Loew's State Theatre

Loew's State was designed by Thomas Lamb in the Adams style. For many years, it was the most famous vaudeville theatre in the USA except for the nearby Palace.

The movies shown at the State were always secondary to the vaudeville program and for the most part were "move-overs" from the Capitol, Paramount, or other Broadway houses. In 1946, vaudeville was finally discontinued at the State and it became a first-run theatre, mostly for MGM product until the studio and Loew's circuit were "divorced" by Federal decree.

The design of Loew's State Theatre was used for Philadelphia, PA's Fox Theatre at 16th & Market Streets.

Loew's State first opened on August 9th, 1921, presenting four complete shows per day of vaudeville and a feature movie. Black-face entertainer Frank Tinney and comedian Lew Cooper headed the first stage bill of nine acts, with Metro's "A Trip to Paradise" on screen. It was built on the site of the famous Bartholdi Inn, which was demolished to make way for the theatre and the adjoining office building that became the executive headquarters of Loew's, Inc. and had the address of 1540 Broadway...In 1958, Loew's closed the State for a drastic modernization, reducing its seating capacity almost by half to 1,885. It re-opened on March 28, 1959 with the exclusive world premiere engagement of "Some Like It Hot" and went on to enjoy success in the 1960s with reserved-seat road shows like "Ben-Hur." In 1968, Loew's decided to twin the State top and bottom, and later sub-divided it even more before selling the theatre and office building in 1987 for demolition and re-development. A clause in the sales contract required that a replacement theatre for the State should be included in the new construction, but it was another nine years before that happened due to delays in constructing the office tower and finding tenants for it and the retail stores at its base.

As a child I remember walking in front of the theater on the way to the Christmas show at the Music Hall. It was about to premiere Dr. Dolittle with Rex Harrison on a reserved seat engagement. They had the Pushmi-Pullyu costume in a case by the entrance and across the street facing the theater was a spectacular, block long sign above the Astor and Victoria theaters anouncing the film(you can see part of the this announcement in the background of Sweet Charity as Shirley Maclaine is bouncing on a bed in the window of the Castro Convertible store.) I remember long lines constantly in front of the State I for Love Story and The Godfather(which played both theaters.)I did not enter the State until Lost Horizon. I found the State I large with a low ceiling and a not so very big screen at the end. The tearing down of this building was a great loss for New York at the time and no one even so much as sneezed.

I didn't really get to enjoy this theatre that much I saw "Star Trek4" and Eddie Murphy's "Golden Child there and it became one of my favorites I loved that big entrance and marquee that graced the base of the scyscrapper just as I was waiting for the weekend to see the film "critical condition" with Richard Pryor it closed down on me with the tittle still on the marquee i was sorely dissapointed as I made this theatre my second home I mean I would sit back and get lost in that canervous theatre 2 upstairs which was the former balcony. I would sit in this theatre during intermission and imagine my self on that screen. I missed this theatre so much I watch them demolish it it was like losing a love one. For a coulpe of weeks from the 46th street side I watched in horror as my favorite section of this thetre was being dismantled. does any body got any interior shots of this theatre or know of any links that show interior or exterior of this this theatre. I had a picture of this cinema on that I got from an old photo site of times square but i lost it. It'll be greatly appreciated.

You can get photos of most any theatre from the Theatre Historical Society of America. See them at www.historictheatres.org

I photographed the upstairs #2 house in color just before it closed.
I also have interiors of many other long gone Manhatten houses that I sent to this web site 2 years. Maybe they can be put on site soon.
Interestly on this theatre, when they twined it back in 1968 the 3 70mm Norelco projectors went from the Balcony cut booth (from
the 1959 remodel)downstairs to # 1 house. The upstairs #2 house got all its equipment (Century 70mm) from the just torn down Capitol.

Richard would it be a problem for you to e-mail me those pictures becuase I can't find them anywhere especially those photos of house 2 I would appreciate it only if you could or would at savsavage1970@aol.com

the current new Loew's State is a terrible substitution for the original which is the same stunt they pulled on the Loew's Orphuem, uptown.

This theatre should really be listed as Loew's State as it was never operated by any other company and also Marcus Loew's personal favorite of all his theatres. He had his office in the adjacent Loew's HQ building, and dropped into the State several times a day to make sure that everything was running smoothly and to watch some of the vaudeville acts.

Loew's State did not normally play foreign-language films, but they did run the Italian TOMORROW IS TOO LATE in 1952 in a subtitled print to enormous business (Variety: 'Tomorrow' Smash 45G). It was a lovely but now forgotten movie featuring Pier Angeli and Vittorio De Sica and dealt with the sexual awakening of adolescents. The movie went on to play art houses around the country, and in a dubbed version was even shown at drive-ins.

I go to the "new" State theater that shows second run features and Indian movies for $5. The last film I saw there was the modern day classic "School of Rock" with Jack Black.

Here are a few films that played Loew's State from the New York Times movie adds.

Nov 1953 How To Marry a Millionaire
Mar 1955 Blackboard Jungle
Jun 1955 The Seven Year Itch
Mar 1959 Some Like it Hot
Nov 1959 Ben Hur
Dec 1970 Love Story
Oct 1971 The French Connection
Mar 1972 The Godfather
Dec 1973 The Sting
Dec 1976 King Kong
Dec 1977 Saturday Night Fever
Jun 1978 Grease

Loew's State was one of the most successful movie palaces in Times Square up until it closed and was torn down in the 1980's.It was Loew's flagship after the Capitol was torn down in 1968. It maintained its first run status and didn't suffer a decline like the Rivoli,Criterion,and Warner. It was the largest grossing theatre in Times Sqaure from 1968 until the day it closed.brucec

