Movieland

I remember this well as the Forum 47th St primarily a Paramount and MGM showcase theater...My last visit when it was Movieland was to see Chariots of Fire in 1981

was this ever run by MOSS?

This was BS Moss' Movieland from the very late 70s onward...ET first ran here in 1982 for nearly a year

i remember that they also had the highlander series

The Roxy Deli is still very much alove in the lobby of the old Movieland. The information above is very incorrect> I don't know about the disco part.

Looking at the southwest corner of Broadway and 47th, it's pretty obvious the building which housed Movieland (and, later, the Roxy Delicatessen) was demolished, which it was, in January and February of 1998. After that parcel of land was cleared, construction began on what was to have been a hotel owned and operated by Planet Hollywood, but they pulled out due to financial problems and Ian Schrager took over, converting the then-mid-development project into one of his W Hotels. (The Roxy Delicatessen, meanwhile, lives on to this day, next door, at 1565 Broadway.)

The Movieland's days as a film venue ended in March of 1988 with an engagement of the kids' flick 'The Land Before Time'.

I always liked this theater, but it was the step child of Broadway.

In the '40s as the "Gotham," it showed mostly B-films. In the early '50s, one of its live reviews was “Bagels and Yox,” for which patrons were treated to fresh bagels during the intermission (the yox was up to the audience to provide). As the "Holiday" with an early ‘50s widescreen for the Tony Curtis/Janet Leigh “Houdini” film, it advertised "NY's largest screen (from our seating perspective)," meaning that in this small house, the screen overwhelmed the viewer's vision, though it was by no means the largest one anywhere. In the late '50s, I remember seeing Olivier's "Henry V" there, retooled and grotesquely cropped as it opened up to fill a CinemaScope ratio. In the '60s after its name had changed to the "Forum," I remember seeing the Beatles’ "Yellow Submarine" during its first run there. With "Chariots of Fire" and "ET" mentioned above, its movie product appears to have improved in its final years, though the name “Movieland” strikes me as tacky.

Moss loved that name, he used it on many of his theatres.

I have a photo of Movieland days before demolition. I'll e-mail it to someone if they want to post it.

I am the General Manager of the Moss Family's theater chain, Bow Tie Cinemas. We would love to see the picture--please e-mail it to me at joemasher@bowtiepartners.com Thanks!

Bow tie cinemas is a part of the original Moss chain?

In January, 1957, using its original name of Central Theatre, this housed the NYC premiere of the sex-hygiene feature, "Mom and Dad," which was first released in 1944 but had been banned by the New York State Board of Regents because of two graphic birth scenes, including one of a cesarean section. Halfway through the movie, it stopped for a 15-minute lecture on stage by sexologist Elliott Forbes, which included hawking two pamphlets on "sexual enlightenment" that were sold to the audience by women dressed as nurses. Shown as a second feature to "Mom and Dad" was "She Shoulda Said No," which depicted the evils of using marijuana.

Sex! Drugs! Nurses' Uniforms! Only in Gotham.

I think I saw "Ape" here, with the memorable notice posted *Not to be confused with King Kong. By this time the theatre had very little charm but it still had an open balcony.

The two Bow Tie Cinemas share the name of former B.S. Moss Times Square properties and are located in New Haven, Connecticut (the five-screen Criterion Cinemas) and Basalt, Colorado (the seven-screen Movieland).

This was re-named the Odeon around 1957-58, when it was leased by the J. Arthur Rank Organisation as a showcase for its British-made movies. Rank was hoping to expand its American interests, and also formed a recording company called Top Rank. It all met with failure in two years or less. The theatre's name was eventually changed to Forum to end confusion that it was still run by Rank, which owned the Odeon circuit in England.

The "Mom & Dad"/"She Shoulda Said No" booking in 1957 was simultaneous with the Strand Theatre in downtown Brooklyn. Ads failed to explain how sex lecturer Elliot Forbes was able to appear at two theatres at the same time. Did he travel back and forth by subway? No, because there was no such person. Actors were hired locally to portray him, using a pre-written script on "The Secrets of Sensible Sex." The two movies were described as "Films that dare to explain what mothers and fathers can't. Ignorance is a sin. Knowledge is power."

