Paramount Theatre

Prior to its landmark designation the buildings theater was demolished and converted into commercial office space.

Now, the World Wrestling Federation, a tenant occupying the stage portion and some of the seating areas, have undertaken the Marquee & Presidium Arch restoration.

The restoration is being performed without the availability of original design drawings. It is being done with the aid of historical photos, post cards and renderings from the 1920 period.

an section of the balcony is now at Famous Player's Paramount in Toronto (above the escalator on the way to the private lounge.)

My grandfather, Wilfrid Lavallee, built the pipe organ for this grand theatre, for the Casavant Brothers Pipe Organ Company of Ste. Hyacinthe, Quebec. I would like to know what became of it when this wonderful place was gutted.

And, my other grandfather, Joseph Aruta, painted the interior frescoes and all the gilt, as he did in many other NYC landmarks. I surely wish I could've seen this place before it was destroyed.

It was of the Publix movie chain when built.

The organ in the theatre was a 4 manual 36 rank Wurlitzer- not a Cassevant. Jesse Crawford was the star organist. It was considered the definitive theatre organ by many in the organ world. The Wurlitzer now resides in Witchita Kansas in their Century Exhibition Hall

The recently replaced arched window above the marquee is much more shallowly set then the original arched window, which featured a stained-glass Paramount mountain in its center.

The WWF restaurant has closed . The space is currently empty. So much for progress

The name "Paramount Theater" has had a transient history in Manhattan since the mid '60's demolition of this grand old auditorium -- the Brooklyn Paramount notwithstanding. During the '70's and '80's there was a subterranean theater in the Gulf and Western building on Columbus Circle that was called The Paramount. I'm not sure if it opened concurrently with the G&W building nor am I sure if it was always known as The Paramount (I assume it was so dubbed when G&W became the parent company of Paramount Pictures). Regardless, the building has since been converted by Donald Trump to residential/hotel usage and the theater was demolished/converted to other use in the '80's. Sometime after this, the old Felt Forum inside Madison Square Garden was briefly known as The Paramount during a period when both Paramount Pictures and the Garden were subsidiaries of the same parent corporation. This last Paramount, however, was never intended for the exhibition of motion pictures.

I mention this only as a footnote to history of The Paramount.

To compare the recreated marquee shown above to the original, see this link to a photograph dated 1942 from the Library of Congress. If you look carefully at the marquee, you'll see that "Holiday Inn" starring Bing Crosby was playing at the Paramount at the time.

That picture is very interesting. It seems there were no cars at all and people are just milling around in the middle of the street. Odd isn't it? Granted this was before cars were as common to own as they are today.

The Paramount was the first great movie palace in New York City that was built in the "Chicago-style" pioneered by the architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp. When first opened in 1926, its extravagant French Renaissance interiors were a radical change from the restrained Adam and Empire styles that New Yorkers had become accustomed to at the Paramount's main rivals, the Strand, Capitol, and Loew's State (all designed by Thomas Lamb). The Paramount became one of the city's top tourist attractions, but not for long due to the 1927 opening of the Roxy, which was almost twice as large and even more spectacular. By 1929, the Paramount's owners were considering building a bigger and more lavish theatre on the opposite side of Broadway on the site of the decaying Olympia theatre complex. The new Parmount would have at least 5,000 seats and be the first theatre in the Broadway-Times Square area in the so-called "atmospheric" style. When the new Paramount was finished, the "old" one would be converted to second-run movies with vaudeville. But the onset of the Depression killed that project and the 1926 Paramount survived into the early 1960s, though for at least its last 10 years showing movies only, without stage shows (except for a few hosted by rock-and-roll radio DJs and one memorable return of Frank Sinatra in support of his movie, "Johnny Concho").

For a theatre of its size (3,664 seats), the Paramount was one of the narrowest ever built because the auditorium had to be squeezed between two adjacent buildings-- the Paramount office tower, which faced Broadway, and the headquarters of The New York Times (229 West 43rd Street). Consequently, the Paramount Theatre's entrance and a short lobby were carved out of the Paramount Building. After you passed through that short lobby, the actual theatre building began with the Grand Lobby, where you found yourself at the rear of the auditorium, which ran parallel to Broadway with the stage wall backing on West 44th Street. The main floor had only four sections of seats. Above that was a separate and recessed mezzanine with boxed seats. And one level above the mezzanine was the steeped balcony, divided into five sections of seats across and four from front to back. Due to the narrowness of the auditorium, the Paramount also had a narrow stage opening that proved a problem throughout the theatre's lifetime. Stage productions had to use the orchestra lift as part of the show or erect small platforms next to the pit. When the wide screen era arrived, some of the procscenium had to be removed to accommodate it...The Paramount finally closed forever on August 4th, 1964, following that evening's last showing of "The Carpetbaggers." As I recall, there were slight efforts to save the theatre, probably because The New York Times bought the site for demolition and conversion into office space for itself.

The last movie to play the Paramount was "Thunderball" which had been rented/leased by "Cubby" Brocoli and the United Artists film company after the theatre ceased operation under the "United Paramount Theatre" chain. "Thunderball" played continuously 24 hours a day for the first three weeks. It played a total of 10 weeks. The film also played one other east side theatre. In between "The Carpetbaggers" engagement, the theatre was sparadically used for concerts to little avail. The grosses for the Paramount for "Thunderball" were blockbuster numbers, so if the bookings had been continued at this caliber, the theatre might have remained opened for a little while longer.

This is an interesting peice of trivia. I wonder who they had handeling the day to day operations of the theatre during "Thunderball".

"Thunderball" was released in December, 1965, nearly a year and a half after "The Carpetbaggers" closed at the Paramount. I don't recall "Thunderball" playing there, but I can't say that it didn't, even though I was working in the Paramount Building at the time. I hated the first James Bond movie, "Dr. No," and avoided the sequels like the plague.

I doubt if any of the original Paramount staff was on hand for the "Thunderball" engagement during the 1964-5 Christmas booking. The WWF occupied the storefront behind the restored marquee and arched window. Since the entire theatre was gutted, WWF couldn't have been operating in the "stage area" of the original theatre as mentioned several comments before. That would have meant occupying the whole ground level of that side of the building, which they didn't. I hope the marquee and arch window remain intact for whatever use follows the WWF. The Paramount needs to be remembered and these two reminders will do just that even if they are not original.

Could it have been "Goldfinger" not "Thunderball", you were thinking of. Because "Goldfinger" had special 24 hour a day screenings when it opened in the city. And it was released a year earlier than "Thunderball".

I remember "Thunderball" having a special engagement at the Paramount. I remember taking an 8mm movie of the marquee.

The WWF restaurant was underground beneath the store. I once took my two young nephews there for lunch. We had to go down several flights of stairs to get there. It was quite darkly lighted and looked to me like a fire trap, but I didn't want to disappoint my nephews. Fortunately, there turned out to be a 45-minute wait for tables, so they soon lost patience and we went elsewhere.

The Bay Theatre in Seal Beach, CA. claims to have the original Paramount organ. There was probably more than one organ used at the Paramount during its days.
http://www.baytheatre.com/table_page.htm

According to a long article that Ben M. Hall wrote about the Paramount Theatre for the New York Herald-Tribune in August, 1964, the original Wurlitzer was still there, and why not? It was built to last, and the Paramount had only opened in November, 1926. Hall said that after the Paramount dropped stage shows in the early 1950s, the Wurltizer was used only intermittently, usually played by Bill Floyd and in the last years by Bob Mack, who also took care of its maintenance.

The Paramount organ was built & installed by the Wurlitzer company, following specifications of Jessie Crawford, "The Poet of Organ," who with his wife ,Helen, were featured at the organ's twin consoles when the Paramount opened on November 19, 1926. The organ had 36 ranks of pipes which produced a wide variety of sounds. After the theatre closed in the summer of 1964, 300 members of the American Association of Theatre Organ Enthusiasts meet in the Paramount in a six hour session to listen and play for on the organ for the last time. Ashley Miller made the last recorded performance of the organ
(Lerner & Loewe selections). Dan L. Papp, who had cared for the
organ since the opening of the Paramount, came out of retirement to
to make sure the organ was in top playing condition for the Command stero record. I have the album, and enjoy listening to this
beautiful instrument in its original setting.

The Paramount's auditorium had an unusual architectural feature that was closed to the public for most of the theatre's existence. At the base of the ceiling's huge central dome was a semi-enclosed promenade which connected to the balcony and enabled patrons to walk around it and get a full view of everything below. But the management soon got complaints of conversations drifting down and disturbing the audience, so the promenade was shuttered permanently. When the Paramount was demolished, the area was found to be still fully furnished and decorated exactly as it was in 1926.

Don Baker became Paramount organist in 1935 and stayed the longest-- for thirteen years. When Baker left in 1948, George Wright took over until the Paramount ended stage shows in the early 1950s. Before Eddie Fisher ever headlined at the Paramount, he worked for $75 per week as Wright's singing accompanist during intermission breaks.

The Theatre Historical Soc. issued a 41-page ANNUAL titled: "Times Square Paramount" in 1976, but it is unfortunately out of print. Some libraries were/are subscribers to their "Marquee" magazine and therefore also received the ANNUAL for that year, so check nearby libraries; every library can also check for you the Union List of Serials to find out what other libraries have copies of it from that year that you might go to see. The Society retains all the original photos used in that publication as well as many more that they will reproduce for you for a fee. See their ARCHIVE link on the sidebar of their site at: www.HistoricTheatres.org It is possible that if enough interest is present, they will reprint that ANNUAL as they have done with other titles.

There was no color still photography in the 1920s, hence photos of that day are always black and white, but we are fortunate in the case of the NY PARAMOUNT to have had a color painting done of the proscenium to show the enormous Grand Drapery on it, and that painting is reproduced in color on page 255 of the 1927--1932 book: "Decorative Draperies and Upholsteries" by Edward Thorne. You could put that volume on any color copier and get an excellent copy suitable for framing. It is interesting that the 6-story-high draperies depicted there were made also by men from Chicago, as a commenter alludes to in a previous Comment. They and all the many other draperies in the theatre had their trimmings (giant pendants, tassles, fringes, gonfalons, etc.) made by the E.L. Mansure Co., formerly of Chicago. The portion of the proscenium ceiling dome shown there is depicted as merely painted clouds, but in reality, the cove-lit, long rectangular space had a mural of a winged goddess standing in front of the disk of the moon, with cupids aflight all around her, as revealed by the opening day photos in that ANNUAL.

That Annual also reveals that the Grand Lobby originaly had TWO enormous crystal chandeliers, which were removed during World War II in fear of their falling upon people during anticipated bombings during the war, which turned out to be an excess of caution. For the same reason, the eight auditorium chandeliers were also removed; it appears that none of them were ever replaced, so what one person commenting saw in later years were likely smaller, cheaper replacements in the lobby in later years.

There are also there photos of the unique Promenade in the dome of the auditorium as someone alludes to previously, and while it may have been closed off due to patron noises, it seems more likely to me that it was too difficult and expensive to 'police' with perhaps 15 more ushers needed to survey the 60-foot-long ellipse, the corridors leading to it, as well as the elevators serving it. When the Great Depression arrived just three years after opening, the PARAMOUNT no doubt began to feel the pressure to reduce costs as did everyone else; the grand decade of the extravagant was definitely over. It is also possible that the patrons were prone to toss little things down upon the audience --just for kicks, you know-- and obviously the ushers couldn't be at everyone's side when something was tossed, and management couldn't allow such goingson to continue! A novel idea, but too impractical given human nature, and glazing the 24 openings would have been prohibitively expensive at the time they closed the area. In Milwaukee, Rapp&Rapp also did two theatres that had the 'Overview' portals from the back wall of the mezzanine lobby looking down upon the orchestra seats below, and they quickly found that the patrons loved to toss items down upon the audience, and therefore in the case of the WISCONSIN the portals were glazed over, allowing views but nothing else. In the case of the MODJESKA, which is still standing, the portals are boarded over and not apparent except fromt the seats below.

Some other photos of the "Times Sq. Paramount" are also to be seen in that landmark book: "The Best Remaining Seats: The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace" by the late Ben M. Hall, founder of the Theatre Historical Society. This 1961 opus is the seminal work in the field and not to be missed; copies of it are available on Inter-Library Loan, as well as for sale from www.Amazon.com .

Jim Rankin [email]jimor@lycos.co[/email

If you are looking for "The Best Remaining Seats...". Try looking for the earlier first & second editions of the book. It has a few color pages, that later editions do not have.

And yet the subsequent two editions retain the caption to those missing color plates, no doubt confusing to a great many people!

Here are photos from 1930 of the Paramount's stage, viewed from the balcony and Grand Lobby.

The Bay Theatre's organ was installed in a recording studio in the Paramount building. This organ was used for making records and for radio broadcasts. It was not the auditorium organ, that organ is in Witchita Kansas. The original console for the auditorium organ burned in a fire while in storage and a replica replacement was built. The theatre's organ was not designed by Jesse Crawford, the organist. Jesse repeatedly denied designing the organ, he attributed it to one of the designers at Wurlitzer. The organ in the recording studio was designed by Jesse.

I met with Jessie Crawford when I was young. Among the things he spoke with me about was his contribution to the designing of the New York Paramount organ. Mr. Crawford's contribution to the Paramount organ is also mentioned by Ben M. Hall in "Best Remaining Seats."
The Command recording, as I mentioned above, used the theatre organ-not the studio organ.

To clarify, Mr. Crawford told me he specified certain ranks for the New York Paramount organ. However, that is all he did. He did not design the entire organ. Mr. Craford did design the Publix #1 Wurlitzer organ at the request of the Pulix theatre chain.

The thirty-six rank Wurlitzer in the Times Square Paramount was based on Wurlitzer's largest standard model, the 285, such as the magnificent example installed the the San Francsico Granada Theatre in 1921. Those were known as "two-pressure" organs, meaning the blowers supplied 15" & 25" pressures. The 285's "Brass" division, consisting of an English Horn (Post) on 15" pressure and a 25" Tuba Mirabilis, became the "Orchestral" division on the 4 manual specials. The Paramount was the first of the five instruments falling under that classification. I knew Bob Mack well and often communicated with Dan Papp by letter. Respectfully Submitted, Edward Millington Stout

In the 1950s, one of the movie theaters on Broadway claimed to have the world's largest indoor movie screen. Was it the Paramount? If not, which theater might it have been? I'm trying to flesh out my personal memoirs. Thanks. Jacques.

Jacques--
Yes, I think it was the Paramount-- in the mid 50's they installed a huge VistaVision screen that covered the entire proscenium, with projection from the lower balcony overhang. I believe the first feature to use it was "Strategic Air Command." The first I saw it was for "The Man Who Knew Too Much." For non-VistaVision films, the screen shrank to conventional size (as I recall for "Love in the Afternoon").
Box Office Bill.

At the Paramount Theatre for VistaVision, they had to cut into the sides of the proscenium to make the screen larger. Remember the Paramount Theatre was a tall narrow theatre, compared to other RAPP theatre designs.

When walking past the Paramount one day in 1960, I saw a sign for a special preview. I bought a ticket and sat through whatever was playing, and then the preview came on. It was "Let's Make Love" with Marilyn Monroe and Yves Montand. When exiting the theatre, from the balcony, approaching the giant stairway, I noticed people ahead of me at the top of the stairs were posing for photographs. They turned out to be Shirley MacLaine and Milton Berle.

When the 3-D House of Wax played there around 1953, the stage show starred Eddie Fisher, and the crowds were enormous.

"House of Wax" was the first film presented in Warnerphonic sound
which was the precurser to stereo sound. The film was of course played in dual projection 3-D with an optical photographic track, the stage speakers (3) playing from the left image and the surrounds playing from the right image.I believe this info to be accurate, anyone know more about it?

Such a shame, what year was the theater demolished and when did it open?
Its amazing what Warren said above, and the pictures Bryan showed above.. such a shame...

vito wrote:
"House of Wax" was the first film presented in Warnerphonic sound
which was the precurser to stereo sound. The film was of course played in dual projection 3-D with an optical photographic track, the stage speakers (3) playing from the left image and the surrounds playing from the right image.I believe this info to be accurate, anyone know more about it?
=====

The WarnerPhonic process for double-system 3-D utilized a separate 35mm magnetic track running on a third machine in sync with the two projectors. This mag track contained the left, center, and right tracks - the surround was carried by the right-eye's print optical track. The left-eye print's optical track contained the mono mix and was used as a backup to the mag track.

Pete Apruzzese

Thank you Peter for the info on WarnerPhonic. I seem to remember The Paramount had four projectors and a a changeover was made between the two parts eliminating the reel change intermission.
Did they also set up a 35mm magnetic sound reader to interlock with the film projectors? On many occasions I have worked a booth for test screenings and the print's sound is carried on a seperate magnetic track played thru a sound reader which must be interlocked with the picture, I assume this is how WarnerPhonic sound was presented at the Paramount.

Yes, they would have had to use a mag reader interlocked with the projectors. Actually, it looks they would have used two if the Paramount did not show the intended intermission segment in the WarnerPhonic system prints. Other non-3-D films from the era also used a separate mag track fpr stereo sound - War of the Worlds, From Here to Eternity are two that I know of. This was prior to mag striping the prints when CinemaScope came in, of course.

Thank you Peter for the info, I never realised stereo sound was used in this way. I just assumed all stereo sound was magnetic stiping on the prints. I'm always happy to learn something new.

If you've got a spare $12,000.00, you can own a very unique souvenir from this lost palace.

There's an auction on eBay for an original balcony railing with the Paramount logo - auction # 3839413167. Be warned: it weighs 700 pounds!

There was another unique souvenir earlier this week from the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre. It was a wall mounted water fountain. Bidding started at $200.00, it had no takers.

Anybody have bio info on Helen Crawford who, with her husband, Jesse, were top stars in Chicago and New York. I know she was killed in an auto crash in 1943. She evidently didn't record much..and I understand she didn't like the studio organ ...too stuffy.. she prefered live performance.

I have a bio on Jesse if thats okay....

b. 2 December 1895, Woodland, California, USA, d. 28 May 1962, Sherman Oaks, California, USA. One of the most popular organists of all time, he began as a pianist with a danceband but switched to organ, playing an initial date at Washington's Spokane Gem Theater in 1911. Many other theatre dates followed and Crawford became the first organist to play LA's Grauman's Theater in 1918. He gained a prestigious job at New York's Paramount Theater, during 1926 and 1933, sometimes performing opposite his wife Helen, the duo playing a twin organ console. During 1925-27 he provided the RCA-Victor label with massive selling records in "Rose Marie" (later a record-breaking UK number 1 hit for Slim Whitman), "Valencia" and "Russian Lullaby", but is probably best remembered for songs "At Dawning" and "Roses Of Picardy". He featured prominently in concerts, and provided background music for a number of plays on US network radio. During the 30s he led a sweet-styled dance orchestra for a time, and continued to record and appear on radio as an instrumentalist throughout the 40s and 50s. His own compositions included "Vienna Violins", "Louisiana Nocturn", "Harlem Holiday", and "Hawaiian Honeymoon".

I wonder where these artifacts were that are turning up?

Here is a link to a website with a bio on Jesse Crawford with pictures.

http://www.atos.org/Pages/Journal/Crawford/Crawford_Bio.html

There is a lot of New York Movie Theatre programs turning up on eBay lately. (Roxy, Rivoli, Capitol, Radio City Music Hall ....) These are the small programs that were available in the lobbies of these theatres for that weeks or next weeks features.

Thanks for the info on Jesse Crawford. I discovered that Helen (nee Anderson) Crawford played in Chicago a couple of blocks away from where Jesse was playing. She pursued him and they married in 1923. Jesse was already married and sent his first wife back to California.
Helen accompanied Bing Crosby on the organ in the 1931 rendition of "Can't we talk it over". She played with a jazzy style and was probably a better organist. They split when Jesse refused to sign a new contract at the Paramount in NYC (lower wages) during the depression. Helen signed and the marriage ended.

Jesse remarried and his new wifes name was Lucy

A nice article on the Marquee re-creation, with pictures, can be seen here: http://www.signindustry.com/led/articles/2002-01-15-JL-HistoricParamontMarqee.php3

Cecil B. DeMille's "Samson and Delilah" had its New York premiere here on December 22nd, 1949, playing simultaneously with the Rivoli Theatre six blocks to its north. Despite the movie's running time of 128 minutes, the Paramount stuck to its usual film/stage show policy, but reduced the "live" portion to 35 minutes featuring Russ Case & His Orchestra & Chorus. The Rivoli showed only the movie, but ran two more performances per day than the Paramount.

Wow thats alot of seats between the two houses. Was it roadshow at The Rivoli?

It was "grind" (continuous run) at both theatres. No mention is made in the advertising, but I think that the admission prices were slightly "advanced" in the vicnity of 50 to 75 cents, depending on time of day.

In the late '40s and early '50s, newspaper ads for the Paramount stressed "Doors open 10:30 a.m. / 55 cents to 1 p.m." In December 1950, Variety reported a beefed-up price scale of .90 to $1.80 for "Samson," the same as at the Rivoli (instead of a stage show, the Rivoli offered its patrons the film's climactic scene on the theater's giant Cycloramic screen; q.v. this site's page for that theater). The previous feature at the Paramount was Bob Hope's "The Great Lover" and Sarah Vaughan(!) on stage, for a held-over four weeks with a price scale of .55 to $1.50. The previous feature at the Rivoli was Elia Kazan's "Pinky," which ran for thirteen weeks with a price scale of .60 to $1.25. Comparative price scales: the Capitol playing "The Red Danube" and Eddy Duchin Orchestra on stage at .80-$1.50; the Strand playing "The Inspector General" and Vaughn Monroe on stage at .55-$2.00; the Roxy playing "Dancing in the Dark" and Mindy Carson on stage at .80-$1.75 (with a 25 cent surcharge for reserved seats); RCMH playing "On the Town" and its Christmas stage show at .80-$2.40; the Astor playing "Battleground" at .60-$1.50; Loew's State playing "East Side, West Side" at .50-$1.50; the Victoria playing "All the King's Men" at .95-$1.50. All in all, the Paramount offered a bargain deal.

As "Warren", and "Jim Rankin" mentioned last May 24th, the Paramount originally had a promenade around the dome in the auditorium. I remember my great aunt in New Jersey telling me about the beautiful theatres in Manhattan, and how she would catch a show at the Roxy or the Paramount after a day of shopping. She especially remarked on the beauty of the Paramount, and told me that there was a room above the auditorium where you could look down into the theatre. Years later, long after me dear aunt's death, I read about this promenade and thought of my aunt and her memories of this place. I sure miss her, and I wish I'd had the sense to press her for more details.

The new book "Times Square Style" has a wonderful full-page B&W photo of the Paramount's facade in October, 1956, showing the arched space above the marquee filled with a 40-foot blow-up of Elvis Presley strumming the guitar. This was to promote the forthcoming premiere there of his first movie, "Love Me Tender." The Paramount had dropped stage shows by then and was currently showing Tab Hunter & Natalie Wood in "The Girl He Left Behind," which, I suspect, was probably playing to near-empty houses.

Even in that picture, you could see the facade was in desperate need of a good cleaning.

Back a-ways, it was mentioned that GOLDFINGER might of played here 24 hours...that was the DeMille (7th & 47th St.).

Update--WWE subleased it out to the Hard Rock Cafe, so it is going back to being used as a restaurant.

The WWE restaurant was well underground and had all the atmosphere of a medieval dungeon. If HRC is also underground, I predict that it won't last long. Why is it leaving West 57th Street, where it has virtually become a landmark after so many years?

I assume that this restaurant space, under the name “World,” has also served as a techno-music night Club. My son is a techno musician who has played gigs there. I never envied his hard work, because the business is fiercely competitive. But when I learned of World’s connection with the Paramount, and so with the shades of Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Stafford, Como, Dorsey, Vaughan, Lee, and a host of others past, in however attenuated a fashion, my admiration brimmed over. Kudos to sites like this for strengthening generational bonds.

Maybe it's all about Times Square for restaurants. Planet Hollywood moved to Times Square from 57th into their spinoff restaurant that didn't make it, All-Star Cafe.

Let me tell you something. For a teenage boy, during the early World War II years, there was no greater thrill than being in the balcony at the Paramount when one of your favorite bands -- say,
Artie Shaw -- was on the bill. You'd hear the exotic strains of his theme song ("Nightmare," I think it was called) before you ever saw the band. It which would rise from the orchestra pit to stage level. Only then would the spotlights come on as the roar in the audience would reach a climax.

