Strand Theatre

Following is a link to a photograph from 1943 showing the Strand's exterior in the background, complete with elaborate signage announcing a Humphrey Bogart movie.

The Strand never had 3,729 seats. When it first opened as the Mark Strand on April 11, 1914, news reports claimed 2,989 seats. The Theatre Historical Society of America's list of the largest USA theatres has the Strand as #106, sandwiched between the 2991-seat Circle in Philadelphia and the 2982-seat Loew's Akron in that Ohio city. After the Strand dropped stage shows in 1929 to become Broadway's largest "all-talkie" showcase, the seating capacity was reduced to about 2,750, which became a liability when the theatre was forced to resume stage shows in 1937 to meet the competition from the Paramount, Loew's State, Roxy, and Radio City Music Hall. The Capitol had also dropped stage shows by that time, but resumed them in 1943, providing even more competition for the Strand.

I was an usher at the NY Strand in 1942, the peak year of the Big Bands. Also appearing were great vaudeville acts. Some ushers worked at the theatre because of it's location near the Broadway legitimate stage, hoping for a break. King Donovan, one of the ushers made quite a few Hollywood films and was married to Imogene Coca. It's a shame that the present generation missed out on the wonderful palaces that are no longer around.

I believe my father might have the original pipe organ from this theatre. He purchased it in the 1970's from a man in Akron, Ohio who previously bought it from a Strand Theatre in New York. If anyone would have any information on this organ or more about the theatre itself, my father and I would greatly appreciate it!

On the DVD of Eugenie(Blue Underground DVD), on a short documentary, there is a shot of the front end of this theater during the Cinerama and Penthouse days. This would have been from August 1970, when Eugenie played at the Penthouse. You can also see some of the exterior area where the theater posters and ad displays were at.

WARNER CINERAMA 1912 [1952-1987]
BROADWAY AT 47TH ST
NEW YORK, NY
Cinerama 7-Channel Stereo [1953]
This Is Cinerama [1953]
Cinerama Holiday [1955]
Seven Wonders of the World [1956]
Search For Paradise [1957]
Cinerama-South Seas Adventure [1958]
70mm 6-Channel Stereo [1959]
Scent of Mystery [1960]
South Pacific [1978]
Cinerama [70mm] Stereo [November 1963]
It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World [1963]
Mediterranean Holiday (Cinerama) [1964]
The Greatest Story Ever Told [1965]
The Battle of The Bulge [1965]
Cinerama Russian Adventure [1966]
Khartoum [1966]
Grand Prix [1966]
2001 a space odyssey [1968]
Ice Station Zebra [1968]
Krakatoa - East of Java [1969]
Song of Norway [1970]

Did I or Didn't I see Hitchcock's TOPAZ there? I believe so.....

You could have. The list I posted are for the roadshow hard-ticket
reserved seat engagements only.

I believe you left out Porgy and Bess, Camelot, and Finians Rainbow.
You listed South Pacific in '78 which was a week revival. There were other films presented here in 70mm in revival at this time that did not open originally at this theater including My Fair Lady, Paint Your Wagon, Hello Dolly, and Oklahoma. Seeing them here on the cinerama screen was a revelation. Those films will never be seen that way in NY again. And I may be one of three people who considers it a loss.

It seems amazing now that during the heyday of stage shows at the Strand, Paramount, Capitol, etcetra, performers did four or five shows per day, seven days a week! And once they entered the theatres for the first show, they were pretty much confined there until the end of their last show. Can you imagine the current crop of entertainers doing that? I can't.

Finian's Rainbow played upstairs in The Penthouse not sure if Camelot did as well.

You can see the newsreel footage of the premiere on the DVD of "Camelot".

The press preview of "The Hallelujah Trail" was held at the Warner Theatre on May 21th of 1965. For the premiere at the Capitol Theatre, United Artists held the largest outdoor barbecue ever held on Broadway in connection with a 24 hour world premiere of the film.

I have a note that at the Cine Orleans, built in the Strand stagehouse, I saw Robert Aldrich's "The Legend of Lylah Clare" in 1968. It starred Kim Novak, Peter Finch and Ernest Borgnine and had (gasp! horrors! egads! amend the Constitution!) a lesbian theme.

The world premiere of "The Greatest Story Ever Told" was held Feb 15th 1965 at the Warner. It was a benefit of United Nations Association of the United States of America and the Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial Foundation. In Celebration of International Cooperation Year in the 20th Anniversary of the United Nations.

William, thank you for mentioning "Porgy and Bess" and "Camelot". I attended the World Premiere of "The Greatest Story Ever Told" at the Warner on Monday, 15 February 1965 and the Los Angeles premiere at Pacific's Cinerama Theatre on Wednesday, 17 February 1965. The film was an extraordinary cinematic work of art when seen in the curved screen 70mm Ultra Panavision process for Cinerama. My notes at the time clocked the film in at 221 minutes and a 15 minute intermission The running time was the same for the UA pre-screenings at the Warner even with the Alfred Newman (composer) music deletions and Handel and Verdi substitutes. The first edit-down was requested by UA in April 1965 (197 minutes) and UA made a final "bastardized" version March 1967 (141 minutes).

Scent of Mystery, mentioned above, was part of a brief attempt at smell-o-vision, where actual scents were piped into the auditorium to go along with the movie. Needless to say, it didn't catch on.

In other words, it stank (stunk?)!...Mike Todd, Jr. produced and distributed "Scent of Mystery," which had his onetime step-mother Elizabeth Taylor, in an unbilled "cameo" appearance. Besides being in Smell-O-Vision, it was photographed in Todd Color. Denholm Elliott, Beverly Bentley, Peter Lorre, Paul Lukas and Diana Dors topped the cast, with Jack Cardiff as director. Running time was 125 minutes, so it must have been quite odiferous. Perhaps Taylor could release it on home video, reeking with some of her perfume lines.

This theater always had two managers both who ran the theater for almost 40 years.The second floor or the penthouse was run by a man NICK G. The main floor was run by Genave.All the RKO theaters called this theater every night with daily box office #.

THIS THEATER WAS ONE OF THE FEW THAT HAD SMELL ARAMA WHEN THAT WAS A NEW IDEA IN MOVIES

An exterior photo of the Strand taken in 1937 can be seen in the Photo Gallery at www.nyc.gov/photoarchives It's in the section marked "Times Square, Grand Central & Penn. Station."

The Strand/Warner Twin closed during the spring of and was torn down during the summer of 1987.

Before this became the Warner Twin, RKO had dropped the Penthouse name and called it Cinerama 1 & 2.

Am not 100% sure, but I believe this is the theater in which I saw the premiere of "Grand Prix" Found this site with some info on 70mm movies:http://www.fromscripttodvd.com/70mm_in_new_york_1966.htm (scroll all the way down) it indicates the name of the theater as "[Stanley-Warner] Warner Cinerama" but there's nothing that comes close to that on this site. Can anyone confirm any of this? I recall watching this upstairs in the balcony and noticing the multiple beams of light from the seperate projectors (ambient smoke/dust making this visible). For a 8 year old kid, this action packed movie in 70mm and 6 track sound was pretty impressive. Thanks

One of the alternate ways this should be listed is RKO Cinerama. It was known that way for many years.

this could be listed many ways depends on what era you are from.

However, at this time, we only have a limited amount of "Also Known As" space in which to list former names of a theater, and I've added as many right now as can fit in the space (no space for the Penthouse, Cine Orleans, Cinerama 1 & 2).

When it was announced that the Cinerama was going to be demolished and an office building put in its place, it was also stated there would be a new multiplex theatre in the basement, similar to what happened with the Loews State. However, once the old theatre was down, the developer stated that plans changed and there would be no new theatre in the building at all. I doubt there was ever a plan for a new theatre, and it was a BS story on the part of the developer just to get the theatre down without a lot of noise from the public. The old theatres closing came at the same time as RKOs takeover by the Canadians (who were scrambling to get office space set up at 126 E. 56th St 20th flr. The RKO offices had been upstairs of the Cinerama Theatre). When the announcement came that there would be no new theatre, there was no fuss made about it by the Canadians in the trades.

RKO recieved a very generous multi-million dollar payout because of the loss of the basement theatres. I had a friend in the home office at the time.

So Schwartz and Landis kept the rights to the projected new theatre and didn't sell them to Cineplex with the rest of the company?

cinerama name had not been used for years so when you talk about the era of landis and schwartz you should call the theater warner twin.

The CANADIANS you mean CINEPLEX ODEON.

No joke =i am looking for info on movies that had SMELL ARAMA??????

There was an aborted Andy Kaufman film which was to have used a similar process. This is not really the place to go into details...I suggest a web search is in order.

i bring it up here because this was the theater that showed it.

The Cinerama name was used long after there was no more Cinerama. I think the last marquee and the change to Warner Twin was around 1980. The Cinerama had been a Cineplex Theatre, so they were the ones who got the payoff when the landlord changed the plans.

any help on SMELL ARAMA MOVIES THAT PLAYED HERE??????

If I recall correctly, the only "smelly" shown there was Mike Todd Jr.'s "Scent of Mystery," by which time the theatre had been re-named the Warner.

I think they played a film in the 80's by John Waters called Polyester.

"Polyester" was a pseudo "stinker." Patrons were only handed "scratch and sniff" cards to use. For real "stinkers," the entire auditorium was engulfed in scents appropriate to the scenes.

YES WARREN/ This theater had holes in the floor to the basement every other row/They had some kind of fan sytem blow the scent to the auditorium.I think this was in the 50s/ The manager NICk G was manager here for 40 years he was the only one ever to mention this smellarama .

They never put an office building on the site. It is now a Holiday Inn hotel. When RKo closed the Stanley theater in Phila in 1969 they also promised to build twin theaters and it never happened. The theater stayed closed and borded up for years. They finally put the stock market building on the site.

The Crowne Plaza Holiday Inn is one block north; an office building, 1585 Broadway, which serves as a home for Morgan Stanley, among other tenants, has occupied the former Strand site since 1989.

"Scent of Mystery" was released in 1960. Elizabeth Taylor made a cameo appearance in the movie as a favor to the producer, who had been her step-son. It may have planted an idea in her head to eventually go into the perfume business.

This site has incredible pictures of Cinerama Theatres in Europe and loads of info on Cinemiracle and "Wind Jammer". I am not sure if the Cinerama played Wind Jammer here on Broadway.

http://www1.tripnet.se/~adler/windjammer/vinterpalatset.html

"Windjammer" was shown at the Roxy Theatre. Further discussions of it can be found at the Roxy's listing.

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.

It's funny now when you look back but there was that time when X films played in regular theatres. Many of these were the higher budgeted features and many of them were soft core. There were hard core features shown also. RKO booked alot of these films in their theares at the time.

none played at the strand

I have a original 1918 Playbill, for the Silent Charlie Chaplin Movie "Shoulder Arms" that debute at the Strand Theater in 1918.
I'm interested in selling this rare collectable.
Contact:
hoyt1@usadatanet.net

Although no x-rated movies played at the Strand/Warner, they certainly played at the Cine Orleans, built on the old Strand stage with its entrance on 47th Street. I remember the Cine's facade was elaborate grillwork in the New Orleans style, but I never went inside.

Suuuurrrreee you never went inside LOL!

I wish I had! I've been in many others (see my comments on Boston's Pilgrim Theater, for example) but if I had known back then that it was part of the old Strand Theater I would have made a special trip. Ah, hindsight, so to speak.

There is a cartoon here that was drawn to promote RKO theatres.

www.cartoonresearch.com/vanbeuren.html

Just to clarify a few posts above...

