure to see someone reporting with historical accuracy about St. Louis theatres. Usually, all we get are links to watermarked photos, with little or no explanations of their contents. I doubt if the posters even knew of the theatres' existence until they stumbled on the photos while surfing the internet.
“Live” TV views of the interior and exterior of RCMH will be provided tonight (Sunday) as the theatre serves as the setting for the 63rd Annual Tony Awards ceremonies. The CBS Network coverage starts at 8PM (EDT). Neil Patrick Harris will host the event, which honors achievement in the Broadway stage industry.
Here’s a new link to the vintage photo, whixh was snapped when the Third Avenue El was still operating. The Variety’s marquee can be seen to the left of the supporting pillars: View link
JF Lundy’s link also gives an ultra-rare view of the Gaiety during its brief life as Laffmovie (a branch of the Laffmovie on W. 42nd Street). The Gaiety/Laffmovie would soon be re-named Victoria.
At the end of July, 1964, the Victoria closed for two weeks to be “specially renovated and re-equipped” for a new booking arrangement with Columbia Pictures on some of its more “unusual” releases. The “New Victoria” re-opened on August 14th with the world premiere engagement of Fred Zinnemann’s “Behold a Pale Horse” (shared with the Sutton Theatre on the East Side). Announced as “forthcoming” were Robert Rossen’s “Lilith” and William Wyler’s “The Collector.” While “Lilith” did debut at the Victoria (and East Side Coronet), Columbia had second thoughts about “The Collector” and opened it instead at the Paris and Coronet Theatres.
Yes, it’s now official. Renovations have started on what will be called the NYIT Auditorium on Broadway. The plate glass entrance has been painted over with signage, but the attraction board (now empty) is still there. More information can be found at www.nyit.edu
If the Bellerose had to close down for the installation of CinemaScope, it must have required some major architectural changes. Most theatres installed their new wide screens overnight, without closing for even a day. It was probably not a “CinemaScope screen” per see, but one that could handle whatever process a film was projected in. It would also have had adjustable masking for any films shot in standard ratio. Many theatres were showing them “blown-up.” while others were not.
In November, 1945, the Kew Gardens Theatre made front-page news in the Queens newspapers when a home owners association headed by Isadore Federbush proposed that the building be converted into a bus terminal to end traffic jams on Queens Boulevard during commuter rush hours. Eight bus lines dropped passengers at that point to transfer to the Kew Gardens subway station. Federbush claimed that the theatre had been closed for 13 years and seemed unlikely to ever be reopened. This proposal might explain how the theatre ended up under the ownership of the NYC Board of Transportation, which instead auctioned it off in 1947 (see my post above of 6/11/08).
Due to changes in the alert system, I wasn’t aware of the post of 3/25/09 until just now, when I went to the listing to make a new addition of my own. Here’s a new link to the photo that I displayed and described on 11/29/07, which is different from the one linked by “mp775” on 3/25/09: View link
This was apparently renovated in 1945 and re-opened “glamorously” on Thanksgiving Day as the New Bellerose Theatre, according to advertising in the Long Island Press. An address of 245-18 Jamaica Avenue was provided. The inaugural program was a subsequent-run “The House on 92nd Street” & “Divorce.” Curiously, the New Bellerose was described as “the 37th link in Century’s Chain of Theatres,” even though Century had been operating it for years.
“Private entrance to what was arguably New York’s grandest theater, meticulously restored” will be part of four FREE Saturday afternoon walking tours being conducted by the Jamaica Center Business Improvement District. The dates are June 13, July 11, September 26, and October 10. All tours start from the front porch of King Manor Museum at Rufus King Park. Advance reservations are required. More details at http://www.jamaicacenter.org/newsevents09.htm
This “special event” has already been presented at the Royal Albert Hall in London. You can read a “fan’s comment” at this website. It seems to be too expensively mounted to do on a regular basis with other films. A full symphony orchestra and multitudes of singers don’t come cheap. http://www.theradiocitylotrconcert.com/
Yes, it’s very possible that the Orpheum originally had an auxiliary entrance on Third Avenue. That was certainly true of its main rival, the RKO 86th Street, which had an auxiliary entrance on Lexington Avenue. Both theatres were designed by Thomas Lamb, though the Orpheum was four or five years older.
Oh, really? It looks to me like “Dystopos” posted it, and that “Lo Mem” just poached it from their scrapbook. Or is “Dystopos” another pseudonym being used by the amnesiac phantom? WMWL!
“Chuck1231,” if I’m the person mentioned in your post above of 4/6/09. why would I protest the name of this theatre?
The Bijou Theatre was vividly described in yesterday’s “Metropolitan Diary” in The New York Times. The letter by a former patron is the second entry here:
View link
The 1952 Christmas show opened on December 4, 1952, with “Million Dollar Mermaid” on screen.
The program before that opened on November 13, with “Plymouth Adventure” as the film.
The movie before that was “The Happy Time,” which opened on October 30.