And they tore it down.

Yes, Ernie, that's a precise description of how most Paramount stage shows began. The band was the centerpiece feature. The last act was the "star" singer, who entered the platform stage from one of the curtained doorframes on either side of the proscenium.

To get an idea of how it looked, check out the opening and closing scenes in Martin and Lewis' 1953 Paramount feature, THE CADDY. It not only includes actual newsreel footage from 1951 of the pandemonium created by Dean and Jerry throwing autographs out of their dressing room window onto 45th street, it also features a fairly accurate recreation of the Paramount stage set-up.

Incidentally, those dressing room windows are still visible on 45th street! I believe the space is used for offices now. What a shame.

I may have missed something on this message board, but I didn't see anyone mention that Hard Rock Cafe is moving into the Paramount Theatre. This project is to be completed by Fall of 2005. I believe a Hotel will be added shortly after that.

Has anyone submitted a posting on the Paramount Theatre that occupied the former Gulf & Western building at Columbus Circle from the mid '60s before it was taken over by Trump? It was an odd venue operated by Rugoff/Cinema V, and exhibited an odd mix of releases including the Hellstrom Chronicles and Network.

hardrockinjedi
scottfavareille mentioned the Hard Rock Cafe move to the former Paramount Theatre location on Dec. 13th 2004.

I saw in "Times Square Style" that it was a Publix Theater. I didn't know they had any houses in New York.

I remember the G & W Paramount. The ticket booth was on street level and the theatre was in the basement. Saw "The Bad News Bears" & "Silent Movie" there in the 1970's. As I remember it was a nice theatre which was closed when the building was renovated by Trump.

Trump fired the Paramount? Sorry, I just had to write that.

Does anyone know what ever became of Paramount's organ?
I was looking through some of my father's old records, and he had an old Christmas record that was recorded in the Paramount theater, with it's organ. It was so nice sounding, I was wondering if it still existed somewhere.

I believe that someone already mentioned the type of organ installed in this theater. It was a Wurlitzer. The installation date was 9/25/1926. Current status of organ is listed as sold. It doesn't who purchased it.

The famous “mother” Wurlitzer as it was dubbed by the redoubtable Ben M. Hall, has been reinstalled in Kansas City, MO, as brought by this listing at: www.TheatreOrgans.org :

State/City: KS, Wichita USA Location: Century II Center Street Address: Exhibition Hall, 225 W. Douglas Instrument: 4/39 Wurlitzer Status: EXISTING Notes: This organ is opus 1458 from the New York Paramount theatre
Regular Schedule: 98-99 SCHEDULE POSTED AT http://www.vornado.com/98-99_season.html Special Events: Primary Web Page: http://www.vornado.com/mother.html Alternate Web Page: Contact Name, Phone and Email: Michael Coup -316.838.3127 -RHOPEJONES@CXO.COM

Further information can be found via the American Theatre Organ Society at: www.atos.org

Many recordings of this organ were made, and no doubt several to the organ specialists writing on this site can direct you to vendors of those recordings, and the LINKS lists on the organ sites will take you to yet more. Likely the very album you refer to is to be found as a CD or DVD on those lists.

Lyn Larsen has made several recordings performing on the Paramount organ which now resides in the Century II Convention Center in Wichita KS.

Thank you. I am so glad that it survives. While I no longer own a record player, I remember my father playing this record when I was a kid. Hopefully, I will be able to find the recording one day on CD (or DVD), as I would like to hear it again. (Either that, or I have to look at yard sales for a record player (although it would be nicer to have a CD anyway).

Much attention has been given to the ersatz marquee and arched window that have been replicated in their original locations on the front of the Paramount Building.

Many people might not realize that the original marquee did not survive until the theater's destruction. By the 1950s, it had been replaced by a new marquee in the shape of a modern, backlit trapezoid. I located a few pictures of this newer marquee. (On one site, it was misidentified it as the Brooklyn Paramount!)

http://www.brebru.com/musicroom/musicians/elvis/1956nov.jpg
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~angell/thsa/jc04-4.jpg
http://www.lirock.com/images/bkpara.jpg

Beautiful!

stevebob
Thanks for sharing those pics. I forgot to post that recently I saw a picture of Times Square on New Years Eve, I believe 1958. Loews State is playing an Alan Freed stage show and picture combo. I cant make out the name of the movie, but what suprised me was I never knew any of the Freed shows played the State.

There are obviously many very knowledgeable people on this link, allowing me to ask this question: My interest is in the swing and dance bands which flourished in the 30s and 40s, and which played at the Paramount, the Strand, the Roxy, the Capitol as well as Loew's State. Does anyone know how one could find a list of the bookings for these theaters during the 30s and 40s? I just feel that info must be out there somewhere.

Ernie Nagy, Washington, DC

I don't know of anyone who has gone to all the trouble of making such a list, which would be enormous. But you could compile one yourself by going through weekly Variety for those years. In some cases, the theatres did not have stage shows. The Capitol dropped them for eight years. The Strand for a similar lengthy period. Even the Paramount had movies only for a while in the early part of the Depression.

The Paramount ended its longtime "combo" policy on November 20th, 1953, which was the final day of Doris Day's "Calamity Jane" and a stage show topped by the Ames Brothers, Pupi Campo & Orchestra, Clifford Guest, and the Piero Brothers. The next day, the Paramount swtiched to movies only, starting with "Three Sailors and Girl," starring Jane Powell & Gordon MacRae. During that period, the Paramount played many Warner Brothers releases due to the conversion of the Warner (ex-Strand) to Cinerama.

The "combos" went to at to least Nov. 1954. I have a copy of the NYT ad for the Jackie Gleason stage show (with Art Carney, Audrey Meadows & June Taylor Dancers)and Alan Ladd's Drum Beat on the screen.

This is my only memory of seeing a Paramount stage show.

Ernie, the best way to document the bookings at the Paramount is to find a library with NYT on microfiche, it worked for me. Lots of fun and you can print out a copy of the ads.

Jerry

Post some of those ads, please.

Jerry, I think that was a one time stage and movie combo which featuted The Honeymooners which was a smash TV show at the time.

I think that the Jackie Gleason booking was a "special" that the Paramount did from time to time due to the popularity of the star involved or a major holiday. There was also one in 1956 with Frank Sinatra and his movie, "Johnny Concho."

In her memoir, "Love, Alice," Audrey Meadows (who was, of course, Jackie Gleason's TV wife, Alice Kramden) has a few pages about the time that the "Honeymooners" played the Paramount.

One of the most amazing things (almost too amazing to believe) is that they did these special versions of the "Honeymooners" (which was then just a regular segment of the Jackie Gleason Show) daily at the Paramount during the actual TV season -- and in an era when TV was done live!

As a matter of fact, a few paragraphs of Meadow's account describes the day they did shows at the Paramount on the same day that they did the Jackie Gleason TV show from their theater about ten blocks further uptown!

But apparently Meadows was used to this kind of stuff. Earlier in the book she also mentions that, just before she was hired for the Gleason show, one of her first TV jobs was with Bob and Ray, and that she would do the show daily at the NBC studios in Rockefeller Center (Sixth Ave.) and then scurry down 50th St. to the Winter Garden (stage door is on Seventh Ave.) where she was appearing nightly opposite Phil Silvers in the Broadway musical "Top Banana"!

As someone else mentioned in connection with the performing schedule of (Jerry) Lewis & (Dean) Martin during that era (perhaps on the page of another Cinema Treasures theater), entertainers really worked in those days!

In the Meadows book, there is also a picture of the Paramount marquee when the "Honeymooners" was there. This marquee seems to me to be different from the original marquee (and therefore different, of course, from the current recreation). The marquee almost looks like the one they have/had at Roseland Ballroom on W. 52nd St. Given that it has a 1950s look, I assume the marquee was remodeled in the early 1950s, but would be interested if anyone has more details.

No latter day views of the marquee are shown in the Theatre Historical Society's Annual on the New York (Times Square) PARAMOUNT, but it is quite likely that they do have other views in their Archive. A letter to them at their address listed on their site: www.HistoricTheatres.org will probably elicit some photocopies to document the changes for you. Of the two early days photos of the marquee in their Annual of 1976, one does show that that light bulb extravaganza was augmented with tall attraction boards above the end boards already a part of the original marquee. This is one of the few major palaces in the nation not to have had a vertical sign, as also did not the PARADISE in the Bronx, but then both had monumental facades not needing such superfluous decoration. It is remarkable, nontheless, how close the modern reproduction shown in the photo on this site above, is to the original. We cannot expect all the detailing of the original which had no doubt rusted out by the '50s, since costs were ever higher for such creations in later years. The latest one appears to be primarily neon, which is now cheaper in the long run due to the vastly higher costs of labor today to replace more expensive light bulbs every few months, as compared to the initial cost of neon which is high but can give 50 years of continuous service if properly built. I rejoice that they did see fit to restore both the marquee as well as the name sign above the mock grand window. They lend a magnificence befitting Gotham and fill the nightscape with wonder.

I will try to get a copy of the ad posted somewhere. The ad does mention that the show starts today at 8:00 AM - 6 complete deluxe stage shows - last complete show 12 MIDNIGHT. Hopefully Jackie & Co. go to do the 10am and midnight slot. Bad enough.

The film, Drum Beat, was 111 minutes. So, if my math is right, the stage show would be about an hour in order to get 6 shows in from 8am to 3am with some intermission time to get everybody to the snack bar.

The ad mentions the 32 June Taylor Dancers, Bobby Hackett and the "Music for Lovers Only" orchestra of 50 musicians with Sammy Spear. So the Honeymooners were probably on stage for less than 30 minutes. Probably 20 minutes, close to the length of an episode.

Man,they were troopers!

One of my earlier memories.

Jerry

The last Paramount marquee was the modern, white glass type, with changeable silhouette letters. There's a B&W photo of it on page 82 of the recent book, "Times Square Style." It was taken in October, 1956, with two sides advertising the current "The Girl He Left Behind" and the front announcing the November 15 opening of "Love Me Tender." A giant-sized replica of Elvis Presley strumming a guitar was mounted in the space above the marquee.

Jim-
If you see the comment I posted on September 30, 2004, there is an article about the creation of the new marquee. It is LED and Fiber Optic.

If you can find a copy of staff organist Don Baker "At the New York Paramount Theatre Organ" the 33-1/3 jacket has a great color picture of the Paramount entrance.
The record was produced by Harmony as HL7021 (a product of Columbia Records). I think Harmony was to Columbia as Camden was to RCA.
Cheaper price.

Harmony was indeed a budget line of Columbia records, consisting primarily of reissues of older Columbia product. They didn't always use the same album artwork throughout the life of the re-release.

If memory serves me, the Paramount installed its new trapezoidal white-glass marquee upon the debut of Donald O'Connor's first talking-mule comedy, "Francis," which opened on 15 March 1950. I recall newspaper ads proclaiming a refurbished, better-than-ever showplace, with a caricature of the talented ass peering over the edge of the modernized marquee.

The "new" (and final) marquee was installed somewhere between September, 1947, and September, 1948. I found "Before and After" photos in the 1950 Film Daily Year Book, in an ad placed by Adler Silhouette Letter Company. The old marquee displayed a September 1947 booking of "Golden Earrings" and stage show topped by Billy De Wolfe and Frankie Laine. The new marquee is advertising the September,1948 engagement of "Miss Tatlock's Millions" and a stage show including Stan Kenton's Band, Nellie Lutcher, and Red Buttons. The new marquee used Adler 17" and 10" 2-Tone Plastic letters interchangeably with Adler 24"-16"-12"-10" Cast Aluminum letters, all on "Remova-Panel" Frames. The ad describes the new marquee as "an amazing transformation," but I prefer the previous one, which used custom-made signs. The new marquee made the Paramount look no different from many neighborhood theatres that also used the Adler system.

Warren,
How was the artwork (heavy stock-cardboard?) that framed, horseshoe-shaped, the entrance to the Broadway & 42nd Street theaters (double features!)accomplished and at what cost? Jerry

Jerry, there were several companies that made those signs for marquee display, but I don't know which one the Paramount used. Nor do I know how much the signs cost, but the distributor of the movie involved usually paid part of the bill. Loew's had its own shop in the Bronx that made signs for all of its theatres, including the Capitol and State. It's possible that the Paramount had its own sign shop as well, especially during the "boom years."

The "Drum Beat" & Jackie Gleason stage show was a special two-week deal that opened November 17th, 1954 and included the Thanksgiving holiday period. On December 2nd, the Paramount reverted to movies only with "Track of the Cat," followed on December 26th by "The Silver Chalice." Prior to the "Drum Beat"-Gleason booking, the Paramount had been showing Judy Garland's "A Star Is Born," simultaneously with the nearby Victoria Theatre...Another isolated stage show was the one with Frank Sinatra in conjunction with the opening of his western movie, "Johnny Concho." Starting August, 15, 1956, Sinatra performed at the Paramount for one week only, accompanied by the combined orchestras of Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey. "Johnny Concho" continued on its own for another week as the movies only policy resumed, with "The Ambassador's Daughter" following. Prior to the Sinatra package's arrival, the Paramount had shown "Earth Versus the Flying Saucers," and before that Alan Ladd's "Santiago."

On the ProQuest Historical Newspapers database (for details, see today's page on RCMH), I just searched the NYT for "Paramount" and "marquee" between Nov. '47 and Nov. '48 and found an article from 18 April '48 about a $250,000 renovation at the Paramount.

The budget included $37,000 for the new marquee, plus unspecified amounts for a new "floating stage," 3,600 new seats, and a complete paint job. That's a pretty good price for all this. The work was being done mostly between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. so as not to interfere with the performances, and it was estimated to take six weeks to complete.

The film opening that week (21 April) was "The Big Clock" with a stage show headed by Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. For that, I wouldn't care what marquee or floating stage the Paramount had sported.

Before ProQuest ruins me, I want to record some primitive memories of two stage shows at the Paramount. The first accompanied “Dear Ruth” in June ’47 and was headlined by Perry Como (my elders had a thing for that crooner, who always made me feel incredibly sluggish). I remember sitting in the steeply sloped balcony and experiencing a severe vertigo, and to this day I associate that sensation with the drowsy moan of Perry Como and the sharp pitch of the Paramount’s balcony. That’s a synaesthesia for you.

The second accompanied “My Forbidden Past” in May ’51 and featured Frank Sinatra. Aside from the pitch for “Johnny Concho,” it must have been his last regular stint at the Paramount. The hook of the film is that it starred his then-spouse Ava Gardner (with Robert Mitchum, Melvyn Douglas, and a closet-full of GWTW-style costumes; “silly tripe,” writes Leonard Maltin). At the time, Sinatra was at a low point in his career, no?, and the Paramount stage show paired him with the curvaceous Dagmar. The two of them sang bouncy songs, including “If I Knew You Were Coming, I’d ’ve Baked a Cake” and the notorious “Mamma Don’t Bark.” No drowsy moan there.

I'll check ProQuest for details, but for now I kinda like this fuzzy recall of a vaporous memory.

When my mother and father were dating they saw Frank Sinatra on stage here with "Meet Danny Wilson". My grandmother saw him many times in the bobby-sox days and talked so many times about how incredible those shows were for less then a dollar.

"Meet Danny Wilson" opened on 26 March '52, so, yes, that's later than Sinatra's show with "My Forbidden Past."

Another brief resumption of stage shows started on January 23, 1957, with a single week's engagment of "Jazz at the Philharmonic," with Nat King Cole & Trio, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie's Band, and Joe Williams as headliners. The film was a Columbia programmer, "Nightfall," starring Aldo Ray and Brian Keith. On January 30th, the Paramount returned to showing films only with "Top Secret Affair" (Kirk Douglas & Susan Hayward).

Here's a bit of 3-D/"House of Wax" trivia. I attended opening day, which featured Eddie Fisher's "return from the Army" as well as the premiere of "House of Wax" in WarnerPhonic sound. We arrived in the middle of the first showing of the feature, saw the stage show, and then the beginning of the second showing of "House of Wax." All of the dialogue for the first few minutes was unintelligible, as though it was in another language. When it cleared up, the first words one understood were "You're going to like this man --- he speaks your language!" The full house gave that line a hearty response.

Great story Paul, so I guess the sound was not so "Phonic" after all.
Seriously however, it reminded me of those wonderfull times in the 50s when we had the birth of all of those great sight and sound inovations in motion pictures. As projectionists, we seem to have a new toy to play with almost every couple of months.

For the Easter holiday period in 1964, the Paramount presented what the press reported as the theatre's first stage show in seven years. It was a Rock-N-Roll revue emceed by the radio deejays known as the "WMCA Good Guys." The performers included Sam Cooke, Dan & Jean, Rufus Thomas, the Devotions, the Sapphires, the Four Seasons, Terry Stafford, Chris Crosby, Diane Renay, and King Curtis & Band. There were five stage shows per day, punctuated by screenings of Zenith International's "No, My Darling Daughter," a British comedy with Juliet Mills and Michael Craig. The engagement ran from March 27 through April 5. The next day, the Paramount returned to films only with the NYC premiere of "Paris When It Sizzles" (Audrey Hepburn-William Holden), which it shared with the Trans-Lux 52nd Street Theatre on the East Side.

I think that should be Jan & Dean, though it was reported in at least one newspaper as Dan & Jean.

I have never seen this night shot of the Paramount and other marquees.

http://thebestofusa.com/thrutheyears/NorthEast/NewYork/timessquare.html

The photo seems out-of-focus, which I don't know was deliberate or not. But it was apparently taken in March, 1938, since "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife," with Claudette Colbert & Gary Cooper, is advertised on the Paramount's marquee. Singer Ella Logan, whose name also appears, would have been in the stage show. I can't make out any other marquee listings.

One of the few MGM movies to open at the Paramount was "I Dood It," which arrived on November 10, 1943 as part of the theatre's 17th anniversary celebration, with Woody Herman & Orchestra, Frances Wayne, Marion Hutton, and Paul Winchell & Jerry Mahoney heading the stage program. The movie was selected because it starred comedian Red Skelton, whose first became famous via frequent appearances in the Paramount's stage shows.

I saw that show during it's run. The Red Skelton film was the least interesting part of it, although I believe it included Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra, one of my favorites.

I came primarily to see and hear Woody Herman and his Orchestra. This was known as "The Band That Plays the Blues." Ah, halcyon days.

Ernie Nagy

There is a NY Times picture here of the theatre being gutted.

http://www.nytimes.com/nytstore/photos/newyork/amusements/NSAP266.html

Here's a photo of the Paramount's deeply curved VistaVision screen, which made its debut with the showing of "Strategic Air Command" in April 1955. It comes from Theatre Catalog, 12th ed. (1954-55).

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/petrarch/paramount1.jpg

You can see that the original proscenium columns were cut off and removed just above the screen so as to make use of the entire but cramped stage width. The dark midnight-blue house curtain traveled into wing spaces beyond the proscenium, past the audience's sightlines. For CinemaScope films, masking dropped several feet to frame the 2.6 ratio (I recall seeing "Inn of the Sixth Happiness" there on New Year's Eve, '58). For conventional widescreen, masking moved down at the top and in at the sides to reduce the exaggerated size (I recall seeing "Love in the Afternoon" there in August '57). I remember the Paramount's VistaVision screen in its full glory--and it was glorious--for "The Man Who Knew Too Much" in May '56. My friends and I sat in the fifth row or thereabout.

So was Vistavisions much more impressive at the Paramount than it was at the Music Hall these being the two NY theaters with Vistavision projectors?

VistaVision at the Paramount was superior to its projection at any other theater in NYC.

At RCMH, where "White Chritmas," High Society," and "North by Northwest" were projected on to the theater's standard flat wide screen, it looked hardly different from any 35mm film in the auditorium's vast expanse.

At the Criterion, whose screen was slightly more curved than most but not at all so deeply curved as those at the Rivoli, Warner, or Loew's State, the viewing surface sat well inside the limited proscenium and deeply behind the red traveler curtain; for "The Ten Commandments" its size seemed unexceptional and even unimpressive.

At the Capitol, the framing and projection were first-rate for its gently curved screen, but the VistaVision look for "War and Peace" and "Vertigo" carried no special distinction.

The Brooklyn Paramount projected the medium onto a flat and somewhat squarish screen.

I was a flabbergastingly opinionated, movie-mad, camera-toting teen-ager when I saw those films at these theaters in the '50s. Only the Times Square Paramount impressed me for its VistaVision presentation. It's a wonder people didn't kick me in the pants for my ad hoc critiques.

Of course all of you realise that only "White Christmas" played RCMH in actual horizontal VistaVision. After that, all movies shot in VistaVision were shown with a standard 35mm reduction print.
However, the Paramount actually projected many horizontal VistaVision prints, I am not sure which titles were shown that way, hopefully someone knows. As for the Capital and Criterion, VistaVision projectors were, as far as I know, were never installed at either theatre. Even "The Ten Commandments" was shown using a 35mm reduction print. By the way Bill,regarding your New Years Eve outing, exactally one year after later in 1959, I too spent New Years Eve at the Paramount watching "Journey to the Center of the Earth"

Vito and BOB. You guys are killing me.

The only other VistaVision films that I recall having played at the Paramount besides "Strategic Air Command" and "The Man Who Knew Too Much" were "To Catch a Thief," "Artists and Models," and "Anything Goes"--a perfect waste of terrific VV equipment, especially if the exhibitors went all the way with horizontal projection. The Paramount in those days was chiefly a showcase for Warner Bros. films. I believe that "We're No Angels" and "Desperate Hours" opened at the Criterion. "The Trouble with Harry" premiered at the Paris, a highly unusual booking for a Hollywood studio film at the time. From my previous account of VV films that I'd seen in their first runs, I left out "Funny Face," the sublime Easter show at RCMH in '57.

Does anyone know exactly when the Paramount terminated the booking of vaudeville/big band acts?

Ernie Nagy

Ernie Nagy-- scroll upwards to 27 and 28 Feb and 2, 8, and 23 March '05, where Warren has eloquently chronicled the end of stage shows at the Paramount.

According to one of the biographies of Woody Allen, for his seventh birthday on December 1, 1942, he and his mom went to the Paramount and saw "The Road to Morocco" (where he became fascinated by Bob Hope) and a stage show with Woody (!) Herman and his orchestra. The Paramount had an obvious effect on him. I attended five days later for my 7th birthday, too, but I didn't become a comedian or a sax player, or change my name. I just became a theater buff!

The day world war II ended, my sister was on stage at the Paramount. She was the soprano (Jeannie) with Phil Spitalny’s all girl orchestra. Imogene Coca was also on the bill.
They suspended shows that afternoon so that everyone could get out of the theater. A number of the girls decided the best way out was through a kind of underground passageway to the front of the theater opening on Broadway. We all joined hands & once on the street, snaked our way through the crowd to the subway. A very memorable experience for a boy of 15.

Superb postings by Paul Noble and CPark. The much-lamented Paramount had the power to imprint itself on one's memory in a variety of ways.

Ernie Nagy

THE PARAMOUNT called itself THE HOUSE OF BLOCKBUSTERS during its final few years of regular operation. Having exclusive first run blockbusters at top prices was what kept the big downtown theaters in business. It wasn't New York's notorious pre-Rudy high crime --- immortalized in Charles Bronson's DEATH WISH film in which New York was accurately described as "a toilet" --- no, it was the producer/ director of THE FRENCH CONNECTION. Mr Dantonio insisted 20th Century Fox book this movie "wide" immediately placing it in dozens of neighborhood theaters and bypassing downtown. The financial payoff was fantastic and forever doomed the downtown first runs. Soon after, not even RADIO CITY could grab off first runs of QUALITY films with mass appeal; booking second rate things like ROBIN & MARION et cetera along with their 4-a-day stage show. Of course the horrible crime problem --- unknown to young New Yorkers --- helped nail the coffin. When I see literally thousands of persons, even in freezing temperatures in January, cramming Times Square at 11 PM, why couldn't New York cure their crime nightmare a few decades earlier?

How is it that no one has written a long overdo book about Manhattan's Paramont? Or am I mistaken?

Theatre Historical Society of America devoted one of its special annual issues to the New York Paramount and its history. Back issues might still be available through their website at www.historictheatres.org

Christmas of 1960 Elvis had two films in release. The Paramount was playing "Flaming Star" and all the neighborhood Loews were showing a double bill of "G.I. Blues" and "The Boy Who Stole a Million". It seems by this time the Paramount was just running films, no stage show is listed.