The "Broadway Comes to Broadway" 70mmfestival in 1978 was spread into
both theaters. "Camelot", "My Fair Lady", "South Pacific" and "Paint Your Wagon" played in the Cinerama theater with it's deeply curved screen. "South Pacific" was slightly faded and was
the cut version (not original 2 hour 50 minute Roadshow) but was
still entertaining. The others were newer prints and had great color
and sound. "Oklahoma!" and "West Side Story" played the second theater which had a large silver screen and stadium seating but was
not curved. It was still a nice venue. "West Side Story" was a 35
Technicolor print with four track magnetic stereo sound. "Oklahoma!"
was a original Todd-AO print shown at 30 frames per second but was
completely faded. I sat through it just to hear the sound. Fortunately in 1982, Goldwyn made a new print that looked good although the skies were not as deeply blue as in the 1955 copies.
They showed it at 30 frames per second at one of the 3rd Ave. Block
cinemas (either Baronet or Coronet).

I also saw "Road Warrior" in 70mm at the curved screen Cinerama I but it looked pretty grainy. It was probably off a dupe 65mm negative which did not generate the same quality as the camera negative blow up prints like "Camelot" which looked quite good in the above mentioned festival. In the seventies they also played a heavily cut version of "Andy Warhol's Dracula" re-titled "Young Dracula" (gore and nudity cut) and rated R. I also saw the Richard Gere remake "Breathless" there. The trouble with Cinerama curved screens is that 1.85 movies didn't look good on them.

In Cinerama II with the flat screen, they played "Poltergeist" in 70mm which looked nice and "House of Wax" in 70mm 3-D which had orange color and was grainy although the sound was good.

It would appear that the "Oklahoma!" Todd AO print I saw in 1982 played Cinema I rather than the Baronet or Coronet. They didn't
advertise or promote it properly. I saw it twice and both screenings were nearly empty. The studio scenes looked sensational.
Some of the exterior opening scenes had washed out skies due to fading or improper timing since the new CinemaScope prints struck at
the same time also had de-saturated skies. I had seen original Technicolor prints of the film and know the skies were a deep blue.
It was not a liquid gate 70mm
print so the opticals were quite scratchy including the opening fade into the corn field. Overall though, it was quite a show.

***It would appear that the "Oklahoma!" Todd AO print I saw in 1982 played Cinema I rather than the Baronet or Coronet.***

While you're correct about this re-issue of "Oklahoma!" playing the Cinema I rather than the Coronet or Baronet, it actually played during 1983 not '82.

http://www.fromscripttodvd.com/70mm_in_new_york_1983.htm

http://www.fromscripttodvd.com/moviegoing_experience_book.htm

Michael,

Thanks for the clarification. I got confused because I believe the print was made in 1982. Todd-AO at 30 frames per second did have a three dimensional quality to it but was not adaptable to standard 35mm print downs at 24 frames per second. The first two
Todd-AO movies were shot twice simulatneously. "Oklahoma!" was filmed in 65mm at 30 frames per second and in 35mm Cinemascope at 24 frames per second. "Around the World in 80 Days" was shot twice in 65mm with the camera(s) at both 30 frames per second (for 70mm prints) and 24 frames per second (for 35mm Technicolor print downs).

It's really a pity that Goldwyn didn't utilize more hype and hoopla so people knew how rare the original Todd-AO screening of "Oklahoma!" was. Both screenings I attended were pretty empty which was sad. They had announced they were going to re-issue "South Pacific" in 70mm around the same time but the poor results from the former made them change their mind. I don't recall
it ever being shown in NYC in a new 70mm print although they did make new 35mm prints of Fuji stock for the repertory houses which looked pretty good. Too bad Goldwyn never restored the movie to the original Roadshow running time. I had a friend who saw some of the missing footage when he visited there. I don't know if this footage still exists or if it's too faded to do anything with now. A number of songs were heavily cut, especially "Wash that Man right outta my hair". You can hear the complete version on the CD of the soundtrack. The current version of the movie is missing a large chunk of the number. "Bloody Mary" was also trimmed.

As part of its policy for stage shows in Fall '49, the Strand presented "streamlined" versions of recent Braoadway musical comedies. Beginning on 30 September '49, with Gary Cooper in "Task Force" on screen, it offered "with a cast of forty" a version of "High Button Shoes," which Phil Silvers had starred in at the Winter Garden the previous season. On 20 October '49, with Bette Davis in "Beyond the Forest" on screen, it brought in the just-closed review with another "cast of forty," "Make Mine Manhattan." On 10 November '49, with a young-adult Shirley Temple in "The Story of Seabiscuit" on screen, it dusted off Olson and Johnson's review, "Laffs-a-Poppin'."

Here is a 1943 view of Times Square (showing sailors getting their shoes shined) with the Strand in the background.

The shoe shine spot is currently (2005) occupied by the Broadway Theatre Discount Booth (or whatever its official name is).

The renovated premises first opened as the RKO-Stanley Warner Triplex on the evening of July 30, 1968. The Cinerama Theatre presented "Petulia," simultaneously with the Plaza Theatre, where the film was already in the midst of a run. The Penthouse shared the NYC premiere of "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" with the Murray Hill. The Orleans had "For Love of Ivy," which was also in the midst of a run at the Fine Arts.

Thanks to a flood in my basement over this past rainy weekend, I just opened a carton of memorabilia sealed since the 1970s. Out fell a handfull of ticket stubs, including ones from row H110-12 in the Balcony @$1.80 for the 2:00 pm Saturday matinee showing, Nov. 26 1955, of "Cinerama Holiday." At the bottom of the drenched carton was the glossy program for the event, now spread out and drying along with dozens of co-mates across my living-room floor.

Did the Orleans always have its own separate entrance on 47th Street?

Yes. The Orleans occupied the former stage area of the Strand, and was inaccesible from the Broadway entrance.

Due to its affiliation with Warner Brothers, the Strand dropped stage shows in 1928 to show "talkies" exclusively. But ten years later, on August 26, 1938, it resumed the dual movie/stage policy. WB's "Boy Meets Girl," with James Cagney, was the first movie, accompanied by a stage bill headed by "The Old Maestro," Ben Bernie, singer Lila Deane, and dancer Betty Bruce...In September and October 1944, "Arsenic and Old Lace" had a smash six-week run at the Strand, with Charlie Barnet & His Orchestra, Kay Starr, Phil Barton, Peanuts Holland, West & Lexing, and the Edwards Sisters on stage. By that time, Frank Capra's movie version of the hit stage play was already three years old. The contract prohibited the movie's release until the Broadway original closed, which wasn't until that summer of '44.

It's too bad that Goldwyn did not show Oklahoma at the Cinerama and instead opened it at the Cinema 1. While it looked great this is simply not an upper East Side film(Though try explaining that to someone who works for a film company where total stupidity seems to be a requisite.) Of course the Rivoli would have been ideal but that was probably the problem.
I'd love to know from the above photo what the demolition crew found of the Strand under the interior of the walls installed for roadshow presentation. It would most likely make me weep.

"Blues in the Night," the WB drama that introduced the enduring song by Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer, played its first NYC engagement at the Strand in December, 1941. The stage show was topped by Count Basie & His Band, featuring vocalist Jimmy Rushing, aka "Mr. Five By Five." Another heavyweight on the bill was Hattie McDaniel, making her first NYC appearance since winning an 'Oscar' for "Gone With the Wind." McDaniel had been singing in vaudeville and nightclubs for many years, so it wasn't a new departure for her.

This theatre is identified as The Central and it's showing All Quiet on the Western Front. In the background you can see The Strand. What theatre is this??????????????

http://www.nytimes.com/nytstore/photos/newyork/amusements/NSAPMI31.html

http://www.nytimes.com/nytstore/photos/newyork/buildings/NSAP389.html

A pic from 1931

My quess, as only a occassional visitor to New York City over my many years, would be that it is what later was called the Forum 47th St. Theatre and even later the B.S.Moss Movieland Theatre. That theatre was located between the Strand and the Victoria and Astor Theatres on Times Square. Once again, this is only a quess. Anyone have any other ideas?!

I thought that but it seemed too close

Robert.....I believe the Central theater was later called Movieland. It should be this theater:
http://www.cinematreasures.org/theater/2925/

I rented the new DVD of "Finian's Rainbow" from Netflix because it had a full length commentary from Francis Ford Coppola. It was one of his first features and his first for a studio. It's a very entertaining commentary in which he describes what a Roadshow Engagement was and talks about 70MM. What I didn't know was the DVD has a 15 minute documentary of the World Premiere at The Penthouse Theatre on Broadway. Numerous shots of the marquee and it's sister theatre The Warner which was playing "2001". You could clearly see the old Latin Quarter across the street with Rick Nelson headlining. There are some shots of the outer lobby with the gilded mirror walls going up to the glass front doors. Fun to see, worth the rental.

If this board lists theatres by their last known names, (ie: Embassy 5, better known as the Victoria) why isn't this theatre listed as the Cinerama, Penthouse and Orleans? or even the Cinerama 1 & 2?

I bought Finian's Rainbow and you're right, the Penthouse premiere special is great. Plus, Francis Ford Coppola's commentary is priceless.

Most houses are listed by their last known names, but some are listed by their most famous names.

The photo mentioned by RobertR on 4/18/05 shows the Warner Bros. Theatre, originally known as the Piccadilly. One of its later names was the Republic. The theatre, which was situated on the east side of Broadway between 51st and 52nd Streets, was demolished decades ago to make way for the City Squire Hotel. I believe that the hotel has since been re-named.

Although no x-rated movies played at the Strand/Warner, they certainly played at the Cine Orleans, built on the old Strand stage with its entrance on 47th Street. I remember the Cine's facade was elaborate grillwork in the New Orleans style, but I never went inside.

Ah yes, I had the honor of meeting Gilda Radner who was appearing on Broadway in a show called "Lunch Hour". The show was at The Ethel Barrymore Theatre on W 47th right next to the Orleans. Indeed it was XXX in 1980 and as Gilda and I talked we were standing with the marquee blazing "Hair Pie".

X rated films did indeed play at the Cinerama Theatre. "Her, She & Him" (just before "Song of Norway" played there) and "Whirlpool".

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.

When did this theater close? Was it open into the 1980s? I caught a revival of the original STAR WARS in the summer of '83 at what I thought was the Movieland theatre, but someone on that thread said Star Wars was revived at this theatre. So, was the Strand open as late as '83?

The Warner Twin/Strand closed on February 8, 1987, hardbop.

So, this and the Movieland Cinema closed at roughly the same time/era. I must have seen STAR WARS here, though I must admit I cannot remember this cinema nor the nearby MOVIELAND. These two cinemas must have been right near each other -- a block or two apart -- if not next door.

Both the Forum 47th Street (Movieland) and the Cinerama/Penthouse/Orleans were on Broadway within a block or two of each other.

The Forum (original Central) and Strand were separated only by West 47th Street and corner stores.

Could someone point me in the direction of a theatre name that would have been diagonally across the street from the Strand. It was on Broadway on the east side of the street a block or two above the TKTS booth. It was a porno theater in the 1980s/90s before closing. I'd like to read the history of the theatre if it is listed here.

Sept 1972 RKO was day and dating this house along with the 59th St Twin and 86th St Twin. In the Penthouse was Jim Brown in Slaughter and in Cinerama 2 was Peter Sellers in "Where Does it Hurt", which was released by Cinerama Releasing.

I don't know where to post this, but was the Ed Sullivan Theatre, home to the Letterman show, ever a movie theatre? And, if so, where is it listed?