So Elliot Forbes and his "nurses" were all illusionists! Knowledge is indeed power! I believe, however, that Rudy Vallee had the gift of bi-location: in the 1930s he allegedly appeared in stage shows at both the Times Square and Brooklyn Paramounts for a regular stint, using the BMT as a reliable conduit.

My dad,Iz Zatkin, owned the Holiday theatre. The movie that opened this new theatre was FIVE. I am trying to get info on this movie and the exact date the Holiday opened. Any information would be appreciated.
Carol B.

"Five" was about the last five survivors of an atomic holocaust and is possibly the most boring and pretentious movie I ever had to sit through during my youth. It was written and directed by Arch Oboler, the creator of radio suspense programs like "Lights Out." Columbia Pictures released "Five" in 1951, so you should be able to find the opening date for the Holiday Theatre in the New York Times review. Two years later, Oboler was responsible for the first 3-D feature, "Bwana Devil," but that had its NYC premiere at Loew's State.

The theatre opened as the Holiday with "Five" on April 25, 1951. This followed a report in The New York Times of April 2nd that "operating control of the Gotham has been acquired by Israel Zatkin, general manager of the Lane motion picture theatre circuit, who will run the theatre independently." Zatkin intended to use the theatre as a first-run showcase for films that had difficulty getting Broadway bookings and usually played the so-called "art houses." The Gotham was previously operated by the Brandt circuit under lease from the Shuberts, who owned the theatre and made the new deal with Zatkin. The latter said he would spend $100,000 on renovations and re-dectoration...The film policy was apparently unsuccessful. On September 12, 1951, the Holiday switched to stage presentations with an American-Yiddish revue, "Bagels & Yox," direct from long runs in Miami Beach and Atlantic City. The cast included the Barton Brothers, Lou Saxon, Marty Drake, Mary Forrest, Patrice Helene, and Rickie Layne & Velvel. Among the revues that followed were "Frank Sennes' Peep Show" and "A Night in Havana." The latter was presented continuously, with a two-hour program of movie shorts, cartoons and newsreels between performances...By August, 1955, the Holiday was being advertised in trade papers as a "newly decorated legitimate theatre available for booking from September 6." The first taker was "Deadfall," a courtroom drama with John Ireland and actress-wife Joanne Dru that lasted only 20 performances.

The premiere of the Holiday on April 25, 1951, took third place in press coverage to two other openings that day: "My Forbidden Past," at the Paramount, with Frank Sinatra and Dagmar topping the stage bill; and "Follow the Sun" at the Roxy, accompanied by a "Salute to Spring" revue with Florian Zabach as headliner.

Florian Zabach, the Fiddler. He was a wonderful classically trained violinist who'd make your hair stand on end with his performance of "Hot Canary."

I am surprised this was operated as a cinema as late as 1988 because I can't really remember going here, though I think I saw STAR WARS here in the summer of '83. It is the only time I can remember going here.

On July 29th of 1983, "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back" was re-released as a double feature at the RKO Warner Twin in 70MM.

What theater is the RKO Warner Twin?

The RKO Warner Twin, saps, was the former Strand Theatre - http://www.cinematreasures.org/theater/2975/

Oh!...then it was actually the Warner Twin, without the RKO, that had me stumped. I remember the Cinerama and the Penthouse (and the Cine Orleans!) but I don't remember when it went (back) to Warner. What years were those and who ran it then? I do remember the Rialto revamped by Cineplex Odeon and called the Warner, so I guess that was after the Warner Twin closed.

By its final phase as the Warner Twin, the Strand had been renovated so many times that I don't think that the interior contained anything from the original decor.

What was the physical appearance of the lobby and auditoriums of the Warner Twin after all those renovations over the years had been brought forth?

Contemporary and apparently instantly forgettable, because I can't remember what it looked like!

An image of how the re-christened Cinerama auditorium of the former Warner Twin appeared (and, I'd guess, as well, in similar design the upstairs Penthouse and backstage Orleans), post-retrofitting, in 1968, accompanied by a brief article from the August 5, 1968 issue of Boxoffice magazine, can be found at the bottom of this page: http://cinerama.topcities.com/ctwarner.htm At the top, one can catch a small glimpse of how a portion of the lobby looked at the time, followed by a series of exterior shots and images of some of the projection equipment used in the presentation of Cinerama-based productions at the Warner. (I'm also posting this message, appropriately enough, on the Strand Theatre - http://www.cinematreasures.org/theater/2975/ - page.)