May 1965 the Paramount opened the Carol Lynley version of "Harlow" which was filmed in Electronovision. This film was released by Magna Pictures of which United Artists Theatres was the majority owner. The stage show (yes it was back) starred Clay Cole and had the lineup of Mary Wells, The Doves, The Marvelettes and 4 other acts. When the film left the Paramount it went on a massive showcase run of virtually every UA, Randforce and Skouras theatre in every boro, Long Island and Westchester. I think they were trying to beat the far superior color version Paramount made with Carol Baker. The next attraction to go into the Paramount was "Operation Snafu" starring Sean Connery and on stage a tribute to Glenn Miller.

The Paramount ended its stage show policy in November, 1953. After that, there were occasional stage presentations, usually during public or school holidays. The majority of these were of the multi-star rock-n-roll type, hosted by a radio DJ.

RobertR mentioned Electronovision and if anyone wondered what the heck that was, in 1965, two competing versions of Harlow's bio were in production, Harlow, Paramount Studios' version was photographed in 35mm widescreen color. The Magna Pictures rendition of Harlow, which was released first, was photographed in black-and-white Electronovision, which was a live TV style kinescope type production. The Electronovision Harlow was more of a curiosity than a movie and was pulled from its few bookings quickly. Soon after, along with few kinescope prints, the Electronovision cameras became part of video-movie history.

"The last movie to play the Paramount was 'Thunderball' which...played continuously 24 hours a day for the first three weeks." (Orlando, Feb 27, 2004)

" 'Thunderball' was released in December, 1965, nearly a year and a half after 'The Carpetbaggers' closed at the Paramount. I don't recall 'Thunderball' playing there..." (Warren, Feb 27, 2004)

"Could it have been 'Goldfinger' not 'Thunderball', you were thinking of? Because 'Goldfinger' had special 24 hour a day screenings when it opened in the city. And it was released a year earlier than 'Thunderball'." (William, Feb 27, 2004)

"I remember 'Thunderball' having a special engagement at the Paramount." (p7350, Feb 27, 2004)
*********************************************

Consulting The New York Times on microfilm can help sort this out....

Both "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball" had special 24-hour round-the-clock Manhattan screenings.

"Goldfinger" opened on Dec. 22, 1964 exclusively at the DeMille and the Coronet. Between Dec. 23, 1965 - Jan. 2, 1965, the DeMille featured round-the-clock screenings.

"James Bond Now In Action 24 Hours A Day -- Due to the incredible crowds that stormed the doors of the DeMille Theatre yesterday, opening day, the management announces that the following extraordinary, unprecedented schedule is now in effect for the showings of 'Goldfinger': The DeMille Theatre will remain open 24 hours a day...so that all who wish to follow the latest exploits of Agent 007 will have unlimited opportunity to do so."

As for "Thunderball," this opened Dec. 21, 1965 on a United Artists Premiere Showcase simultaneously in nearly 30 greater New York City area theaters. The Manhattan engagements were held at the Paramount, Sutton, and Cinema II. The Paramount stayed open 24 hours a day to show the movie round-the-clock.

If I recall correctly, there was also an Electronvision B&W "film" of Richard Burton in a stage production of "Hamlet." It was shown for one night only, and then all prints were supposed to be destroyed. I don't know which NYC theatres ran it.

You recall correctly Warren, in 1964 Hamlet played in Electronvision in just under 1000 theatres, with the New York run lasting just two days. The 3 hour and 20 minute running time permitted only two shows a day, and was shot live with 15 cameras. By the way, as the story goes it was Burton who, unhappy with the quality, and controlled distribution, pulled the film, never to be shown again. There are some reports of the film playing in some U.S cities for almost two weeks.

This is a paragraph about Hamlet from a story I read on Electronovision:

"The mid-Sixties saw the first serious attempts to fulfill the predictions of the Forties and Fifties with a process called "Electronovision." (The trend, at the time was to tack on the word "vision" to almost any new theatrical format from "VistaVision" to "Smellovision" in a desperate attempt to counter the growing popularity of Television). John Gielgud directed Richard Burton in the 1964 production of Hamlet using the Electronovision process. It was basically a multi-camera TV-style recording of Shakespeare's opus as performed in the Lunt-Fontanne Theater. Studio video cameras were positioned in the orchestra, boxes, and balconies to mimic the audience point of view. A kinescope film recording was made of the video image for theatrical release. The "Theatrofilm" presentation of Hamlet preserved Richard Burton's magnificent performance but did nothing for the advancement of videotape as a means to shoot motion pictures".

I've just posted my Playbill program from that famous production on the page for the Lunt-Fontanne Theater, where the run took place in June 1964.

Was reading the earlier posts and wanted to let Warren know it was Dean & Jean who performed at the WMCA Goodguys Show at the Paramount. They were a couple who had a hit called "Tra La La Suzy" around that time.I happened to catch that show and it was great. But the one I was at had a different lineup. I believe the Goodguys changed the headliners after a few days. Along with Dean & Jean and some of the other acts Warren mentioned were The 4 Seasons,Lesley Gore and James Brown. I do remember the theater being massive and that the movie with Juliet Mills was quite boring. It was a black & white British comedy about a misadventures of a bad daughter.
Anyway,I wish I would have saved my program from the show.As a kid in the 60's I didn't realize it might be a collecters item today.

Check out this RKO release that played the Paramount during WWII.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/hitlerschildren-NYParamount.jpg

It's not the greatest copy but here is the ad from the Electronovision version of "Hamlet". It seems to have opened on Broadway at the RKO Palace. Look how they tried to make it classy by playing it twice a day even in the burbs.

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

Harking back to BklynRon's contribution: Dean & Jean were from Dayton, OH. They had two more chart hits in the '60s.

Ernie Nagy

Thanks Ernie. I sort of remember something more from them,I know they weren't just one hit wonders.

Here is the ad for "Harlow" with the Clay Cole stage show
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/HarlowClayColeSHow.jpg

I don't think this photo has been posted yet:
http://imagesrvr.epnet.com/embimages/imh/archivephoto/full/g1928076.jpg


Caption: View from above a subway station facing north on Times Square at 43rd Street showing the Paramount Theater just after an air raid drill, New York City, 1941.

What a gorgeous view of Times Square. To have known it then. Sigh.

That is a great picture, TC. So is the one of "The Robe" at Grauman's Chinese. Thanks.

I recall ads for the Carol Lynley version of "Harlow" saying it was in Electronovision. I think that's a fancy way of saying it was shot on videotape.

For me, what stands out in the beautiful photo posted by TC is that the movie was still the primary attraction. Later -- and not very much later -- the swing band then appearing earned a more prominent place on the marquee.

Ernie Nagy

"Birth of the Blues" opened on 10 December 1941, just a few days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The air raid drill that TC mentions must have been one of the first in those panicked days that followed. It's an eerie and foreboding atmosphere. As the war effort took off, Times Square would become a lively venue for selling war bonds and for entertaining on-leave servicemen-and-women.

When Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis's very first movie, "My Friend Irma," opened at the Paramount in September, 1949, they also topped the stage show, with Carolyn Grey, the Four Step Brothers, and Dick Stabile's Orchestra in support. Due to other M&L commitments, the booking was limited to two weeks only. On October 19th, the Paramount switched to "Red, Hot & Blue" (Betty Hutton & Victor Mature), plus stage show headed by Erskine Hawkins' Orchestra, Nellie Lutcher, the Treniers, and Stump & Stumpy.

My mom attended the "My Friend Irma" show at the Paramount. Jerry Lewis took over for the ticket taker and tore her ticket in half.

Jerry has photos of that publicity stunt in front of the theater. He was wearing the full doorman's outfit, hat and all!

He had been an usher there in the early 1940's.

Sorry this is off topic but is he well? He seems to have disappeared. The Martin and Lewis program at the Loews Jersey a couple of years back was movie heaven.

Thanks Vincent, I'm glad you enjoyed the Martin and Lewis event. That was my show.

Jerry is recovering from Pulmonary Fibrosis, and has been working to lose all the weight he gained from the steroids which saved his life. He's been through a lot in the past ten years, but is still plugging along.

He will deliver the Keynote Address at the opening of VSDA's Home Entertainment 2005, the annual convention for the home entertainment industry. Ten of the classic Jerry Lewis films(which he owns)were recently released on DVD, Jerry was involved in every aspect of their release from the films' restorations to the creation of the special material. Later this year, "Dean & Me: A Love Story." written by Jerry will be in bookstores.

The Martin & Lewis stage shows were incredible. The audience was falling out of their seats laughing. We caught them at the Paramount & then later up Broadway at the Capital theatre. I never saw anything like this before or since, just electric & ecstatic.
You never knew who you might run into around the Paramount. One day I was waiting backstage for my sister & decided to step outside. It was daytime and almost no one was on 44th street. A tall thin lady, all dressed in black, started walking towards me from the Sardi’s restaurant. As she got closer I could see that it was Eleanor Roosevelt. She said hello as she passed & I remember there was almost no one on the street. No secret service or anything. Is this a great country or what?

That's a great story, thanks for sharing it. Do you have any other recollections of the Paramount, and were you involved with their stage productions?

Many people have said that Martin and Lewis were one of the funniest live shows you would ever see. It's too bad that their movies never captured that magic on film. About the closest you can get are their appearances on the Colgate Comedy Hour.

Here is a side view of the present marquee
http://www.stoogie.com/images/places/usa/nyc0409/Times%20Square%20Problem.jpg

I noticed that many Paramount Theatres closed in the mid-1960's,in NYC,Buffalo,San Francisco,Los Angeles and other cities. Was this a major real estate sell off of United-Paramount. If anyone would know Im sure Warren would.brucec

Believe it or not, Mary Pickford topped the Christmas stage show at the Paramount in December, 1933. In what was described as her "First & Only Appearance In Any Motion Picture Theatre," Pickford performed in a one-act play, "A Church Mouse," with Harland Tucker, Carroll Ashburn and Robert Lowe in supporting roles. Also on the bill was Paul Oscardi's holiday revue, featuring the Radio Rogues, the Danny Dare Ballet Company, and orchestra conducted by Charles Previn. On screen was Paramount's "Alice in Wonderland," with Charlotte Henry in the title role and an all-star supporting cast including Gary Cooper, W. C. Fields, and Cary Grant.

The Paramount was part of this 1964 showcase starring Robert Goulet. It was called "Honeymoon Hotel". Is it my imagination or were the majority of the 60's showcases star studded sex comedies?
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/LongestDay.jpg

From December 1959:

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

Notice the lower left corner. Vito, you were an ear-witness. If I were about 10 years older than I was at the time (5), I would've seen it here for sure.

Bill Thanks for that ad, actually if memory serves I saw it on new years Eve, we watched it twice then joined the crowd outside in Times Square to ring in the new year. Do you have the date of that ad? Id like to be sure it was the movie we saw that new years eve.
Perhaps Warren knows the playdate

I believe the date of that ad was December 15, which means the movie opened on the 16th. It was a hit so it must have played at least three weeks, which makes it the movie you saw on the 31st (I am really envious!).

Thanks Bill, between shows we could see the crowds outside the theatre beginning to form for the big moment.When I try really hard I can still hear fanfare and great main title music in four track stereo. As Mr.Hope would say, "thanks for the memories"

Here's the Paramount in 1932 with a rare booking of a non-Paramount release. And can you imagine all those headliners on one stage bill?
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/129-2931_IMG.jpg

Look at this unusal picture, I copied the original caption
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Theatres/ParamountBoxing.jpg
Boxing Match Televised on Movie Screen
Original caption: Movie Audience Treated to Television. New York: The audience in the Paramount Theatre was treated to a surprise, April 14, when a Naval boxing program which was held just 66 seconds before was televised and projected on the huge 18 by 24 foot screen. Standard 35 mm film was used for projection. It took 66 seconds to process, dry and project the show.

I never knew the Beatles played a benefit here in 1964
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Theatres/BeatlesatParamount.jpg

The Beatles Perform on Stage in 1964
Original caption: 9/21/1964-New York, NY- England's famed mop-haired quartet, the Beatles, is in the spotlight during charity performance before an audience of screaming Beatlemaniacs (foreground) and dowdy Park Avenue matrons at New York's Paramount Theatre here 9/21. The performance by the Beatles, who sang their "swan song" in the U.S., will benefit the United Cerebral Palsy and the Retarded Infants Services. The musicians are (l to r): Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr on drums.

Oh boy - what I wouldn't give for a trip in a time machine back to 9/21/64, destination Paramount Theatre.

RobertR--

Swell pictures and accompanying captions. Did your photo of the televised boxing match come from Life Magazine? As a kid, I remember seeing such a photo there ca. 1950. Do you have its source and date? And do you have the source for the Beatles' photo, too?

Great photos Robert.
Concerning the boxing image. The screen does not seem huge to me. Was this the size of the 35mm screen pre Vistavision-cinemascope?
So if you were in the balconey what did you see if anything? Was it hard to concentrate on an image so small in a house so enormous?

The last time anyone mentioned the Hard Rock Cafe here was in January.

This web page may be important: http://www.hardrock.com/rocktimessquare/?adcom=0000681952

Here's a pre-opening ad for one of the Paramount Theatre's biggest and longest-running hits:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/133-3396_IMG.jpg

Many thanks for that ad, Warren. I saw that show. Charlie Spivak, a trumpet player, led one of the more popular bands of the time. I commuted from Metuchen, NJ via railraod to Penn Station. What a time that was!

Ernie Nagy

Here's an ad for the Alan Freed rock and roll show in the mid fifties.
http://photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/?action=view¤t=scan0005.jpg

Vincent,
I can't speak for The Paramount (it was long gone before I ever stepped into Times Square) but I know it was not uncommon for original 1.37:1 screens to be shorter as well as so much narrower than Cinemascope and Vistavision screens. When they designed Cinemascope, Fox engineers increased the height of the 35mm film frame to allow more light etc... . From what I understand (and I'm not a projectionist, so I could be totally wrong on this) if you used the same focal length lens on both images, the scope would naturally display it's increased height (from the taller frame), as well as the extra width.

IM NEW ON PHOTOBUCKET.COm so i hope i get it right this time
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0004.jpg

Everything I have ever read about the Times Square Paramount has said it was completely gutted and replaced with office space. Nothing remained to show a theatre had ever been there. The floors were put in throughout and the offices continued across on all floors. Even the windows at the front were taken from the side of the building to match the others at the front. There was no sign a theatre had ever been there.

The Hard Rock Cafe at 1501 Broadway claims to "taking over the former Paramount Theatre" and when I checked their site out it showed pics of them renovating the space. It looked large and cavernous and there was detailed plasterwork. It has space for 700 tables and a concert space. They also have a “space above the historic marquee to entertain” The current marquee is a rather clumsy, but welcome, attempt to re-create the original ornate bronze canopy that was replaced in the early 1950’s. The new façade arch window and marquee being only about 4 years old.


Could there have actually been part of the Paramount left inside the building or is this all hype for the new Café in the bowels of the building?

The HRC should be should be sued for the incorrect claims it has been making about the Paramount Theatre. The restaurant is a make-over of the one built by World Wrestling, which proved a fiasco and was vacant for several years. I can understand why it failed, as it was entirely underground. The Paramount Theatre was demolished. There is nothing left of it except the office building that contained the entrance and lobbies, which were also destroyed.

Warren, you are quite correct, the Paramount sign on the buildings entrance is all that remains. I already wrote to those idiots at HRC explaining they were not entitled to any claims to the legandary Parmount name and question their rights to try and do so. I have not had a response, which is not a surprise. I am not a fan of the current marquee either, to me it's just a sad reminder of the devastaion of a great theatre. I do like what McDonalds did, it's a wonderfull tribute to what once was the Great White Way.

i think i got now i hope
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/b49a46c6.jpg

one more time
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0004.jpg

The Paramount's grand lobby. Entrance doors to the ground floor of the auditorium are at the right. Fittingly, the new Hard Rock Cafe occupies space below this lobby, once occupied by some of the Paramount's restrooms:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/134-3495_IMG.jpg

Since a child, I have always loved the movie palaces. I have extenisvely lectured, and even wrote a radio show, that encouraged people to appreciate the theatres that are left. However, we are living in new century with different needs. Sadly because of the huge expenses, just so many movie palaces can be saved. The owners of the Hard Rock Cafe are simply trying to make a living. I do not put them down for using a part of the FORMER Parmount building. They did not destroy it. Our love of the movie palaces must be kept in perspective if we are to have any positive influence.

ERD you make a good point, I am just bitter about the loss of the Paramount and have decided to take offense to the HRC's use of the Paramount name.

If it raises awareness of the loss of the great theatre that was once there, it is ultimately good for preservation. WWF's re-creation of the marquee and arch were a big, unprecedented step, too. Would it be better to not remind people of what has been lost?

ERD is perfectly right; castigating the current occupants of what has not been a theatre building for around 40 years, serves no purpose. The attempts to recall the original signage at least reminds the younger ones that this was once other than another mere office building. Perhaps some of them will investigate and learn of this and other grand movie palaces of their parents' or grandparents' times and of what we have lost and failed to pass down as their heritage.

At the least, the owner should spring for a sizeable plaque to be mounted where the passerbys can see it, and yet not where metal scavangers can steal it (a common practice by drug addicts who sell such plaques to metal salvage yards who are none too scrupulous about where pricy non-ferrous metals come from!); perhaps inside a vestibule seen through outer locked glass doors? If no one else will volunteer, I will gladly write the historic text for such a plaque, if the owners will but contact me by clicking on my name in blue below, and that will take them to my profile page where there is the CONTACT link. (I do not give it here because of robots that scan the web for E-mails to which to send more spam).

What happened to the lobby space and all its decor?

The lobby space and all its decor-- with the exception of remaining artificats sold at a public auction-- were demolished. The chandeliers were removed for safekeeping during WWII, but never returned and were either "lost" or stolen.

Most likely, when the chandeliers were removed in fear of their falling during foreseen bombings (which did not materialize, of course), they were carted off to some warehouse in LARGE crates where they no doubt incurred large storage fees! After the war it was the 1950s, and the so-called International Style of architecture with its Modern decor was all the rage, and the movie palaces in their period style decors were 'old hat' to the Rock 'n' Roll kids coming on the scene, so the owners saw no financial benefit to paying the tens of thousands of dollars to have them carted back and rehung. Soooo, it is likely that they stopped paying the storage fees and the warehouse simply sold them for metal scrap. After all, what kind of market exists for 40 or 50-foot high candeliers? Remember that Ben Hall said that they offered the giant Rotunda chandelier in the ROXY to the Cardinal of the Catholic church, gratis, and he turned it down because it was just too big! The situation was really the same for the PARAMOUNT's owners since no one was building palaces anymore and where else does one put such huge, heavy, and ornate lights? Yes, I would love to see them too, but I, for one, cannot take them off their hands and hang them in my living room (they would be equal to the height of about four of my living rooms), and I know that the spaces of the Theatre Historical Soc. above the lobby of the YORK theatre in Elmhurst, Ill. are nowhere big enough to hang even one of them! Sic Transit Gloria.

Here's an overview of the Paramount Building (1501 Broadway), which was much larger and taller than the Loew's Building (1540 Broadway) and occupied an entire blockfront between 43rd and 44th Streets. The Paramount Theatre's auditorium was in the edifice behind the office tower, and next door to the HQ of The New York Times (229 West 43rd Street). I believe that the auditorium's roof was parallel to the 12th floor of the 35-story office building:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/135-3578_IMG.jpg

Interesting that when the Paramount was being torn down there was no public outcry when at the same time the old Met and Penn Station were being torn down as well with the Astor and Capitol and Times Tower to quickly follow. This immediately let to the deterioration of midtown lasting two decades when the rest of historical Times Square was demolished without so much as a hiccup from the public making the real estate developers and Giuliani very rich(especially with all those tax abatements.)

Snapped from the mezzanine level, this view shows the small, semi-circular lobby that one passed through from Broadway enroute to the Grand Foyer. Note the Paramount Pictures logo repeated throughout on the bronze railings:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/135-3580_IMG.jpg

Vincent--
Mayor Giuliani wasn't elected until Nov. 1993. That was long after the demise of the Times Square movie palaces.

There was slight public outcry about the Paramount because the all-mighty New York Times bought the site to expand its office space. No politco in their right mind would oppose the NYT.

Warren I didn't know the office space was for the Times. Another reason to dislike that dreadful paper that has done as much as anything to destroy the glory that was midtown Manhattan.

Does anyone have any information on the clocks and globe at the top of the building?

One each of the curved and flat railing sections shown in the photo posted by Warren on Aug. 26 have been incorporated into the railing at the top of the three-storey escalators feeding the garish Famous Players Paramount that opened a few years ago here in downtown Toronto. They are part of a sort of shrine to the Times Square Paramount that has been set up in a no-traffic cul-de-sac on what is the main level of the theatre, on the third floor. Several photos, including this one, are on display along with a short video outlining the original's history and how this new monstrosity that passes for a movie theatre came to have them. Nice to know that something has survived, even in these depressing surroundings. Problem is, you don't even see it until you're on the escalator going down to leave the place.

During the movie/stage show era (and probably for all time), the Paramount's long-run champion was "Lady in the Dark" (Ginger Rogers), which opened on February 22, 1944, and remained for 70 days, or ten full weeks. The Paramount's very next booking, "Going My Way," nearly matched that record, with 69 days. The nearest to that were "Duffy's Tavern," with 63 days (nine full weeks) from September 5, 1945; "Blue Skies" (the Paramount's 25th anniversary film), which did 62 days in 1946; and "Star Spangled Rhythm," which held on for 55 days from December 31, 1942. All were Paramount releases.

The information, Warren, is very interesting but misleading. Almost certainly, those examples of longevity were NOT a result of the popularity or quality of the film cited (with the possible exception of "Going My Way"), but rather the popularity of the bands (and other acts) which appeared with them.

Can you cite the bands or acts which appeared during the long runs you cite?

Ernie Nagy

According to an article in todays New York paper, back in 1939 when Benny Goodman appeared at the Paramount, the movie playing, which was "Zaza" staring Claudette Colbert, never had a thespian's chance.
Shrill shouts of "We want Benny!" drowned out the soundtrack. Patrons demanded Goodman music felt the movie merely delayed the stage show. I just had to share this with all of you, it was just to fun to pass up.

Sorry, but I don't have records of the stage bookings at the Paramount. But you can easily find them by looking at entertainment advertising pages in the microfilm of The New York Times. I think I have already posted an ad for the "Going My Way" engagement. In many cases, the movie was the main draw. "Lady in the Dark," for example, was based on a hit Broadway musical, starred the very popular Ginger Roger, and was one of the most publicized releases of that year. "Duffy's Tavern" was based on a hugely popular radio program. "Blue Skies" was a follow-up to the hit "Holiday Inn." "Star Spangled Rhythm" was the first all-star musical of the WWII era and had a patriotic theme. Also, when the really big stars headed the stage shows, they were usually so much in demand that they could not commit to engagements of more than a few weeks.

Is Zaza that bad or were people so Goodman crazy that they could have shown a blue movie with Hedy Lamarr, Paulette Godard and Tyrone Power and they still would have been yelling for Benny?