Listed below are the films which played Loew's State from 12/16/59 to 12/31/68 when the theater opened up in it's new "twin format." Research is from microfilms of Variety and The New York Times. The dates listed are the Wednesdays of the film's opening week, as most films in that era opened on that day, unlike the Friday openings that occur now.
12/16/59 Ben-Hur (6th week - eventually played 74 weeks!)
04/26/61 Gone With the Wind
08/23/61 The Honeymoon Machine
10/04/61 DARK
10/11/61 King of Kings
03/07/62 The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse
04/11/62 All Fall Down
05/09/62 The Horizontal Lieutenant
06/13/62 Lolita
09/26/62 A Very Private Affair
10/31/62 DARK
11/07/62 Mutiny on the Bounty
07/31/63 DARK
08/07/63 Jason and the Argonauts
08/28/63 Wives and Lovers
10/02/63 The Running Man
10/23/63 Lawrence of Arabia (pop prices)
11/20/63 Under the Yum Yum Tree
12/25/63 Love With the Proper Stranger
03/11/64 Becket
09/23/64 Of Human Bondage
10/07/64 Fail-Safe
10/28/64 The Americanization of Emily
12/23/64 The Pleasure Seekers
01/13/65 Baby, the Rain Must Fall
01/27/65 Dear Brigitte
02/10/65 Sylvia
02/24/65 Lord Jim
06/23/65 Von Ryan's Express
08/25/65 Morituri
10/06/65 The Agony and the Ecstasy
03/02/66 The Oscar
05/18/66 Lady L
06/22/66 Born Free
07/27/66 Assault on a Queen
08/24/66 Walk, Don't Run
09/07/66 Fantastic Voyage
09/28/66 The Bible
11/01/67 Cool Hand Luke
12/20/67 Doctor Dolittle
08/21/68 The Legend of Lylah Clare
/ /68 CLOSED FOR TWINNING
12/11/68 Oliver -State I
12/18/68 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - State II

During this time the State exclusively played many of the various "roadshow" pictures that were released, with regular first-run releases sandwiched in between. In the early 60s, theaters which played big roadshow presentations would often go "DARK" for a week before the premiere for cleaning and installation of new projection equipment.

Does anyone know of an online source to see the old seating layout or floorplans for Loew's State, or any of the other famous Times Square theaters? Can one of the great members who give so much incerdible info to this site describe the lobby layouts and so forth of the State? I have seen pictures, but can't put them together to make a cohesive idea of what it was like.

The original State lobby was not especially large or ornate. I don't think that Thomas Lamb had much free space to work with in order to get over 3,000 seats into the auditorium. After you entered from the street, you were quickly at the rear of the auditorium.

Listed below are the first-run films and their opening dates which played Loew's State 1 & 2 after it was "twinned" in 1968 up through December 1975. Research is from microfilms of The New York Times and Variety. Dates listed are the Wednesday of the week that the film first opened.

State 1
01/01/69 Oliver!
12/17/69 Gaily, Gaily
01/07/70 Without A Stitch
03/18/70 The Boys in the Band
06/17/70 On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
08/26/70 The People Next Door
09/16/70 RPM (Revolutions Per Minute)
11/11/70 Threesome
12/02/70 The Student Nurses/The Love Doctors
12/16/70 Love Story
06/23/71 Le Mans
07/28/71 Billy Jack
08/11/71 The Omega Man
09/29/71 The Skin Game
10/20/71 T. R. Baskin
11/24/71 Man in the Wilderness
12/15/71 $
01/19/72 Straw Dogs
03/15/72 The Godfather
06/14/72 The Burglars
06/28/72 Prime Cut
08/02/72 The New Centurions
10/18/72 Lady Sings the Blues
11/01/72 The Valachi Papers
12/20/72 The Getaway
03/14/73 Lost Horizon
05/23/73 Let the Good Times Roll
07/04/73 Oklahoma Crude
07/25/73 Badge 373
08/01/73 Maurie
08/15/73 Enter the Dragon
10/17/73 The Way We Were
12/12/73 Papillon
03/27/74 The Great Gatsby
06/19/74 Chinatown
08/21/74 The Longest Yard
10/16/74 The Odessa File
12/11/74 The Godfather II
03/12/75 Funny Lady
08/13/75 Farewell, My Lovely
10/15/75 Rooster Cogburn
12/24/75 The Hindenburg

State 2
01/01/69 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
05/07/69 Death of a Gunfighter
05/28/69 Once Upon a Time in the West
06/18/69 Mackenna's Gold
07/23/69 Castle Keep
10/01/69 Change of Mind
10/15/69 Paint Your Wagon
02/04/70 The Looking Glass War
03/18/70 The Liberation of L. B. Jones
04/22/70 Hi, Mom!
05/27/70 Beneath the Planet of the Apes
06/24/70 Kelly's Heroes
07/22/70 You Can't Win 'Em All
08/12/70 Lovers and Other Strangers
10/07/70 Monte Walsh
10/28/70 The Owl and the Pussycat
02/03/71 Doctors' Wives
03/10/71 THX 1138
03/31/71 Flight of the Doves
04/14/71 My Secret Life
05/12/71 10 Rillington Place
06/16/71 The Anderson Tapes
08/04/71 The Love Machine
09/15/71 The Steagle
10/06/71 The French Connection
12/22/71 Dirty Harry
01/26/72 X Y and Zee
03/15/72 The Godfather
08/02/72 Super Fly
12/20/72 Up the Sandbox
01/31/73 Shamus
02/28/73 The Thief Who Came to Dinner
03/21/73 The Five Fingers of Death
05/16/73 The Day of the Jackal
07/25/73 The Mackintosh Man
08/16/72 Enter the Dragon
09/19/73 Hit!
10/17/73 Charley Varrick
11/21/73 Ash Wednesday
12/19/73 The Sting
02/13/74 Crazy Joe
02/27/74 Man on a Swing
03/27/74 The Great Gatsby
06/19/74 The Terminal Man
07/18/74 My Name is Nobody
10/16/74 Airport 1975
12/11/74 The Godfather II
02/12/75 The Stepford Wives
03/19/75 The Four Musketeers
04/16/75 Capone
05/21/75 Lepke
06/11/75 Night Moves
06/25/75 The Drowning Pool
07/23/75 W. W. and the Dixie Dancekings
08/07/75 The Devil's Rain
09/17/75 Bang
10/01/75 Framed
10/08/75 Mahogany
12/25/75 Hustle

Unfortunately, I do not yet have a week-to-week listing for New York City for these years--only the first-run films with theaters and opening dates. The films listed above are only first-run bookings for State 1 & 2--they do not include reissues and what is probably many cases, moveovers from one auditorium to another. Even after being twinned, Loew's State continued to get the Times Square booking for many big pictures, until 1975 when Loew's opened its new Astor Plaza around the corner on 45th Street.

What's historic about this is seeing the nice long runs good audience pictures would get...The Chinatowns and Longest Yards...Pictures had legs then
There were still some good bookings into the late 70s - I was there for an odd double feature in the early 80s..When did the State Twin actually close and what was the last attraction?

I lived in NYC from 1985-1990 and from 1995-1997. The only time I got to see a film in Loew's State was in the fall of 1986. The film was "Star Trek IV." I think the theater closed soon afterwards.

The Loew's State closed on or sometime around February 28, 1987. One of the final two features to be shown at the State was the Richard Pryor vehicle, 'Critical Condition'.