"I am surprised this was operated as a cinema as late as 1988 because I can't really remember going here, though I think I saw STAR WARS here in the summer of '83." (hardtop)

"On July 29th of 1983, "Star Wars" and "The Empire Strikes Back" was re-released as a double feature at the RKO Warner Twin in 70MM." (William)

"What theater is the RKO Warner Twin?" (saps)

"The RKO Warner Twin, saps, was the former Strand Theatre" (br91975)

"Oh!...then it was actually the Warner Twin, without the RKO, that had me stumped. I remember the Cinerama and the Penthouse (and the Cine Orleans!) but I don't remember when it went (back) to Warner. What years were those and who ran it then?" (saps)

***************************************

[This info was gathered during the research phase of preparing "70mm In New York," which appears on the FromScriptToDVD.com website. I'll provide what I can in an attempt to clarify the questions asked. Obviously, anyone in the know, feel free to elaborate.]

From the 1950s through the '80s, the sequence of names appear to have been:
Warner / Warner Cinerama / Cinerama* / RKO Cinerama* / RKO Cinerama Twin** / RKO Warner Twin

*during this phase, Screen #2 was called Penthouse and/or Cinerama 2

**during this phase, sometimes noted in newspaper ads as Cinerama 1 and Cinerama 2, depending on which screen a film was playing

The operators were:
Stanley-Warner (? - 1968)
Pacific East (1968 - early 1970s)
RKO/Stanley-Warner (mid-70s)
RKO (late '70s - early '80s)
RKO Century (early-80s - close)

In February of 1972 Paramount re-released "The Ten Commandments" again here (as New Forum 47th St.) and Guild 50th. A month later it opened on a wider release and moved over to the Astor, Delancy, Loews 83rd St, Lyric 42, Juliet 1, New Alpine, Roosevelt 145 St. Also a seperate section of the ad announces in Spanish that it is also playing in Spanish language at the Paramount at 61st & Broadway. 6 weeks later when it went on a mass second run it still stayed at the Paramount and Astor.

Saw 'The Bird With The Crystal Plumage' when this moviehouse was known as 'The Forum Theatre'.

Was this theater across the street from the Palace?

Yes, it was directly across the street, on the opposite corner and where the W Hotel is currently located.

In the late 60s, the Forum 47th Street played lots of Paramount product:

Goodbye Columbus
The Odd Couple (after Radio City)
Ace High/Italian Job
Tropic of Cancer

In 1961 "Picnic" was re-released here with a second feature called "Twinkle & Shine". In small letters it says formely knows as "It Happened to Jane". They must have returned it to it's original title later on because I once saw it at the Thalia in the 70's that way.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/Picnic1961re-issue.jpg

In the summer of 1953, while known as the Holiday, the theatre had the NYC premiere engagement of Paramount's "Houdini" (Tony Curtis-Janet Leigh). Advertising claimed that the Technicolor movie was being shown on the:
"WORLD'S LARGEST PANORAMIC SCREEN
(as seen from our seating vision)."
Well, at least they were honest about it!

After a renovation that reportedly cost $250,000, the theatre opened under the new name of Forum (with 865 seats) on May 26th, 1967, with the NYC premiere engagement of "A Guide For The Married Man," playing day-and-date with the Murray Hill Theatre on East 34th Street.

This 1959 sci-fi film was a Japanese import. I don't know why they were bragging that it was in the much inferior Eastman Color.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/BattleinOuterSpace.jpg

I love the box at the bottom of that ad offering free admission to "Freedomland" for the first 25 kids to show up at the 9:30am showing. Freedomland was a short lived disaster of an amusement park in The Bronx that celebrated American History. It was demolished in the mid '60's to make way for the sprawling Co-Op City apartment complex. Here is a very cool site about Freedomland (and some World's Fair content as well): http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/robfriedman/

Seems "How The West Was Won" moved here after it's Cinerama run.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/chalkgarden.jpg

"The Detective" also on moveover.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/403d87c0.jpg

The Detective was not a moveover. It's opened at both. Story: Sinatra handed Mia Farrow divorce papers on the set of Rosmary's Baby. To get even Paramount opened Rosemary's Baby opposite The Detective and kicked ass.