The article suggests the folks were there only for Benny, the 83 minute running time of the movie was just to long to endure. Benny was not always around during the movie, sometimes between shows he would dash over to Carnegie Hall for a quickie appearance before a more sedate and polite audience. This according to the article.

here are some ads for the stage and screen show
at the paramount
mr music bing crosby 1950
stage show
loius prima keely smith jan murry
do you go see the movie or the show?
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0091.jpg

how about nat king cole jimmy dorsey or
movie lets dance buttey hutton fred astaire 1950
http://photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/?action=view¤t=scan0092.jpg

1943 was my first trip to NYC. I was staying with my sister in an apartment on 43rd St. (Hard to believe now). She dragged me around the corner to the Paramount but I had no idea who was on the bill. When Benny Goodman & his orchestra started raising out of the pit, the place was alive. They were dancing in the aisles. Just spectacular.

oaramount-peggy lee
capitol-ralph flangan
strand-tommy dorsey
poxy-robert merrill
radio city music hall-big stage show
and all had a good movie
all for 55cent WOW
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0093.jpg

movie double dynamite-1951
show tony bennett
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0093.jpg

movie double dynamite-1951
show-tony bennett
http://photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/?action=view¤t=scan0094.jpg

movie big jim mclain 1952
show mills bros
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0095.jpg

movie-jumping jacks-1952
show-don cornell
http://photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/?action=view¤t=scan0096.jpg

this time martin and lewis
came befor the movie
movie plunder of the sun-1952
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0097.jpg

i saw this one when it played at the
paramount it was my frist time square movie
my mouther took me she loved frank fontain
but all i remember was the beast from 20.000 fathoms
iwas 11 years old
http://photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/?action=view¤t=scan0098.jpg

movie souyh sea woman-1953
show-vic damone
joey bishop
http://photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/?action=view¤t=scan0099.jpg

i think this was one of the last
movie and stage show to play the
paramount in 1953 becouse
all of the ads in 1954 wherw movies only
http://photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/?action=view¤t=scan0100.jpg

this a ad in 1953 with no stage show
the eddie cantor story
http://photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/?action=view¤t=scan0101.jpg

the hight and the mighty 1953
no stage show
http://photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/?action=view¤t=scan0102.jpg

The 1950s were a great time for movie theatres, we never knew what new inovation was coming next. Starting in 1952 with Cinerama,
3-D, and wide screen, thru the early 50s with CinemaScope, VistaVision, stereo sound and of course Todd-Ao and 70mm. Then there were all the fun gimmicks like Mile Todd's Smell-O-Vision, Or William Castle wiring up theatre seats to jolt audiences, and Emergo, sending a plastic skeleton flying across the theatre. A couple of horror films had fake nurses and ambulances outside the theatres because "your heart may not be able to take the horror".
Darn, we had fun! Anyone remember any more?

Vito,
In 1958, my RKO 23rd St's long entrance had a sealed box containing a roaring RODAN with the threat that he would be unleashed the following week. Couldn't wait.

The following Wednesday, the box was driven around the neighborhood on a flat bed truck and we kids followed it to the RKO. Talk about the Pied Piper!

Another Castle gimmick was signing a waiver in case you died of a heart attack during the screening of MACABRE. jerry

I did not even mention all the crazy stunts the theatres pulled, Thanks 42nd for reminding me, it was a big part of the fun when you worked the theatres in those days. Halloween was a hoot, we would have all night and midnight horror movies with stage shows featuring Frankenstien and Dracula, folks would come dressed as their favorite monster. Forgive us for posting in what should be Paramount threads, but this could be fun, anyone else have any stories?

What happened to the Latest Comments feature that always appeared below Newest Theaters? Without it, I'm lost! How does one know what theaters are currently being discussed?

Warren, there's an explanation on the home page that they cannot keep up with the volume of comments. A good problem I guess. jerry

As many of you have noticed, we have temporarily removed the ‘Recent Comments’ feature from our homepage.

Unfortunately, this action was necessary because the number of comments on Cinema Treasures is growing so greatly that our database is being overwhelmed. (We’re adding approximately 5000 comments a month.) As a result, the rest of the website was sluggish or even inaccessible.

This feature will return, of course. But not until we can safely insure that the rest of Cinema Treasures will not be negatively impacted.

As always, thanks for your patience and support.

Ross Melnick and Patrick Crowley
Co-Founders, Cinema Treasures

Ross and Patrick, how nice to see how popular the site has become. I believe I speak for all of us when I say how much pleasure the site brings to us every day. It is not only entertaining and informative, but many of us have made friends, we have become a Cinema Treasures family if you will. I would agree with Warren about the loss of Recent Comments, it's a tool I like to use to find posts in my favorite locations as well as discovering new ones, I look forward to having it back.

William Castle's "Homicidal" (1961) had the 45-second Fright Break, when those too frightened to see the end of the movie could sneak off to the Cowards' Corner in the lobby. I was 6 years old, and a definite coward, but since we saw it at a drive-in all I could do was hide my head in my mother's lap. Then of course I instantly regretted not watching the scary scene, and had to be told "the head rolled down the stairs".

Well, we still have e-mail notification!

Brian, that only helps if you have visited the theatre page in the past. I often find new theatres of interest to me or locations I had forgoten about thru Recent Comments. All I am saying is, it was a great tool by which one could naviate the site and hope it returns.
However, if it has the potential of disrupting the site we will of course make do.

the silver chalice-1954
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0005.jpg

artists and models-1954
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0008.jpg

"The Silver Chalice" - probably the funniest example of unintentional humor ever seen on the screen. Even that ad is funny ("With A Cast of Thronging Thousands").

I notice in the ARTISTS AND MODELS ad it states "See it on the worlds largest theater screen."

Does anyone know the size of the Paramount Theater's VistaVision screen?

The Recent Comments link hads returned. My thanks to Ross and Patrick for working things out. Thanks guys!

Here are two images of the Paramount's VistaVision screen. The first is an artist's conception of what it would like, the second of the actual installation:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/138-3827_IMG.jpg
www.18.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/138-3830_IMG.jpg

Great images, thanks Warren. Any idea what the dimensions are?

The Paramount Times Square Theatre's VistaVision screen was 64 feet by 45 feet.

Thanks William.

That's a pretty good size for such a narrow theater and it doesn't look like the proscenium suffered much damage either. I assume they used the regular Paramount curtain for this screen.

They did cut into the proscenium when they installed the screen.

The August, 1953 stage booking of Martin & Lewis at the Paramount (with "Plunder of the Sun" on screen) was limited to two weeks only and opened on the same day as their latest movie, "Scared Stiff," did on the Loew's neighborhood circuit (with "Pony Express" as second feature). The Broadway premiere engagement of "Scared Stiff" had been at Brandt's Mayfair.

Prior to the Paramount's first "rock and roll" stage shows, all artificats prone to vandalism were placed in an attic corridor for safekeeping. They were never put back and eventually turned up in the public auction held prior to the Paramount's demolition:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/140-4054_IMG.jpg

the last big band that played the paramount was count basie with nat cole , ella fitzgerald and joe williams.but the headliner was nat cole. this was maybe 1956 or 57

Jerry Lewis was on the Late Show with David Letterman on 10/24. He was promoting his book. During the show he spoke about the days of his live appearances at the Paramount. With Dean he did 7 to 8 shows a day, starting at 9am and then last show was 12:35am, finishing up at 1:10am. The manager of the Paramount wanted to fit in ANOTHER show. So Jerry went into the projection booth of the Paramount and cut out 10 minutes from the movie ( he didnt say which one) and that gave them an additional 90 minutes in the day and time for another show.

I don't know how many bookings Martin & Lewis had at the Paramount over the years, but at least three or four. It would be difficult to determine which movie Lewis cut ten minutes from, but it might have been the 1951 "Dear Brat," a brainless comedy that was the last in a series that started with the more intelligent "Dear Ruth" and "Dear Wife."
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/brat.jpg

You think word ever got back to the director of "Dear Brat" that his work had been mutilated by Lewis? I say that as facetiously as one can imagine!

The film that Lewis cut was either MY FRIEND IRMA, the first movie in which he and Dean Martin appeared, or AT WAR WITH THE ARMY.

Well he didn't mention it or I would have noted it. Dave didn't ask the follow up. Perhaps its mentioned in the book.

The photo that I posted may be in the book. I found it published along with an excerpt from the book in one of last weekend's Sunday newspaper magazines.

Martin & Lewis were only on screen when "At War With the Army" ran at the Paramount in January, 1951. Ella Fitzgerald topped the stage show, with Boyd Raeburn & His Orchestra, comedian Harvey Stone, Condos & Brandow, and Russ Emery also on the bill.

Many other Martin and Lewis films opened at the Paramount, including MY FRIEND IRMA.

"Scared Stiff" made its NYC debut at Brandt's Mayfair, where it was advertised as their first release with stereophonic sound.

"Money from Home" opened flat at the Paramount in 1/54, but it was test screened (previewed) in 3-D at the Criterion in 11/53.

Back in the 1970s I was a struggling actor in NYC, one of my agents was located in the Paramount Theatre building. One evening as I was leaving the building I saw a dumpster cart, with a bunch of old documents, and rolled up tattered papers. I was curious and being an old hand at "Dumpster Diving" I investigated. (I had furnished 2 apartments that way) I began pulling things out... I thought someone was going to yell at me so I tried keeping it neat.
What I found KNOCKED My Socks Off... It was a veritable history of the building being THROWN OUT. I had always been interested in theatre history, so I went back to my agents office and got some garbage bags. The dumpster cart had a lot of stuff, and I could only fit so much. I stuffed as much as I could, into the garbage bags and left the rest behind, it more than I could carry!
I have been carrying that stuff around for over 25 years. I decided to put "Paramount Theatre" in a search engine and found this site.
I have read with great interest the postings and realized I have a major part of theatre history. The rolled up papers I found were Blue prints of the Paramount building including the theatre, (including the Paramount's marquee) also postcards and promotional material for the opening of the office building.
I always thought they had some value, but until I found this sit...
I HAD NO IDEA!
Any offers ? ? ?

OK.... Now what to do with them

Theatre historical society would probably be interested.

"Actor Guy," you indeed have a treasure there! I am sure that the Theatre Historical Society of American in Elmhurst Illinois would be interested. They have thousands of records of theatres across the nation but could probably find more room. Contact their Executive Director, Richard Sklenar, at: thrhistsoc@aol.com or phone him at their numbers given on their web site: www.historictheatres.org during business hours. Try to give him an idea of the extent and nature of the collection. Their Archive is above the YORK theatre in Elmhurst, about 15 miles west of Chicago and hosts many hundreds of researchers every year.

On the off chance that they cannot accept your gift, or transportation problems loom, it is quite possible that the Theatre Collection of the City of New York at the main Library would also be interested. For both groups it will depend upon space available, and staff resources to catalog and package the collection for preservation. If you encounter such problem, consider retaining portions of the collection until they can accept more. They will probably offer to name the collection after you, but you can be anonymous if you choose.

By the way, I know how you feel finding such a trove in a dumpster. I came upon such regarding an abandoned local feed mill that had several unique buildings from the 1870s, and could only rescue some photos and the like. I am so glad that you had the foresight and determination to save what you could; after I joined the staff of the PABST theatre to reconstruct its history in my native Milwaukee, I was told of how many file cabints of documents and boxers of "old stuff" were discarded during the "restoration" of the 1895 theatre long before I was hired, and so one can only guess at what was lost --and shake one's head at the shortsightedness and laziness of the city supervisors that allowed the contractors to simply dump all that history rather than rent a semitrailer to hold it until space could be found. I cringe at the thought to this day! More power to you! Jim Rankin, former Archivist/Historian to the Pabst Theater, and member of the Theatre Hist. Soc. since 1976

ActorGuy, please consider donating the material to the theatre collection of the Library of the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, NYC. I believe that the material should remain in New York, which was the home of the Paramount, and not in an archive thousands of miles away. If you need further information, please contact me privately at Warrengwhiz@nyc.rr.com

Ohhh Warren the thought of that material has you salavating :)

ActorGuy, I have to agree with Warren that the material should remain in New York, but then I am a rather biased native New Yorker. I urge you to contact Warren and consider his suggestion before you take the material elsewhere. The New York Historical Society or even the Musuem of the City of New York come to mind as possible alternatives to Lincoln Center, should they elect to pass on the material.

Maybe an article in the NY Times would spark some interest here locally ( NYC ). In addition, you can get some attention for yourself, which you may want. How 'bout it? I for one, would like to read about it.

I myself have one of the stained glass EXIT signs from the Gramarcy theatre in NYC. ( By the way, that's MY photo at the top of this page!)

ActorGuy, if you advertise anywhere, you can probably sell the collection off in pieces, which may make money for you, but which will render the collection much less valuable to any institution. If your motive is profit, then you probably will not care who gets the materials, but if it is for the love of this theatre and others, then do consider the viableness and accessability of the materials for generations to come.

One reason I suggested the Theatre Historical Society is that it is devoted to THEATRES, whereas in contrast, other institutions are not so specialized and have to therefore spread their maintenance funds out over a number of collections. Most any institution will accept a collection if for no other reason than to be able to list it on their credits as being part of their documentary base, but that doesn't mean that they will fully process or accession the items after they have been received by them. The Library of Congress, for example, received a huge collection of trade catalogs 50 years ago, but it has never been fully accessioned or catgaloged due to "lack of funds." Large institutions tend to have a world-weary disdain for the enthusiasts and their 'hobbyist' documents, and therefore may treat your collection slightingly in favor of larger or more popular collections now and later donated to be cared for by scarse funds. Theatre Historical is by no means rolling in funds, but since this is their sole field of interest, it is likely that their assurances as to processing and openness of the collection will have a lot more weight in fact. They will also cross-index to the many other items in their collection about the NY PARAMOUNT, whereas a local institution of other focus may not have much to cross-index to, if they even care to.

Another factor to consider is what record exists for posterity if some disaster should befall New York city. When the hurricanes destroyed many libraries in the south, the records there were often destroyed, and any memories of lost theatres there are now also lost to everyone! A Chicago suburb is far from NYC, and thus more likely to be able to keep such vital history should something happen in Gotham. Those without foresight will poo-poo such a possibility, but realists will not. Examine your motives and think ahead. Should copies on DVD be made of the items so that the DVD copies can be sent to archives in the NYC area? That is something for you to explore, if preservation is more your aim than profit.

Well... I must admit, the devestation of New York City never entered my mind as a factor to consider in this matter! Hee hee... My tongue is firmly planted in cheek, Jim. Seriously, you do make some valid points. Does the Theatrical Historical Society offer remote access to its archives so that folks from New York - who may have personal experiences having attended the Paramount and other theaters - might peruse its collection? After all, there is still the matter of local heritage. I'll leave Warren to defend the merits of the Lincoln Center Library, which, after all, is dedicated to the Performing Arts and would seem to have a narrow enough field of focus to do well by the material. I like your final suggestion that copies of the material be scanned and burned to DVD so that they might be shared across multiple institutions... but I'm not sure ActorGuy is looking to make that kind of investment in the material.

Just a thought, but it occurs to me that the American Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria Queens might also be interested in ActorGuy's collection of material on the Paramount. They have a reasonable collection of material on display regarding the theatrical presentation of film over the last century. The collection includes tons of advertising material (programs, magazines, matchbooks, posters, lobby cards, etc.) and scores of photographs from the Loew's organization. They also have an incredible cutaway scale model of the Roxy Theater on display that will absolutely knock your socks off if you ever make it down to Astoria to visit the Museum. I highly recommend it.

Anyway... they might be very interested in ActorGuy's documentation.

I don't even think the Theatre Historical Society let's you see a thumbprint pic to order photographs. You have to buy them blind.

I don't think that the American Museum of the Moving Image has a library or opens its archives to researchers.

Hmmmm. That's a shame, Warren. Public access is certainly something to consider. I hope it's something that is in the AMMI's future plans. Perhaps they are waiting to amass a sufficient amount of material to warrant some sort of Library? They might consider a partnership with Lincoln Center since they already have facilities - though I know how bad the politics can get sometimes between these kinds of institutions.

RobertR: No, the Theatre Historical Soc. does not have thumbprint pics on DVDs nor many images on-line, but they will send you photocopies of your items of interest from which one can choose the view he wants printed out for himself. They will also send an inventory of the items they have on any one subject, though it is often faster to go there to view what they have BY APPOINTMENT (Archive link at: www.historictheatres.org ). Yes, New Yorkers should have some sort of ready access to remote colletions dealing with their city, but the cost of scanning and imprinting all their many thousands of photos and documents is well beyond the scope of a not-for-profit volunteer organization, really a club if you get right down to it. That is why they, like all non-tax supported institutions, now charge copying and access fees to offset their expenses. While the new Kodak print-to-print photo making machines in such as Walgreens do make better copies than a photo lab can produce, they still cost money, and we all must sympathize with such a group's predicament in wanting to have greatest availability, and earnest interest to propel it, but not the funds to make such as DVDs and huge web servers to help all comers from far away.

I doubt ActorGuy is desireous of spending money on duplicating the collection on DVDs, but I thought that he might approach a larger institution that can afford to make such DVDs and send them to other institutions, as part of his donation/sale agreement. I guess such is really 'pie-in-the-sky' but one can dream. In the final analysis, the only way to preserve records against natural or man-made disasters (the World Trade Center horror leaps to mind; I wonder how many libraries and archives disappeared there?) is to make multiple copies and store them at widely separate locations. If I had my way, there would be a federal law requiring duplication of PRIMARY documents with storage of copies in some location at least a hundred miles away, but as I said above, one can dream. For example, a city water main broke here next to the county's Historical society, and flooded the basement were hundreds of maps, photos and other documents as well as artifacts were stored. Many of the paper items were ruined, but at least they could have been preserved if copies had been made and stored in another city years before. Pity how we think of broken water pipes, sinkholes, nearby building fires and other disasters only after the fact. How long will New Orleans go on blaming the dikes as unsound when it was remote storage of copies that would have been cheaper and more practical for PRIMARY documents? Let us all learn from that tragedy.

As the I remember, when I went to the NY Paramount, the stage shows were always done in front of the curtain. Did the theatre have a back stage area & fly for scenery, etc?

It certainly did; it was a fully equiped theatre in every sense, but as some have noted, the stage opening was more narrow than many producers liked, so they used the orchestra pit elevator as a forestage and later built out to the sides so as to get more space, according to the book "The Best Remaining Seats, The Story of the Golden Age of the Movie Palace" by the late Ben M. Hall. The book is at many libraries and can be ordered as used through such as Amazon.com

Dancing in the aisles with Benny Goodman & His Orchestra. Center stage are BG (in black tux) and drummer Gene Krupa:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para381.jpg

The last paragraph of the introduction is seriously in need of an update. The Hard Rock Cafe now occupies the premises created by the Worldwide Wrestling Federation. And it is not a conversion of the Paramount Theatre, which was demolished to make way for an office addition to the adjacent headquarters of The New York Times.

Dancing in the aisles and on the seats (Alan Freed Show, 1957):
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para57.jpg

Since the stage opening was more narrow than producers liked, was stage sets and scenery abandoned and a curtain used for a backdrop during the stage shows?

The decorative seat ends look less ornate than I would have expected in the Paramount. Did they install new seats in the 40's or 50's?

We must learn every detail!

I recall reading somewhere that they simply built the sets on the forestage in front of the portal (the stage opening) and of course they would then fly in whatever drop or even the house curtain that would suit their purposes in the background. There was no new rigging in the house (auditorium) itself, thus it was a limited arrangement.

AS to the seats, these were replaced across the country after the War ended when materials and manpower again became available. After all, the old wood-framed seats from the 1920s were getting quite worn by that time, so the seat makers advertised this obvious fact to their profit, and theatre owners were looking to keep their audiences, so they replaced their seats --probably before they realized that the new 'fad' of television was going to be more permanent and would soon obviate the use of the new seats, sad to say. By the post-war era, it was all Modernism as the decorative vogue, and we could not expect the seat makers to furnish the original ornate end standards at the same lower cost as the newly mass produced 'modern' standards, though the owners could have retained the old ones had they wanted to.

Just finished reading Jerry Lewis's recent memoir "Dean & Me." Jerry paints a wonderful portrait of the nightclub era of late 1940's and early 1950's. He also gives a vivid description of the first time Martin & Lewis appeared at the Paramount doing 6 to 7 shows a day. The book is an interesting read, however like his films tends to go overboard sometimes. He continually extols Dean's comedic talent, and rightly so, and how Paramount's studio heads (mainly Hal Wallis) played down Dean in their movies while playing up Jerry's. Of course, Mr Wallis was also responsible in the 1960's for many of Elvis' films, who along with the Colonel, would not give him a chance either to stretch his abilities.

Hal Wallis was never a studio head at Paramount. He had his own independent production company, which had HQ at the Paramount studio in Hollywood and a NYC office in the Paramount Building. Paramount provided the financing and distributed Wallis productions, but he pretty much ran the ship and answered to no one after a project was okayed. When Paramount was taken over by Gulf + Western, Wallis had a falling out with the new management and moved to Universal with the same kind of independent organization.

Warren - Thank you for the correction on Hal Wallis.

I also wanted to note that while Wallis seemed to limited in his view of what Martin & Lewis and Elvis were capable of, he had a lustrous career for many years as a producer with Warner Bros. Casablanca, I Am A Fugitve From a Chain Gang, The Roaring Twenties, Captain Blood are just the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps the M&L and Elvis pictures were just for economic reasons and gave him the ability to do more prestigious films like The Rose Tattoo and Becket.

Hal Wallis produced movies from 1931 to 1975! That is some output, as evidenced by his credit list from IMDB. Link here: http://imdb.com/name/nm0909259/

So... I wonder what ActorGuy ever decided to do with those documents he had fished out of the dumpster... Did he ever contact you, Warren? Or Jim?

Not sure if this had been posted here already. It's a 1944 view of the Paramount with Frank Sinatra appearing live to promote the film, "Our Hearts Were Young and Gay".

ActorGuy has not contacted me, and since he gives no contact information, it appears that he does not want anyone to contact him.

Bryan, thanks for that photo, I never saw that one before, wonderful memories.

Ginger in pigtails. The semi-dark marquee was due to wartime "blackout" regulations:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/ginger.jpg

Hello folks,

Just found this site.
I'm on a mission and I'm hoping someone here can help.

I'm trying to locate the exact window that Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis were hanging out of in the 1951 newsreel footage that was included in The Caddy (1953).

I believe the window is on 44th Street, sixth floor level, but beyond that I'm not sure.

I plan on photographing the window and surrounding area for historical purposes.

Any insights would be much appreciated.
Perhaps Mr. Furmanek would know?
TIA

Here's a related article on the Martin & Lewis chaos at the Paramount:

We Had That 'X' Factor
Published: October 23, 2005
http://archive.parade.com/2005/1023/1023_comedy.html

<snip> By 1951, five years after we began, fans still could not get enough. We played the Paramount Theater on Broadway for the first time that summer. (The same Paramount where fans had fainted for Frank Sinatra in the ’40s.) Arriving for our first show, our cab was stopped by a huge mob of fans filling Times Square, waiting to get into the theater. Most of them, we later learned, had been there since 6 a.m.

Between shows we were literally prisoners, because six stories down was a crowd of at least 20,000 people waiting to catch a glimpse of us. Since we were stuck there, we threw open the window, sat on the ledge and basked in the excitement. We yelled jokes, sang, threw stuff down to the crowd.

The crowd filled the street and spilled around the corner onto Broadway. The mayor himself, the honorable Vincent Impellitteri, came to personally welcome us to New York—and to personally plead with us to cut out the dressing-room shows. His cops couldn’t handle the traffic!<snip>

http://archive.parade.com/2005/1023/1023_comedy.html

Tom; the exact window can be determined from the raw newsreel footage which Mr. Lewis has in his archive. Paramount shot about 20 minutes of footage, and I remember several shots of them in the window. The camera slowly pans down to the street level, and you get a good view of the building in relation to the Times building behind it. I can try to look at that footage next time I'm in California and let you know.

By the way, that window was not their dressing room, but was a few floors closer to street level. Jerry does have a tendency to exaggerate. The footage shows a packed 44th street, but there were probably more like 750-1000 people packed in that small area. They were screaming and making a lot of noise though!

Another interesting angle in the un-used footage shows the crowd waiting to enter the theater. The line extends from the boxoffice and goes all the way down 43rd street to 8th Avenue.

Bob

Very interesting Bob. I would love to get a hold of this footage.
I went to the Paramount Theater on Friday to check out the scene.
Everything looks different of course, but those windows are still there.

How do you know the window they were hanging out of was not their dressing room? I don't think that's true. Every quote I've ever seen has stated that it WAS their dressing room. And since they spent so much time hanging out that window between performances, it would make sense - especially when taking into account that after one of their shows Jerry Lewis literally said "The next show will be done from Dean's and my dressing room window."

Also this recent Lewis quote pretty much confirms that it was their dressing room:

"Between shows we were literally prisoners, because six stories down was a crowd of at least 20,000 people waiting to catch a glimpse of us. Since we were stuck there, we threw open the window, sat on the ledge and basked in the excitement. We yelled jokes, sang, threw stuff down to the crowd. The crowd filled the street and spilled around the corner onto Broadway. The mayor himself, the honorable Vincent Impellitteri, came to personally welcome us to New York—and to personally plead with us to cut out the dressing-room shows."

I've also got quotes of them throwing down their wardrobe to the crowd, so common sense would dictate they were indeed in their own dressing room.