Meanwhile, I'm curious to know if the Loew's State (or the Rivoli or Warner Twin/Strand, for that matter) were ever modernized or if they, save for their twinnings, mostly retained their original architectural design. The only view I've ever caught of any part of the interior of Loew's State was a brief (but unrevealing) glance of of a section of its lobby in the Robert Evans documentary 'The Kid Stays in the Picture'.

I saw a photograph of the lobby in an old issue of "Theatre Magazine". The article was about the (then) new Loew's State theatre. The lobby had an elliptical, or curved, I don't remember which, opening looking down from the mezzanine promenade. It was surrounded by a marble balustrade, and above the lobby wall was a large mural which seemed to cover the length of the room. It was a very classical and elegant room.

The STate Theatre had two booths. One in the upper balcony and one in the front of the balcony like the Roxy Theatre. The front of balcony booth was put in during the later 50's when they modernized for 70MM.

Does anybody know if Olive, Paint Your Wagon and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang were shown reserved seat engagement?

I remember seeing some movies and stage shows at Loew's State when I was very young. The theatre was very handsome and comfortable.

All 3 of thse films were roadshow films with reserved seats. After 1969 there were only a few more films shown that way, most of which played in New York City at the Criterion, Rivoli, or Warner.

I think the only films after that were Marooned at the Ziegfeld,Hello Dolly at the Rivoli,Man of LA Mancha and Fiddler On The Roof. I am not sure where the last two played.

I believe that the very last film to be shown in a roadshow "Reserved Seat" manner was "Last Tango in Paris" beginning in April 1973.

Young Winston and Godspell played at the UA Columbia as Advanced Ticket exclusives...The Great Gatsby was reserved seat at the Paramount daydating with Loews State, Tower East and possibly the Murray Hill

The very last hard ticket film as far as I know was Little Dorrit(I don't remember the year) at the 57th St playhouse
The reserved seat box office windows at the State 1 and 2 and the Criterion remained closed from their last reserved seat films in '70 and '72 respectively until they were torn down . The reserved seat box office for the Rivoli was often used as the main box office after La Mancha closed there. You would see behind the ticket seller all the small cubby holes that used to hold advance tickets.
So Paint Your Wagon Was already gone by early February of '70. Only 3 months! Probably the last reserved seat movie I liked(though I didn't see it until it played the Warner in '78.)

During the ‘40s and ‘50s a family friend worked in the Loews’ business office above the lobby, and she provided us with passes for everything at the State and the Capitol as well as for all the MGM debuts on B’way. She was a very prim, church-going spinster lady, and she voiced a particular antipathy for the fleshy vulgarity of Marilyn Monroe. When “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” played at the Roxy, she proudly declared, “I’m glad I don’t work there!” and “I’m glad the State is showing a decent Jimmy Stewart picture [Thunder Bay] instead.” Barely two years later, the State played “Seven Year Itch,” with its famous billboard of MM in her wind-blown skirt covering the building’s tall façade. Our friend’s office window was just below the panties. She peremptorily took off for a three-week vacation during the film’s run.

The U.S. government-enforced separation of Loew's Inc. finally took effect on September 1, 1954. At that time, the newly formed Loew's Theatres, Inc. had 51 theatres in the Greater New York area and 63 elsewhere in the USA, for a total of 114. The new production-distribution company retained the name of Loew's Inc., and continued to operate theatres outside the USA, where the federal anti-trust decree against the company did not apply.

Of those 51 theatres in the Metro NY area, I wonder how many are still around today operating as motion picture theaters? I'm sure quite a few have been demolished, converted to retail or, are being used as houses of worship.

Warren the M-G-M Book states the following from 1959:
MGM-Loew's,last of the holdouts against the government's anti-trust action finally divided itself in March into two unconnected companies:Loew's Theatres and Metro-Goldywn-Mayer.Six months later the latter announced its profit,$7,698,951,the highest since 1951's total for the old company.I know Loew's-MGM was the last major studio to comply with the consent decree due to the complicated relationship of Loew's-MGM.brucec

I think that in the New York area, the Alpine in Brooklyn and the American in the Bronx are the only original Loew's theatres still operating as cinemas. One might also consider the Bay Terrace in Queens, but that was built well after the Loew's divorcement.

I guess, the State, Orpheum & 72nd St. are just replacements in name only for the former Loew's theatres that used to occupy the same site.

And the Alpine, which I've been to many times, is the only one still flying the Loew's banner.

Yes the Alpine is a Loews Cineplex theatre, albeit with that upside down Cineplex Odeon logo on the Marquee, didn't any one notice when that sign was installed it was wrong! I miss the old sunburst style Loew's marquee the Alpine originally had, I wonder if its underneath the new one?

If I am remembering correctly, when they twinned the state cinema 1 was all of the area below the balcony. Cinema 2 was the whole balcony with the screen in the original place. I remember the upstairs theatre was still a true movie palace. I am not proud to admit it but saw "Friday The 13th #-D" there in addition to many first rate films.

Did you know that the Loews State theater was in a building owned by Loews, and that the building was occupied by the president of Loews (at my time Nick Schenk) and at that time owners of MGM? The publicity office was on the second floor and Mr. Schenk, CC Moskowitz etc. were on the 7th floor. The Penthouse had a private screening room and a large resturant complete with 3 chefs, where visiting stars got to dine with the pres. And in 1949 I deposited Mr. Schenks weekly checks $7,000. from Loews and $7,000. for MGM. Although most people think that all movie making decisions were made in Hollywood I can tell you that the telegraph lines were allways busy and that NY made many of the decisions, and there was allways conflict between Mr.Mayer and Mr. S.

When the Loew's State was twinned designer Ben Mayer featured two different designs to the twins. A Modern Regency for State 1 and the Highly Theatrical character of yesterday's theatre in State 2.
The twin uses restrained forms and colors to create a new and modern look in State 1 and flamboyant color schemes to create the "yesterday's theatre" decor in State 2. The decor for State 1 incorporates modern material, vinyls and vertical wood accents.
State 2, which is on the upper floor and reached by a high speed escalator, features a "Capitol Corner" a small area of the lobby devoted to nostalgia. Mementos from the old Capitol Theatre include
an ancient Carrara marble Roman well head, a French rock crystal chandelier, a bronze railing, a grandfather's clock. State 2 occupies what once was the balcony of the original Loew's State.
To visually connect the two lobbies, Muralist Patrick Casey painted 10 huge oval portraits of famous film stars, most of whom appeared at one time or another at Loew's State. The paintings were in sepia monotones. The screen in State 1 was 20 feet high by 48 feet wide. In State 2 it is 22 feet high by 50 feet wide.
State 1's seats were in an orange fabric, State 2's seats were in a purple fabric. The pushback seats were by Griggs. In the State 1 a giant traveler curtain extends from floor to the ceiling. The curtain is striped and carries the orange, pumkin and gold from the wall decorations. State 2 has a giant Austrian curtain made of gold diamondette a metallic drapery fabric. The curtains were by I. Weiss and Sons. Projection equipment in State 1 were Norelco AA-II 70/35mm projectors and in State 2 Century JJ 70/35mm projectors.
The seating capacity after the twinning was State 1 (1,172 patrons) and State 2 (1,214 patrons)

Wow! facinating description William. I didn't Know the upstairs theatre screen and auditorium was larger than the downstairs. I only saw like three films there and that was in the last weeks I thought the downstairs auditorium was draped in sky blue curtains maybe the changed it to that prior to closing where did you get your info it's facinating thanks william.