Here's a rare photo from 1929 showing the Central with the part-talking "Weary River." The nearby Globe was then "legit" with "Three Cheers," which turned out to be Will Rogers's last stage vehicle:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/central.jpg

To add to Don's story: Sinatra wanted Mia Farrow to walk off "Rosemary's Baby", even though it was almost half finished, in order to star with him in "The Detective". When she refused, that was the end of their marriage. They did remain friends, however, right up to the end of Sinatra's life.

A rare view from the Odeon era, with Paramount's "Desire Under The Elms" (1958) as the current attraction:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/odeon.jpg

After the Central Theatre was opened in 1918, J.J. "Jake" Shubert lived in an apartment up over the lobby entrance. In later years, many of the windows up there were covered with ads. I went to a Saturday afternoon movie showing there in the mid-1980s just to get into the place. There were about 100-plus patrons, maybe more. The house was a little shabby, but not too bad. There was a lot of interesting detail to be seen. Halfway thru the film, a big cat came down the aisle, hopped onto the apron of the stage and padded off into the wings at stage-left. Obviously, the theatre's mouse patrol.

On the question above about the Warner Twin, Cineplex Odeon called it the Warner Twin upon takeover from RKO. Since the building was coming down, they moved the name over to the Rialto 1 & 11 later in the year. The theatre never reopened in the new construction but Cineplex and the landlord settled out of court. The World Wide and product problems made the battle for yet another theatre redundant.

You will find some ads in the summer of 1987 that refer to the Rialto as the Warner Twin but in reality the basement theatre, although newly re-seated and refurbished, only opened for hours. Flooding, subway noise and lack of product forced them to cut their losses and stay open on a single screen only.

Always the center of controversy, the Central’s first advertised movie in the NY times is OPEN YOUR EYES, a documentary about venereal disease on June 1919.

In 1922 it premieres Erich Von Stroheim's "million dollar picture" FOOLISH WIVES.

In 1924 it premieres DANTE'S INFERNO which faces censorship problems nationwide due to its nude bodies in hell sequence.

In 1926 it enjoys a long run of Lilian Gish's THE SCARLET LETTER.

In 1927 it premieres yet another remake of UNCLE TOM'S CABIN "The 2 million dollar picture".

1929 Disraeli

1930 All Quiet on the Western Front

In 1934 as the Columbia, it shows the controversial HITLER'S REIGN OF TERROR on moveover from the Mayfair. Back as the Central, it reopens ARE WE CIVILIZED?, a veiled attack on Nazi Germany.

In 1937, DAMAGED LIVES, "His life of debauchery brought disease to his wife!"

April 1944 opens as the Gotham with UP IN MABEL'S ROOM

April 1951 opens as the Holiday with FIVE.

February 1957, reverts to Central for MOM AND DAD/SHE SHOULDA SAID NO double feature. Ten year old exploitation "road show" finally reaches Manhattan and still makes a killing.

December 1957, opens as Odeon US Showcase with THE PURSUIT OF THE GRAF SPEE.

June 1959, becomes the Forum during a re-release of FROM HERE TO ETERNITY.

June 1964, HOW THE WEST WAS WON opens a regular run after a six month “window” from the Cinerama roadshow run.

December 1980, opens as Movieland with ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN.

June 1982, opens E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL.

In the late eighties/early nineties I went into Club USA. I did not know I was in the Movieland at the time but it was a very fancy club full of Japanese tourists and decorated with neon and faux advertising signs (Trojan Condoms was one I remember) that rivalled Times Square outside. The upstairs bar/balcony? area was a sex and drugs den worthy of Studio 54 with people doing lines of coke right at the bar.

As Odeon (July, 1958):
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/odeon758.jpg

1972 showing the shlocky "Horror on Snape Island"
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/EasyRiderre-issue.jpg

The movie going public was in luck, according to the Times' Janet Maslin, with this classic playing here in March of 1982:

NY Post 3/10/82

Something tells me that within the context of Maslin's full review, that line used in the ad dripped with sarcasm.