Not sure about whether it was a movie theater, but at that time it was known as the Adelphi Theater and was were the Honeymooners episodes were filmed with DuMont's Electronicam system (a film chain in which a a movie camera was positioned in front of a television monitor....essentially a Kinescope) http://www.pharis-video.com/p4589.htm

I don't think that the Ed Sullivan Theater (located on the west side of Broadway, between 53rd and 54th Sts.) was ever a movie theater, but I will have to look it up later. There are brief histories of it (with photos) in a number of theater books, including, I believe, William Morrison's "Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture," and Mary Henderson's "The City and the Theater."

The Adelphi Theater, which was where I think the one half-hour "Hooneymooners" series was done for its one season, is a different theater from the Ed Sullivan Theater and was located on the south side of 54th St., just east of Seventh Ave. Before and after housing the "Honeymooners" it was a "legit" Broadway theater that housed shows like "On the Town" and "No Strings." In its last years, the Adlephi was called the 54th St. Theater and the George Abbott Theater.

However, the Jackie Gleason show itself, which often included a "Honeymooners" sketch, was done, I believe, at the Ed Sullivan Theater in its New York days. At that time, the theater was called, according to the IBDB, CBS Studio No. 50.

For quick histories, both of these theaters are can be found on the Internet Broadway Database. (I'd post a link, but I've seen that sometimes this causes problems on the Cinema Treasures webpage.)

The Ed Sullivan Theatre was opened as Hammerstein's Theatre and the Adelphi/54th Street/George Abbott opened as the Craig Theatre. I don't believe either showed movies.

Benjamin, I'm not sure what problems you mean, but you're welcome to post links to ibdb.com if you'd like. Thanks,

Bryan Krefft
Cinema Treasures

I posted in the Adelphi page and there's more info regarding this here: http://cinematreasures.org/theater/3354/

I hate writing this on the Strand page, but there was a theatre on Seventh Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets I believe. It was on the East Side of the street and was long closed. The theater had been converted into a Woolworth's, then they knocked Woolworth's down and it was a parking lot for a while before an office building went up. Lehman Brothers is the tenant in the building.

I remember when they were about to take the Woolworth's down the Times ran a piece about someone who got into Woolworth's and got above the ceiling and was admiring what was left of the theater detail. The developer was nervous because he didn't want any obstacles in taking the building down if anything architecturally significant was found.

Was this building a live theater or a movie theater?

Hardbop, you're thinking of the Earl Carroll Theatre, which opened in 1923 and was drastically modernized in 1931. The second version lasted only two years before conversion into a nightclub and eventually into a portion of a Woolworth's store. It was a "legit" playhouse, especially for revues by producer Earl Carroll. In its dark periods, there were a few movie bookings, but not, IMHO, to qualify the theatre as a cinema. The address was 753 Seventh Avenue, with a subsidiary entrance around the corner on 50th Street.

There is a section on the Earl Carroll Theater, including a number of photos, in the book "Lost Broadway Theatres". The theater was an art-deco extravaganza.

On November 4, 1961 the Warner was day and dating "Susan Slade" with Trans-Lux 52nd St. That day only they advertised "Come meet Troy Donahue and Connie Stevens in our lobby for free autographed pictures". Gone are the days !!

There are also photos of the amazing interiors of the Earl Carroll Theater in William Morrison's "Broadway Theaters: History and Architecture." This book is one of those inexpensive Dover paperback picturebooks. The list price is $17.95, but brand new copies were on sale at Manhattan's Strand Bookstore (Bdway & 12th St.) a few weeks ago for about the same price as they are on Amazon ($12.21). (By the way, at the Strand Bookstore there were also a few used copies of one of the great books on movie palaces, "The Best Remaining Seats," for about $30.00, I think.)

The Morrison book is terrific and has many wonderful photos of old Broadway theaters. Although the primary focus is on Broadway "legit" theaters, many of the theaters in the book also showed movies at one time or another and are thus listed on the Cinema Treasures website.

One Amazon reviewer said the book contained a good number of factual errors, which may be true since I believe I was able to detect a few myself. (But to be fair to the author, I don't know how the number of errors in his book compares with the the number found in other books -- all these books seem to have at least some errors.)

According to someone I knew who ventured there in the late 40s/early 50s the first show would be at 10am. A stage show, then movie, stage show and movie. Xavier Cugat with Abbe Lane. The Ritz Brothers, The Count Basie Band with Billy Eckstine. Always a juggler, a comedian and then the headliner. Phil Spitalny and his All-Girl Orchestra featuring Evelyn and Her Magic Violin.

Here is Cinerama Holiday from 1955.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/CineramaHoliday.jpg

The Strand Theatre in Providence was completed a year after this New York Strand, was named after it, and imitated its architecture and decor.

Charles Chaplin's The Gold Rush opened at the Strand on August 16, 1925, with Chaplin in attendance. He later recalled in his 1964 My Autobiography, "From the moment the film started, showing me blithely rounding a precipice unconscious of a bear following, the audience yelled and applauded. Throughout the laughter there was sporadic applause till the end of the picture."

Here the Cinerama day and dated with Harlems Apollo and Roosevelt in 1971. I don't think the Roosevelt is on here yet.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/BlackJesus.jpg

Hard to believe that Black Jesus is actually a 1968 Italian film called Seduto alla sua destra, ("Seated on his Right"), directed by Valerio Zurlini.

And just a few months before the Cinerama was playing Song of Norway with Florence Henderson.

This October 1963 ad announces the upcoming release of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". It's from the Bergen Record in NJ, which explains "in less than an hour you can be there" ... if only that were still possible today.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/billhuelbig/madworld.jpg

Seems that when Mediterranean Holiday played the Cinerama it was continuous performances and now roadshow.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/MediterraneanHoliday.jpg

I'd like to find out more about the Strand signage during the depression years - anyone have any ideas where I could look for info on that? One thing I'd like to know in particular is what colour the bulbs were, and if possible, how they blinked. Seems like this might be the sort of thing that muray would know, since he actually worked there - anyone know how I might get in touch with him?

The immortal "Song of Norway"
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/SongofNorway.jpg

RobertR: "Mediterranean Holiday": I don't remember that one at all. Since "Anatomy of a Marriage" had opened in Oct. '64, the Cinerama film must have followed in its wake, no? Was it a wholly new Cinerama production? or was it a compilation of travelogue scenes from "This is C" (the Spanish bullfight), "C Holiday" (Monaco), and "Seven Wonders of the World" (Egypt, Istanbul, Greece)?

I've never seen "Mediterranean Holiday" but can provide the following that may help you in researching more about the title:

Country of origin: West Germany
Original title: "Traumreise Unter Weissen Segeln"
English-language alternate title: "Flying Clipper"
Original Photography: MCS Superpanorama 70
New York premiere: Dec. 16, 1964

Prior to the 70mm/Cinerama release, this was shown shown briefly in a New Jersey theater in a short-lived multi-panel format called Wonderama.

Generally promoted as a "Cinerama" presentation, though some engagements promoted something called "CineVision." I do not know if this ever got a conventional 35mm release.

Michael Coate-- Thanks. "A Dream Trip under White Sails"--sounds as though it were competing with "Windjammer" as well. This one completely slipped under my radar. It must have been the very last Cinerama-style travelogue, no?

The Strand in 19http://www.vintagephotos.com/Image%20162%20Old%20Man%20Feeds%20Pigeons.htm42

Sorry that got messed up, the Strand in 1942
http://www.vintagephotos.com/Image%20162%20Old%20Man%20Feeds%20Pigeons.htm

The Strand photo is probably from 1949. There's a roof billboard for "Samson & Delilah" in the background. Also, this is a more modern marquee than the Strand's of 1942. My failing eyesight is unable to read what's listed, but the larger corner sign says that Gordon MacRae was starring on stage, and he was an unknown in 1942.

I think the Strand marquee says "Hasty Heart", a Ronald Reagan/Patricia Neal movie from 1949.

Yes, the (um) Great Communicator's film opened at the Strand on 20 January, 1950, about a month after Cecil B. DeMille's epic premiered at the Rivoli and Paramount.

"Mediterranean Holiday" was a Walter Reade attempt to cash in on the Cinerama craze. It was indeed a travelogue flop which may explain the continuous showings.

Cineplex Odeon expected to go back into this site with a new sixplex as per their contract but settled out of court after the World Wide deal was signed.

The corner sign also says with Gordon MacRae was Mimi Benzell. She appeared on the "Toast of the Town" show during the 50's.

" I do not know if this ever got a conventional 35mm release. "

Seems "Mediterrean Holiday" did open in 35mm paired with "Manchurian Candidate" in 1965.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/MedHolidayManchurian.jpg

Saw a 1970 film here called 'Whirlpool'.

I saw the sequel, Maytag....sorry, couldn't resist!

I saw the sequel, Maytag....sorry, couldn't resist!

Here is a double ad from August 1965 for both of Manhattan's Cinerama theaters:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/billhuelbig/cinerama2.jpg

Not only are both these theaters dead, but so is the newspaper this ad is from, the New York Journal-American.

Nice. But I would find it even more tantalizing to see the listing on the right of what was playing in all those theatres at that time!

Gerald
I was thinking the same thing :)

The ad to the right is the directory, the ones you see, are the display ads. In many papers, the directory is a concise list with times, and the display was an extra, paid for with co-op money. In this case, the directory has quite a few more theatres than are listed in the display.

I should have anticipated that the directory would be well appreciated by the Cinema Treasures regulars! I'll post it here when I get home from work tonight.

Here is an area directory of theaters from the Aug. 11, 1965 issue of the New York Journal-American. Considering most of the titles on view here, the concept of the "summer movie" had not yet taken hold.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/billhuelbig/directory3.jpg

The theatre was renovated yet again in 1963 for the premiere engagement of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, World," its first presentation in single projector Cinerama. Two of its three projection booths were removed, and sections of the proscenium arch were elimated to make way for a larger screen measuring 81' x 30', according to a news report of the time. The seating capacity was reduced to 1,504 (2,989 originally).

Ah, the Cine Orleans. That's where I, as a lad of 15 saw my first adult movie. At the time I was going to some of the Times Square houses to look over the archtiecture, and revel in its past glories (no I really did). But what an experience. Due to an incident I would rather not discuss, my first trip to the Orleans was also my last.

On the second floor of the Strand Theatre there were rehearsal rooms where I rehearsed with the Kaye Gorham Dancers and if anyone out there remembers, the terrific violinist Florian Zabach rehearsed there.

Florian Zabach's great show-stopping solo was "The Hot Canary." It brought the house down every time he performed it.

I can still hear him playing The Hot Canary at rehearsals. It was fabulous, the best version I have ever heard

1968 "Finians Rainbow" opened roadshow upstairs
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/FiniansRainbowatCinerama.jpg

Here's a 1930 exterior image of the Strand, by which time it had dropped stage shows to demonstrate the superiority of the sound movies pioneered by Warner Brothers. The smaller marquee to the right was for the Mayfair Roof, a nightclub that occupied several floors of the Broadway portion of the building:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/128-2844_IMG.jpg

Here is a 1940 image:
http://cache.gettyimages.com/comp/3233117.jpg?x=x&dasite=MS_GINS&ef=2&ev=1&dareq=E867AE27E965DB112749DA1CBAD1A29F

Caption:
circa 1940: Moviegoers queue up around the block, outside the Stand Theater in Times Square, New York City. Director Raoul Walsh's film, 'They Drive By Night,' is billed on the marquee. (Photo by A. E. French/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Darn it. go to www.gettyimages.com and search for image number 3233117.