I remember seeing a rerelease of Grease in 70mm and For Your Eyes Only in the downstairs and Enter The Dragon in the upstairs thetaer. The drapes upstairs opened up and down instead of across. I think the downstairs drapes were blue.

That was the color design back in 1969 when they remodeled the theatre. They might have redraped the theatre later. The State 1 had a traveler type curtain.

Most large theatres that were twinned up and down had a more spacious auditorium upstairs because it used the original ceiling. The downstairs aud had a false ceiling and/or used the sofit of the balcony.

Maybe William would know for sure, but I remember giant tassels on the sides of the screen in the State 2 when the curtains were closed - unless I'm only imagining them. It was a long time ago. I saw "The Godfather" there in its opening week in 1972.

Your right Bill I remember those giant tassles when the curtains were closed I think they were brown. And Warren you are right about the false celings in theatres that are usually twinned or even quadded. vertically (up/down).The ceiling becomes a sort of stage for the upstairs auditoriumms, examples of which were the National, the former Orphuem, Rivoli,Strand(warner,cinerama), and the Waverly twins in Manhattan the Duffield and Commodore twins the Kenmore,Marboro,Metropolitan, Fortway, Quads and the Oriental triplex in Brooklyn the former Astoria six, the Elmwood triplex and the Plaza twin in Queens. the Colisuem former twin now Quad in upper manhattan uses the same method but the orchestra level is used for retail. This method was popular in the 70's and 80's giving birth to now saturated multiplexes. I wonder if the Colisuem orchestra level was ever used as a seperate auditorium before it was made retail would anyone know? .Also was the Loew's State the first theatre in N.Y.C to make the conversion to a twin being twinned in 1968?

I forgot to mention the Kingsway and the Oceana in brooklyn that used this method also for adding auditorioms in an existing theatre building.

The Colisuem orchestra was never used as a seperate theatre. They were also able to close the main entrance because the theatre had a seperate balcony entrance. I checked with some neighborhood people about that.

I have a question for William. State 1 opened with Oliver on hard ticket. In Vincent Canby's review in the Times he notes that the screen was the same size as before it was twinned. I remember being dissappointed by the size of the screen in relation to a theater of 1,200 seats. Is this the case? Was it the same size as when the State was a single roadshow house? 48ft seems to me rather small when you think this was a 2,000 seat road show house showing movies like Ben Hur, King of Kings, Mutiny on the Bounty and The Bible.

I saw the movie "Splash" the Tom Hanks/Darryl Hannah movie and there's a scene and it's quite brief where he and Darryl Hannah are walking through Times Sq and they pass a movie theatre now they didn't show the marquee but they showed the entrance and ticket booth maybe a quick glimpse of the lobby, now in the movie by ticket booth stated that this was the Loew's Astor Plaza I think it mentiond it was a twin. but this can only be the Loew's State when the movie came out like 1984/85 that was the only Loew's twin that I knew of in times sq. and I know that lobby even at a glimpse as this was one of my favorite Times Sq theatres. can anyone out there that saw the movie confirm this please, but I'm pretty sure that this is the Loew's State that Hanks/Hannah are walking in front of. not the Astor Plz as featured in the movie.

Wednesday December 3, 1958 the State opened a show called "The Jewel Box Revue", billed as starring the worlds greatest femme (thats the word) impersonators. It was 2 hours and used the words.....Beauty, Music, Spectacle, Laughs. On the screen (and advertised in much smaller print) was The First NY Showing of Victor Mature in "China Doll" a United Artists release.

Some post-twinning exterior and interior shots of the Loew's State can be found via the following URL: http://www.fromscripttodvd.com/70mm_in_new_york_theatres_photos.htm

The new book "Times Square Style" has several B&W photos of the State's original facade, including a stunning one from 1939 showing a caravan of truck-drawn "floats" that was making the rounds of the Loew's circuit parked curbside. Each float was devoted to a different movie that was coming soon to Loew's neighborhood theatres. Only the one for "Golden Boy" is fully visible, but you can also see portions of the floats for "The Women," "The Wizard of Oz," and "The Star Maker." The State that day was presenting "Lady of the Tropics" and vaudeville topped by Del Courtney's Orchestra, Jack Durant, and Jackie Heller.

On Easter Sunday 1959, My uncle took me to the New Loew's State for the opening day showing of Some Like It Hot, which as a 12 year old I loved. The theatre was beautiful, loved the display boxes, the signs, the seats etc. I had been to the state several times before the renovation (I remember Party Girl & I think Sign Of The Pagan.)But the new state was a beaut. As a teenager I also saw Ben-Hur, Mutiny On The Bounty,Hole in the Head, Career.The state was the height of late 50's theatre design.

WHO WAS MARCUS LOEW?
Born May 7, 1870 to immigrants from Germany and Austria, Loew's childhood was mired in the same poverty that gripped most of the community around him in New York's Lower East Side. His father’s income as a waiter could not adequately support the family so at the age of six years old, Marcus began working selling lemons and newspapers.

At the age of nine, he quit school and held various jobs until he opened his own company at the age of 18, buying and selling pelts. Unfortunately, Loew’s new business was destroyed in less than a year, with $1,800 left in outstanding debt. Loew paid back the debt by becoming a fur salesman, a position he later held with Herman Baehr. Under Baehr, Loew made frequent trips around the country, including several in the Midwest where he met two other furriers, Adolph Zukor and Morris Kohn. Loew and Zukor soon became lifelong friends.

In 1903, Zukor and Kohn joined forces with penny arcade operator Mitchell Mark and opened Automatic Vaudeville, a penny arcade on 14th Street in New York City near Loew and Zukor's fur businesses. The venture was an immediate success and when Automatic Vaudeville decided to expand to other cities, Loew and his friend David Warfield purchased a single $20,000 share in the company.