I can't believe no one has talked about this theater's Disco Days as Club USA in the early 90's! This fabulous club lasted until about 1996. The entrance to the club was on the side street pretty much where the W Hotel entrance is now. There were two dance floors, the main one, was where the orchestra section was. The other was two levels higher though it was not part of a balcony. The upper dance floor was known as the Tierry Mugler room and was designed by its namesake. There was a huge staircase that led to nowhere. It was a great place to sit and people watch. In additon, there was a wonderful roofdeck where you could see and hear the cacophany of Times Square. One of my favorite features of this club though was the winding slide that went from the balcony, out over the dance floor and down to the orchestra level. For $1 you got a potato sack and slid down to the main action below. The theater was beautifully adapted for use as a disco.
I never got to attend the Academy of Music (Palladium), Studio 54, Webster Hall or Movieland (Club USA) when they were actual theaters, but I spent many a evening in my younger days dancing the night away at these palaces. I miss those days! Discos kept the Palladium and Movieland theaters open a few more precious years. Studio 54 has returned to legitimate stage use and Webster Hall still goes on as a disco on E. 11th? Does anyone know the original name for Webster Hall? I remember it was known as the Ritz in the mid 80's, but have not found a listing for this theater on this site. It's a fairly large theater with 4 different dance floors. Perhaps it was never a movie house. If anyone can help solve the mystery I'd appreciate it! Luis

When I used to attend concerts at the Ritz, I never thought that place was a former "theater" proper. It looks more like an old dance hall or ball room: the rectangular shaped room featuring a flat hard wood floor with a small stage at one end; plus a 2nd level mezzanine level for tables running along the perimeter with no raking or sloping as one would find in a typical theater. I could be wrong, of course.

I thought someone had previously mentioned Club USA, LuisV, but perhaps that was on a different theater page. In fact, it might have been a post by you sometime back on another page when you were trying to identify the proper theater listing! Anyway, we now have your colorful description of the place during its disco days and we thank you!

Yes Ed, it was me! I was commenting on The Acadeemy of Music (aka Palladium) page and you directed me to the Movieland (aka Club USA) page. I realized that I never posted my thoughts here so I finally did it! :-)

One more thing......In listing the fabulous discos that were once theaters I left out the most amazing one of them all......The Saint! (aka Fillmore East, aka Loew's Commodore) in the East Village.

At that club, the owners installed a planetarium dome in the orchestra section and while you danced the stars and other assorted lazers and the like were projected overhead. This was the absolute best Theater/Disco conversion I have ever experienced and I'm sure it will not be eclipsed.

One more thing I liked.....No drinks were allowed on the dance floor! Since there were only four entrances to the dome it was easy to control. No spills, no cups, just a fabulous dance space. It lasted as a disco for over 10 years! Now, it's a bank. How sad.

I guess I should post this on the Commodore site!

To LuisV - you ask above about Webster Hall on East 11th St. It is briefly mentioned in the book "American Theatres" by David Naylor, published in 1997. It was opened in 1886 at 119 - 123 East 11th St. in NY. Its original function was as a ballroom and rental facility. The book provides very little detail about it, other than to note that it's still open. A friend in NY went to the place in 1997 and obtained a brochure from someone there with some historical background. I don't know for sure, but I don't think that it ever served as a cinema. The Naylor book states that it has 5 levels and the various rooms seat a total of 3000. The architect was Charles Rentz.

Thanks for the update! It probably never was a movie theater, but nevertheless it does have the look and feel of one. I remember it being quite ornate and it is quite a large facility. I had no idea it was that old and it would be great to know more of its history.

I know the name of this web site is cinema treasures, but I feel a diservice is done to those beautiful structures that hosted only legitimate theatrical productions and not cinema. After all, there are many, many listings on this site for theaters that were built for legitimate theater, showed films for years, and are still around today because they have gone back to legitmate use. Legit theater has saved many a movie palace but I guess lines have to be drawn somewhere.

Thanks Ed and Ron!

Interesting, Ron. As best as I can recall, the two levels that were opened as The Ritz ("there's a little bit of Ritz in every club, but there's only one Ritz") held a capacity of about 800 - most of that standing room only on the main dance floor level (which was up one narrow flight of stairs from the street). There was a bar-room off to the side running parallel to the dance floor (was there one on either side?) accessed through archways cut in the wall. I remember seeing Jerry Garcia and John Kahn play a pair of acoustic sets there the night the Challenger exploded on January 28th, 1986. They did have a fairly big screen that would fly above the stage on which they'd project odd film clips edited together to accompany/juxtapose with the music they'd blast between sets. I remember they showed the complete version of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video during the intermission at a South Side Johnny and the Asbury Jukes show back in '83 or so. Clarence Clemons and the Red Bank Rockers completed that all-Jersey bill.