Here are two images of the original decor in the auditorium. I seriously doubt that any of it remained by the end. Were those The Strandettes depicted in the mural above the stage?:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/131-3121_IMG.jpg

Maybe a lot of it remained at the end. Remember that when theaters were reduced in size in the fifties to change them to roadshow houses they in effect built smaller cinemas within the larger ones almost reducing seating by half. Therefore it would be perfectly feasable and cheaper just to cover up the old decorative walls and not destroy them. In fact it would seem to me from the way the screen covered the original procenium in the Rivoli for it to have been intact until the theater was split in two and the store built on 7th av. Now if before the era of wide screen the theater had been modernized that would be a different story.
Does anyone remember the Strand pre Cinerama?

Here's a sample proof of the 1940 image mentioned by TC. Please note the "tough guys" standing on the corner. I suspect that they were fans of George Raft, who was one of the stars of "They Drive By Night" and appearing on stage at the Strand that day:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/3233117.jpg

This crowd scene in Duffy Square was probably taken on Election Night, 1949, but I can't say for sure. The first-run booking at the Gotham consisted of two jungle adventures released by Eagle Lion, the second being a documentary filmed in the Belgian Congo:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/135-3552_IMG.jpg

"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.

Warren--

That's an excellent guess for the date. The election of NYS Democrat Senator Herbert Lehman and NYC Democrat Mayor John O'Dwyer on 8 Nov. '49 was widely viewed as a bellweather for the future of both parties after the Dems' dominance during the war years. The Republican candidates conceded defeat by 10:45 pm on Election Night, headline-flashed at Times Square.

I'm intrigued that the NY Times supported both Republicans, John Foster Dulles for Senator on grounds of his expertise in foreign affairs, and Newbold Morris for Mayor on grounds of his opposition to Tammany Hall.

All that seems so remote now, but Bette Davis's signature line from "Beyond the Forest" at the Strand that night remains fresh as a daisy, and not just through its transmogrification by Edward Albee: "What a dump!"

Saps--

You beat me to the Dump while I was busy looking up the election results of '49. Sorry to repeat your post. The line still remains fresh as a daisy.

"Beyond the Forest" and "Make Mine Manhattan" opened at the Strand on October 22, 1949. They were followed on November 11 by "The Story of Seabiscuit," but, unfortunately, reviews failed to give details of the ss (I presume that there was one). On November 23, the Milton Berle disaster, "Always Leave Them Laughing," opened at the Strand, with "Fiesta in Havana" ss topped by Desi Arnaz and Diosa Costello. This lasted until the Christmas holiday booking on December 16, which consisted of "The Lady Takes a Sailor" and ss headed by The Ravens, Dinah Washington, Frank Marlowe, and Max & Gang.

Mildred and the Three Stooges:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/135-3588_IMG.jpg

With Shirley Temple, Barry Fitzgerald, and Lon McAllister holding the screen in “The Story of Seabiscuit,” the Strand’s stage show was Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson’s “Laffz-a-poppin of 1949,” a review that had toured nationally with “Forty Mad Merrymakers … and a Glamour Chorus of Dancing De-Lovelys.” Its young male singer was Bill Hayes, who went on to strike several hit singles in the ‘50s (notably Disney’s “Song of Davy Crockett”) and then to act for thirty-four years as “Doug Williams” on TV’s “Days of Our Lives.” His songs in “Laffz-a-poppin” included “It’s a Big, Wide, Wonderful World” and “Brazil.”

Here, from Hayes’s website, is the singer-actor’s description of Olsen and Johnson’s “old-fashioned vaudeville/burlesque-style show”: “All the very broad comedy centered around Chic and Ole, using endless props and funny costumes, stooges, outrageous puns, crossovers and hilarious sight gags. No profanity or smut, just silly, home-spun Midwestern humor. The female lead was Chic’s daughter June Johnson. The craziest stooge was Ole’s son J. C. Olsen. Marty May, husband of June Johnson, did his Palace Theatre act and worked in all the sketches. Stooges included six Eastern European little people (adult midgets, former acrobats), Nina Varela (former opera singer turned baggy-pants comic), Billy Kaye and Barone Hopper (musical hall performers from Australia), Maurice Millard (female impersonator from South Africa), two second-bananas from burlesque, and six stuntmen from Hollywood doing the big fight sequence in the Western Sketch. Also there were several circus clowns, vaudeville acts (Mata & Hari, Nirska, Gloria Gilbert, one-legged tap-dancer Jack Robbins), “flash acts” (Step Brothers, Clark Brothers). Mayhem! But all planned and timed to perfection.”

Yum. Around this time, the RKO nabe circuit ran a revival of Olsen and Johnson’s “Hellzapoppin” (1941, with Martha Raye), and the team made a personal live appearance at my local RKO Dyker. My folks couldn’t resist bringing me to see it.

But “Mildred” and “The Three Stooges”: now that’s an inspired pairing. The show opened on 28 Sept. 1945. I truly wish I had been there.

Which theatre worked better as a twin the Strand/Warner/Cinerama or Loew's State? How did the downstair theatres compare and the balcony theatres? brucec

Olsen & Johnson were credited only as producers of "Laffz-A-Poppin' of 1949" when it was staged at the Strand. They did not perform in it. According to the opening day ad in The New York Times, the cast was headed by comedian Marty May, J.C. Olsen, June Johnson, Willie Young, and Bill Hayes, with support from the "Dancing DeLovelys Chorus."

Olsen & Johnson were credited only as producers of "Laffz-A-Poppin' of 1949" when it was staged at the Strand. They did not perform in it. According to the opening day ad in The New York Times, the cast was headed by comedian Marty May, J.C. Olsen, June Johnson, Willie Young, and Bill Hayes, with support from the "Dancing DeLovelys Chorus."

Warren--

Yes. I read that ad differently to imply that O and J actually performed in it. Caveat lector emptorque! I wonder how many were fooled by the wording. The next time I've got access to Variety in the library, I'll check the house review for that stage show to see just what it offered.

Last 26 March above, I commented on the Strand's presentation of recently-closed B'way musicals in abridged versions during that Fall of '49. On 30 September '49, with Gary Cooper in "Task Force" on screen, it staged "with a cast of forty" a version of "High Button Shoes," which Phil Silvers had starred in at the Winter Garden the previous season. On 20 October '49, with Bette Davis in "Beyond the Forest" on screen, it brought in the just-closed review "Make Mine Manhattan," with another "cast of forty." I wonder how many of these forty cast-members were in-house Strand performers and how many were veterans of the original productions? And how many of the sets were hold-overs from the legits?

Warren--

Yes. I read that ad differently to imply that O and J actually performed in it. Caveat lector emptorque! I wonder how many were fooled by the wording. The next time I've got access to Variety in the library, I'll check the house review for that stage show to see just what it offered.

Last 26 March above, I commented on the Strand's presentation of recently-closed B'way musicals in abridged versions during that Fall of '49. On 30 September '49, with Gary Cooper in "Task Force" on screen, it staged "with a cast of forty" a version of "High Button Shoes," which Phil Silvers had starred in at the Winter Garden the previous season. On 20 October '49, with Bette Davis in "Beyond the Forest" on screen, it brought in the just-closed review "Make Mine Manhattan," with another "cast of forty." I wonder how many of these forty cast-members were in-house Strand performers and how many were veterans of the original productions? And how many of the sets were hold-overs from the legits?

BOBill, the opening day advertising was very misleading, with names of Olsen & Johnson in large type. Apparently there were many complaints from the deceived, as the type was reduced in size in later ads...The Strand did not employ regular stage performers except for orchestra musicians, so the casts of those shows must have come from the outside, and were probably from the original Broadway productions whenever possible (some people might have gone on to other jobs).

I just rented from Netflix a documentary called Broadway: The Golden Years. It is remanences by veteran Broadway performers. Throughout the film is footage of Times Square and 42nd Street through the ages. There are shots of the Astor, the Victoria, & the Paramount. There is a great shot of The Strand from 1946 playing "Devotion" starring Ida Lupino and Paul Henreid.

Thanks for the tip, BobT.

In his Memoirs, famed playwright Tennessee Williams wrote amusingly of working as an usher at the Strand in 1943:

"A friend was employed in 1943 at the old Strand Theatre on Broadway as an usher, and, knowing that I was between profitable engagements, he told me that the Strand was in need of a new usher and that I might get the job provided I fit the uniform of my predecessor. Luckily it happened that this former usher was about my height and of similar build. I was put on the job. The attraction at the Strand was that World War II classic, Casablanca, which was an early starring vehicle for Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart, both hot as blazes; the cast also included that fabulously charismatic 'Fat Man,' Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre and Paul Henreid, and there was Dooley Wilson playing and singing that immortal oldie, 'As Time Goes By.' In those days, with an attraction like that, the movie houses of Broadway were literally mobbed and aisles had to be roped off by the ushers to restrain the patrons till they could be seated. It was my job, at first, to guard the entrance to one of these aisles, and at an evening performance an enormously fat lady broke through the velvet rope and started to charge down the aisle, evidently intending to occupy a seat on the screen, and when I attempted to restrain her, she struck me over the head with a handbag that seemed to contain gold bricks. The next thing I remember I was still employed at the Strand but I was now situated near the entrance, in a spot of light, and directing traffic with white-gloved hands. 'This way, ladies and gentlemen, this way, please,' and 'There will be a short wait for all seats.' And somehow, during the several months' run of Casablanca, I was always able to catch Dooley Wilson and 'As Time Goes By.'

"The pay was seventeen dollars a week, which covered my room at the 'Y' and left me seven dollars for meals. And I loved it..."

I wonder if Williams really worked at the Strand? If I recall correctly, "Casablanca" opened at the Hollywood Theatre, though it might have later been "moved over" to the Strand. However, if it was, it would not have played at the Strand for "several months." It would have been for a few weeks at most, and with a stage show in support. The Hollywood and Strand were both run by Warner Brothers, which might have caused Williams to confuse the two theatres. But I'm only guessing.

Warren, I thought of that too, but on the Hollywood page, a poster refers to that engagement of Casablanca as a pre-release engagement. Perhaps it did move over to the Strand.

Casablanca was a Thanksgiving release that played at the Hollywood for ten weeks going right through Christmas and New Year and then moving to the Strand for another five weeks. Even at that, five weeks was a long run for the Strand though the Hollywood generally held movies for much longer.

I don't doubt that "Casablanca" moved to the Strand, as it was a very popular movie. But Williams said the theatre he worked at ran it for three months, and that's close to the ten weeks that "C" played at the Hollywood. Five weeks at the Strand would be about a month and one week. Also, TW doesn't mention anything about stage shows running at the Strand, which was the policy at the time. Given that both the Strand and Hollywood eventually carried the name Warner for a time, Williams in later life might have confused the two theatres. But again, that's only a guess.

A collage of Billie Holiday's 1948 stage booking with Count Basie's Band, with "Key Largo" on screen:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/billie.jpg

1957 "Search for Paradise"
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/oldyeller.jpg

According to this 1982 ad the re-release of the House of Wax played the Cinerama in 70mm.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/makinglove.jpg

Here are pages from a souvenir program for the third Cinerama film, “Seven Wonders of the World.” It opened at the Warner on 10 April, 1956, displacing the second Cinerama film, “Cinerama Holiday,” which had run for over a year. By now the travelogue formula was becoming a bit pat, and it would meet serious and imaginative competition the following October when Michael Todd’s “Around the World in Eighty Days” opened at the Rivoli across the street two blocks to the north.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/cinerama7wonders1.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/cinerama7wonders2.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/cinerama7wonders3.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/cinerama7wonders4.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/cinerama7wonders5.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/cinerama7wonders6.jpg

I was surprised to find that Tay Garnett had a hand in the direction, less surprised to find that Andrew Marton did. Garnett’s career ended shortly afterwards with “Night Fighters.” Marton is perhaps best known for his work on the astonishing location sequences of the 1950 “King Solomon’s Mines.”