Loew and Warfield sold their stake in Automatic Vaudeville in 1904 and founded the People's Vaudeville Company. With $100,000 invested in the business, Loew opened his first arcade at 172 West 23rd Street near 8th Avenue.

Loew opened three more arcades in New York and another arcade in Cincinnati, Ohio. On a trip to visit his Cincinnati location, the Penny Hippodrome, Loew was invited to visit nearby Covington, Kentucky where he witnessed his first motion picture show in a converted arcade. Loew immediately decided to open up a similar venue on the second floor of his Penny Hippodrome and the 110-seat venue attracted 5,000 patrons in its first day alone. Following its success, Loew returned to New York and converted his arcades to nickelodeons.

In April 1907, Loew purchased a disreputable Brooklyn burlesque house, known as Watson’s Cosy Corner, and after refurbishing it, reopened it as the Royal Theatre for vaudeville and motion pictures, a combination exhibition policy that dominated the company’s venues through the 1920s. By mixing lower priced vaudeville with the growing popularity of the movies, Loew was able to attract a wider audience than either format could draw alone.

In 1910, Loew's first newly built theater, Loew's National in the Bronx, opened with a seating capacity of 2,397 patrons at a cost of roughly $400,000. Meanwhile his Marcus Loew Booking Agency, which booked vaudeville artists into theaters across the country, was also yielding a tremendous profit.

By the end of the decade, Loew formed a new corporation for all of his many companies, Loew’s, Inc., valued at $100 million. In 1920, 80 million patrons had visited Loew’s 150,000 seats in theaters across North America.

With the development of Paramount and First National as vertically integrated companies, Loew could see that access to product and talent was becoming more and more critical to his future success. In January 1920, Loew purchased the Metro Pictures Corporation and began his foray into the production, distribution, and exhibition of motion pictures. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was an early success and movies now became the primary source of amusement in his theaters, with vaudeville taking second place in importance.

By 1921, Loew's unveiled the first of many movie palaces to be built around the country during the 1920s. Loew also ventured into radio, taking over WHN in New York, which broadcasted out of the newly opened Loew’s State building at 45th & Broadway.

As Loew continued to open more and more theaters, he quickly found himself needing more and more films to fill the screens of his theaters. In April 1924, Loew solved this last piece of the Loew’s puzzle when he created Metro-Goldwyn, a $65,000,000 merger of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures and the Louis B. Mayer Company. The merger with Goldwyn Pictures not only brought with it the studio in Culver City, as well as the production company and its assets, but also a group of theaters including the 5,300-seat Capitol Theatre in New York City, and other theaters in the Midwest, the Rockies, and California.

At the peak of his power, just as MGM was in its formation and the Loew’s chain was expanding, Loew’s health began to fail him. In 1924, he gave up the day-to-day operations of Loew’s, Inc. to longtime general Nicholas Schenck and sought rest, primarily on his sprawling Pembroke Estate on Long Island.

On August 12, 1926, Loew was honored by the Consul General of France with France’s Legion of Honor for his contribution to film production and exhibition.

On September 5, 1927, Marcus Loew, after a long period of illness, had a heart attack and died in his Pembroke Estate. Variety wrote famously at the time, "Show business is prostrated, in sackcloth and ashes".

Although Loew died at the age of 57, he had already been working for more than five decades and in that time had helped elevate movies from their early position as a crude form of entertainment to become both a respected art form and one of the most powerful industries in the country.

A position, thanks to 100 years in the movie business, Marcus Loew and the company he founded have helped maintain to this day.
--from the Loews website

Check out the great pictures of the State on this site

http://www.moviepalaces.net/

Unfortunately for those of us who cherish Loew's State as one of Thomas Lamb's classic theatres, these views at moviepalaces.net of the modernized Loew's State are pretty ghastly!

Fortunately, none of the "Wonder Theatres" were situated in the Broadway-Times Square area. Loew's probably would have "modernized" them similarly to the State and Capitol.

Gee Warren for those of us who only knew it as a twin it looks magnificent. The twinning was truely ghastly. Now I finally know what it looked like as a roadshow house from Ben to Dolittle. Too bad there isn't also a photo with the curtain open so we can see the size of the 70mm screen in relation to the auditorium.

Maybe somebody has various pictures of the interior before '59?

As far as twins go the State was one of the better jobs. The upstairs theatre was still a palace.

Here are some more picture of the State and other New York City-area theatres.

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

The State was built at the same time as Loew's Gates in Brooklyn, and there are many similarities in Lamb's designs for the two theatres. The original State auditorium resembled that in the Gates photo that I mentioned in my posting of September 11, 2004 at the Loew's Gates listing.

The current Loew's exhibit at the American Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, includes some wonderful B&W newsreel footage (silent and unedited) of the State before and after the modernization. Two segments feature Marilyn Monroe, first arriving with Joe DiMaggio for the premiere of "Seven Year Itch" at the "original" State and then with Arthur Miller for "Some Like It Hot" at the "new" State. There are also scenes from the premieres of "Ben-Hur," "Easter Parade," "Lolita," and "King of Kings." Another clip shows Charlton Heston making a personal appearance in the lobby on the first day that reserved-seat tickets went on sale for "Ben-Hur."

With regard to that great list of movies (several posts back) that played at the Loew's State 1 & 2, a double bill of Bullit & Bonnie and Clyde played at the Loew's State 2 in 1969.

I have 4 1960 BEN-HUR theatre tickets and my husband said I should sell them on E-Bay, Does anyone know if they are even worth any money? I have had them for years and never thought anything about it I am just curious if they would be worth anything. thanks

Loew's State ended its long association with vaudeville on December 23, 1947, the last day of a bill headlined by Molly Picon, Jack Carter and Dave Appollon. "Variety Girl," a move-over from the Paramount Theatre, was the feature movie. The next day, the State switched to a policy of double features, playing a week ahead of the rest of the Loew's circuit. This was just a temporary measure so it could lower admission prices to compensate for the lack of a stage show. In February, 1948, the State started showing first-run movies at the same $1.50 top as other Broadway houses without stage bills. The new policy didn't click until that summer, when MGM's "Easter Parade" grossed an all-time record $300,000 during a six-week engagement.

Someone in the NYC area may know the explaination to this. The original projection booth at the balcony top was built facing about 15 degees to the left.I was in the State the first time in 1962, about 3 years after they did the remodel putting the new 70MM booth in the balcony front when I first noticed the original booth at that weird angle.
Around 1970 - after the upstairs was twinned off- they used the original booth for the the upstairs house (#2). I was in the booth
and the 3 Century 70mm machines had to face 15 degees to the right.