Thanks, “JAlex.” It’s a pleasure to see someone reporting with historical accuracy about St. Louis theatres. Usually, all we get are links to watermarked photos, with little or no explanations of their contents. I doubt if the posters even knew of the theatres' existence until they stumbled on the photos while surfing the internet.
“Live” TV views of the interior and exterior of RCMH will be provided tonight (Sunday) as the theatre serves as the setting for the 63rd Annual Tony Awards ceremonies. The CBS Network coverage starts at 8PM (EDT). Neil Patrick Harris will host the event, which honors achievement in the Broadway stage industry.
Here’s a new link to the vintage photo, whixh was snapped when the Third Avenue El was still operating. The Variety’s marquee can be seen to the left of the supporting pillars: View link
A photo and article about Glenn Beck performing at the Midland can be found at View link
Sorry. If you contact me privately, I can send you a copy of the photo as an attachment:
.com
JF Lundy’s link also gives an ultra-rare view of the Gaiety during its brief life as Laffmovie (a branch of the Laffmovie on W. 42nd Street). The Gaiety/Laffmovie would soon be re-named Victoria.
A vintage Library of Congress photo can be found here: View link
At the end of July, 1964, the Victoria closed for two weeks to be “specially renovated and re-equipped” for a new booking arrangement with Columbia Pictures on some of its more “unusual” releases. The “New Victoria” re-opened on August 14th with the world premiere engagement of Fred Zinnemann’s “Behold a Pale Horse” (shared with the Sutton Theatre on the East Side). Announced as “forthcoming” were Robert Rossen’s “Lilith” and William Wyler’s “The Collector.” While “Lilith” did debut at the Victoria (and East Side Coronet), Columbia had second thoughts about “The Collector” and opened it instead at the Paris and Coronet Theatres.
Yes, it’s now official. Renovations have started on what will be called the NYIT Auditorium on Broadway. The plate glass entrance has been painted over with signage, but the attraction board (now empty) is still there. More information can be found at www.nyit.edu
If the Bellerose had to close down for the installation of CinemaScope, it must have required some major architectural changes. Most theatres installed their new wide screens overnight, without closing for even a day. It was probably not a “CinemaScope screen” per see, but one that could handle whatever process a film was projected in. It would also have had adjustable masking for any films shot in standard ratio. Many theatres were showing them “blown-up.” while others were not.
In November, 1945, the Kew Gardens Theatre made front-page news in the Queens newspapers when a home owners association headed by Isadore Federbush proposed that the building be converted into a bus terminal to end traffic jams on Queens Boulevard during commuter rush hours. Eight bus lines dropped passengers at that point to transfer to the Kew Gardens subway station. Federbush claimed that the theatre had been closed for 13 years and seemed unlikely to ever be reopened. This proposal might explain how the theatre ended up under the ownership of the NYC Board of Transportation, which instead auctioned it off in 1947 (see my post above of 6/11/08).
Due to changes in the alert system, I wasn’t aware of the post of 3/25/09 until just now, when I went to the listing to make a new addition of my own. Here’s a new link to the photo that I displayed and described on 11/29/07, which is different from the one linked by “mp775” on 3/25/09: View link
This was apparently renovated in 1945 and re-opened “glamorously” on Thanksgiving Day as the New Bellerose Theatre, according to advertising in the Long Island Press. An address of 245-18 Jamaica Avenue was provided. The inaugural program was a subsequent-run “The House on 92nd Street” & “Divorce.” Curiously, the New Bellerose was described as “the 37th link in Century’s Chain of Theatres,” even though Century had been operating it for years.
“Private entrance to what was arguably New York’s grandest theater, meticulously restored” will be part of four FREE Saturday afternoon walking tours being conducted by the Jamaica Center Business Improvement District. The dates are June 13, July 11, September 26, and October 10. All tours start from the front porch of King Manor Museum at Rufus King Park. Advance reservations are required. More details at http://www.jamaicacenter.org/newsevents09.htm
Do you mean the Film Daily Year Book for 1930, or a specific issue of the Film Daily, which was published six days a week during that era?
Here’s a video showing conversion to digital: View link
The Island is listed here:
/theaters/8329/
How did you overlook this one at your second most favorite website, or haven’t you gotten to “P” yet? View link
“The Fellowship of the Ring” is the only movie being shown, not the entire trilogy: http://www.theradiocitylotrconcert.com/
This “special event” has already been presented at the Royal Albert Hall in London. You can read a “fan’s comment” at this website. It seems to be too expensively mounted to do on a regular basis with other films. A full symphony orchestra and multitudes of singers don’t come cheap.
http://www.theradiocitylotrconcert.com/
Yes, it’s very possible that the Orpheum originally had an auxiliary entrance on Third Avenue. That was certainly true of its main rival, the RKO 86th Street, which had an auxiliary entrance on Lexington Avenue. Both theatres were designed by Thomas Lamb, though the Orpheum was four or five years older.