When visting Macy's you could buy fashions inspired by "Song of Norway". Plus long before theatres took charge cards you could buy roadshow tickets for the RKO Cinerama and put them on your Macy's charge.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/SongofNorway.jpg

There is an ad here for "Krakatoa East of Java" in Cinerama.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/DaringYoungMeninJauntyJalopies.jpg

Many, many thanks to Patrick Crowley and his staff for technical improvements over the long weekend. We’re all deeply grateful for the pleasures that this site provides. Bravo for your hard work.

Here’s one post that I wanted to make last Saturday, 26 November. As the Warner ticket stubs will show, it’s for a Saturday matinee screening of the second Cinerama feature, “Cinerama Holiday,” exactly fifty years ago to the prime. The weekdays that Thanksgiving weekend occupied the same calendar dates. Here’s the program:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/choliday8.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/choliday.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/choliday2.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/choliday3.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/choliday4.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/choliday6.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/choliday7.jpg

Few things electrified moviegoers more than “This Is Cinerama” in ‘52-’53. It seemed like an eternity before this tepid follow-up appeared in ’55. Did anyone care? Those boys at pre-co-ed Dartmouth look awfully sullen. Those priests at pre-Vatican-II Notre Dame look awfully caged. Copy for the scenario is all thumbs. Yet it was Cinerama, and we sent away for reserved seats months in advance. I wonder what fashionable NYC hotel our deputy gadabouts dined at? The table displays no sign of palatable food or drink. Were the ‘50s really like that?

The water stains on this program were incurred by a flood in my basement last April. Until then, along with others in my collection, it had sat boxed up since a late ‘70s house-move. If not for that flood, I wouldn’t have opened these cartons.

Under its original name of Strand, the theatre's last program was WB's "Along the Great Divide" and stage revue entitled "Parisian Follies." After a brief closure for renovations, the Stand became the Warner and dropped stage shows, re-opening July 3, 1951, with "Stangers On A Train," followed by "On Moonlight Bay," July 26; "Force of Arms," August 13; "Painting The Clouds With Sunshine," August 31; "A Streetcar Named Desire," September 19; "Come Fill The Cup," November 21; "The Tanks Are Coming," December 5; "Starlift," December 14; "Distant Drums," December 25; "Room For One More," January 15, 1952; "The Big Trees," February 5; "Retreat Hell," February 19; "Bugles In The Afternoon," March 4. Many of these bookings were unprofitable, causing the Warner to add stage shows, starting April 5 with "Jack And The Beanstalk" and ss with Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five, Ella Mae Morse, Harvey Stone, and Gene Nelson; April 23, "Mara Maru" and ss of the complete Ballet Theatre company in performances of their most popular numbers, including "Rodeo" and "Princess Aurora"; May 9, "The San Francisco Story" and ss with Carmen Cavallaro & His Orchestra, The Honey Dreamers, The Albins, and the TV dreamboat known as "The Continental"; May 23, "About Face" and ss with Mindy Carson, Alan Carney, The Beachcombers, Elaine Dunn, and the Three Asia Boys. During this engagement, it was announced that the Warner would close for the summer, with no explanation given. By November, it was still closed, but Variety reported that management was considering a proposal for a French vaud-film policy, as well as another for Spanish films. However, nothing developed until June 5, 1953, when the Warner re-opened with a move-over of "This Is Cinerama" from the Broadway Theatre, where it had just finished its 35th week. The Warner had been renovated and its seating capacity reduced to 1,535, which was still more than the 1,250 at the Broadway...I'm running out of time, so I will have to finish this post later today or tomorrow.

The Warner was closed for nearly a year in 1952-53, though the final months were due to the renovations required for Cinerama. This was during a period when Warner Brothers was withdrawing from exhibition to conform with the Federal anti-trust decree. The new and separately owned theatre company, Stanley-Warner, inherited the Strand, but lost its franchise for WB films, which started going, though not exclusively, to the Paramount Theatre, which was larger than the Strand and could offer better terms. Stanley-Warner also had first-run theatres similar to the Strand in other cities and needed to find alternate product for them, so it purchased the controlling interest in Cinerama Productions after getting approval from the Federal government. The Strand and some of the other S-W theatres were converted to Cinerama and eventually took that name, retaining it even after the Cinerama process became defunct.

When I saw "Song Of Norway" at this theatre, it had sadly lost the
beauty of its original interior design. As I recall, the movie was not too good.

Though I avoided SON at the time as Florence Henderson in a big wide screen movie seemed like cruel and unusual punishement I wish now I had gone. It was my only chance to just to have seen some sort of Cinerama film there.
This was the movie that Kael said had been made by trolls. Does anyone know if it is really that bad?

Vincent,
Not really a bad movie. The best part was a very good stereo music track when heard off a 70mm print in a Cinerama Theatre.
I saw it twice at the Colonial Cinerama Theatre in Hartford.
They used the London Symphony Orchestra for the track.
I think the Producers tried too hard to make another Sound Of Music.

The performances in "Song of Norway" was stiff. The entire picture was missing a spontaneity. I still have the soundtrack recording. The original Broadway production was much better. Of course, this is my opinion.

I have SONG OF NORWAY on VHS and it is painful watch. Its sort of like watching THE SOUND OF MUSIC scenery with polka tunes and no plot.

I have SONG OF NORWAY on VHS and it is painful watch. Its sort of like watching THE SOUND OF MUSIC scenery with polka tunes and no plot.

I have SONG OF NORWAY on VHS and it is painful watch. Its sort of like watching THE SOUND OF MUSIC scenery with polka tunes and no plot.

Some images of the original Strand auditorium:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/nystrand2.jpg
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/nystrand3.jpg
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/nystrand5.jpg

The original lobby. After going through the entrance doors, you were nearly in the last rows of orchestra seats. Staircases led to a mezzanine promenade that overlooked those seats:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/strandlobby.jpg
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/strand14.jpg

Fantastic shots, Warren. SONG OF NORWAY does this place no justice. The environment obvoulsy made the film more than it was. A concept lost, I am afraid

My Mom saw "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" here in '63 or '64 and purchased the souvenir program. I took a few shots from the booklet - which is in pretty sad state due to my handling of it as a child. I remember watching IAMMMMW when it was broadcast on network TV in the early '70's and pouring over this booklet in the living room of my house in Elmhurst. One of my favorite all time movies... I wish a restoration of the full roadshow version would come to light some time before I leave this mortal coil.

Souvenir cover page
Caricature fold-out
Fold-out legend
Single lens Cinerama
Facts and figures

Also check out images of the souvenir booklet for "How the West Was Won" on the Capitol Theater site as well as a 1978 behind-the-scenes booklet about Radio City Music Hall.

Ed Solero: The "MMMMW" souvenir program I purchased at the Boyd Theatre in Philadelphia during its Cinerama showing has the Cinerama logo on the front cover under Stanley Kramer's name. However, when I saw the movie again during its "regular showings" at Cinerama engagements, the program was the same except the Cinerama logo had been removed.

Ed Solero: The "MMMMW" souvenir program I purchased at the Boyd Theatre in Philadelphia during its Cinerama showing has the Cinerama logo on the front cover under Stanley Kramer's name. However, when I saw the movie again during its "regular showings" after Cinerama engagements, the program was the same except the Cinerama logo had been removed.

Dennis... My Mom's memory might be faulty. I did some checking and found precisely the same information that you are providing first hand. The booklet I posted must be from a non-Cinerama engagement. Mom might have been confused about having seen the true Cinerama presentation of "How the West Was Won" (she brought over both booklets on the same day and she had lots of memory to jog over to recall where she had seen these films). She might have seen "IAMMMMW" during its original roadshow run, but she definitely picked this booklet up when she saw it again after the film had a wider release. If anyone has a newspaper ad for the movie's general release, I'd love to see it and verify which theater Mom purchased the booklet.

A night view from 1941:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/strandatnight.jpg

Great color shot, Warren. I wonder what's with that big telescope in the foreground that is apparently positioned at the northern end of Duffy Square (where TKTS now takes up residence)?

This is a very interesting concept, I wonder if it made any money?
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/superfight.jpg

Fight films and live feeds made money but not worth the trouble. The crowds were rowdy and violent and often tore the place apart, especially when the signal failed. Brooklyn theatres had a particularly tough time with staff abuse and shootings.

Downstairs, a modern classic and tour de force for director Martin Scorcese and his star Robert Deniro; Upstairs, Lee Majors tops a low budget double bill:

Daily News 12/12/80

Meanwhile, around the corner in the Strand's old stage house we found a "New Policy!":

Daily News 12/9/80

Sorry for the blurry image.

By the way, check out the ad for "Cheerleader's Wild Weekend" in that first image (booked at the nearby Times Square Theater on 42nd Street and all along the faded RKO circuit), a film with which Leon Isaac Kennedy had absolutely NOTHING to do with!!! What chutzpah on the part of the Aquarius Films in advertising that one, eh?

Does anyone know how much of the original decor as pictured in Warren's photos from January made it to the 50's before the house was redesigned for Cinerama?

In March of 1982, Hitchcock made a return to Times Square as part of the brief '80's resurgence of the 3D gimmick:

NY Post 3/6/82

A quick peak at the Movie Clock shows that the cheesy horror flick "Evilspeak" (wherein Ron's brother Clint Howard channels evil demons through his computer) was playing upstairs while day-and-dating with the Times Square on 42nd street. Something called "Woman In Love" (not to be confused with the Ken Russell film of DH Lawrence's "Women in Love") was playing backstage at the Orleans.

Notice that every one of the films advertised on that page was booked into a Times Square theater (not counting any of the 42nd Street grinds)... Not a single screen on 7th Ave or B'way exists in the area today.

Vincent, in response to your June 19th question, I was in the Theatre
for the first time in the Spring of 1962 for THE LONGEST DAY.
I would guess that nothing at all changed since they put Cinerama in
early 1953 after moving it over from the Broadway.At that time I'm sure they had to take out the side boxes.
It was the old red curtain in front of the still existing proscenium arch and by 1962 they had expanded Baker Booth for the 3 Century 70mm
machines. Able and Charly booths were still there. Other than that I don't think any other changes were ever done until the massive remodeling of late 1963 for MAD, MAD WORLD.

Here is a cluster of 3 big roadshow epics playing within a couple of blocks of each other on B'way in the late fall of 1963:

NY Daily News 11/23/63

Of course, the big news of the day had been the previous day's assassination of President Kennedy and the capture of suspect Lee Harvey Oswald at the Texas Theater in Dallas. By that Monday, the late President was being laid to rest and a day of National mourning had been declared. The show did go on however for "IAMMMMW" and the other B'way attractions as evidenced in the ad in that day's paper annoucing the week's Thanksgiving holiday performance schedule:

NY Daily News 11/25/63

Note how the title of Stanley Kramer's epic had already seeped into the popular lexicon as evidenced by the critic's quote used to praise the play "Never Too Late" in the Theater Directory just below the Rivoli ad.

Here's a review for "IAMMMMW" from the Long Island Press:

Mad X4, Funny X2 - 11/24/63

ONE of the few theaters ever to be opened 24 hours for an opening weekend film. I worked the 9pm to 9 am managers shift for "COBRA"
Think it was the only time this theater did 24 hour non stop.

strange theater fact .........only theater i worked at that when you enter the mgrs office you went to a small foyer then the rest of the office had a doorway that was all caged in ..........