I reviewed The Caddy the other day where newsreel footage is spliced into the film and just as the camera pans up to their window it cuts to the studio-filmed scene of M&L. But just before it cuts off, you can barely make out M&L in the window (had to pause the VCR to be sure). The window they are in is the first level above the cement architecture and it is the first window level to be surrounded by brickface. When you are at the building in person, you can clearly see that level is indeed the sixth floor. I'm pretty positive about this. The only thing I'm not sure of is which window along the sixth floor was actually the one they were in.

I'd also like to pinpoint this window so I can confirm where their dressing room actually was (If I could ask Jerry Lewis one question, this would probably be it).

I took photographs of the window area and later that day when I got home I cued up the scenes in The Caddy on my television and literally took photographs of the TV screen. When I get all of these pictures developed I will compare and contrast and hopefully identify the window precisely.

This is something I've wanted to do for about 25 years. I'm finally getting around to it and hopefully when I'm done with this little project it will be confirmed where Martin & Lewis' dressing room window indeed was. Perhaps when all is said and done I'll put up a web page with all the photographic information available to anyone interested in the historical documentation of this event at the Paramount Theater in 1951.

Any help you can offer would be most appreciated, Bob.
Thanks very much.
TP

I recall that newsreel footage of M&L hanging out the window -- but wasn't it on 43rd Street? Also, I seem to recall that the window was in the office tower of the Paramount Building just off the corner of Broadway and 43rd, meaning that the room was several stories above the theater lobby and foyer. Isn't that an odd location for a dressing room? I'm not 100% sure how the theater itself was situated, but I always thought that the immense grand foyer ran straight back from the iconic arched entrance on Broadway (which has since been replicated) through the Paramount building and that the auditorium was a lower-rise building that ran along 43rd Street and abutted the New York Times building on the 8th Ave half of the block. That configuration would place the stage area pretty far away from the dressing room.

Unless I'm mistaken and the window was on 44th Street and the auditroium ran parallel to Broadway but behind the office tower. That would place the room on the same end of the building as the stage, assuming the 43rd Street facade was the back of the auditorium. Were all the dressing rooms located in the office tower? I always thought of dressing rooms as being literally "backstage."

The stage door and dressing room windows were on 44th street.

Bob,

You mentioned that the window M&L were hanging out of wasn't their dressing room, but all the historical information I've seen shows that it was. How did you come to that conclusion?

Also, I think you lowballed the crowd number on 44th street.
There's clearly a few thousand people in that newsreel footage. And Lewis said recently the only way they could empty the theater for the next shows was to tell the audience they were giving out photos at their dressing room window.

Capacity at the Paramount Theater was 3664. That number looks a lot closer to what was in the street that day. And this tactic of performing from their window wasn't done just once, but spanned their two week engagement. All things considered, that's way more people than "750-1000."

But my real question is how you came to believe that the window they were hanging out of was not their dressing room.

I'm trying to document history over here and not chase windmills, so your insights would be valuable.
Thanks.

My error, Bob. My orientation was all wrong looking at that newsreel footage. I thought it was 43rd Street. Makes sense to me now, although I still think of dressing rooms as these small rooms in the bowels of a theater. I guess the Paramount had the luxury of being constructed along with the adjacent office tower for superior facilities.

Tom, if they had 3600 people on 44th street, the entire street would have been jam-packed. But, the crowd outside the windows only went from 7th Avenue to a few hundred feet past the theater.

In the outtakes of the footage, Dean and Jerry are shown at the table in that room signing the pictures and then walking to the window to throw them out. It was a very plain room with a table and an empty mirror. I've seen photos of their dressing rooms, and the mirrors were usually covered with family photos and telegrams. I can't state for an absolute fact that it isn't one of their dressing rooms, but I don't think it is based on the photographic evidence. I feel they may have moved down a few floors to throw out the pictures so they would be closer to the ground.

Several years ago, I went searching in the building to try and find that window. But, the interior space was converted to offices and I didn't feel comfortable poking around. I believe the guts of the building were totally ripped out when the theater was demolished anyway, so nothing would remain of the dressing rooms.

This is the block-wide Putnam Building, which was demolished, along with other buildings behind it, to make way for the Paramount Theatre & Office Tower:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/prepara.jpg

>>>>>>>>>>
Tom, if they had 3600 people on 44th street, the entire street would have been jam-packed. But, the crowd outside the windows only went from 7th Avenue to a few hundred feet past the theater.
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It was indeed jam-packed, Bob. And the crowd spilled over from 44th Street onto Broadway. I'm not saying that the numbers are as high as Jerry's estimate of 20,000 people, or even that every single person in the theater filed out onto 44th street. But I will say your numbers are low. When I get the Caddy screenshots developed I'll post the pics. Even Conan O'Brien, commenting on the footage during his interview with Lewis last week, said: "It looked like Mussolini was giving a speech. The whole midtown was packed with thousands of kids."

The only thing I would disagree with that statement is it wasn't just kids. There were people of all ages, many of them older - most likely Times Square pedestrian traffic.
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>>>>>>>>>>
In the outtakes of the footage, Dean and Jerry are shown at the table in that room signing the pictures and then walking to the window to throw them out. It was a very plain room with a table and an empty mirror. I've seen photos of their dressing rooms, and the mirrors were usually covered with family photos and telegrams. I can't state for an absolute fact that it isn't one of their dressing rooms, but I don't think it is based on the photographic evidence. >>>>>>>>>>
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It seems you are basing this on information from Paramount outtake footage vs. separate dressing room photos. One doesn't necessarily have to correspond with the other. And there could be a myriad of explanations for such a discrepancy.
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>>>>>>>>>>
I feel they may have moved down a few floors to throw out the pictures so they would be closer to the ground.
>>>>>>>>>>
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All available quotes and logistics suggest otherwise. There is no evidence showing that they had to move to a lower floor.
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>>>>>>>>>>
Several years ago, I went searching in the building to try and find that window. But, the interior space was converted to offices and I didn't feel comfortable poking around. I believe the guts of the building were totally ripped out when the theater was demolished anyway, so nothing would remain of the dressing rooms.
>>>>>>>>>>
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I've done the same thing just a couple weeks ago. Went up to the sixth floor and estimated where I suspect the window would have been compared to the office space. Just as I reached what I believed to be the appropriate door, someone walked into the office and I was able to see the space.

It's old. Very old (one might call it "a very plain room"). If it has been renovated I'd guess the renovations were minor. Either way, the window-well remains. And I'll wager that the office space I saw was very likely Martin & Lewis' dressing room from 1951.

Now I'm just searching for confirmation.

Has anyone thought to check the records of the Dept. of Building Inspection, where they almost certainly were required by law to submit the plans to convert the theatre? Some cities keep these plans (blueprints) on microfilm or in a warehouse for as long as the building stands. These modification drawings will show which, if any, dressing room floors were retained in the building. Contacting the architects/general contractor of the 1960s redo might also lead to copies of the blueprints.

The original backstage area was modified to match the existing office space in the Paramount building.

For instance, in newsreel footage, the stage door on 44th street opens to a level area backstage. Now, that very same door opens to a staircase going down to the basement. I was down in that area a few years ago (the deli next door had the original stage door open) and it was all new (1960's vintage) construction. There appeared to be nothing intact from the theater.

I've tried poking around that building and can find nothing that appeared to be from the theater, except for some old (very old) stairwells.

Good luck in your search. Let us know what you find!

I was on 44th Street last night, picking up tickets at the Shubert Theater, and had a chance to take a long look at the Paramount building and former stage door area of the theater. The ground floor space is now occupied by a small deli (as Bob mentions above), Carmine's (an excellent family-style Italian restaurant and popular theater crowd destination) and a bagel store. There are two black doors located to the left (Broadway side) of the bagel store... one is a small single door and the other a large set of double doors. Peering through the crack between the double doors (which were locked) I could glimpse a wide and well lit stairwell ascending up and to the right (going up and over the bagel store)... Was this the original stage door? Bob mentions stairs going down, so I'm not sure if I have the right door. To the right of the double doors the address is shown as #200, but I'm not sure if that refers to the door or the bagel store. The smaller door to the left seems to have the address #200A (or it might have been "B" now that I think about it).

I'd love to see a vintage photo of this stretch before the theater was demolished. Looking up the facade of the theater building, it appears that the windows on the 2nd through 5th stories (the limestone portion of the building before it turns to brick) were constructed at a different date than those in the office tower. The black spandrels in the window columns between floors are plain and unadorned in the theater section, whereas those in the office tower feature some intricate relief work. I also found it interesting that at the western most edge of the property (abutting the NY Times building) the building rises a few additional stories in a mini-tower. As this was above the former theater space, I wonder what function was served by this feature.

There's also a plaque at this edge of the building commemorating the old Stage Door Canteen, which was located in a basement space below the old 44th Street Theater - which was itself demolished in 1945 to make way for the expansion of the NY Times building. Lots of theatrical history on the block: The Sardi's building adjacent to the Times, The Shubert, the Helen Hayes, The Broadhurst, the St. James, the Majestic. Only the Astor Plaza building (home of the former Loew's Astor Plaza Theater) seems anachronistic.

Just for kicks, here's a link to the IBDB site page for the 44th Street Theater with a link to photos... the place looked huge! http://ibdb.com/Venue.asp?Id=1384

Ed, the original stage door is a single door which now opens to a staircase going down to the basement. Back in the early 80's, it had a list on it with many of the big names that played the theater. (Somebody cared enough to identify that door and make the list sometime after the theater closed.) Unfortunately, sometime after 1984, the door was painted black and the list was covered over.

I'm going back there tonight for the show at the Shubert. I'll bring my camera along and snap some shots to post.

As I recall, the door still has some wiring or outline of the light fixture that once sat above it. In the old newsreel footage, there was also a "stage door" sign which appeared to be brass.

Newsreel "specials" helped to fill the void during the 1935 withdrawal of stage shows:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/paraba.jpg

I never knew that the Paramount had suspended its stage shows during the deep, dark days of the Depression. The Strand and the Capitol and Loew's State, yes. But the Paramount? That's a jolt. For how long?

Here is a photo of the Paramount stage door in the 1930's.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c111/porterfaulkner/paramountstagedr.jpg

Pretty discreet.

I wonder if there's anyone out there with the time and inclination to document for us the stage shows of the Paramount, Strand, Capitol, Roxy and Loew's State during the period, say, 1935-1960?

Why don't you do it yourself, some may ask? Unfortunately, I am handicapped (spinal cord injury) which severely curtails my ability to get around. However, if such a project is doable online, I would certainly take a crack at it.

Ernie Nagy

The Paramount dropped stage shows for about a year in 1934-35 due to the Depression and the bankruptcy of Paramount-Publix. Loew's State was the premier Loew's vaudeville house in the nation and NEVER gave up stage shows until December, 1947, when it became a cinema only. The Roxy also had stage shows for almost its entire life, except for roughly two years from 1953 as a CinemaScope showcase, starting with "The Robe."

More marquee views:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para48.jpg
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/parafreed.jpg

Here are some photos I took the other night when I saw Spamalot at the Shubert Theater...

West 44th Street - here's a shot of the businesses that now occupy the former backstage area of the theater:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Manhattan%20Theaters%202005/IMG_0964.jpg

The 2nd photo shows those mysterious black doors I noted in my posting back on 11/30. These are located towards the east side of the lot where the office tower meets the old theater portion and are obviously not the stage doors. Not sure about the small door on the left, but the one on the right opens to a staircase going up... perhaps a fire escape route for the building (and maybe for the old balcony patrons?):
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Manhattan%20Theaters%202005/IMG_0966.jpg

The third photo appears to be the old stage door that Bob Furmanek was describing in his post on 11/30... Looks like it could be the same opening depicted in porterfaulkner's vintage photo posted above on 12/3, but it is obviously not the same exact door. In any event, the door now leads to a space owned by Carmine's Italian Restaurant (where I dined on some outstanding fried calamri):
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Manhattan%20Theaters%202005/IMG_0967.jpg

And then I walked around the block for some shots of the re-created Broadway facade and marquee:
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Manhattan%20Theaters%202005/IMG_0957.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Manhattan%20Theaters%202005/IMG_0954.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Manhattan%20Theaters%202005/IMG_0955.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Manhattan%20Theaters%202005/IMG_0959.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Manhattan%20Theaters%202005/IMG_0961.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b110/GuanoReturns/Manhattan%20Theaters%202005/IMG_0953.jpg

By the way, the line to get into the Hard Rock Cafe was queuing up down the block to the right of the entrance - much like it used to when the restaurant was at the height of its popularity on West 57th Street. Looks like the change of address has re-sparked interest in the place. And it is now once again in local competition with Planet Hollywood, which closed its West 57th Street location a number of years back and re-opened adjacent to the Virgin Megastore up the block.

No, the stage door is further down the street towards 8th Avenue. It doesn't have an air duct above it, and looks identical to the picture posted above.

Bob... that is the westernmost door within the former Paramount theater space on West 44th. Immediately to the right (west) of that door is the Deli which is at the western edge of the property. To the right of the Deli is the plaque remembering the Stage Door Canteen and then the loading bays for the adjacent NY Times building. Going in the other direction from the door (headed east towards Broadway) are the two entrances to Carmine's, the Bagel Store entrance, those two black doors and then Ollie's restaurant which occupies the ground floor space under the Paramount office tower. Perhaps the air duct was added in the intervening years (note the electrical supply line and box that runs along the outside of the building next to the door). I inspected the entire stretch closely and could find no other doors that weren't main entrances to one of the above storefronts.

Take a look at the first photo I posted above which was taken facing west towards 8th Avenue from the spot in front of those two black doors. If you open the image to full size, you can pan down the block from the Bagel Store entrance to where the building ends with the Deli and see that there are no other doorways except for those described above. If this isn't it, then it's been completely built-over.

You're right Ed, I'm sorry. I looked at it quickly and it didn't look like I remembered it from the early 80's when I worked on 44th Street. That's the original stage door, for sure.

The other set of doors are new and were added when the theater was gutted. Looking at the vintage newsreel footage, I don't think the theater had any exit doors on 44th street.

Bob

I'm curious then... how would patrons have exited the theater in an emergency? Was there an alley between the theater and the Times Building on 43rd Street? They are pressed right up against each other on 44th. And if so, did everyone have to make their way to that side of the theater, or were there exits from the balcony on the right side of the auditorium directly into the office tower? I'm sure there were exit doors at the rear of the auditorium on 43rd, but there must have been fireproof routes somewhere.

There were numerous exit doors on 43rd Street, adjacent to the grand lobby. On the west and east sides of the auditorium, there were also exit doors that connected to alleyways which emptied out into 44th Street. All of the balcony fire escapes also were connected to those alleyways to 44th Street. The back wall of the Paramount's stage was on 44th Street.

Here are exit diagrams from a 1934 programme. The largest one shows the main floor. The smaller ones are of the mezzanine and balcony floors:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/paraexits.jpg

Thanks Warren. Looks like those "exit courts" leading to 44th Street on either side of the stage were within the building itself, though obviously buffered by fireproof walls. I wonder if those black double doors were part of the exit route at all on the Broadway side of the stage. Given the location of the stage door, that would have had the exit court on the western side of the stage leading through the space currently occupied by the Deli.

These diagrams show wonderfully how enormous the Paramount's balcony was. But they barely suggest how steep it was, too. Covering much of the orchestra, it then swept back to the 43 Street wall and over the tall lobby and grand staircase. As it descended from near-ceiling height at the rear projection booth, it brought on a giddy sense of vertigo and ampitheatric expanse. When you stood up, you felt you might tumble down into the orchestra pit.

You got none of this feeling on the ground level. I never saw a show from the mezzanine set-back (here called "entresol": my, how Louis XIVieme), but from the main floor it looked quite comfortable with its attractive low lighting. After a visit to the Paramount, a trip to Versailles would seem anticlimactic.

Excellent posting, "BoxOfficeBill." I very distinctly remember the sense of vertigo which you cite. In the many times I visited the Paramount during the war years (maybe as many as 20), I always sat in the balcony. Can't remember why. Was it cheaper? Or could you maybe smoke in the balcony? I no longer remember, but I sure remember that steeply raked balcony and the sensation of vertigo.

Ernie Nagy

Right-- For some reason I can't fathom, my parents too preferred to sit in the Paramount's balcony when they brought me there in the late '40s and early '50s. They didn't smoke, so it couldn't have been for cigarettes. And they never took to the balcony at any other theaters (except for Ice Colorama shows at the Roxy in 1953). Perhaps they liked the sense of vertigo at the Paramount?

One possible motivation might have been to view the orchestra pit head-on as it rose to stage level with the performers. The last stage show I saw there (and I believe it was the final regular program in the old format) accompanied Doris Day's "Calamity Jane" in November '53, and it featured the four Ames Brothers ("You, You, You" was the sensation at the time)who came on after the Peiro Brothers juggling act and the British ventriloquist Clifford Guest opened the presentation; the band was Pupi Campo's Latin orchestra, which had become a big hit as the in-house music on Jack Paar's TV show. The Ames Brothers' pianist was Burt Bacharach.

After that show, my parents stopped going to the Paramount. My next visit was with teen-age friends to see "The Man Who Knew Too Much" on the giant VistaVision screen. We sat in the orchestra's third row to make the picture seem as big as possible.

And Hitchcock missed out on that extra dollop of vertigo when distributors opened his movie of that name at the Capitol instead of the Paramount.

I just came across a copy of the Inaugural Program of the Paramount Theater. The binding has fallen apart but is complete at 96 pages.It contains mostly etchings of the theater interiors but is very descriptive providing details of the interior such as descriptions of the drapes, organ grills, stage equipment etc. There is also a section on other Publix theaters across the country with some small illustrations. The program also has information of the Paramount stars at the time with pictures and information. There is a one page description of the opening night performance detailing the stage acts. The film shown was called " God Gave Me Twenty Cents". Another interesting part of of the program is sort of yearbook style with ads from the many companies involved in the construction. There is a fascinating cutaway illustration of the theater in an ad by Carrier describing the air conditioning system, a photo of the bronze doors in the grand lobby and a photo of the projection room.

Inaugural Programmes make wonderful donations to the National Archive of the Theatre Historical Soc. in Elmhurst Illinois, and are on-line at: www.historictheatres.org

I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT A WONDERFUL **COLOR** RENDERING OF THE STAGE WALL OF THE PARAMOUNT'S AUDITORIUM IS NOW ON LINE AT:
http://www.cinematour.com/picview.php?db=us&id=30025

CLICK ON THE IMAGE THERE AND YOU WILL SEE A CAPTION THAT GIVES CREDIT TO THE ARTIST AND DESIGNER WHO APPARENTLY CREATED THAT WONDERFUL PROSCENIUM AT THE BEHEST OF RAPP & RAPP.

I'm not sure that the "rendering" is accurate. I don't recall a blue sky effect in the space at the top of the proscenium. I believe it was a representational painting. Please see a B&W photo on page 147 of Ben Hall's "The Best Remaining Seats."

I recently picked up a mint copy of the Inaugural Program for the Paramount Times Square. And it's everything that p7350 had posted above. It has alot of interesting information about the theatre.

Warren is quite right that the proscenium dome did not have a sky effect, and was otherwise painted as he suggests. Apparently, when the blueprints were sent to the artist, the nature of the dome's decoration was not indicated, as such things were often determined by the decorator some time after the prints by the architects were completed. It may also have been a case of revision, where the sky effect was at first intended, but plans altered at a later date, perhaps by the owner or architect refusing the decorator's idea for the area. Other than this dome, I don't know that there are any other material differences between the rendering/painting and the actual theatre. Remember too, that the artist was in the employ of the drapery maker or the passementier, and was to feature their work, not that of the architects or decorator, since this may well have been originally a prospectus to bid on the job.

Has it been mentioned that in 1952, Frank Sinatra topped the stage bill here while his Universal movie, "Meet Danny Wilson," was the screen attraction? The two-week booking, with comedian Frank Fontaine, singer June Hutton and Buddy Rich & His Orchestra also on stage, opened on March 26, and was replaced on April 9th by Universal's "Bend of the River" and ss with Billy Eckstine, Fran Warren, Bobby Sargent, June & Martin Barrett, and Will Bradley & His Orchestra.

On March 12, 1927, Motion Picture Daily reported that since the Paramount first opened last November, attendance had totaled 1.6 million people, an average of 14,000 per day.

Has anyone seen the theatre in the hard rock? They claim to be restoring, are there any similarities to the original in space or materials?

David, I don't understand your question. The Paramount Theatre was totally demolished decades ago to make way for office space. There was nothing left for the Hard Rock Cafe to restore, though it's possible that they have erected some sort of a theatre space on their premises for "live" entertainment. I wouldn't go there-- or any HRC- even under the penalty of death. The volume of the mostly recorded music is enough to turn you deaf if you're not already! They turn it up even louder when they need to empty tables.

Do you think they will be evicting people from those offices, demolishing them and working from original blueprints to reconstruct the lobby?

Where are they going to get all that marble???

Ha! I know you jest, Bob. Seriously, there is some kind of theatrical facility that was erected for the WWF restaurant that had originally occupied the space now leased by the HRC. I assume HRC is or was renovating (or more accurately "redecorating") that facility to fit the new brand. Just so everyone is clear, we're talking about a small amount of space on the ground level - basically the area below the reconstructed arch and marquee - with the vast majority of the restaurant and facilities located below ground. The foyer and auditorium that was the original Paramount Theater occupied a space behind the Paramount building which fronts Broadway (or 7th Ave depending on how technical you want to get) that ran from 43rd Street all the way to 44th and is now wholly occupied by the offices of the New York Times. The WWF/HRC space only occupies a portion of the area that used to be the Paramount entrance vestibule and lobby.

After scanning this link for information on Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis I have read a few posts that mention these men and their historical connection to this Paramount. At the moment I am reading Dean and Me which mentions several other theatre appearances in their illustrious careers.

Such a shame that this Paramount is gone to make way for office space, but thanks to Jerry's book about dear his friend, Dean Martin the Paramount lives again within the pages of Dean and Me.

Is this Rapp and Rapp theatre a Hard Rock Cafe now or was it demolished according to the information given on this link at the top after the word...Status.

I just clicked on the Hard Rock Cafe link and viewed the color photo so I guess I answered my own question though still wonder why this theatre is listed as "Closed/Demolished"?

TomPaine: I am reading Dean and Me and would love to have you include on CT any information about M&L and their performances at the Paramount Theatre. Now that the location is a Hard Rock Cafe I wonder if the Cafe has photos of M&L on display and their connection to that theatre? Hope so! On page 144 it talks about their dressing room being on the 6th floor and that the Paramount's stage door was on Forty-fourth Street. There was "a crowd of at least 20,000 people, waiting to catch a glimpse of us." "Up in our dressing room, we'd throw up the sash, sit on the ledge, and bask in the excitement. We would yell jokes, sing (both of us!), play our horns, throw stuff down to the crowd: T-shirts, hats, handkerchiefs. And thousands upon thousands of black-and-white, five-by-seven publicity photos." "The crowds were backed down Forty-fourth Street and around the corner onto Broadway."

Patsy... the Paramount Theater designed by Rapp & Rapp existed within two buildings. The entrance vestibule and rotunda existed within the Paramount Building office tower that fronts Broadway & 7th Avenue at the southern end of Times Square between 43rd and 44th street. The spectacular grand foyer and auditorium existed within a seperate building behind the office tower with facades on both 43rd (the foyer side) and 44th (the stage side). Both spaces were completely gutted in the 1960's, with the grand foyer and auditorium portion converted to office space for the New York Times - which was (and still is) headquartered in an adjacent building to the east at 249 W. 43rd. The former entrance and rotunda space that existed within the Paramount office tower on Broadway was converted to office/retail space.

A few years back, the retail and office space that had replaced the theater's former entrance and vestibule was itself gutted for a new theme restaurant for the WWF. These renovations inculded a re-creation of the orignial five-story Paramount Theater facade and marquee (as depicted in photos I posted above and the one at the top of this page). This space is now leased by the Hard Rock Cafe (after the failure of the WWF restaurant). The old grand foyer and auditorium space is still occupied by offices of the New York Times. All traces of the original Rapp & Rapp theater were long ago lost to wrecking crews.

Here's a link to a NY Times photo (previously posted back on april 18th 2005) of the gutted auditorium/foyer space that became offices for the newspaper: http://www.nytstore.com/ProdDetail.aspx?prodId=1240

If the link brings you to a photo archive search page, the photo ID to enter in the search bar is NSAP266. Click on the image for larger view.

That is one sad photo. What a shame.

Yes, what a shame!

The man in the photo with his construction hat on and his hands on his hips seems to say....."All in a day's work and just another job."