Did this have something to do with the land plot or building structure?

I was in the booth in the Summer- the booth had no air conditioning- and both operators (it was still a 2 man operation)were working in their underwear. If my memory is correct, one of the operators was the son of Harry Garfman who I think was the Business Agent of the
Brooklyn Local.

In 1959, the price scale for the reserved seat engagement of MGM's remake of "Ben-Hur" was as follows: Monday through Thursday evenings, $3.00, $2.50, $2.00; Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and holiday evenings, $3.50, $3.00, $2.50; Wednesday matinees, $2.50, $2.00, $1.50; Saturday, Sunday, and holiday matinees, $2.75, $2.00, $1.50.

There might have been yet another scale for 9 am Saturday screenings at reduced rates. At the time, I was volunteering as a Big Brother in a Harlem neighborhood, and the director got a hold of a dozen or so tickets to chaperone that number of kids to a morning show. I jumped at the opportunity, and on a cold December dawn in '59 travelled from Brooklyn to Harlem to pick up the kids. Naturally, there was a lot of confusion and no-shows, and we finally arrived at the State after the picture had begun, the dozen of us slinking into balcony seats during the dark nativity scene. The kids loved the picture, and sat throughout the 212 minutes totally transfixed. I remember dozing off from time to time.

It's possible that Loew's State had "educational" screenings on Saturday mornings, but tickets were probably sold only through the school system and not available to the general public at the boxoffice. The movie companies usually had "group sales departments" that arranged such screenings. They were usually for students at all levels (grade, high and college, public and parochial).

True -- Yet at peak times, usually close to holidays, roadshow theaters often added public screenings in the morning and around 5 pm (if the film's length permitted that screening between matinee and evening performances). I saw "The Ten Commandments" at the Criterion at 9 am because the price was right for my skinny wallet (and have recounted that disasterous experience on this site's page for the Criterion).

The State's first wide screen, which debuted in May, 1953, with Universal's "Thunder Bay," measured 43 feet wide by 24.5 feet high, and had a curvature of three feet at its deepest, according to a report in The New York Times. The State's previous screen was flat and measured 21'10" x 17'4".

Can someone tell me when Loews State closed for good? I have a vivid memory of being seeing "High Fidelity" in a grand but slightly shabby theatre on the east side of Broadway in the forties in either 2OOO or early 2001. It fits the description I am reading of Loews State in that it was twinned but I only saw the upstairs theatre. It was very spacious and there was a low balcony or mezzanine in the back from which you could see the screen at exact eye level. I have tried to find the theatre since, but it seems to have vanished. If Loews State closed before this film came out, can anyone tell me what theatre it would have been? (It was definitely not the one in the basement of the Virgin Megastore!).

The theatre you saw 'High Fidelity' at, Harper, was the Criterion Center, between 44th and 45th Streets on Broadway, which closed in April of 2000, and the auditorium you saw it in was the former balcony (one of seven auditoriums at the Criterion; the other six resided within a left/right split of the former orchestra and four carved out of the one-time lounge/basement area). The total space of the movie side of the Criterion (there was also a separate entity two-stage Criterion Center performing arts space located next door, to the left) was gutted later that summer and, along with most of the remainder of the building, now serves as home to Toys 'R Us.

There is a great shot of the marquee from 1950 in Ken Bloom's BROADWAY: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA . Joel McCrea's The Outriders featured. The Loew Building, Brook's, Bulova Watches can be seen to the left of the theater. Jerry

When the first 3-D feature, "Bwana Devil," had its NYC premiere here, the first week gross was $75,928, and about 62,500 pairs of polarized glasses were given out. United Artists, the movie's distributor, had to supply the glasses and paid 10 cents each for them. It was the lowest price UA could get because of the huge demand; factories were working overtime to make them.

In August, 1946, Loew's State celebrated its 25th anniversary with a "Silver Jubilee" program consisting of the NYC premiere engagement of Republic's "Earl Carroll Sketchbook," a backstage musical starring Constance Moore and William Marshall, and eight acts of vaudeville including singer Dolores Gray, Mario & Floria, Lee Davis, Pops and Louie, Walter Wahl, and Bunin's Puppets.

In February, 1942, Paramount's "Mr. Bugs Goes To Town," the now nearly forgotten Fleischer Technicolor cartoon feature that was a follow-up to "Gulliver's Travels," had its NYC premiere engagement at Loew's State, with Jimmy Durante topping the vaudeville program on stage.

There is some beautiful film footage of the marquee and elaborate decorations of Loew's State for the 1948 premiere of EASTER PARADE in the documentary accompanying the new DVD release of this Astaire-Garland MGM musical.

I must have actually been in this theater. I was doing some research in the library and decided to call up the movie listings from the summer of '83 to see check out what theaters were open in Manhattan back. There was a whole bunch in Times Square.

I remember that summer catching the film "Blue Thunder" in a Times Square movie house. I always assumed it was the Criterion or the National, but it was playing at the State. I also remember, for a few dollars less, "BT" was playing simultaneously at one of the 42nd Street grindhouses.

The opening shots of "Go, Johnny, Go," a low-budget B&W musical released in 1958, show the Broadway-Times Square theatres, and especially the marquee of Loew's State, where the lead character, Johnny Meteor, is supposed to be performing in an Alan Freed revue. At the time the shots were taken, a Freed revue was actually playing at the State, with "Villa!" (Cesar Romero) on screen. For a close-up, the shot was doctored to include the name of Johnny Meteor on the marquee. Some of the scenes that follow take place in Loew's State, but I'm sure they weren't filmed there as the interior has no resemblance to the real thing. They probably used a standing set at Hal Roach Studios in Hollywood, where the movie was produced. It was shown last night (6/5/05) on cable's Turner Classic Movies.

In May of 1938 Loew's State was playing Gary Cooper in "The Adventures of Marco Polo" with a stage show starring Georgie Jessel. Loew's other big houses were day and dating the same movie without the State's stage show, but some of them had an amaetuer night.

I’m singing jubilant arias! A few months ago, I reported on posts for RCMH and Loew’s Alpine that I remember having seen Rita Hayworth’s “Gilda” at Loew's State in Spring 1946, with a stage show featuring a puppet act that spurred my parents to bring me to just around the time of my fourth birthday. Several wonderfully reasonable responses to my posts expressed surprise at pairing such a steamy film with a live program geared for kids. I saw their logic and began to doubt my power of recall. True, we had a family friend who worked in the Loew’s offices above the State (just under Marilyn Monroe’s panties in my post of 23 July ’04), and I can imagine her luring my folks with the promise that Young BoxOfficeBilly would just love the puppet show. True, my parents never flinched from trying out all kinds of entertainment, especially if accessed with a back-door pass. And true, BoxOfficeBillyWorld held no holds barred for learning experiences: gotta toughen the kid up. But this particular memory of Putting-the-Blame-on-Mame and taking pure delight in a handful of puppets really did challenge credibility. I resolved to plunge into the archives.