OK... Off topic bilge alert. Apologies, but we did go off on a tangent and there is no Webster Hall page. We may now return to regularly scheduled programming.

LuisV, I agree with you. It would be nice if there was a sub-program here in Cinema Treasures called "Stage Treasures" where these live theatres with no cinema history could be listed. It would mean that Cinema Treasures would become a "One-Stop Resource" for all types of theatres - cinemas, legit, concert halls, opera houses, everything !

Wow! I think that's a great idea! There was a poll done on this web site a month or so ago as to what changes you would like to see on this web site. This is something I would like to see!

My single memory of Webster Hall consisted of a doorman questioning my rather clunky shoes (the transvestite before me got in with ten inch kinky boots)and a trapeze act over the dance floor. The upstairs was a retro SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER disco.

The place had a decidedly Midwest barnyard feel unworthy of Manhattan.

I think if we were to open any site to such venues we would have new boundaries to deal with. The Tunnel was a subway stop complete with urinals at the bar although I am sure many had an epiphany there and where would you place the Limelight?

I say we stick to the movies. Club USA was a pimple in the life of this venue anyway.

We're taliking theaters, not tunnels or chuches or train terminals.....Theaters! This club was amazing and was an important part of the life of this theater whether you liked it or not.

A premiere in 1972 for "Georgia Georgia"
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/TalesFromtheCrypt.jpg

In the 70's as the Forum
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Theatres/Forum.jpg

Who made those great marquee letters in the design of the movie logo for the Times Square theatres?

artcraft straus --not sure how that is spelled

same people who do the new years eve ball drop..

Here a description of the title logo sign materials from the Gramercy link.

"Sometimes the company would buy professionally made cut outs that were in the same typeface as the movie poster. These were foam-core letters, painted, and then nailed or stapled onto wooden frames, that were then wired through holes in the little tracks on the marquee. These could be as wide as the marquee and, while not particularly heavy, could be unwieldy, especially in the wind. They looked very spiffy and were used in the last years of the 1970s and early '80s, when the Gramercy went first run." (Peter Damian)

I can't do better than that. The distributors were rebilled for this and at some sites for plastic backlit logos such as the one teh Ziegefld still uses. They also took care of many poster window and internal displays.

Christmas 1969 re-issue
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/1969Re-issueTenCommandments.jpg

The name changed from Odeon to Forum on June 17th, 1959, with the world premiere engagement of Columbia's "Middle of the Night," which ran simultaneously at the Trans-Lux 52nd Street on Lexington Avenue. According to a report in The New York Times, the Forum was extensively refurbished, including new furniture, lounge alterations, and a new marquee facing Duffy Square. The last movie shown at the Odeon was a revival of "From Here to Eternity."

A 1958 view with next-door competition from Playland:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/odeonloren.jpg

I remember the Playland arcade having two locations on Broadway; one near 42nd (next to the Rialto) and the other up between 47th and 48th, which had open entrances on both Seventh Avenue and Broadway. I had no idea that there were so many Playland storefronts over the years throughout Times Square until I started frequenting this site.

Were all the Playlands in the Broadway-Times Square area under the same ownership? It seems that some had elaborate electric signs, while others did not (like the one next to the Odeon). I guess anyone could call an arcade or amusement park "Playland" if they wanted to. I don't think the word was copyrighted.

Does anyone know if Caligula was shown here? The half of the ticket stub that I have says LAND on it.....

I believe so. Just a fuzzy memory, I don't have any evidence to substantiate my claim.

The first run was at the Penthouse (Gotham) and the R rated wide release was at Loews State and Movieland Yonkers. Hollywood, were you in Yonkers around 1981?

Never in Yonkers. Must have been Loews State.