While scanning this link I read where the Paramount Mighty Wurlitzer is located today.....Wichita Kansas so glad to know that it is in existence somewhere!

RobertR: How does one view the NY Times photo of the Paramount being gutted on the site you listed 4/18/05? Would also like to view any and all interior photos if someone could direct me to where they are on this link. Thanks.

"The recently replaced arched window above the marquee is much more shallowly set then the original arched window, which featured a stained-glass Paramount mountain in its center." Where on this link is there a possible picture of the original arched window with the stained-glass mountain in the center?

The New York Times was a great champion of the destruction of Times Square.
The great liberal compassionate paper wields its power like a mercenary tyrant.

EdSolero: Found the link to your NY Times gutted photo as I thought maybe it was a different one. Thanks.

Vincent: Interesting insight and now when I see photos and live scenes of Times Square I will know that the former and grand Paramount was once within its midst.

Yes, Warren above points out that no one would have dared to protest the destruction of the Paramount due to the power of the Times, a paper whose smug biases make the NY Post and the Village Voice seem like gentlemanly journals of measured good sense and reason.

Patsy... Check out my post of December 5th. I took a bunch of photos of the current facade and marquee as well as the storefronts and restaurants that now occupy the ground level of the 44th Street facade that once housed the backstage area. This is the area where those 1950's crowds cheered for Lewis & Martin as they hung out of their dressing room window 6 stories up. The cut for the original stage door is still there (the 3rd photo in my post).

Meanwhile, here are some of Warren's excellent photographic finds from previous posts:

**Grand Foyer - This ran parellel to W. 43rd (through the exit doors on the left) with the doors leading to the auditorium on the right.
**Circular Lobby/Vestibule - Entrance doors from Broadway can be seen on the lower level in the right in this picture (this is the space now used as an entrance by the Hard Rock Cafe - with the actual restaurant in the basement below).
**VistaVision screen - A shot of the newly installed screen.
**Exterior shot - You can see the deeper recess to the glass work above the original marquee here.

The French curve marquee was so great I hate to see part or all of it covered up.
Anybody have a list of VistaVision films that played at the Paramount?

Sadly true about the Times' involvement in (at worst) and indifference to (at best) the destruction of the areas once great movie houses. Still... I can't seem to live without reading the Arts & Leisure, Real Estate, Metro, City and Book Review sections each and every Sunday. Additionally, their movie reviews have routinely been the most literate and thoughtful among those of the City's daily papers.

Ed: The Grand Foyer was certainly beyond grand! And I'm sure many of the Hard Rock Cafe patrons don't know that Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis played the Paramount in the 10 years they were together! They'd know the Lewis name because of his MS Telethon, but not sure if many would know the name, Dean Martin. And thanks for posting the wonderful Paramount photos as I'm sure they brought many wonderful memories for many New Yorkers!

In the book, Dean & Me a theatre by the name of St. James is mentioned so is (or was) that one in the NY/NJ area?

The exterior Time Square photo is really quite something...just gazing at it makes the scene almost come alive! I see where the stained glass area used to be and I assume that is where the 1501 Broadway address is now. Did they just cover it up or was it simply taken out and removed? If so, I wonder if it still exists?

When the theater was gutted, the facade was completely stripped - including the marquee, the entrance, doors, windows, etc. That portion of the building was then rebuilt to match the motif you see on the rest of facade (with columns of triple paned windows and cast iron spandrels between floors), erasing all evidence that the theater entrance had ever existed. I don't know if any of the glass work was saved (or more likely pilfered) during the demolition, but the pane with the 1501 address on the recreation is the approximate location of where the Paramount logo existed on the original.

There is a St. James Theater right down the block on the same side of W. 44th Street, which is a legitimate Broadway theater that currently houses the smash hit musical "The Producers." Not sure if it's the same theater mentioned in the book.

In Ed's links above, the "circular lobby/vestibule" photo is virtually the same view as the Times' demolition view except that the Times' photo is from the ground floor level. The wall that appears to be windows in the 1926 view is actually two "lunettes" (mock windows) that are really mirrors heavily draped. In the demolition view the bare structural wall is the wall that the 'mirror windows' were hung on, and to the right in the demolition photo is the daylight pouring through the place where the great window with the stained glass 'medallion' was. A man I know was there during demolition and described the huge stained glass circle as "smashed," so probably nothing of it remains. The same logo 'medallion' is seen in the 1926 view as parts of the ornate railing between the columns, and a section of that railing with medallion was for sale on eBay a while back, for those still looking for a souvenier of the theatre -- see the comment about it above.

Ed just like you I was addicted to those sections including Travel. Now I find it all just about unreadable. Smug overly assured just like that guy in the commercial"It's the when where to to how to"-pretty annoying.

Jim... I always thought that the view in that demolition photo was from the 43rd street side of the theater structure - from approximately where the grand foyer was - looking towards the 44th street - or stage side - wall. The wall on the left - with floor and interior wall structures exposed, might be where offices and dressing rooms were located. Of course, the view may also be precisely the opposite - looking from the stage end at 44th street towards the 44th street side. I know the vertical windows shown in the photo match what I've seen of the exterior 43rd street side of that structure - not sure if there were similar windows behind the stage area on 44th. If you look through those windows where light is streaming in, the view outside definitely seems to be one of the side streets and not Broadway. If the light pouring through was wear the great facade window was, we'd be looking out onto Times Square - not to mention that the extent of the gutting would seem to reach deep into the office tower, which was not the case. The office tower that fronts Broadway is either out of frame towards the right of that photo or behind the exposed wall depicted on the left, depending on whether the view is towards the north or south.

The 1926 circular lobby photo appears to be of the vestibule corridor that ran through the Paramount office tower connecting the entrance on Broadway (which would be on the lower left side of the photo) with the grand foyer, as described by Warren when he first posted the image. This image seems to be looking north with the chandelier hanging in front of that grand arched facade window we've been talking about (just out of frame to the right) and behind those "lunettes" would be regular office space within the tower.

Does that make sense?

Vincent... I hear you on the smug nature of some of the writing, but I can't pick up the News or Post because there's little coherency in the writing - it's all tabloid style with no stimulation of my intellect. Newsday is well written, but the features are too specific to Long Island to suit my needs. I also love William Safire's "On Language" column and the crossword in the Sunday magazine. And, I must admit, my politics do lean to the left, though I rarely read the editorials.

Ed: I finally got my computer to enlarge that demolition photo, and now I must agree that it is not looking out upon Times Square as I had thought. My apology is extended to any who may have been misled. The photo may well be of the areas you posit, but I guess we will never be able to prove which, since I doubt the photographer is still around to advise us, if indeed he could recal.

You are also quite right about the "circular lobby" view except that it was actually semi-circular, which I have a hunch is what you meant. They referred to it as the "Ticket Lobby." In the 1976 Annual about the theatre, published by the Theatre Historical Society ( www.historictheatres.org ) are floor plans and many photos which make all areas clear, but they show no demolition photos. In 2001 two issues of their MARQUEE magazine show photos of the original facade and its lesser reproduction, as well as other changes to the interior. Columbia Univ. library as well as N.Y. Public should have copies of these that you may enjoy.

Can anyone provide some auditorium photos or did I overlook them?

Jim... Perhaps if it were possible to enlarge the demolition photo enough to make out the buildings across the street that were facing those windows, we might be able to determine which view it is. Across W. 44th street would have been the side facade of the Hotel Astor. I'm less sure of what would have been across W. 43rd except for maybe the rear facade of the Victory Theater.

Patsy... I haven't seen a really great view of the old auditorium. That shot of the VistaVision screen is about the best I've seen. There is a color image of an artist's rendering of the full proscenium that was posted back on December 15th by Jim Rankin.

I would guess that the demolition photo under discussion is taken from the perspective of near the stage facing the house; I guess this because one can almost make out the line of the balcony along the left wall, with descending exit door openings from the top rear (center near the top of photo) towards the lower/left foreground of the picture. Never having stepped foot in the building, this is merely an educated guess.

I don't know the layout of the building or anything, but it seems to me that it wouldn't make sense to have windows like that in the stage section. Does the angle the sunlight is hitting at tell us anything about the orientation of the photo? It's hard to get a sense of perspective.

I've been thinking about this and I agree with Ian and Brian's take that this is a photo taken from the former stage housing on the north end of the building (with W. 44th street at our backs) and looking south into the house. That would make sense with the incoming streams of sunlight, which, in New York City, would likely signify a southern exposure. I know the southern exterior facade had those vertical windows from a photo Warren had posted a while back. Those windows would be along the left side of the Grand Foyer photo - but were they covered over anyway by the interior plasterwork? A similar situation might have existed on the stage side of the building along W. 44th street. A look at that footage of Martin and Lewis leaning out of the dressing room window would reveal if that was the case. If so, the windows(at least the first 5 floors or so) on both sides of the building were merely for decorative and non-functional purposes. If you were to look at an exterior photo of either facade, it was almost as if the design was to convey the illusion of a standard office building and protect the secret that, in fact, a vast and glorious theatrical space was contained within.

The photo was taken from the former stage area looking south towards 43rd Street. If you look beyond the streaming sunlight, you can see some of the old buildings on the south side of 43rd Street.

We seem to have some real theatre sleuths on CT, of late. It's all very interesting to read and now it would be great to see a b/w photo of Dean and Jerry at that dressing room window with the crowd below!

In 1947, a rising star admires his billing outside the Paramount. Topping the stage show were Stan Kenton & His Orchestra with June Christy:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/damone.jpg

Warren: Great photo! I can only imagine how beautiful the Paramount was in its heyday!

http://www.deanmartinfancenter.com/ This site has many M&L photos/information. And for those who are fans of Dean Martin there is a Dean Martin Festival in Steubenville Ohio (June 16-18). His daughter, Deana Martin is involved with the festival and wrote a book entitled, Memories are Made of This.

http://www.deanmartinsteubenville.com/index2.htm

Patsy; I enjoy Dean as much as the next person, but what does this have to do with the Paramount Theatre?

Bob: It all started with my reading Dean and Me which mentioned that M&L performed on stage at the Paramount during the Martin & Lewis years. Subsequently, there have been previous posts that mention M&L at the Paramount Theatre.

But they also played the Capitol, Roxy and Loew's State in New York City...

Ok, perhaps mention of M&L are on those CT theatre links, too. The Roxy is gone, but what about the Capitol and Loew's State? The Loew's in Atlanta is gone and that is where Gone With The Wind was premiered.

Bob... I think it's fair to say that Martin &Lewis have a very strong connection to the Paramount. Just as Sinatra does. Sure they played other stages in New York, but I think the image most of us have in our minds when thinking of M&L in New York is of their antics from the dressing room window and the mob scene below on W. 44th Street.

I understand, I just couldn't figure out the reason for links to a Dean Martin fan club as well as Dean Martin day in Steubenville.

By the way, what the heck happened to Steubenville? The parade photos are quite surprising: boarded up stores and a "celebrity" roster consisting of a really bad Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley impersonators. At least Dean's daughter was there, but she was promoting a book.

And the Dean Martin look-a-like(?) performing in the high school auditorium is doing the older Dean with the large oversized Robert Mitchum glasses. Why don't these "tribute artists" ever impersonate a celebrity in their prime?

Bob: "Why don't these "tribute artists" ever impersonate a celebrity in their prime?" I agree, as the Lucy impersonator for the Lucy Festival in Jamestown NY is a youthful Lucy from the I Love Lucy days. (www.lucy-desi.com)

Anyone remember that truly awful flick "Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla" that featured third-rate M&L impersonators Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo? It's amazing to me that Paramount didn't sue... or did they? The movie was made for all of about $15 bucks and $5 of that went to secure Lugosi (in the last film he made before hooking up with Z-movie icon Ed Wood).

Paramount didn't sue, but Hal Wallis (who had M&L under contract) threatened to. Dean could have cared less, but Jerry was a bit annoyed. After all, he had spotted Petrillo on the street in New York and hired him to play his son in a Colgate Comedy Hour sketch!

In the early 80's when he was promoting his auto-biography, Jerry appeared on the Today Show. Bryant Gumbel tells Jerry that "we dug into the vaults and have some vintage footage." What's the first clip you see? Eddie Cantor with...Sammy Petrillo! Jerry laughed and said that not only did he never do a comedy sketch with Cantor, but he was "never quite that good looking!"

I met Petrillo about ten years ago when he was doing a comedy act in New York. A nice man, although somewhat bitter that his career never quite took off.

I wonder if Petrillo held any bitterness towards Eddie Deezen! Not that Deezen's film career ever really "took off", but his very Lewis-like persona led him from parts in movies like "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and "1941" to long term voice-over animation gigs such as his run on the very amusing "Dexter's Laboratory" as Dexter's nemesis, Mandark.

The Paramount Theatre & Building were still under construction when this photo was taken in early 1926:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/parabuild.jpg

Here's a view of an April 14, 1948 showing at the Paramount of a boxing match via B&W projection TV. The screen image was reported to measure 18 by 24 feet, and claimed to be larger than for the movies at the Paramount:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/paraTVdemo.jpg

Hi all,

Does anyone know where I might find photos of the mirrors that hung in the Paramount?

--Emily

Warren--

That's a superb photo of the screen and proscenium. I doubt that the movie projection was smaller than the tv projection-- Since the Paramount did not have Magnascope, I can only imagine that the screen size and masking were not adjustable and hence remained the same for both formats.

The photo is terrific for the details in the orchestra pit. On the left and right sides we see the tops of the curtained portals through which, when the pit rose to stage level, the headline stars entered and exited for their numbers. To the left of the pit stands the mighty organ. Great stuff.

Emily: In 1976 the Theatre Historical Society published their Annual: "The Times Square Paramount" by the late Michael Miller and it contained not only many photos of the theatre, but also Inventory photos of the furnishings, no doubt including mirrors. Unfortunately, it is out of print, but any library which got their MARQUEE magazine back then also got that Annual. Go to a library and ask them to check the Union List of Serials for the nearest library with it. Of course, you can always go to their Archive outside of Chicago and view it there, as well as dozens of images that have not been published. View the links on their site such as 'Archive' at: www.historictheatres.org

Emily: In 1976 the Theatre Historical Society published their Annual: "The Times Square Paramount" by the late Michael Miller and it contained not only many photos of the theatre, but also Inventory photos of the furnishings, no doubt including mirrors. Unfortunately, it is out of print, but any library which got their MARQUEE magazine back then also got that Annual. Go to a library and ask them to check the Union List of Serials for the nearest library with it. Of course, you can always go to their Archive outside of Chicago and view it there, as well as dozens of images that have not been published. View the links on their site such as 'Archive' at: www.historictheatres.org

An important announcement from the Managing Director:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para1943.jpg

Hope & Ball on screen, Prima & Smith on stage, Walcott & Charles on TV:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para1949.jpg

And the amazing Carl Ballantine!

Carl Ballantine! I haven't heard that name in ages. I remember him from his many variety show appearances and his stint as one of the crew in "McHale's Navy". I just looked him up on imdb.com and happily find that he is very much alive and kicking with a healthy stream of steady work in TV, movies and voice-over work still in evidence - though certainly not at the level it was during his '60's - early '70's heyday.

The end of an era, the Paramount closes in August 1964
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/ParamountGoesDark.jpg

Robert R, do you have a transcription of that NY Times article by Bosley Crowther?

Playing the Paramount in 1930:
01/03 - 'The Laughing Lady' - Ruth Chatterton & Clive Brook
01/10 - 'Glorifying the American Girl' - Mary Eaton
01/24 - 'Seven Days Leave' - Gary Cooper
01/31 - 'Street of Chance' - William Powell-Kay Francis
02/07 - 'Burning Up' - Richard Arlen & Mary Brian
02/14 - 'Dangerous Paradise' - Nancy Carroll & Richard Arlen
02/21 - 'Roadhouse Nights' - Helen Morgan & Charlie Ruggles
02/28 - 'Slightly Scarlet' - Evelyn Brent & Clive Brook
03/07 - 'Only the Brave' - Gary Cooper & Mary Brian
03/14 - 'Sarah and Son' - Ruth Chatterton & Frederic March
03/21 - 'The Young Eagles' - Charles 'Buddy' Rogers & Jean Arthur
03/28 - 'Honey' - Nancy Carroll & Stanley Smith
04/11 - 'The Benson Murder Case' - William Powell & Natalie Moorehead
04/18 - 'Young Man of Manhattan' - Norman Foster & Claudette Colbert
04/25 - 'The Light of Western Stars' - Richard Arlen & Mary Brian
05/02 - 'Dr Fu Manchu' - Warner Oland
05/09 - 'The Devil's Holiday' - Nancy Carroll & Phillips Holmes
05/16 - 'The Texan' - Gary Cooper & Fay Wray
05/23 - 'True to the Navy' - Clara Bow & Frederic March
05/30 - 'Safety In Numbers' - Charles 'Buddy' Rogers & Kathryn Crawford
06/06 - 'The Shadow of the Law' - William Powell & Regis Toomey
06/13 - 'The Social Lion' - Jack Oakie & Mary Brian
06/20 - 'Dangerous Nan McGrew' - Helen Kane & Victor Moore
06/27 - 'The Border Legion' - Richard Arlen & Fay Wray
07/04 - 'Love Among the Millionaires' - Clara Bow & Stanley Smith
07/18 - 'For the Defense' - William Powell & Kay Francis
07/25 - 'The Sap from Syracuse' - Jack Oakie & Ginger Rogers
08/01 - 'Grumpy' - Cyril Maude & Phillips Holmes
08/08 - 'Queen High' - Charlie Ruggles & Frank Morgan
08/15 - 'Anybody's Woman' - Ruth Chatterton & Clive Brook
08/29 - 'Let's Go Native' - Jack Oakie & Jeanette MacDonald
09/05 - 'The Sea God' - Richard Arlen & Fay Wray
09/12 - 'Follow Thru' - Nancy Carroll & Charles 'Buddy' Rogers
09/19 - 'The Spoilers' - Gary Cooper & Betty Compson
09/26 - 'Her Wedding Night' - Clara Bow & Ralph Forbes
10/03 - 'Laughter' - Nancy Carroll & Frederic March
10/10 - 'Heads Up' - Charles 'Buddy' Rogers & Helen Kane
10/17 - 'The Santa Fe Trail' - Richard Arlen & Rosita Moreno
10/24 - 'The Virtuous Sin' - Walter Huston & Kay Francis
10/31 - 'The Playboy of Paris' - Maurice Cheavlier & Frances Dee
11/07 - 'Sea Legs' - Jack Oakie & Lillian Roth
11/21 - 'Derelict' - George Bancroft
11/28 - 'Fast and Loose' - Miriam Hopkins & Charles Starrett
12/05 - 'Follow The Leader' - Ed Wynn & Ginger Rogers
12/12 - 'Only Saps Work' - Richard Arlen & Leon Errol
12/19 - 'Tom Sawyer' - Jackie Coogan & Junior Durkin

I reorganized my photobucket account and broke the links to the photos I posted above on December 5th. Here's my new Paramount Theater album where those pictures may now be found.

My apologies to those with notifications on this page.

In November, 1932, while at the apex of his popularity, Maurice Chevalier topped the Paramount's stage show and won great acclaim, expecially for his impersonations of other entertainers imitating him. The booking held over for a second week, but with RKO's "The Most Dangerous Game" replacing Paramount's "Evenings For Sale" as the screen attraction. This was apparently for the sake of repeat Chevalier fans who might not have wanted to see the same movie again:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/chevalier1.jpg
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/chevalier2.jpg

In January, 1954, the Paramount presented its first CinemaScope feature: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/parascope.jpg

Was the Paramount completely dismanantled when it closed, or did some theater ornamentation survive? Today, with the Hard Rock inside, it would have made for an interesting restaurant, especially for Hard Rock, if it was not only housed in the theater space as it is, but if it still had a little of that 'theater look".

The Paramount was demolished, not "dismantled." The only ornamentation remaining is on the exterior of the Paramount Building, as seen in the color photo in the introduction above. The Paramount's auditorium was actually a separate edifice behind the office building and not part of it. Only the Times Square entrance and lobbies connecting to the auditiorium were in the Paramount Building. The auditorium ran parallel to Broadway between 43rd Street and 44th Street, with the stage at the 44th Street end.

Bway... if you scroll up you'll find this question has come up from time to time on this page. All traces of the original theater were completely removed from the site. Even the Broadway facade was patched over to pick up the pattern from the rest of the building so that one would never have known there was ever a theater in the building. The high arch window and marquee we now see advertising the Hard Rock (and the WWF restaurant prior to this) is 100% replica, constructed around 2000/2001. No original elements were used at all.

As for the interior, it had been completely gutted (lobby and auditorium) and replaced with generic office and retail space). As with the WWF Restaurant before it, the Hard Rock exists almost 100% below street level in the basement of the building. Only a small street level entrance foyer (carved from the retail space that had occupied the site for some 35 years since the theater's demolition in 1966) exists where the former Paramount entrance pavillion had been located.

Here's a 1966 photo of the former auditorium space that should give you an idea as to the extent of the demoltion:
Paramount Gut Job

Warren... just to clarify, the theater's entrance ornamentation on the exterior of the Paramount Building is replica, not remaining from the original. If you walked down Broadway just 6 or 7 years ago and looked up at the building's facade, you'd just see the same repetition of squared windows and spandrels within the limestone as is the motif along the entire perimeter of the building's lower floors. The old entrance arch was completly demolished and had to be recreated from old photos (not even the blueprints were available) for the 2001 installation of the WWF theme restaurant.

Where else could you see Tommy Dorsay and Frank Sinatra in person for a buck and a half and catch a movie as well?

Ah! Those were the days!

Wasi

Where else could you see Tommy Dorsay and Frank Sinatra in person for a buck and a half and catch a movie as well?

Ah! Those were the days!

Wasi

But now you can see Streisand at the Garden for $1,800.
These are the good old days!

Mae West on stage AND screen (February, 1933):
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/maeday.jpg

Is the exterior of this theatre landmarked?

The Paramount Building was designated a landmark in 1988, long after all interior and exterior traces of the theater were eliminated. The current marquee, arched window and attendant ornamentation are recreations of the original Paramount Theater marquee and required LPC approval before they began work in 1999 or so. I imagine that a permit to remove the marquee and restore the facade to its 1988 configuration would be quickly approved by the LPC.

Here is a photo of the Paramount facade more or less as it would have appeared at the time of Landmark designation:

Before restored marquee

This image doesn't show street level, but you can see the portion of the lower facade where the arched window and Paramount logo were initially located (and later recreated) in the lower left side of the image near the corner of the building. It is the portion just at the top of the lower facade where there appear to be a couple of missing windows in the fenestration.

I have been putting up images from souvernir programs and other great movie material that I have and most are for sale.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/004419.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/005669.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/001764.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/002784.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/002120.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/001781.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/001774.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/000948.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/000547.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/000869.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/007221.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/005762.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/005742.jpg
I also have a great website www.cinemagebooks.com
where you can view over 5,000 film related items including programs and much more. Please feel free to email me irajoelirajoel@yahoo.com
don't understand why members don't give email addresses. I'm new to the photobucket site but i guess you can view all my images using my
name irajoel.

Great posting Irajoel. Enjoyed all the posters, particularly the "Frankenstein." It is of a type I have not seen before. Served also as a reminder that, over the years, we have confused the creator (Dr. Frankenstein) with his creation, the monster.

Cheers.

ErnestNagy@Starpower.net

Irajoel... you should post your link on the home page of Cinema Treasures rather than hitting the individual theater pages. This way you address the entire membership at once, rather than multiple posts that may or may not be related to the specific theater page you are posting in. Just a suggestion.

Ed is right! These are pages about theatres, and are not for spam. There are provisions under the NEWS link at the top of each page to post such advertising rather than waste limited space on other pages. "Irajoe" is not performing a service advertising his posters; he is just just hawking something for his profit-- not ours. And the reason people don't openly list their E-mails is precisely to prevent such abuse of their privacy by the spam of such inconsiderate and greedy 'merchants.' Just because something may be distantly related to theatre architecture doesn't mean it belongs on pages such as this!

Jackie follows Judy (November, 1954):
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para1154.jpg

oh wow, Warren- that is awesome.

I have been having a rough couple days and the image of a dancing Gleason brought a smile to my face. I hear the walls of the Paramount theatre reverberating with the curtain calls as Gleason brings back "AHHHHT CAHHHHHHHHNEY" for his well deserved ovation.

Thank you.