NY Times Apr 12, 1914

NEW STRAND OPENS; BIGGEST OF MOVIES; Handsome Theatre at Broadway and 47th Street Seats Almost 3,500 People.

"The Strand Theatre at Broadway and 47th Street, the largest and most elaborate moving picture house in New York, which is to be opened to the public this afternoon, threw open its doors last night to a great crowd of invited guests who inspected the theatre from top to bottom and saw the special features which will make up the amusement programme for the public performances.

The seating capacity of the new theatre, which was originally intended to be a home for big musical productions at popular prices, is almost 3,500 and marks the rapid growth from the rebuilt store moving picture theatres. The building was erected for the Mitchel Mark Realty Company, with Mitchel Mark, President; Eugene L. Falk, Treasurer, Moe Mark, Vice President, and Max Spiegel, Secretary. This company still retains the management of the theatre. The moving pictures and other features of the programme are under the direction of S. L. Rothapfel.

The programme as offered last night is made up of a concert by the Strand concert orchestra, of which Carl Edouarde is conductor; a picture called "A Neapolitan Incident", a collaboration of motion picture and singing; music by the orchestra; songs by the Strand Quartet and a comedy picture film.

The second half of the programme is given over to the moving picture drama "The Spoilers", made by the Selig Company from Rex Beach's story of the same name, with William Farnum in the leading role.

The Strand covers an area of twenty city lots, with a frontage on Broadway of 155 feet and 277 feet on the Forty Seventh Street side. The front part is devoted to offices and is divided from the main theatre by a wide alley. Both buildings are constructed of steel, with white glazed terra cotta frontage on Broadway and Forty Seventh Street.

The decorations are simple in character, the color tones being old rose, French gray and gold. The murals on the side walls represent the senses, and the painting over the proscenium arch is an idealization of the dreams of life. The latest patent ticket-selling machines are used in the ticket booth, and the latest ideas of light and ventilation have been installed. The air in the auditorium is constantly changed and is carried off through the perforated dome. In the Winter it is heated in a specially constructed plenum chamber, forced through mushroom valves under the seats and ventilators in the side walls. In the Summer it is cooled by the same method, with the use of a blower system. The lighting effect is known as the semi-indirect self-suffusing system.

An innovation in the architectural construction of the auditorium is the two story rotunda and mezzanine promenade in the front of the house. This is Continental in character and adds a social feature to the theatre that enables the patrons to meet and converse during the intermissions.

The stage, one of the largest in the city, contains a smaller stage for the moving picture screen, in front of which plays a large fountain. The curtain is of red velvet, brocaded, and there is a fireproof steel curtain as well.

Cannot and WILL not play at neighborhood theatres
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/CineramaHoliday.jpg

Here is an article from the Long Beach Press-Telegram dated 7/29/68:

Not every old New York movie palace is condemned to die to make way for a glass and steel monolith. Nor must it fade away into the sad anonymity reserved for theaters that play last run commercial films or first-run sex movies. Now, amoeba-like, it may split up into two or three new theaters, each equipped with — as one exhibitor
said proudly recently, "the last word in new projection and sound
systems, and in luxurious appointments for the ladies' lounges".

Tuesday night, the Warner Cinerama Theater on Times Square will be
formally unveiled as three separate new theaters, the 1,000-seat Cinerama, the 1,200-seat Penthouse, and the 400-seat Orleans. Another Broadway theater, Loew's State, which was built in 1921, will close Sept. 8. It will reopen as two theaters, Loew's State
one and Loew's State Two.

The new theaters are examples of what the film trade calls "piggy-back conversions," and they will mean a new lease on life for the Broadway movie house. With the recent demolition of the Paramount
and Roxy thaters, and the planned closing of the Capitol in September, the fear had been expressed that Broadway was doomed to extinction as the moviegoing center of New York and the world. Apparently this is not happening.

Broadway movie business is bigger than ever," according to Matthew
Polon, the short, stocky, ebullient president of the Pro-Stanley Warner Corporation. "But Broadway movie business has changed," Polon
said. "Because of taxes and the rising value of real estate, it's no longer economical to operate theaters with more than 1,000 or 1,200 seats." As the movies themselves have become more specialized (and occasionally more adult) in themes, there have been changes in the theaters in which they are exhibited.

Today's movie houses are less eclectic than were the Rococo movie palaces of the teens and twenties. Those were very special structures with their unembarrassed mixtures of Byzantine, Baroque and Moorish architecture, their fountains, paintings and statuary, even their ceiling clouds that hypnotized several generations of move-struck children.

Wow. If Matthew Polon could see Broadway now. Not one movie theatre.

In September, 1947, the Strand's famous display sign on the corner of 47th Street and Broadway was taken over for the Warner Theatre's premiere engagement of "Life With Father." The Warner was the new name for the Hollywood Theatre on Broadway at 51st Street. The Strand would later be re-named the Warner when the latter was converted into the legit Mark Hellinger Theatre:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/nyc1947.jpg

This undated photo shows the Strand theater on the left side. It appears to be the Mark Strand theater.

Seeing 2001 in Cinerama was spectacular; other viewings cannot measure up to that experience. Does any theater still exist capable of Cinerama presentations?

There is a very small number of theaters around the country (and perhaps elsewhere) that are still capable of three-strip Cinerama presentations, but none - alas - in New York City. The two that come to mind right off the bat are the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood and the old Martin Theater in Seattle.

For Lost Memory's last post.

It looks like that photo might date from Aug. 1929.

On the left side of the photo on the Strand's famous display sign has Al Jolson name featured for the film "Say It with Songs" (Aug. 1929). On the right side of the photo you can see the vertical sign for the Columbia Theatre. The Columbia operated till early 1930 and was gutted to become the Mayfair Theatre (opening Oct. 31, 1930) and a few blocks up the Manger Hotel (opened 11/1926) later known as the
Taft Hotel. And also you can see the Brill Building has not been built yet (1931).

Astyanax and Ed: The only other theater in the world besides the two Ed mentioned that can show 3-strip Cinerama is in Bradford, England. A real shame, considering how many theaters all over the world were capable of showing it 45 years ago.

Thanks Bill... I couldn't remember the exact number. I think in it's heyday (circa 1961 or 62), there were some 200 theaters (mostly conversions of older houses) that were so equipped.

Freddy Martin and Merv Griffin headlined the stage show with Johnny Belinda
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/JohnnyBelinda.jpg

Last days at popular prices
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/roomforonemore.jpg

On the aka list on the top of this listing, The Orleans Theatre should also be listed. When the Warner was triplexed in 1968, the Orleans was carved out of the backstage area.

By 1958, the Cinerama process seemed to have reached a dead end, and I never went to see this entry. Did I miss anything worthy of an exclamation point?:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/warncin58.jpg

In June, 1948, the Strand countered the Roxy's introduction of ice skating to its stage revues by presenting the cast of one of radio's most popular comedy shows PLUS a Hollywood sex siren who could also sing quite well: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/strand648.jpg

This old postcard is hard to read because it's printed out-of-register but I'm guessing after reading the above posts, this card shows The Strand/Warner Twin and the World Premiere of Finians Rainbow. One marquee (just south) reads Forum and the 2 large billboard advertisments above are for The Lion In Winter and 2001. Does anyone know what the distant vertical sign just north of the Strand/Warner Twin is for?
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/NYCBroadwaynorthof46th.jpg

The Roadshow engagement of "Finian's Rainbow"?

That sign was for a place called "McGinnis". It was a place the eat, drink and dance. The sign has 7 letters the top spot is Mc and the rest is spelled out for Ginnis.

The Roadshow engagement of "Finian's Rainbow" board is on the south end of the building at 47th street and Broadway.

William: Did I post this under the wrong theater?

You posted it in the right theatre listing.

I posted a kinda "time machine" photo of 49th looking south under Circus Cinema that shows this area of Times Square, tho faded. After looking at these 2 photos, I now know where I saw Jaws 2 and Caligula.

It's funny, every movie in that postcard, "2001", "Finian's Rainbow", "Lion in Winter" and "Any Gun Can Play"...I have on DVD! I'll bet you back in 1968 movie execs never would have dreamed that.

Hollywood90038... you also could have posted this under the page for the Forum Theater where "Any Gun Can Play" is showing. I think it's listed under the name Movieland, which is what it was known as under the BS Moss chain in the 80's.

I must have been unconscious for part of 1966, since I have no memories of a reserved-seat engagement of "Cinerama's Russian Adventure," which opened at the Warner Cinerama on April 18th and ran for about three months. Narrated by none less than Bing Crosby, the feature was compiled from several Russian travelogs shot in the KinoPanorama process, which was similar to three-camera Cinerama. The transfer to Cinerama was in a 70mm print in MetroColor and with stereophonic sound. Though projection was by only one 70mm projector, the seams between the original three images were often visible, according to the newspaper reviews of "Cinerama's Russian Adventure." At peak-time performances, reserved seats were $4.25 in the loge, $3.75 in the orchestra, and $3.00 in the balcony. At weekday matinees, those same seats were priced at $3.00, $2.50, and $2.00.

Why isn't there a listing here for the Orleans, which was always booked and advertised as a cinema on its own? Though built on premises that were part of the original Strand, the Orleans had a separate entrance fairly removed from Broadway on West 47th Street. It eventually became the Avon Orleans, with X-rated fare.

Hey maybe some of you New York experts can help out a local historian from Wisconsin. I have been researching the Al. Ringling Theatre here in Baraboo, WI, birthplace of Ringling Brothers Circus. In 1915 Al. Ringling constructed a lavish theatre here (www.alringling.com) and in one of the local papers I found an interview with the contractor, H. W. Wiley of Chicago. The paper says...

"He (Wiley)said this is the third of this design to be erected in this country. One was built last year at Champaign, Ill., by himself and his brother, and on in New York City, this latter not by his firm, however. He said by cutting off the balcony system it reduces the capacity of the house materially but it enhances the beauty and convenience very much. Instead of the bacly there are 22 boxes, and between each box there is a 22 foot pillar with an ornamental cap which gives the interior a very beautiful appearance. As to convenience, by discarding the balcony system every seat in the house has almost an equal view of the whole stage, and the interior can be seen from every seat."

I thought maybe the "one in New York" was the Strand but I see that it had a balcony. The one Champaign is the Orpheum which was built in 1914 and is identical in many ways to the Al. Ringling Theatre. Both have elliptical auditoriums with box seats encircling at the second level, with no balcony. The effect is very intimate and beautiful. Both of these were designed by Rapp & Rapp. It is possible the one referenced in New York was not a Rapp & Rapp and was earlier than 1914.

I would appreciate any help identifying which New York theatre this might have been.

Paul Wolter pawolter@earthlink.net

Paul, my guess is that it would have been Grand Central Palace, the old abandoned exhibition hall inside the Grand Central Terminal.

http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/abandoned/gct61.html

In "Great American Movie Theaters," historian David Naylor claims that the Rapps patterned the auditorium of the Al Ringling after the 18th century opera hall in the Palace of Versailles in France. If the Rapps were influenced by a New York theatre, it might have been one of the two large auditoriums in Hammerstein's Olympia complex, which opened in 1895 and were noted for their 17th and 18th century French decor and numerous tiers of box seats.

Just wanted to mention in case some of you aren't aware that on the From Script To DVD website we have recently posted a historical reference list of Cinerama presentations in New York City. It, of course, includes the many Cinerama films that played this theatre.

And don't forget we also have a companion list for Cinerama presentations in Los Angeles.

The Orleans had its own address and should be listed sepearate.. You could get to to and from the orleans to the strand (employees only) via a hallway...