This 1961 image shows the Forum with "Bridge to the Sun" (with Carroll Baker & James Shigeta), which opened on October 17th and lasted only two weeks. The corner sign of the Warner was being used for the upcoming roadshow engagement of "El Cid," which would start on December 14th. I can't make out what was displayed on the Warner's marquee, but when "Bridge to the Sun" opened at the Forum, the Warner was in its last week of "Exodus," which was followed on October 27th by "The Mask" in 3-D:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/forum61.jpg

According to the NY times, the Central (as well as the Brooklyn Strand) were closed for a week during that 1957 run of MOM AND DAD and SHE SHOULDA SAID NO for failing to secure a license that allowed for "live" performances from the "lecturer".

Nice punishment for showing two thirteen year old movies in the moral fifties!

In this 1945 nighttime view, the theatre, then known as Brandt's Gotham, shares the NYC premiere engagement of "The Story of G.I. Joe" with Brandt's Globe in the same block. The Gotham is to the right (north) of the Automat:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/joe1945.jpg

FIRE FILM PREMIERE NEEDS FIREMEN'S AID; Rescue Squad Cuts Away Fallen Marquee at Central Theatre and Movie Goes on Inside.

NY Times December 21, 1926

While the Fire Department Band played in front of the Central Theatre, Broadway and Forty-seventh Street, last night as part of the publicity program for the premiere of "The Fire Brigade" film, members of the rescue squad were busy with acetylene torches burning apart sections of the two-ton marquee in front of the theatre which had collapsed earlier In the evening.

Dear All,

I have just found some N.Y.Times clips related to my Grandparents,
Francis S. Gray and Ella A. Gray. They were the owners of the Central Theatre building, which housed the Central Theatre, former
Gotham, Odeon, Forum and finally Movieland. I would appreciate any historical information on the Theatre and building and especially pictures.
Kind Regards
Tania Melis Di Scala
gmelis@bellsouth.net

Tania, if you read through all the postings here, you will probably find more information about the theatre than anywhere else in the world, including public libraries.

In January, 1929, Fox Theatres announced plans to build a 52-story office tower and theatre on the southwest corner of 47th Street and Broadway. Designed by architect Walter H. Ahlschlanger, the project would occupy the ground site of the Central Theatre and several buildings to the west of it, all of which would be demolished. Since the plot measured only 50 feet on Broadway, the main entrance of the office building and all of the theatre would be on 47th Street, to a total width of 400 feet. The theatre would be comparable in opulence to the Roxy (also designed by Ahlschlanger) and the Paramount, and seat about 4,000 people. Needless to say, this turned out to be another of William Fox's pipedreams, but here's a sketch of what it might have looked like: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/foxtower.jpg

Thanks Warren. Little doubt that the Tower would have likely remained to this day, had it been built. Just as likely, however, that the theater within would have suffered the same fate as the rival Paramount just a few blocks to the south.

I have a DVD of video footage shot by Hollywood90038 in 1990 in which you can see the boarded up Movieland awaiting conversion to retail use (actually, the auditorium would remain open for a few years as the disco Dance USA). I captured the following screen-shots from the DVD:

Marquee and facade
Sidewall down 47th
Marquee profile

Forgive the blurry captures. Is that shot down 47th the actual theater sidewall? The boarded up windows are throwing me off. I assume the fire escape is from the theater balcony, but I may have my orientation confused.

If your orientation is confused it's because of that English teacher of yours.

Saps... hounding me from my Loew's Valencia stories! Ha ha.

I really wish you guys would leave the Orientals out of this.
Lets forget Pearl Harbor and move along. Kthx.

A Kramer theater organ was installed in the Central Theater in 1921.

This April 1954 view of Duffy Square shows the theatre at left as the Holiday, with Randolph Scott's "Riding Shotgun" as the current movie. By this time, the nearby Strand had been re-named Warner and was a showcase for Cinerama: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/duffy354.jpg

Here is an August 1967 ad from the NYT:
http://tinyurl.com/32xcjb

I only knew it as the Forum.

Bonnie and Clyde was released in the U.S. on August 13, 1967.

The Forum showing The Legend of Boggy Creek, 7/30/73

This theater seems to have had uncommonly sharp waves of up and down. One of the ups occurred when "Serpico" opened here in December 1973, and lined stretched around the block. It broke some house records there.
On another front, can anyone tell me if there's a Cinema Treasures blog for the now-defunct Worldwide Cinemas between Eighth Avenue and Ninth Avenue on, I think, West 49th or West 50th? Have tried all possibly variations on the name and keep coming up empty.