Here is an ad for "Journey to the Center of the Earth" from the New York Daily News:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/billhuelbig/verne1.jpg

Here is an ad for "Journey to the Center of the Earth" from the New York Daily News - December 1959:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/billhuelbig/verne1.jpg

Here's the Daily News "Journey" review. This Fox picture is also (according to the headline) a Paramount picture:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/billhuelbig/verne2.jpg

Bill... I wonder if the headline refers to the theater while playing on the meaning of the word "paramount" as well. As far as I can determine, Paramount Studios had nothing to do with this release.

Ed and Bill, I was working for Fox at the time and Ed is correct, it was a Fox picture, the Paramount reference is for the theatre.
I remember it well, a bunch of us from Fox went to the midnight New Years eve show. About a month later I was able to borrow a 16mm print to show in my basement.

Caught that film a number of times on the old "4:30 Movie" that ran weekdays on WABC-TV channel 7 in NYC. I guess not even the scissor-happy editors at channel 7 could whittle "Journey" down to a cogent 72 or so minutes in order to accommodate the commercial breaks in the 90 minute time slot, so they would spread it out over two days.

"Journey" was my favorite of all the "4:30 Movies". Remember how exciting it was when a beloved movie showed up in next week's TV Guide? It's a good thing to be able to own the movies now and see them whenever we want, but something very special has been lost at the same time.

Ed: was that 16mm print in CinemaScope? That must have been quite a show down there in your basement. It was probably still playing in neighborhood theaters at that time.

"Journey" was my favorite of all the "4:30 Movies". Remember how exciting it was when a beloved movie showed up in next week's TV Guide? It's a good thing to be able to own the movies now and see them whenever we want, but something very special has been lost at the same time.

Vito: was that 16mm print in CinemaScope? That must have been quite a show down there in your basement. It was probably still playing in neighborhood theaters at that time.

Sorry about the double post. See how flustered I get when the conversation turns to "Journey to the Center of the Earth"?

Bill,

I agree with the excitement of feverishly scanning the new TV Guide for the Early Show, The Late Show (during summer vacation) and Million Dollar Movie. Also, the anticipation of "what will they show" when a ballgame doubleheader was rained out.

Back to being almost on-topic. I caught "Journey" at my RKO 23rd St with "Miracle of the Hills" with Rex Reason. I remember seeing it with dad on Friday night and begging my mom to let me see it again with the kids on Saturday. No luck.

Bill I understand why you get flustered. The best way to enjoy "Journey" was at at the Paramount in four track mag stereo.
Yes, the 16mm print was anamorphic (scope) Fox did not strike the flat letterbox versions of their movies in the initial rollout.
The 16mm prints were made at the same time as the 35mm theatre release for distribution to the the Army and Navy. We were able to borrow all the Fox films, and any other studio that used Deluxe color. I also had "The Blob" from Paramount, and "Elmer Gantry" from U.A among others. I also got my hands on "Physco" though a trade with a buddy of mine at Paramount, I gave him "Can Can". When "South Pacific" was re-released, the prints were struck by Deluxe rather than Technicolor, so it played my basement as well.

Vito: sounds to me like your basement qualifies as a Cinema Treasure in its own right!

Bill, It was quite a nice little screening room, we had 12 seats that came from the Staten Island Paramount when it was renovated, the screen came from the Staten Island Lane when they installed Cinemascope. We cut a 6x 8-foot piece, rolled it up, shelped to my house and installed it. We had two Bell and Howell projectors, and yes, we made changeovers. As I recall, an average movie was mounted on three or four reels. You mentioned the movies probably played in my basement at the same time they were in theatres, well, we had United Artists “Hole in a Head”, which was in Deluxe color, a week before it opened on B’way at Loew’s State. Maybe my little theatre should be listed here :)

Newman in Cinemascope
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/SilverChalice.jpg

By August, 1953, these were the last three Manhattan deluxers presenting stage shows with their films:
www.18.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/trio53.jpg

In 1943, a rare RKO Radio booking at the usual showcase for Paramount Pictures:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para43hit.jpg

This wide-angle view from 1955 of Broadway looking north from Times Square includes the Paramount Theatre, then presenting the John Wayne-Lana Turner fizzler, "The Sea Chase":
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/parachase.jpg

In honor of today's 91st anniversary of the birth of Francis Albert Sinatra, here's a souvenir of a 1944 engagement at the theatre that was one of his stepping stones to showbiz immortality:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/parafrank.jpg

What a great photo! A poignant reminder of heady days. The war was turning in our favor and the big bands were in full cry. I was among those in attendance during this engagement. It was intense!

Cheers.

Ernie Nagy

Holiday Cheer and Entertainment Galore! The Paramount's very first Christmas show (1926):
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/paraxmas.jpg

Here is a recent photo of the former Paramount Theater.

That's not the former Paramount Theatre! It was demolished decades ago! And the caption to the photo in the introduction is also incorrect. The most that you can say is that the marquee is a replica of the original Pararmount marquee, but not 100% faithful to it. The building surrounding this replica of the Paramount marquee and entrance is the original Paramount office building. The theatre's lobby cut through that office building, but the auditorium was a separate edifice and not part of the Paramount Building.

No kidding!

Hi guys~
I just developed a fascination with the building. I was on the confetti crew that worked from the 18th floor setback last night. Being a performer myself, I was pumped as hell to find Id be working on *that* building. Not knowing the theater space had been demolished rather than maybe just reconfigured, I was throroughly confused when we were led from the side entrance on the south side of the place, through the south bank of elevators to the north bank, and didnt see ANYthing that resembled a theater.
Thing is, the elevator lobby looks sooooooo vintage.
Heres my thing....
Lets say that the place was STILL the theater. You walk in through the doors under the marquee. In light of the location of the two banks of elevators as they are right now...where was the theatre and how did you access it from that lobby/those doors?
Also, was it ever a vaudeville house?

ok...I know I shoulda read everything before posting...but it was just such a rush to find you guys I had to go with it.
So I have it straight...am I to understand that the entrance under the marquee takes you into the Hard Rock and *not* the office building lobby?
Im rarely that far uptown, Ive never taken notice of the features of the building until just last week. Now I have to really go look. Dumb question..where *is* the office building lobby in regard to the HRC/Marquee?

I think the Hard Rock marquee was where the old theater marquee was, so that would mean the Hard Rock would be about where the lobby was?
Remember, this building was an office building, in addition to a theater even when the theater was still there. The theater area was just made into more offices.

The HRC entrance is in the same spot as the original Paramount Theatre entrance. The entrance to the Paramount office building is slightly to the north of that, separated by retail space. I'm not sure how that retail space is divided at the moment. It was usually two or three businesses (retail or eatery). The office building is officially 1501 Broadway and has those numbers on the glass window above the entrance. I haven't been in the building lobby in several years, but it was little changed the last time I saw it. There are two banks of elevators, one serving the lower floors and the other the higher. When I worked there in the 1960s, the elevators had operators, but I think they're now automatic. If you happened to be in an elevator when a Paramount bigshot like Barney Balaban or Adolph Zukor entered, the operator would immediately close the doors after them and start the ascent.

yup...the elevators are passenger operated now.
Thanks muchly guys...I got new stuff to do now next time Im up that way. Its unfortunate that a lot of the pix linked from here are dead links.

Balloonhedz... I stored some of those images in my scrapbook on photobucket.com. Here's a link to a 2005 shot I took of the retro-marquee canopy and entrance. You can advance through all the photos there by clicking "next" or view all the thumbnails by clicking "see all" just above it.

*happy sigh*
those vintage shots rock. I truly believe I was born in the wrong period sometimes.
And all the times I ate at Ollies I n e v e r realized where I actually WAS!!!!! And the weird part IS...I KNEW there was a Manhattan PARAMOUNT!!!!
Im absoutely ASHAMED of myself (Im a history loving NATIVE for God sake!!)
Lemme put it this way...for those familiar with NYC stuff pertaining to Coney Island. Each year after the Mermaid Parade, theres the fundraiser for Coney Island USA called the Mermaid Parade Ball. This year it was at the building that used to be Henderson's Music Hall and Restaurant til 1923. Outside the Palace in Manhatan, it was like THE vaudeville house in NYC. The likes of Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, and Harpo Marx in his debut with the Marx Brothers played there. I do burlesque and vaudeville work. When I heard I was to perform at the Ball in THAT venue...I was awestruck. When I was escorted in the back door to the place, I was just speechless...I could almost feel the spirits of those guys in the house. It was the ultimate feeling of reverence on my part. I just ran my hand up the wall as I climbed the stairs. It was by no means the stage door and stairs, but who CARES!!! I was THERE!!! Inside, when you know where to look, you can see the wall supports for the balcony tiers on the north and south walls on the east interior of the building.
Thats why I was wondering if the PARAMOUNT was a vaudeville house too. I figure...1926 opening with live stage shows...it MIGHT have been.

WHat a sin it is that they allowed the Paramount to be destroyed. They were so foolish back then. Just think, in the 70's, we almost lost Radio City Music Hall. Unthinkable today, but just imagine, that was the PLAN. The Paramount shouldn't have been lost either.

We almost lost Carnegie Hall; we lost Penn Station; casinos are being imploded in Las Vegas almost daily; all the legendary night clubs in Hollywood (Ciro's, Brown Derby, etc.) have disappeared. We have no sense of history or continuity. It's the American way.

Ernie Nagy

Near the end
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/CarpetbaggersatParamount.jpg

oh maaaaaaaaan what a gem :-)
who remembers the CENTURY theater chain?
And the Loews Valancia!~
What a friggin palace that place was!~
Least its still standing as a church rather than being gone outright.

Actually, aside from the addition of a chandelier in the ceiling of the valencia, the Calencia is completely intact, and the same as it was when it was a theater....sure, it's colors are painted quite guady now, but at least it's being maintained, cared for, and technically could become a theater again within some minor revisions back. Thats a lot more than can be said for most.

thats where my mom took my sister and me to see THE TEN COMMANDMENTS back in the early early 70s. My pop was still working out of a command housed in the 103 Precinct then.

Its a joy to hear they didnt strip it when it became Tabernacle of Prayer.

http://enwhycee.fotopic.net/p28148003.html
itsnot the bestof shots but its one of my earliest when I started shooting the subway in 1977. It shows the facade of the place (least from the tracks UP)

And I know this is a thread about the Paramount...so if you want it moved just point me where :-)

click on the image and it gets a BIT bigger

"balloonhedz," that photo shows the ex-Loew's Valencia in Jamaica, Queens. The theatre had been converted into a church by the time that the photo was taken. There is a vertical sign for the new name of Tabernacle of Prayer. Loew's Valencia has a listing here (#903).

Balloon, great photo! I like all the others in your album too...
You should post this in the Valencia section. In your address bar where it says "548" for the Paramount, just put "903", and go.
Either that, or you can search for any theater in the top left where it says "search" theater, and type in any name, like "Valencia".

Warren...I know. ;-)
Thats why I SAID...if it would be better posted elsewhere and not in a thread about the Paramount...Ill move it.

Bway...thanks for the heads up as to making the search easier. Ill go post it. And thanks for the kudos. Not a bad shot for hand me down cheap camera after all I guess :-)

balloonhedz asked if anyone remembers the Century circuit, and I just had to respond. Forgive me for taking up space on the pages devoted to the magnificent and so very missed Paramount, but I wanted to write about one of the best theatre circuits I ever had the privilege of working for. During the late 50s and through much of the 60s I refused to settle down in one particular theatre, opting instead to work the Roadshows and vacation relief in theatres mostly on Long Island. I worked just about every Century theatre simply because they where the best, maintenance was a priority back then and the theatres were always kept in tip top condition. I developed a reputation with one of the District managers who often asked the union to “send Vito” because he knew I took great pride in my work.
They were the only theatre circuit operating at the time which a strict delux policy which meant the curtain had to be closed at the end of the trailers/shorts and reopened at the start of the feature, the stage lights were also brought up full and lowered again. During intermission music absolutely had to be played (except in Roadshows) and you were never allowed to “cut a record” (yeah, records, remember them?) We had to wait until a song ended before starting the show, we were not even allowed to fade the music out, the song had to be completed. Generally it was best if a new song was to begin and you only had a minute or so left for the intermission, you simply stopped the music at that point. Masking could never been seen moving it was to be opened or brought in during the Delux stage so that the curtain would hide the moving masking.
On holidays we would always start the day with a showing of the National Anthem, which was a film clip of a waving flag with the Anthem playing, God help you if you forgot to do that.
Thanks for allowing me to post just a few of the great memories of working for the magnificent Century theatre circuit.

Bway~
PS...thanks for the photo kudos on the rest ofthe stuff. If you like burlesque, FDNY stuff, subway stuff, Coney Island, and general NYC street stuff...lemme know Ill give you links.

1943 with the Ink Spots on stage
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/TruetoLife.jpg

Two history-making bookings from 1953 and 1955:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para453.jpg
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para455.jpg

Perhaps some of you have not heard the sad news of Betty Hutton’s passing. Having been out of town all of last week I had not heard the news until this weekend.
I understand from my friend Warren that TCM did a tribute to Betty, I am sorry that I missed that.
Since many of her movies, including her first, “The Fleet’s In, opened at the Paramount, I decided to post something here to be sure all of her fans heard the news. Betty left the business to early, I am sure she could have continued to entertain for many more years, but she was happy with her decision to quit entertaining and that’s all that matters.

I hadn't heard about Betty until the day after it was announced. My cousin told me, and we watched "The Greatest Show on Earth" (a Music Hall attraction) that night to honor her.

Betty Hutton was a pretty big star, although her rather manic style of acting always seemed a little over the top to me. In any event, I join those who mourn her passing. I think, somehow, she did not lead the happiest of lives.

I found it a bit odd that none of the obits I read mentioned that she was the sister of Marion Hutton, Glenn Miller's chick vocalist during the glory years of that band (a frequent denizen of the Paramount, of course).

Ernie Nagy

Another VistaVision film that played at The Paramount was
"The Court Jester" in early 1956. Does anyone know if it was in 8
perf Horizontal?

Betty Hutton's very first feature movie opened at the Paramount in March, 1942, but she was listed in the supporting cast. By the following year, she had graduated to co-star billing with one of the most popular entertainers of the century:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/parahutton1.jpg
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/parahutton2.jpg

The Paramount Building and a view of Broadway, from above, between 44th & 45th:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/NYCParamountBuilding2002.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k79/hollywood90038/NYCToysRUsblock1999-1.jpg

A vintage postcard view of the Paramount Theatre Building in 1927:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/442535627/

Great photo, KenRoe. Many thanks.

Ernie Nagy

Here are two vintage newspaper views of the construction of the Paramount Theatre and office building. The first, taken on November 25th, 1925, shows the excavation for the foundations. The ground was solid rock, which required dynamiting between 2 and 6 in the morning when Times Square was relatively unvisited. In the background (on the east side of Broadway) is the blockwide Olympia complex, which included the original Criterion Theatre, then operated by Paramount along with the Rialto and Rivoli. The second photo was taken on June 9th, 1926. When the Paramount Theatre opened five months later (November 16th), the office building was not yet fully completed and only partially tenanted.
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para25.jpg
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para26.jpg

Excellent pix, Warren. Many thanks. A reminder that, I guess, all of Manhattan is basically rock.

Cheers.

Ernie Nagy

Excellent pix, Warren. Many thanks. A reminder that, I guess, all of Manhattan is basically rock.

Cheers.

Ernie Nagy

Ernie, if you have access to the archives of The New York Times, two full pages of photos and illustrations of the new Paramount Theatre and office building can be found in the Sunday Rotogravure section of November 14th, 1926. The pages were a paid advertisement by Paramount-Publix.

Can anyone provide a list of films playing at the Paramount in the last half of 1962? Many thanks in advance.

I worked at Paramount Pictures headquarters from late 1964 through early 1965 and remember once being taken by a veteran employee down a series of stairs from our offices to a door that opened upon a top-down view of the shuttered theater. It was a spectacular vista, one befitting a master shot for "Phantom Of The Opera." From that vantage point, even a youngster like myself understood immediately what theatrical grandeur was all about.

"Katten41," I worked at Paramount's NYC headquarters for ten years, from 1959 to 1969, so we were obviously there at the same time. What department did you work in? I was in advertising-publicity on the 11th floor. If I recall correctly, Paramount Pictures occupied floors six through eleven at that time. You can contact me privately if you wish at Warrengwhiz@nyc.rr.com

These photos have been posted before, but the links no longer work. This is a view of the grand lobby and staircase and here is a view of the stage.

This is an aerial view of the Paramount Building taken on September 15, 1926, two months before the theatre had its grand opening:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para926.jpg

The inaugural souvenir programme for the Paramount says that it was one of the last theatres designed by C.W. Rapp, who died prior to the November 1926 opening. One wonders why C.W. Rapp is listed at Cinema Treasures as one of the architects of theatres that opened considerably after that, such as the Brooklyn Paramount (November, 1928), some of the Loew's "Wonder Theatres" (autumn, 1929), and the Warner (Erie, PA) April, 1931?

Hi Everyone!

Hopefully someone can help me or steer me in the right direction. I'm doing a piece on the Paramount Theater Times Square, NY and I'm trying to collect all available pictures..

If anyone can help me I'd appreciate it greatly,

Thank You

Alany926, You should try The Theatre Historical Society of America for photos on the Paramount Theatre in Times Square. They at one time published an annual featuring the Paramount Times Square Theatre (1976)#3. They would be the best in finding photos of the theatre.

I haven't seen the programs yet, but it seems likely that views of the Broadway/Times Square theatre district will turn up in "New York Goes to War," a two-part TV special that starts tonight on PBS channels 13 and 21 in the tri-state area. Tonight's episode is entitled "Innocence Lost," and next week's "The Road to Victory." Both were produced to supplement the forthcoming Ken Burns documentary series, "The War." For those too young to remember, the war is the world conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although the USA did not enter until 1941.

On the Fox Home Video DVD of "The Best of Everything" is a brief Fox Movietone Newsreel segment on the premiere of this movie at the Paramount Theatre on October 9, 1959. I've heard that Fox is preparing a special edition of "Journey to the Center of the Earth," which premiered at the Paramount on December 16, 1959. I hope they have a newsreel of that event.

http://www.nyc-architecture.com/MID/MID110.htm

There is a photo with a timeline of the Paramount on this site.

Lost Memory: Your post of July 21, 2007 are spectacular and makes me wonder why this elegant theatre wasn't saved especially with it's rich Sinatra history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramount_Theater_(New_York_City)

The Paramount wasn't saved because:
1-There was no campaign to do so;
2-The almighty New York Times wanted the space for expansion of its offices.

Help, please, to answer a 60 year old question:

My parents just celebrated their 60th Anniversary and were asked what was their first date. They both agreed on the train ride from Long Island to the "big" city and they both agreed on their terrific dinner at Romeo's which consisted of spaghetti and a meatball for only 39 cents (my mother remembered it was more... 45 cents)! They also remembered going to the Paramount and seeing a fantastic show. Here is where I need your help. My mother remembers seeing Frank Sinatra. My father remembers seeing Harry James. They both remember it vividly. The simple, everyone is right answer, would be of course, Frank singing for Harry's band. Could be. I would love to verify what happened.

The show would have been around February of 1947... 9 months before they were married.

Thanks to any and all who could answer the question or lead me to a place where I can do further research.

Hey sonnyboy - HAPPY NEW YEAR! Frank Sinatra was basically "discovered" by Harry James and sang in his orchestra in 1939 before famously (or infamously - depending on the story you read) defecting to the Tommy Dorsey Band within a year. I don't think you'd have found Old Blue Eyes singing with James in 1947, so the performance your grandparents saw at the Paramount was either one or the other! I suppose either artist might have topped the bill in '47 - although Sinatra's career started to swoon a bit that year and wouldn't fully recover until after his successful dramatic turn in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY in 1953. Hope that helps just a smidge!

Gee, Ed. That does help. But now I have a dilemma. Do I fess up that you were good enough to provide me with an important piece of info or do I go on letting my parents believe there is a chance they are both right? What if this bit of disagreement busts up their marriage after 60 years, 4 kids and 8 grandkids. Yikes.

Seriously, thanks for responding and helping me get at the truth.

Now I can focus my research on one or the other but not both at the Paramount.

I have to admit, I believe my mother's version with Frank Sinatra, even if it was the swoon you mentioned and his last year before the Mob (how exciting) helped him re-start his career. Whether he got help or not, Frank was a fantastic performer.

Sonnyboy, does your local library have The New York Times on microfilm? If so, I'd just go look through the dates you think it was, go to the entertainment section and look for an ad.

I can't find any record of Frank Sinatra performing live at the Paramount in 1947 but he did appear at the Capitol in November of that year with "petite comedienne" LORRAINE ROGNAN and SKITCH HENDERSON & his piano & orchestra.

How about SAMMY KAYE and his orchestra with IT HAPPENED IN BROOKLYN starring Sinatra at the Capitol in early March?

THE INK SPOTS and ELLA FITZGERALD took over the Paramount in February of 1947 with EASY COME, EASY GO on the screen.

Fantastic leads. I am going to have to check both my parents stories again. I feel like a detective trying to get to the bottom of a big mystery. They saw one of the two, but maybe it wasn't at the Paramount.

Maybe I am not their son. This is getting me all nervous.

This is fun. Thanks for all of your help. I will keep digging.

I have a revision that makes more sense given everyone's feedback. I was wrong about the dates. I thought I heard my parents say they went to the show at the Paramount before they were married in 1947. My parents just told me that there first date was before my father enlisted and went into the Navy... in the Spring of 1943! My parents were married in 1947 after my father returned from the war.

My father just told me about how Frankie got out of the Harry James contract with a little help from some friends. He also told me how the story was retold within "The Godfather."

Horse's head in the bed!

The story has grown out of proportion as a great American urban legend, read Pete Hamill's great book "Why Sinatra matters". The much-discussed and embellished story of a contract Sinatra had to get out of was his contract with Tommy Dorsey, the band he sang with after leaving Harry James. Harry basically just let Frank go and wished him well, realized what an opportunity Dorsey was offering. Dorsey was not so easy going, signed hungry young talent to iron-clad contracts giving himself a healthy cut of that performer's pay should they elect to leave (in Frank's case, almost 55% of all future earnings) Frank signed to just get free and start pursuing the opportunities that were being offered. The contract was re-negotiated by his agents at MCA (the Music Corporation of America) joined by an army of lawyers. The proceedings were a matter of public record in the courts. Frank ended
up paying Dorsey $60,000 lump-sum to get out of the contract. I'm sorry if that's not as romantic, but them's the facts.
Frank was Italian, which for decades before he reached his initial popularity meant they weren't even considered WHITE by wasps, it took the massive numbers of Americans of Italian descent fighting in WWII to begin the change of opinion against such prejudice. There were many figures in organized crime Frank knew, he sang in nightclubs for a living, and such establishments aren't owned by conservative wasp businessmen, they were owned by gangsters. No credible researcher or author (including the notorious Kitty Kelley) could find any concrete link to this urban legend.
As an aside, Frank was quoted as being very sad when the Paramount was gutted, and wished that he had a souvenir from the building, even if just a knob from a dressing room door.

PARAMOUNT December 30, 1942-January, 1943
STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM on screen
BENNY GOODMAN and his Orchestra
RADIO ROGUES
MOKE AND POKE
Extra added attraction! Frank Sinatra
January 26 at 6pm only - Extra! JACK BENNY


PARAMOUNT January 27, 1943- February 23, 1943
STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM on screen
JOHNNY LONG and his orchestra
RADIO ROGUES
MOKE AND POKE
Extra added attraction! Frank Sinatra

Fantastic. I think we may have it. My parents are going through their memory banks to see if it was Benny G or Johnny L with that extra added attraction: Young Blue Eyes.

Personally, I'd rather have been at the Benny Goodman, Jack Benny show.

And I am going to buy Pete Hamill's book to make sure we know just who's horse head it was.

Thanks all. I believe the investigation is being erased from the board.

Sonnyboy--the war ended in 1945, some men like my uncle stayed in Germany as occupation troops, but my Father came back home in 1945, his tour of duty having been satisfied as the war had ended. He was in the service from 1942-1945, and that was about the normal duration of service. Was your father a career man?

Frank Sinatra defected from the Paramount for an engagement at the larger Capitol Theatre in November, 1947, with Columbia's "Her Husband's Affairs" (Lucille Ball-Franchot Tone) on screen. The Capitol booking marked the first time that Sinatra appeared on the same bill with future Rat Packer Sammy Davis, Jr., but they didn't perform together. Davis was still attached to the Will Mastin Trio, one of the supporting acts on the bill, along with Lorraine Rognan and Skitch Henderson & Orchestra.