Responding to:
This theater always had two managers both who ran the theater for almost 40 years.The second floor or the penthouse was run by a man NICK G. The main floor was run by Genave.All the RKO theaters called this theater every night with daily box office #.
posted by longislandmovies on Aug 20, 2004 at 2:56pm

Pat C was the Manager of the Cinerama (main Floor), Genieve R was the Assistant Manager. Nick C was the Manager of the Penthouse (second floor) and Sal P was the Manager of the Orleans.

16 May 2007:
Ziegfeld Theatre enthustiasts,
You have the opportunity to capture theatre and film history at the Walter Reade Theatre [Lincoln Center] at the end of this month. Being presented is the Stanley Kubrick's BARRY LYNDON which showcased at the Ziegfeld in December 1975. In note, I recollect Rex Reed, lighted pen to page and noting the showing with Intermission my questioning of his annoyance of the film which he gave an excellent review thereafter, in publication. Leon Vitali (Lord Bullington of the film) will be present at the theatre for the 35mm positive struck from the internegative. In addition, John Schselinger's DAY OF THE LOCUST, which premiered at the Cinema I, will be presented at two performances with William Atherton (Todd Hackett of the film) in a question and answer session. Both films are American/UK cinema masterpieces. I advise your particaption at these events as a mark of excellence to yourselves and the brilliant recollections that serve as the base of all that you aspire toward. Your performance checks are:
http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/schlesinger4.html
for DAY OF THE LOCUST (the Day Hollywood collapsed and fell into an $88,000 hole - Esquire, September 1974)
and the cinematic masterwork filmed without artificial lighting - BARRY LYNDON
http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/barrylyndon.html
1975 was a critical year in American film.
When you screen the films at Walter Reade, obtain the DVDs of both films for better analysis.
If you don't have access;
DAY OF THE LOCUST is Fri May 25: 3:30
Sat May 26: 6*
*Q&A with William Atherton
and BARRY LYNDON
May 27: 3 & 7
May 28: 3 & 7
May 29: 3 & 7

Respectfully,

Don Griffiths
Cinema Centre CEO

This isn't a movie review site, but calling those two films masterpieces is stretching it a bit, don't you think?

when i was at RKO Genieve R was manager of the main floor and Nick G. The penthouse....Nick told me the 2 of them were managers there for 4o years.....Nick g was also the manager of the orlean at the end of the theaterslife... I was ast mgr for them before going on to manager and then dm ...

OOPS your write on one point nick C was the last name ...nick g at that time was the booker for rko(one of 4)

Response to:
when i was at RKO Genieve R was manager of the main floor and Nick G. The penthouse....Nick told me the 2 of them were managers there for 4o years.....Nick g was also the manager of the orlean at the end of the theaterslife... I was ast mgr for them before going on to manager and then dm ...

RKO took over Stanley Warner in the 1960's. The completely renovated the Stanley Warner and made it into three theatres..Cinerama, Penthouse and Orleans. When RKO took them over, they brought me from the RKO Fordham where I was Asst. Mgr. and made me the Manager of the Cinerama. Nick C was the Manager of the old RKO 59th. St. and took him down to the Penthouse as the Manager. Genevieve R was the Assistant Manager when it was Stanley Warner and when we took them over Genevieve stayed on as my Assistant Manager. Sal P was brought in from another RKO and made the Manager of the Orleans. Mike Edelstein was the Division Manager. The Polon's were running the company at that time.
I left RKO in the 70's and Genevieve took my position and became the Manager of the Cinerama.
But RKO didn't take over the Stanley Warner's until the 1960's.
You probably came into the picture later on.

The Strand was closed for 6 weeks in late 1934-early 1935 due to a fire. It re-opened on January 23, 1935.

Here's the New York Times account:

1,000 at Reopening Ceremony.

The reopening of the Strand Theatre, closed since a fire six weeks ago, went off according to schedule at 9:30 o'clock yesterday morning. A crowd of about 1,000 persons waited outside until Aldermanic President Bernard S. Deutsch appeared, with a pair of shears and a few well-chosen remarks, to cut the tape across the theatre's front and to pronounce it officially open.

Before the ceremony, Mr. Deutsch had been conducted through the remodeled theatre, invited to test its new orchestra and balcony seats and to inspect the improved sound and ventilating system. After cutting the tape, however, he was obliged to hurry off to the Municipal Building and was unable to wait for the picture. One of the theatre's officials urged him to take the scissors along and use them on the city budget. Mr. Deutsch left without them.

This NEW STRAND was open in 1924 under the Manhattan Bridge (78 East Broadway). Does anyone have any more info so they can list it on CT?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Photo-NEW-STRAND-THEATER-New-York-City_W0QQitemZ290142206478QQihZ019QQcategoryZ14890QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

Al....You have a name and an address. What more could you ask for? LOL

I did a property search for 78 East Broadway. One c/o that I found is interesting. It has no address. Instead, it gives a location of Division St, New Market St (now Market St), East Broadway, and Forsyth St. The c/o is dated 1917 and it is for a theater and stores. The theater portion gives seating as 465 and 135. It might be the New Strand.

I found one other c/o that mentions a theater in this area. The address given is 86 East Broadway which should also be located underneath the bridge. The c/o is dated October 17, 1932. The theater portion has the same seating as the 1917 c/o. Under "use" it reads, Theater-Now Vacant. If this is your New Strand theater, it was closed by 1932.

I had been to both the upstairs and downstairs here several times in its last years. (I preferred the upstairs...so expansively raked and comfortable.) I wish I'd had enough sense to appreciate where I was, and that it wouldn't last forever.

The theatre photo displayed by Al Alvarez on 7/23/07 reminds of one published in The New York Times on June 28, 1960 showing the Sun Sing Chinese Theatre. The article says that the Sun Sing was 49 years old at the time, suggesting a build date of 1911. Prior to being named the Sun Sing, the theatre was called the Canton, but it might have had other names before that. The only problem with all this is that the Sun Sing was reported to be at 75 East Broadway, and the NYPL has a Chinese poster for the Canton using a wider address of 75-85 East Broadway.

You have a point, Warren. They do look similar once the bridge was altered. If we can tie the New Strand to the Florence (Sun Sing in 1922) then we have confirmation that they were all one and the same.

An excerpt from Bosley Crowther's New York Times' review of "Porgy and Bess," which opened here on June 24, 1959 in a road show engagement:

"Considering the obvious essentials of colorfulness and vitality first, it is notable that Mr. Goldwyn has given this picture the strongest benefits of color photography and wide screen. The panel suffused with the action and the pungent atmosphere of the teeming quarters in old Charleston is the wide one of Todd-AO, a system that is almost as expansive and pictorially pervasive as that of Cinerama, which recently occupied this theatre's screen. And the whole mise en scène of the production, designed by Oliver Smith, has a richness and subtlety of color that are a powerful dynamic in this 'Porgy and Bess.'"

This video on youtube is a collection of filmed advertisements (were these ever on TV?) for some "leisure spas" popular in NYC in the 1970's. The last of these is for the Orleans Theater - which was the XXX pornhouse created out of the old backstage space of the Strand Theater. The ad plays up the Orleans' inexpensive (for porn) $2.49 price policy for its triple-bill fare.

There is also a quick shot of the Orleans Theatre with opening feature "For Love of Ivy" in the X Rated (at the time) "Fuego".

Here's a view of the Warner showing THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD in 1965, on a postcard plugging the new Cue sign on the top of the building: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pulp-o-rama/1331678214/

Roloff, nice update on your Flickr photo.

Here's a vidcap from that Orleans commercial I posted about on September 4th.

Included with the new Fox DVD of Irwin Allen's dreadful version of "The Lost World" is a short Fox Movietone News segment showing the premiere of the movie at the Warner (AKA Strand) Theatre on July 13, 1960. It looks like an afternoon matinee attended mostly by kids and their moms. One of the film's stars, David Hedison, is shown signing autographs. Only the outside of the theatre is shown in the newsreel, but you see a lot of what it looked like decked out for the premiere. If you were one of the kids there that day in 1960, you might want to get the DVD of "The Lost World" and try to spot yourself.

For the record,the last 4 paragraphs in the Introduction above replaced this:
Again dropping stage shows in 1951, the Strand was renamed the Warner Theatre, and a few years later, when Cinerama films moved from the Broadway Theatre to the Warner, renamed the Warner Cinerama. During the 60s, the Warner was twinned, the Cinerama theater occupying the main floor, and the former balcony becoming the Penthouse Theatre. A third theater, built in the old Strand's stagehouse, was also opened, called the Cine Orleans, which had its own entrance on 47th Street. In the early 80s, the Cinerama and Penthouse were remodeled and renamed the Warner Twin.

Unfortunately, in 1987, after a long and eventful life, one of the greatest movie palaces of New York City was demolished.

People like on this website to recall where they first saw movies. For example, "Porgy and Bess" recently played again at the Ziegfeld. It was originally at this theater. Often, there's too many comments for people to read them all, so people new or old to this site can quickly find some highlights in the Intro.

In providing the revision, I didn't see the seating capacity of Cine Orleans.

Though there's a website which lists 70mm films that played in New York, there isn't one for 35mm films. World Premieres of famous 35mm films at the Strand would be interesting to add to the introduction.

Nearly all feature-length movies shown in New York City and elsewhere were in 35 millimeter. To suggest making a list of all the 35 millimeter films that played there is more than a bit ridiculous.
The 1967 Film Daily Year Book, for example, listed 32,728 titles of films released since 1915. I would be willing to bet that most were in 35mm and shown at New York City theatres.

Warren, please lighten up!
I was more specific:

"World premieres of famous 35 mm films at the Strand"

Sure, there might have been several hundred films showing on an exclusive basis at the Strand, for their 1st run. Not all had their World Premieres there. And, not as many are famous, still recalled and watched with great fondness today. A list could be edited down to 20 or 30 such films for the introduction. If there is such a list for the Strand, I'm willing to edit it down myself (though you and others have the real expertise).

If you scroll above, you'll find that Warren has provided many such titles in past posts, memorably on 4 Jan '06 among others.

I can point to some of my own posts, too, on 29 Nov '05, 20 Oct '05, 28 Aug '05, 26 Aug '05, 23 Aug '05, and 26 March '05.

I thought I had also posted an account of my earliest visit to the Strand (4 Feb '49) on the opening day of "John Loves Mary," with a guest appearance on stage of one of its leads, Jack Carson; another of its leads, Ronald Reagan, did not show up. The live review featured singer Marion Hutton, Robert Alda (known for his singing talent as well), the Emerald Sisters, Chris Cross and his Orchestra, George Mann, Beb Sweeney, and Dave (Tugwell) Willock.

From the center balcony, the performers seemed small and distracted to me, and the quality of the show not at all up to the pizzazz of the Paramount, the snaz of the Roxy, the showmanship of the Capitol, the splendor of Radio City Music Hall, or even the snap of Loew's State in those days. Or perhaps it was me, at the age of seven, who was small and distracted.

An Austin theater organ opus 481 size 3/24 was installed in the Strand Theater in 1914.

Here's a vitage ad: The Warners' Theatre Now Accepting "Exodus" Reservations by Mail:
http://emulsioncompulsion.com/v/roadshowsouvenierprogrambooks/exodus/Warners+Theatre+Ticket+Order+Form.jpg.html

The address on the ticket form is listed as 1585 Broadway (which is the address of the building that now stands on the site). The address listed above for the Strand is 1579 Broadway. Can anyone confirm if both addresses are valid? Was 1579 the actual theatre entrance address with 1585 serving as an alternative box-office address for mail-in purposes?