I finally did just that, and the results proved offputting. The NY Times Directory of the Film revealed that in ’46 “Gilda” had played at RCMH from 14 March to 3 April, suggesting that it might then have moved to the State on Wednesday the 10 or 17 April. The NYT archives for these dates produced no pay dirt (on the 17, a film I’d never heard of, “Miss Susie Slagle’s,” held the screen at the State—where did that one come from?). But then on 24 April, smack in the middle of Easter week, “Gilda” opened at the State, and with it, the following stage show: Irene Bordoni, “America’s French Singing Star” (huh?); the Three Smoothies , likely a tap-dance act; Al Cowan and his Musical Madcaps: ‘nuff said; Ladd Lyon: a magician?; Harold Barnes: a ventriloquist? and Block and Sully, Comedy Stars of Stage and Radio. There, say you: no puppets, no gloves, no box, no memory. True, say I; but I wonder just how long this show stayed around. So, I scrolled on to the following week’s pages. The ad for 1 May announced: “Gilda” Held Over Second Week; All New Stage Show Featuring: Johnnie Scot Davis and Orchestra with Garth Andrews; Vic Perry, Toast of England’s Café Society; the Diamond Brothers, Gentlemen Never-the-Less; Diana Berry, Youthful Dancing Comedienne (!); and … finally … the Tommy Trent Puppet Parade. My heart leapt and I began to sing then and there.

For the record, the competition for movie-cum-stage shows in mid-town that Easter season was pretty fierce: at RCMH, “The Green Years” plus Easter show; at the Roxy, “Dragonwyck” with Jackie Miles and Connee Boswell on stage; at the Capitol, “The Ziegfeld Follies” ending a seven-week run with Xavier Cugat and Harvey Stone on stage, to be followed by “The Postman Always Rings Twice” with Guy Lombardo on stage; at the Strand, “Devotion” with Louis Prima on stage; and at the Paramount, “The Virginian” with Eddy Bracken and Johnny Long on stage. I’m still glad that we wound up at “Gilda” and the puppets. Of course, it’s possible that my parents were initially drawn by the Youthful Dancing Comedienne or perhaps by the Toast of England’s Café Society.

In the era of "Gilda," Hollywood did not have a rating system and advertising rarely stated "for adults only." When "Gilda" hit the Loew's circuit, the second feature was "Blondie's Lucky Day," part of a series that was popular with kids. I saw that combo when I was ten years old and remember being bored to death by "Gilda" except for the musical numbers.

Wow! BoxOfficeBill...that was terrific. You gave such a wonderful description of all the things to choose from back then in Times Square! Must've been quite a time there.

Yes, Warren, "Blondie's Lucky Day" must have been the nabes' way of drawing kids and families with their kids to see "Gilda." On 26 April '05, I posted a photo of Loew's Alpine on that theater's page, and the double-bill you mention is listed on the marquee (be sure to enlarge the photo by clicking the image). I'm amazed that "Gilda" bored you. No film ever bored me, then or later. Whenever the footlights dim, I find all the movie stars strong, all the writerr, directors, and cinematographers good-looking, and all the films above-average.

Thank you all for your comments. I'm from Denmark and was in New York back in 1986 and again two years later, where I sadly noticed, that the State was gone. In 1986 I went to see "Knights of the city" in State 1. After the film was finisged, I tried to exit the door, but somehow it was closed, and I ended upstairs in the grand foyer to State 2. Here I could see, the horrorflick "House" was just going to start. As a curious teenager alone one afternoon without parents, I stayed and was amazed by the cinema-structure. Here in Denmark we have the magnificent Imperial with 1,102 seats - originally 1,521 from 1961-87, but ever since 1986 I wondered how State was originally build and later twinned. Thank you for giving me all this information!

I know we've had this converstion before but did people at the time really view Gilda the way we do today?
I mean the Hall was a very family friendly, classy place and how many parents complained when they went to see stuff in the nabes like Blondie and puppet shows and Gilda with their tykes?
People must have found Hayworth so sensational that the thick atmosphere of moral licentiousness that drips from every scene must have been completely difused by Hayworths star wattage which has no equal today.

From the 1968 annual report of Loew's Theatres:

"Perhaps the most interesting development in current theatre design is exemplified by the project now underway at Loew's State, your Company's flagship theatre on Broadway.

"The Uris Corporation, which has entered into a long-term ground lease with Loew's, is erecting a 48~ story office building on the site of the famed Loew's Capitol at 51st Street and Broadway in New York City. To replace the Capitol, Loew's State, six blocks south on Broadway, is being converted into two theatres: Loew's State 1 and Loew's State 2.

"As illustrated in the volumetric projection, this is being achieved by extending the balcony line of the original Loew's State, so that State 2 sits above State 1. A high-speed escalator will whisk patrons from the ground floor up to State 2.

"Each theatre will have its distinct decor, designed by a young, imaginative, nationally known interior designer. State 1 is in contemporary style; State 2 recalls the romantic Victorian era.

"Adjoining the escalator in the lobby will be 'The Capitol Corner', a nostalgic recollection of The Capitol. Among the features: an ancient, Carrara marble, Roman well-head; a, French rock-crystal chandelier; a bronze railing and the grandfather's clock known to Broadway moviegoers for half a century.

"Huge oval portraits of great movie stars of the past will serve to visually connect the lobbies.

"Loew's State 1 will reopen on December 11, 1968, with, the American premiere of the Columbia musical, 'Oliver'; State 2 will open one week later with the United Artists musical, 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," each under a reserved seat policy.
...
"So-called 'piggy back' theatre construction demonstrates how imaginative collaboration among exhibitors, architects, builders and decorators can result in the creation of two distinct properties out of one, to make more efficient and profitable use out of cubic space in high land-cost areas.

"We intend to continue to expand our theatre division through construction of new theatres, as well as duplexing in appropriate situations.

"Loews is proud to be in the vanguard of the trend~setting movement for future center-city and suburban shopping center theatre design."


Six pictures of the Loew's State interior accompany this report. Unfortunately, the resolution of these scanned images online is pretty bad.