I've read that those Capitol Theatre shows drew disappointing attendance. As I indicated above, Sinatra saw his popularity tail-off around this time and I'm curious as to just how well (or poorly) these shows at the Capitol were received by the public. Do you have any B.O. figures, Warren?

Sorry, Ed, I don't have any boxoffice figures. But I'm sure that you can find them reported in issues of weekly Variety from November, 1947. The engagement started on November 14th, and might have been for two weeks to include the Thanksgiving holiday.

The engagement was three weeks but it was hampered by a weak film title (Columbia admitted it was expecting Sinatra to bring in the crowds) and missing dates when Sinatra developed laryngitis shortly after opening.

Sinatra also performed at the Paramount in the spring of 1943, opening May 26th with "Five Graves to Cairo" on screen. I believe this was the first time that Sinatra received top billing in the Paramount's stage shows. The supporting acts were Gracie Barrie & Her Orchestra and comedian Gene Sheldon. Sinatra's portion was entitled "Frank Fiddles" due to the Paramount's house orchestra being augmented with a large string section.

In my May 10, 1946 copy of the NYC edition of the (Communist) Daily Worker are some select movie ads (obviously not all theaters in NYC advertised in this newspaper), including one for Paramount Times Square indicating:

Paramount Presents Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, William Bendix in "The Blue Dahlia" A George Marshall Production, Doors open 8:30 a.m., then a musical note separating columns and on the right side of the ad:

In Person DUKE ELLINGTON and his Orchestra, Stump & Stumpy, Extra The Mills Bros. (This is the show I would have wanted to see.)

I look at this historically as someone then determined it was worthwhile to run this ad for this show in the Communist Daily newspaper. If it wasn't for the content, then perhaps management had a vested interest.

I suspect that since Hollywood was producing so many pro-Soviet films during the war at the government's request, it was a worthy investment at the time.

The Paramount had to cover all bases in its marketing. The Daily Worker had the lowest ad rates of any newspaper in the metropolitan area, so it wasn't unusual for movie theatres to advertise there. 1946 was also a time before the Communist "witch hunts" started.

Unlike some of his rivals, Gary Cooper became a Hollywood star without prior theatrical experience. In December, 1933, he acted on the stage for the first time anywhere at the Paramount Theatre, teamed with Raquel Torres and Sari Maritza in a one-act parody of his latest movie, "Design for Living" (which just happened to be showing across the street at the Criterion Theatre). The playet ran about ten minutes, and was augmented by the usual Paramount stage revue, including singer Gertrude Niesen, the Diamond Brothers, and Charles Previn & Orchestra. On screen was Paramount's "Sitting Pretty," with Jack Oakie, Jack Haley, and Ginger Rogers in an peppy musical that introduced the chart-topping "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?" The first week grossed a smash $51,000, enough to warrant a hold-over, but Cooper claimed exhaustion and the run continued without him, with several new variety acts replacing the playlet.
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/cooper33.jpg

Cooper's subdued laconic on screen style doesn't strike me as one that would have effectively translated on stage. I wonder how well it went over in the upper reaches of the Paramount. If his claims of exhaustion are to be believed (and there's no reason to doubt it), I wonder if he didn't tucker himself out from having to project to the theatre's back rows. I can't make out the details on the ad... does it say how many performances were scheduled for the day?

At the Paramount, Gary Cooper performed four shows M-F and five on Saturday and Sunday, a total of 24 for the week. The front rows of the orchestra were always packed with women, many of whom stayed from opening to closing. Cooper needed a police escort to get back and forth to his suite at the nearby Astor Hotel. Here is an excerpt from a review in The New York Times: "What you feel about Gary Cooper 'in person' will all depend on (1} what you feel about Mr. Cooper on the screen and (2) what you feel about personal appearances in general. He is supported by Sari Maritza and Raquel Torres, and the little makeshift 'skit' which serves as a pretext for his adorers to gaze at him is no stupider than others of its kind. Screen players, as a rule, are predetermined successes on the stage, and do not have to stoop to the vulgur expedient of 'putting themselves across.' Otherwise, they must somewhere have discovered that 'being cute' is not acting and that looking handsome is not the end and aim of all stage technique."

In October, 1933, Mae West's second starring vehicle, "I'm No Angel," broke all existing attendance records at the Paramount, with about 180,000 tickets sold in the opening week (an average of 25,714 per day). To speed turnover, the stage show's length was reduced to twenty minutes. The Paramount's ushering staff was increased from 43 to 74 members, and police frequently had to be called to control the street crowds: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/nypara33.jpg

P.S. "I'm No Angel" opened simultaneously at the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre, also with a stage show. Attendance was reported record-breaking there as well, but I haven't been able to find figures. The dual booking apparently had no drain on attendance at the New York Paramount, and may have sent some disappointed turnaways subwaying to downtown Brooklyn to see the movie.

In July, 1927, Britain's Gertrude Lawrence topped the stage show at the Paramount, with a Louise Brooks film on screen. This was probably Lawrence's first engagement in a movie palace and possibly her last. She performed numbers from her Broadway stage successes, which included the Gershwins' "Oh, Kay" and two Andre Charlot revues. Within a few years, Lawrence would become one of the most beloved "legit" luminaries on both sides of the Atlantic, most memorably in "Lady in the Dark" and "The King and I": www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para727.jpg

Charlton Heston's first movie for a major Hollywood studio, Paramount's "Dark City," played its premiere New York City engagement at the Paramount Theatre in October, 1950, accompanied by a stage show. Due to a lengthy production schedule, Heston's next movie, "The Greatest Show on Earth," produced and directed for Paramount by Cecil B. DeMille, did not get released in NYC until January, 1952, when it opened at Radio City Music Hall, supported by a stage show.

Here's an ad for Charlton Heston's debut at the Paramount Theatre in October, 1950. The B&W "Dark City" proved a boxoffice disappointment, ending up on the Loew's neighborhood circuit as supporting feature to the Fred Astaire-Betty Hutton Technicolor musical, "Let's Dance": http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/paraheston.jpg

This 1944 photo from the NYT may have been posted before. Apologies for any duplication:
http://tinyurl.com/6ofgvk

Great picture. I attended that show. Estrogen was rampant.

Cheers.

Ernie Nagy

Here are new links to two views of the Paramount's marquee:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/paraba.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para48.jpg

Great pictures Warren !
Here is a lesser quality image from election night of 1928 showing part of the marquee as well as the Rialto vertical in the distance:
http://ziegfeldgirl.multiply.com/photos/album/19/NYC_Vintage_Photos_1920s#32

The crowd in the square is there to see the election results as hometown favorite Al Smith was defeated by Herbert Hoover.

Do I remember correctly that Frank Sinatra appeared here during the engagement of his "Johnny Concho"? He (oddly enough) co-produced this minor western, which he later dissed on the TV special "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back."
I saw "Johnny Concho" at the Paramount and vaguely recall Sinatra making a live appearance.
Also caught "The Carpetbaggers" here on a mobbed Saturday night in the summer of 1964.

Yes, Sinatra did perform on stage during the run of "Johnny Concho." I doubt that the movie would have drawn flies without his "in person" support. This was probably the last time that he ever played a theatrical engagement anywhere of that type.

In September, 1949, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis topped the stage show during the engagement of their first movie, "My Friend Irma." This ad notes that the Paramount was "The Nation's First Theatre to Reduce Prices." General admission on weekdays was 55 cents from opening until 1PM: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para92749.jpg

The Frank Sinatra stage show with "Johnny Concho" on screen opened on August 15th, 1956, and had a limited run of one week only. On stage, Sinatra was accompanied by the "joint band" of Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey. Comedian Joey Bishop also served as emcee. "Johnny Concho" ran for another week on its own at the Paramount, before being replaced on August 29th by "The Ambassador's Daughter," which returned the Paramount to its films-only policy.

Thanks for all of the extra information, Warren. I didn't know enough then to be impressed by the combined Dorsey bands, and I'm guessing Joey Bishop was no more to me than someone who turned up on Ed Sullivan occasionally. I even enjoy knowing what we had trailers of that day.

I was in front of the Hard Rock yesterday. If I understand correctly, the marquee is a re-creation and not the original? Also the Paramount lettering on the building?

That's right it's all a re-creation.

OK. I took some pictures, but not worth much now. Thanks.

In March, 1927, during the grand opening week of the Roxy Theatre, the Paramount ran newspaper ads to proclaim that it was still "unparalleled in the chronicles of entertainment." The first section of the ads described the superiority of the Paramount's stage shows, the second its famous resident organist, the third its quality screen fare, the fourth its easily affordable ticket prices:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/tspara27.jpg

Re barton's 7/26/04 posting- The night "Let's Make Love" was sneak previewed at the Paramount, the regular attraction was "Hud." I was there that night and saw Shirley MacLaine and Joan Collins, but not Milton Berle.

This might shake some memories loose. I remember seeing two stage shows at the Paramount on Times Square. The first featured Phil Spitalny and His All-Girl Orchestra (featuring Evelyn and her magic violin). The second starred Johnny Ray.

According to this NY Times review of "The Perils of Pauline", on the stage at the Paramount are Phil Spitalny and his all-girl orchestra and choir. Is 1947 too far back?

Phil Spitalny and his all female orchestra played numerous engagments at the New York Paramount, and also at the Capitol Theatre, but, of course, not simultaneously.

Fun times in 1957
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/310/2032/1600/curse3.jpg

I thought it was the singer, Frankie, that drew the crowds at the Paramount, apparently not...Great shot, RobertR.

I don't know if this was posted before but here is Elvis at the Paramount.

The year given for this photo is 1961.

Possibly the lowpoint in film bookings at the Paramount came in January, 1958, with the exclusive NYC premiere engagement of this AIP release, which lasted for an unlucky 13 days. Variety reported a gross of a "fair" $23,000 in the first week, and $15,000 for the remaining six days. With a graduated price scale averaging $1.50, that meant an attendance of about 15,333 patrons in the first week and 10,000 in the abbreviated holdover session. The opening day ad in The New York Times was so small that it got buried near the bottom of the page: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/aippara.jpg

"Love Me Tender" and "Snow White and The Three Stooges" would be because, I believe, the Paramount was the premiere theatre in NYC for some 20th Century-Fox movies for several years.
"The Best of Everything" and "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" both premiered there in late 1959.

The following are September 2008 photos of the former Paramount Theatre: 1, 2, 3, 4

The 9/08 photos show only the site of the Paramount Theatre, which was totally demolished in the 1960s. The marquee is just a replica of the original, which, of course, did not have electronic display panels.

Look at the women and girls in the Snow White photo.
They are all in dresses and skirts. I don't see one in slacks.
And it looks like a matinee.

This is a November 2008 photo of the Hard Rock Cafe.

To accommodate the crowds in 1951, the Paramount Theatre presented six complete shows daily of this screen/stage booking. And on the night of February 2nd, a future American president was a special added attraction on large screen television:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para2251.jpg

I heard that Jerry Lewis was thinking about running in 2012. No announcement yet, though.

That would be funny.

To Warren Harris: How do you retrieve back (very Back!) copies of Variety?

Anthony Biancoviso

Alan Ladd on screen and Miss Peggy Lee on stage

I guess that is the 1949 version of the "The Great Gatsby". I don't believe that I've seen that one.

This April 1950 photo from the Life Magazine archive shows the Paramount's orchestra pit about to descend after a performance by Billy Eckstine and orchestra:
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=9a8ac68c45f65f0d&q=Paramount+source:life&usg=__esb1kE8I1WCKVQb6hCkaD-hcpsQ=&prev=/images%3Fq%3DParamount%2Bsource:life%26start%3D60%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

To Tony B: Annual subscribers to Variety have access to their archives, but I don't think it's to every issue ever published. Your best source is probably a public library that has Variety on microfilm. Individual issues sometimes turn up for sale at E-bay, but most of the really old ones must have turned to dust by this time.

For those wondering what movie accompanied Billy Eckstine's 1950 stage appearance:
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=b6df0862fed1279a&q=marquee+source:life&usg=__5TfQQ-fen5sf6mzWBl2gSEcC8bs=&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmarquee%2Bsource:life%26start%3D40%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Here is another photo from 1944.

While passing via bus today, I noticed that the Hard Rock Cafe has the restaurant on the second floor, which gives a view onto Times Square. When World Wrestling occupied the site, its restaurant was well below ground, which proved a big mistake. It was like dining in Hitler's bunker. Instead of Eva Braun, you got Gorgeous George.

A series of related images of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis performing on stage at the Paramount Theatre in 1951 can be found here, along with mob scenes snapped during the engagement: http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?q=Martin+and+Lewis+source:life&imgurl=748905facf80fe2f

The 1951 stage booking of Martin & Lewis was for two weeks and opened on July 4th, when 22,450 tickets were sold at the 3,650-seater, according to press reports at the time. Lines started forming at 6AM and continued all day, sometimes stretching to Eighth Avenue. M&L were receiving a guaranteed fee of $50,000 per week, out of which they had to pay the supporting talent, including singer Helen O'Connell and Dick Stabile's Orchestra. M&L also would get 50% of the weekly gross when it passed $100.000. The movie on the bill was Paramount's "Dear Brat," third (and last) in a series of comedies that started with "Dear Ruth." $1 in 1951 had the purchasing power of $8.33 in 2008.

Paramount newsreel covered this event. Check out the clip starting at 1:57 on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuEtIllFGQ4

Thanks, Bob, for posting that link. In one of the newsreels I spotted my now deceased friend, Ed Sullivan, a photographer who was employed by Paramount's NYC headquarters to cover all its news-making events.

Bob, I loved that clip as well. If only to once again see and hear that wonderful Eyes and Ears Paramount News opening and closing :)

Martin & Lewis played another two-week engagement at the Paramount Theatre in 1953, this time opening August 26th and keyed to the Labor Day holiday period. Their co-performers were singer Polly Bergen, the Four Step Brothers, and Dick Stabile & Orchestra. On the Paramount's screen was "Plunder in the Sun" with Glenn Ford. That Labor Day period, Martin & Lewis were also all over town in the Loew's circuit engagement of "Scared Stiff," coupled with "Pony Express."

In April, 1934, after ending his relationship with the two Rockefeller Center theatres, "Roxy" Rothafel played a stage engagment at the rival Paramount Theatre with performers from his world-famous "Gang." Some of them had worked with "Roxy" previously at RCMH, the original Roxy, and the Capitol:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/pararoxy34.jpg

The Paramount probably benefited the most from the crowds that gathered in Times Square on New Year's Eve. In 1941, for example, the last complete stage and screen show started at 2:30 AM. This, the first New Year's Eve since the USA entered WW2, found the Paramount "thoroughly prepared for any emergency. Our well-trained staff of 160 has been drilled to maintain the safety of its patrons at all times." Here's an ad: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para1241.jpg

The Paramount probably benefited the most from the crowds that gathered in Times Square on New Year's Eve. In 1941, for example, the last complete stage and screen show started at 2:30 AM. This, the first New Year's Eve since the USA entered WW2, found the Paramount "thoroughly prepared for any emergency. Our well-trained staff of 160 has been drilled to maintain the safety of its patrons at all times." Here's an ad: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para1241.jpg

The Paramount probably benefited the most from the crowds that gathered in Times Square on New Year's Eve. In 1941, for example, the last complete stage and screen show started at 2:30 AM. This, the first New Year's Eve since the USA entered WW2, found the Paramount "thoroughly prepared for any emergency. Our well-trained staff of 160 has been drilled to maintain the safety of its patrons at all times." Here's an ad: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para1241.jpg

The Paramount probably benefited the most from the crowds that gathered in Times Square on New Year's Eve. In 1941, for example, the last complete stage and screen show started at 2:30 AM. This, the first New Year's Eve since the USA entered WW2, found the Paramount "thoroughly prepared for any emergency. Our well-trained staff of 160 has been drilled to maintain the safety of its patrons at all times." Here's an ad: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/para1241.jpg

The Three Stooges played at least one stage engagement at the Paramount Theatre. In September, 1938, "Spawn of the North," an Alaskan sea-faring epic starring George Raft, Henry Fonda and Dorothy Lamour, was supported by "a glorious In Person Show starring Eddy Duchin and his orchestra, and featuring the amusing antics of the original Three Stooges, Hollywood's most hilarious trio." Here's an ad: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/parastooges38.jpg

I. was only in the Paramount once with my parents as a child. At that time there was a movie and a stage show. On stage was Gene Krupa.

We climbed, and climbed up to our seats at the rear of the balconcy only to leave shortly thereafter when my mother had to leave because of the height factor which sometimes bothered her (Jones Beach Marine theatre and the Montauk Point lighthouse were the other times that I remember.)

rvb--

For my similar experience in the Paramount's lofty balcony, scroll above to 3 March 2005. I don't know why my mom climbed to the balcony that day. We never did at other theaters, except when accompanied by a smoker (her younger sister was one). IN those days, smoking was permitted in NYC theaters. It's a wonder the projection beam was able to travel to the screen through all the celestial haze of Phillip Morris et al.

correction-- I should have specified: "smoking was permitted in NYC theater balconies." Balconies only. I came finally to climb to them as a teenager accompanied by friends, each with breast-pockets bulging with packs of Phillip Morris (my poison of choice) et al.

Well, my father was a smoker so that explains why we took the high road.

At least in New York City and boroughs, smoking was also permitted in single floor movie theatres, but only in specially designated sections adjacent to fire exit doors. Only cigarettes were tolerated; cigars and pipes were banned, regardless of the theatre's size.

Another photo of the Paramount/Hard Roc entrance.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bettyblade/471849069/sizes/o/in/photostream/

The Paramount Theatre and office building were still under construction at the time of this photo, and can be seen at extreme left. Note also signage for Loew's State, Loew's New York, and the original Criterion on the east side of Broadway: http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?q=Seventh+Avenue+source:life&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSeventh%2BAvenue%2Bsource:life%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG&imgurl=e23fa710927c4e59

Renewing link.

This is a circa 1937 photo.

Here are a couple photos I took of the Paramount Building last week:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/theseos/NYC175.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/theseos/NYC169.jpg

Women at a 1943 stage performance at the Paramount by Frank Sinatra. Can you spot any men in the audience?
http://pro.corbis.com/images/BE050632.jpg?size=67&uid=%7B6A3EE070-4025-4624-938A-CE8C38D8B64D%7D

It doesn't get much cooler than this:

http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=New+york+paramount&catpagesize=25&ProductID=31116

http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=New+york+paramount&catpagesize=25&ProductID=31113

http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=New+york+paramount&catpagesize=25&ProductID=31111

P.S. Spend some time on this web site. It quickly becomes addictive!

While it's a shame the Paramount is lost, at least they brought back the exterior, and a recreation of the marquee.

Starting in April, 1958, with the NYC premiere engagement of "The Young Lions," the Paramount took on a "New Look," which included free parking for patrons at a garage on West 41st Street. Other innovations were "High-definition CinemaScope projection on the enlarged 'crystalite' screen," a rejuvenated Marie Antoinette Powder Room for the ladies, free coffee in the Elizabethan Lounge, re-opening of "the luxurious 'Blue Rhapsody' Music Room," and re-arrangements of the Paramount's "magnificent $500,000 collection of objets d'art," many of which hadn't been on display since they were placed in safekeeping during WW2.

A 12/23/54 NY Daily News ad for "the greatest Christmas attraction of all time". Er, I don't think so ... even Paul Newman would take issue with that statement:

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

Here is an interior photo, circa 1920s:
http://tinyurl.com/q4eotf

Here is another interior photo from the same era:
http://tinyurl.com/pnx84k

"Ken mc," aren't those photos copied from the recently re-published "American Theatres of Today?" The book is being sold exclusively through Theatre Historical Society of America. Did you obtain their permission to put up those photo links? It seems like the links might cut into sales of the book, which was out-of-print for decades.

Indeed I must whole heartily agree. The level of piracy that this individual exhibits is appalling. The excellent reputation of this blog is being diminished by these ill gotten photographs. It is time for the webmaster to put an end to this ludicrous practice.
George

Waaren, since the ads you post often have the Proquest "reproduction prohibited" tag still on them, isn't this comment a bit hypocritical?

No, certainly not. Those reproduction restrictions refer only to material created and owned by the newspapers. The newspapers do not own or control the rights to advertisements that ran in their issues. Ads of that long ago are considered in the public domain. It is doubtful that many, if any, ads were even copyrighted at the time by the advertisers.

As a personal subscriber to Proquest, I can assure you that you are wrong. My contract specifies ALL images are for personal use only and cannot be published in any way, including electronic.

The original ad mats are part of the copyright of the films themselves and are usually owned by studios, not newspapers. Ad agencies can be sued for even altering them these days.

All reproduced movie ad art work technically requires permission even if studios rarely bother unless another studio is stealing their campaign.

I agree that ken mc should have, at least, given that book some credit as it may help sales. But you already took care of that.

I was addressing the use of copyrighted photographs and will not enter into a discussion of the legality of ads. Many authors must pay a royalty fee to use photographs in their publications. Posting photographs obtained without express permission is illegal. You are distributing photographs that do not belong to you and which you have no express permission to do so. Once a photograph is posted on a blog, thousands of people can copy and continue to distribute said photograph. The value of each photograph may decrease due to this illegal copying. I believe that the webmaster should prohibit the use of any illegally obtained material on this blog.
George

Sailors throw tomatoes at the Paramount in October 1944. From the NY Daily News.
http://tinyurl.com/ltwqty

Here is a 1956 ad for "The Wrong Man".

Hard Rock is putting the finishing touches on a new screen systems and LED lighting for the marquee. The LED's are much brighter than the former lighting source they had when the marquee returned with the WWF store.

From the NY Times July 1953
"The Charge at Feather River" in 3-D and WarnerPhonic sound
with Les Paul and Mary Ford on stage.

http://froggypic.com/image/08/043c597aa8744e6fa2936c1d3b00b2a2.jpg

"The Carpetbaggers" was the final regular screen attraction and closed after a 5 week run on Tuesday, August 4, 1964.

http://issuu.com/boxoffice/docs/boxoffice_081064/18?mode=a_p

The weather was at least as dangerous as Joan Crawford when this photo was taken in the winter of 1952: http://images.artnet.com/artwork_images_143_454742_benn-mitchell.jpg

That's a gteat shot. i would not have wanted to be on the crew changing that wonderful marquee in that weather.
What a work of art those marquees were in those days, all the lettering perfectly centered and spaced.

"This Woman Is Dangerous" was probably the first Joan Crawford movie to play at the Paramount. She turned up there again in 1959 in "The Best of Everything," but in a glorified supporting role. Crawford was one of the few Hollywood legends to never have a film at Radio City Music Hall. During her long tenure at MGM, her films usually opened at the Capitol, and sometimes at the Astor.

The date 2/2/51

Ike,Ella,Dean and Jerry

http://www.froggypic.com/image/12/42417694c9331f3a422c823dc8659540.jpg

I'm surprised they didn't find another word to call it besides "Television". TV and movies were bitter enemies in 1951, right?

Yes Bill, the Boob tube I believe we called it.
But there was a positive side, we went all out to beat tv with great advancesments like 70mm,Cinerama,CinemScope and Stereo sound. Then of course we had all those marvelous gimmicks (bless em) 3-D, odorama
and the rest. Silly stuff of course but we had fun exhibiting them and for a while anyway the audiences loved it.

Remember it was also a marketing gimmick to get people into the theatres by offering a Big screen television for special events. Up until the 70's theatres offered those closed circuit fights in theatres using those large RCA type projectors. On those nights the manager hoped and prayed the feed would hold and not lose picture.

Here's a 1935 photo taken during the period when the Paramount Theatre dropped stage shows to combat the Depression economy. DeMille's "The Crusades" was a popular-priced "move-over" from the Astor Theatre, where it had been a reserved-seat roadshow:
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchdetail.cfm?trg=1&strucID=557350&imageID=TH-56977&total=68&num=0&word=Paramount&s=1¬word=&d=&c=&f=&k=4&lWord=&lField=&sScope=&sLevel=&sLabel=&imgs=10&pos=3&e=w

And you got a preview to in that picture for that night.

Ella Fitzgerald always claimed Martha Raye as a major influence on her singing style. Here, in 1938, both are sharing a bill at the Paramount Theatre, Fitzgerald on stage and Raye on screen: http://www.howardfrank.com/Street_01.html