It is now the New World Stages, Ed.

Just located that blog, Al, thanks to you. Never would have been able to figure that out, and I no longer get to NYC to see for myself. Will read it now.
By the way, his strikes me as another excellent example where it would help if the blog were electronically cross-referenced (maybe that's impossible or too premature a request) or simply filed under the theater's best-known identity.
Again, thank you.

Ed, When you use the search area here. If it does not come up under current name, check the previous names box. It comes right up as New World Stages.

Thank you, William. I had not realized that search tool was there. I tried it successfully just now. It will save me a lot of time.

Having trouble keeping the checkmark box checked for this theater. I'm hoping that by adding once more to the blog, that'll do the trick.

It doesn't like to be called a blog.

Sorry! Please advise: What is the proper ... nomenclature?

Went here once, when I first landed in the city, to see The Serpent & The Rainbow. The place was big, but a pit. It reminded me of some of the 42nd Street grindhouses; filthy, sticky floors, broken seats and a noisy, scary crowd that bordered on homeless. Of course, I loved it. It disappeared shortly thereafter.

I never went here as a theater; only when it was Club USA. They did an incredible job is turning the theater into one of the legendary clubs of New York.

One of the distinctions was a second dance floor that was two levels higher than the orchestra section. It was designed by Tierry Mugler and was named after him. It had a very high ceiling and on one side of the room was a white stairway to nowhere where one could sit and see everyone who was dancing or see everyone lined up against the bar.

There was also a roof deck where you could see and hear the cacophony of Times Square.

Such a shame that this beautiful theater never made it to be a part of the new Times Square though it did contribute to its rebirth.

When the theatre became Movieland, it opened with Private Benjamin and not Any Which Way You Can. The October 10th, 1980 New York Times even features a "Warner Bros. welcome New York's newest movie house" blurb bordering the Movieland listing in its full page ad.

Renewing link.

As the Holiday.

http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=new+york&catpageindex=26&catpagesize=25&ProductID=31025

Movieland
http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=CATAdvancedSearch1%2c32%2c3%2c-1&catpageindex=136&ProductID=31091

Here is a photo circa 1956:
http://tinyurl.com/mzsgsh

Great shot of the statue. LOL

And not a bad shot of the theater either.

That ain't bad either.

Notice the huge, high, Capitol theatre sign to the right of the flag, near the horizon.

It looks like "Porgy and Bess" is playing at the Warner, which would date this photo 1959.

I miss the Automat ...

The last two engagements at the theatre were actually True Believer (first-run) and a moveover of The Fly II (from the National Twin). So that would likely estimate the closing date as March 23rd, 1989.

One of the greatest American films of all time had its NYC premiere engagement here in 1930: http://12.220.96.245/ProdDetail.aspx?prodId=2494&refprod=2365

On page 89 of Lou Stoumen's book, "Times Square: 45 Years of Photography," there is a picture looking down Broadway. The Forum is playing "Looking for Mr. Goodbar," apparently in 1977.

I remember when this theater was the Forum. My friend and I took the subway into Manhattan to see "Dr. Strangelove" at this theater. We were both 14. When we got there they were charging one price of $2.50 to see this film. I remember how outraged we were after usually spending .50 childrens-price at our local theaters in East New York, Brooklyn (LOL) I kind of remember we also saw Elvis in "Roustabout" at this theater. The only thing I really remember about this theater was that it didn't seem that large in comparision to other Manhattan theaters. But I will always remember our shock at that $2.50 admission price.

A correction on the introduction:

"In 1965, the Odeon became the Forum, and a decade later, the Forum 47th Street."

The Odeon became the Forum in mid-1959.

Portions of the marquee and entrance can be seen on the right side of this photo, which The New York Times dates as 1952: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/realestate/07scapes.html?scp=3&sq=Playland&st=cse

Here's a 1951 view as the Holiday Theatre with "Fugitive Lady." That year, the nearby Strand had been re-named the Warner Theatre and was presenting "Force of Arms," with "A Streetcar Named Desire" coming soon: http://www.brooklynpix.com/photoframex1.php?photo=/photo2/nyny119.jpg&key=NYNY 119