Ed, 1585 Broadway was the address of the executive offices of Stanley Warner Corporation, which ran the Warner Theatre.

Thanks, Warren. I surmised that might have been the case after posting the question.

The April 16, 1930 issue of Variety reported that Warner Brothers was seriously considering demolition of the Strand Theatre, which would be replaced by an office skyscraper with two theatres at the base, each with about 2,500 seats. One would be called the Sam Warner Theatre in honor of the brother who died just as his dreams for talking pictures were coming true, and the other would probably continue the name of Strand. The current Strand ground site measured 220 feet on Broadway, 280 feet on 47th Street, and 270 feet on the side facing 48th Street. Warner Brothers hoped to start construction by the spring of 1931, but that never happened due to Depression conditions.

The stock market crash in October of '29 and the ensuing Depression helped save a number of older Times Square theatres - particularly those on 42nd Street. With the advent of talkies having a tremendously adverse affect on the fortunes of legitimate theatrical productions (and with the newer and more comfortable houses built between 44th and 46th Street offering stiff competition for a dwindling audience), plans to redevelop several theatre sites on the block were underway before the crash wiped out any hopes to see those projects come to fruition.

"When it was announced that the Cinerama was going to be demolished and an office building put in its place, it was also stated there would be a new multiplex theatre in the basement, similar to what happened with the Loews State. However, once the old theatre was down, the developer stated that plans changed and there would be no new theatre in the building at all. I doubt there was ever a plan for a new theatre, and it was a BS story on the part of the developer just to get the theatre down without a lot of noise from the public. The old theatres closing came at the same time as RKOs takeover by the Canadians (who were scrambling to get office space set up at 126 E. 56th St 20th flr. The RKO offices had been upstairs of the Cinerama Theatre). When the announcement came that there would be no new theatre, there was no fuss made about it by the Canadians in the trades.
posted by dave-bronx on Oct 15, 2004 at 1:05pm

Although the “demolish and replace” deal was signed with RKO, Cineplex Odeon was the beneficiary of the settlement when the developer failed to build the basement multiplex. C was happy to accept the settlement as they had already sigedn the World Wide site.


“Although no x-rated movies played at the Strand/Warner, they certainly played at the Cine Orleans, built on the old Strand stage with its entrance on 47th Street. I remember the Cine's facade was elaborate grillwork in the New Orleans style, but I never went inside.
posted by saps on Mar 2, 2005 at 4:28pm”

As the CINERAMA TWIN this site played many x-rated films including edited version of hard-core films such as BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR.

Link, please.

Here is a September 1969 ad from the NYT:
http://tinyurl.com/2uuddn

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was released on September 24, 1969 in NYC.

The "double act" is back! Who gets top billing, or are they the same person? Isn't "Ken" the first name of the mysterious "Lost Memory?"

I'm Siegfried and he's Roy or maybe its the other way around. Are you still "Art Theatre" or did you come up with a new alias?

I have never posted at CT except as "Warren" or under my full name of "Warren G. Harris." I don't approve of pseudonyms, nor do I trust people who hide behind them. You should know that by now, or do you truly suffer from amnesia?

Why do you continue to post this nonsense? First I was accused of being Frankie, then Mike, now Ken MC. I am none of those people. Seek help. It is available!

New direct links to my previously posted images of the original Strand interior:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/nystrand2.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/nystrand3.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/nystrand5.jpg

This doesn't look anything like the Cinerama Theatre I used to go to. I know the balcony became the Penthouse Theatre and the backstage became the Orleans Theatre.

Recently the Ridgewood Theater was closed in Ridgewood Queens. It was mentioned that the Ridgewood Theater was modeled after the Strand Theater, and also designed by Thomas Lamb. Does anyone know if this is what the Ridgewood Theater looked like inside before it was multiplexed? Much of the Ridgewood's plaster survives, even though multiplexed.

When the Strand was being demolished, I walked around the lobby and balcony area. For some reason, the construction workers didn't stop me!

While the majority of the area was totally modernized, there was one strange exception. The ladies lounge on the balcony level was completely original; very ornate, with mirrors and fancy light fixtures. It appeared to have been walled up or covered over in the 1960's. One of the workers told me that the contents had been sold to an antique dealer and the room would be stripped before demolition.

The caption for this photo said "Strand Theater Broadway 1910s". Going by that, it could be the Strand, but I can't confirm it:
http://tinyurl.com/6sxakx

There was a New Strand at 78 East Broadway in 1924.

This Strand first opened in 1914 as a "deluxe" theatre with prices to match. The Strand in the photo is charging only 10 and 15 cents. I seriously doubt that the Strand in the photo is this one, or the New Strand in Chinatown. Weber & Fields were a great comedy team, most remembered for their work in stage revues and vaudeville. They also made some silent movies, one of which is probably the attraction in the photo.

When the Strand became the Cinerama and its piggybacked Penthouse upstairs, it was quite nice. The roadshow "Finian's Rainbow" was, I think, upstairs and another roadshow, maybe "Ice Station Zebra," on the ground level. That was late 1968. By the time I saw "Black Caesar" there in 1973, I was disheartened by the fact the theater was deteriorating so quickly. And around the corner, the much smaller Cine Orleans, where I had seen "The Killing of Sister George," was gone.

White Heat and Xavier Cugat
http://bp2.blogger.com/_IpFwFTEJH9A/R8mneAGPweI/AAAAAAAAB30/VHmT8hc_HaQ/s1600-h/aadoa14.jpg

And you can see the Capital's vertical sign on the far right side of the picture too.

Here are two ads for the grand opening of the Strand Theatre in April, 1914, which was two months prior to the outbreak in Europe of World War One:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/strandopener01.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/strandopener02.jpg

You can see many shots of this theatre as the Cinerama in the documentary "Cinerama Adventure". They had no real shots of the Broadway Theatre from opening night of "This is Cinerama". Most of the NYC shots were of this theatre. The documentary is available from Warner Home Video on the New Remastered DVD of "How the West Was Won". On Blu-ray the disc features two leterbox versions of the movie one regular for a 2.89:1 aspect ratio and whats called a SmileBox version which features a more of a widescreen presentation on widescreen TV sets.

In this ad you can see two Cinerama pictures from United Artists within 4 blocks of each other, one great ("Greatest Story" at the Warner) and one lousy ("Hallelujah Trail" - I never liked that movie. Maybe it was better in Cinerama ...) Whatever you or I may think of the movies, though ... what a choice to have!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/billhuelbig/magmen2.jpg

The paper is the New York Journal-American, dated 8/11/65.

Bill, I don't think that either "Greatest Story" and "Trail" were actually in Cinerama. They were in some other process (possibly Ultra-Panavision?) and merely projected on the Cinerama screens of those two theatres.

Warren, Both films were shot in Ultra-Panavision (70MM) as was "It's a Mad...World". United Artists roadshowed those films in many markets in Cinerama theatres. Which they also licensed the "Presented in Cinerama" to make it more of a event. By licensing Cinerama they could present the film using the Full Cinerama size screen. Otherwise without the license it would be presented on a slighty smaller screen. D-150 was also licensed in the same way for a time.

Warren: a lot of Cinerama fans are purists who believe Cinerama actually came to an end with "How the West Was Won". But when I saw "2001" (shot in Super Panavision 70mm) on the full size Cinerama screen at the Capitol in 1968, I was astounded by it. And I sure would love to see "The Greatest Story Ever Told" on a Cinerama screen. I guess if it says Cinerama in the ad, that's enough for me :)

A series of photographs of the legendary Josephine Baker performing at the Strand Theatre in 1951 can be seen here: http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=Josephine+Baker+source:life&imgurl=d1e8af8eee357313

This is the first in a series of occasional postings that will document the return of stage shows to the Strand, which started in 1938 and lasted into the early 1950s. In 1928, Warner Brothers had turned the Strand into a showcase for newfangled "talkies" exclusively, dropping the stage presentations that had been a practice since the theatre first opened in 1914. But sound movies were now taken for granted, and attendance was suffering. The Strand would be shifted to a policy that had proved very successful at the Paramount-- a new movie supported by a stage show featuring a popular dance or jazz orchestra and several soloists. The Strand would have a budget of $10,000 per week for talent, and bookings would usually be for two weeks, more or less, depending on business. The first package opened in August, consisting of "Boy Meets Girl" and Ben Bernie's contingent. The first week's gross was $35,000, and $30,000 in the second week, more than double what the Strand had been averaging with films only, according to Variety. Here are ads for the opening program and for one later in the year. Note how the first letter of "Strand" was used distinctly to separate the film and stage attractions:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/strand38a.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/strand38b.jpg

Does anyone have any additional information on Three Stooges appearances at the Strand, either around 1945, 1950 or any other time? The Three Stooges Fan Club is trying to document all their personal appearances.
Thanks,

Frank Reighter fereighter@aol.com

Have you done a search of the newspapers that are on public library computers via ProQuest? You should be able to find quite a few bookings of the Three Stooges if you look in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post. Try searching Three Stooges in the catergoies "Any document type" or "display ad."

In 1935, the divine Kay Francis got "Stranded" at the Strand: http://www.mapsites.net/gotham01/webpages/alisonhannah/Broadway/Broadway1

Billed as "Looneytics De Luxe," the Three Stooges were featured, along with Stan Kenton & His Orchestra and Jack Carson, in the Strand stage show supporting "You Can't Escape Forever" in October, 1942. During the two-week engagement, the Stooges performed four times daily M-F, and five times on weekends, spending at least 15 minutes on stage per show: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/strandstooges.jpg

Here's a September, 1953 image showing the celebration of Cinerama's first anniversary on the "Great White Way." By this time, "This Is Cinerama" had moved to the Warner Theatre from the Broadway Theatre (which returned to the legit fold and currently had a transfer of "South Pacific"): http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/cinerama53.jpg

Woody Allen's film Radio Days contains archival color footage of Broadway with the marquee of the Strand visible with the title of the film Devotion, starring Ida Lupino and Paul Henreid. The film played here in 1946. Trouble is, this is an anachronism for Radio Days, which at that point was supposed to be set in the year 1943.

As the Cinerama 1 and II.

http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=new+york&catpageindex=24&catpagesize=25&ProductID=30958

The Orleans.

http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=new+york&catpageindex=28&catpagesize=25&ProductID=31104

One for Mountaintop Motel Massacre, please.

http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=warner&catpageindex=4&ProductID=31160

Another theatre that shows its decline in pictures.

Interesting note about that photo I posted: neither movie played past one week. The next week, Cobra replaced both films and played on both screens. One print was in 70mm.

The last two films shown at the Strand (which closed as the RKO Warner Twin): Allan Quarterman and the Lost City Of Gold and Deadtime Stories.

This is probably the 12/4/03 photo, but the date should be 1941:
http://tinyurl.com/pnxq5t

When "Grand Prix" opened here in 1966 there was so much masking on the screen it was no better than a regular Panavision presentation.There still is no better film presentation than the original three lens process of Cinerama (better than Imax or anything we have today),bring it back to New York for today's audiences!

There is a pic of this corner in Sunday's Metropolitan section (nee Connecticut) of the New York Times. Page 8, titled "The City, From Wartime Grit to Modern Soullessness". It mentions 3 books but the picture of the Strand in Duffy Square has a caption (the text doesn't mention it). The caption says, "At ease, Duff Square in WWII near the Pepsi-Cola canteen." Photo credit is US Army and there are soldiers lounging with the Strand in the background, with its vertical marquee.

Shouldn't this theater be listed as the RKO Warner Twin, its name when it closed?

I think they decided a while back to leave the historic theatres with their original names. Anyway, this closed as a Cineplex Odeon so that name meant nothing even then.