Three Roadshows
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/3Roadshows.jpg

Three images of the auditorium, first the original and then two of the 1959 modernization. Please note the addition of a new projection booth in image #3:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/124-2453_IMG.jpg
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/124-2456_IMG.jpg
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/124-2458_IMG.jpg

Here's a 1933 ad showing the State grouped with three other theatres, all showing the same movie but with different stage shows. At the State, "Penthouse" was a "move-over" from the Capitol, where it had played with a different stage show:
www.i8.photobucket.com./albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/124-2448_IMG.jpg

1952 saw Joan Crawford in "Sudden Fear" at the State
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/KingKongLeopardMan.jpg

Warren: That's a great image of the original State. Source?

1954 saw "Gone With the Wind" at Loews's State.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/GWTW1954.jpg

There is a picture here of this band at Loew's State in 1944 or 45
http://nfo.net/usa/c2.html
http://nfo.net/usa/LeeCastleLoewsState.jpg

http://www.lileks.com/NYC/timessquare/4.html

October 1965 "Agony and the Ecstasy" opened roadshow here
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/AgonyEcstacy.jpg

October of 1953 Joan Crawford in "Torch Song" opened here.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/TorchSong.jpg

Here's an image of the bronze plaques that adorned the lobbies of all Loew's theatres in memory of founder Marcus Loew, who died in 1927 just as his empire was coming into its full glory:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/128-2856_IMG.jpg

Here's an opening ad for "Bwana Devil." The supporting Disney short wasn't in 3-D, but received much better reviews than the feature attraction:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/128-2892_IMG.jpg

Warren
That's a great ad "A Lion in Your Lap, A Lover in Your Arms" :)

1969 the roadshow of "Paint Your Wagon"
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/PaintYourWagon.jpg

I saw the roadshow Paint Your Wagon in 6 track stereo at the Warner Cinerama during the Broadway on Broadway festival in '78.
It was absolutely sensational. The late 60's musical often get a very bad rap. But some that were failures are really good and far exceed anything that came after.

I agree with Vincent. The same goes for the other roadshow musical in Robert's ad, "Goodbye, Mr. Chips". I'd avoided seeing that for years because of its reputation as a big bomb. But I saw it on TCM last year and it was excellent all around, with one of Peter O'Toole's best performances.

I would nominate Francis Ford Coppola's 1968 film "Finian's Rainbow" as one of the best roadshow musicals of the late 60s.

GMC used to get a lot of TV play in the 70's and I always thought Clark was wonderful and O'Toole very moving. Maybe Herbert Ross' best film.
And then there's Sweet Charity another terrific '69 film musical.
There, you have 3 big fat late 60's musical floppos which killed off the film musical.
And each one is a gem.

How incredible is this 1938 picture of Loew's State with Judy on stage?
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Theatres/JudyAtLoewsState1938.jpg

Joan Crawford Surrounded by Fans
Actress Joan Crawford is surrounded by fans as she hands out autographed photographs of herself to early arrivals at the premiere of her film Sudden Fear, in the lobby of Loew's State Theatre in New York City.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Theatres/SuddenFear.jpg

We will never see days like this again. Taken in 1955
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Theatres/U1084468.jpg

Great, iconic picture of Marilyn. You think the feature playing at the State was "Blackboard Jungle"? It says something about "teen".

Here is an ad mentioning the world premiere of "The Godfather" in State 1 & 2.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/McBeth.jpg

Gosh, I remember when the Godfather was playing The State. They always played Paramount. I still miss those huge marquee panels. Thanks RobertR for all your ad posts, they bring back such memories. Just look at that one page alone. Gee should we go see "The Godfather", or how about "The Last Picture Show", or "Dirty Harry" and the roadshow "Fiddler" at The Rivoli.

Bob
I remember that also all the Paramount films opened there, I miss the State a lot I always felt it was the one theatre that was not ruined when they twined it. Rob

RobertR I agree with you. Even as a twin the State was a wonderful theater. In 1976, I saw "Leadbelly" the Gordon Parks film about the blues singer Huddie Ledbetter. The night I went they had a special live performance with Brownie McGee (spelling may be wrong) and others talking about and singing Leadbelly songs. Why isn't this movie on DVD!

Due to its length and importance I just wish Godfather had opened road show. This only hastened the death of exclusive downtown city engagements for major hollywood films. Helping to hasten the rundown abandoned state of many american cities in the 70's.
Their revival in recent years has only turned them into themeparks and depressing shopping malls.
I look at photos of the American cities from the teens to the 60's and I think how magnificent. Now they all look boring and exactly like one another.

Thanks for the great Godfather ad, Robert. I wonder if Brando attended the premiere? It said the entire cast was going to be there, but somehow I can't see him being a part of that. Then again, since his career was in a slump at the time, maybe he did.

Vincent
You bring up a good point, Godfather should have been roadshow. Was there ever any discussion about it?

The film was originally going tobe Paramount's Christmas film for 1971. But because of Post-Production problems between the Studio and the director, it was delayed to March of 1972.

By the 1970s, movie "roadshows" had become obsolete. Distributors wanted to earn back their production costs as quickly as possible. They could not commit an expensive movie like "The Godfather" to a slow play-off where it might run for a long time in a small number of theatres.

The Godfather did play many cities on an exclusive run. The Godfather played the Savoy(Opera House,BF Keith) in Boston,Chicago theatre in Chicago,Fox in Philidelphia,Coronet in San Francisco,Loew's Hollywood(El Capitan) and Village in L.A. and other cities across country. Even though the roadshow presentation was dead by 1972 many films were still released on exclusive runs in prestige theatres across the country. More and more the prestige theatres were no longer located downtown as the decade came to a close.brucec

Yes, but the exclusive runs were with continuous performances, and not one or two a day as with a roadshow. So the engagements were considerably shorter than they would have been if there had been a reserved-seats policy.

Even if roadshows were not on the way out by 1972, "The Godfather" would have been a surprising choice for roadshow exhibition due to its content and rating. More often than not, a film presented as a roadshow was an historical epic or a musical aimed at general audiences, such as "Nicholas and Alexandra" (GP-rated) and "Fiddler on the Roof" (G-rated), two of the final roadshows that were in release at the time of the opening of "The Godfather." An R-rated roadshow would have been unusual.

A roadshow presentation often required considerable advance planning (booking a theater for an extended run, selling tickets by mail order---sometimes up to a year in advance of the opening, etc.), and my understanding of the production history of "The Godfather" is that Paramount didn't realize the quality of the film until late in post production. After all, the film was based on a pulpy (although successful) book, from a young director with an uneven track record with critics and audiences and starring an actor who hadn't had a hit in over a decade---not necessarily the elements for a prestige release suitable for roadshow treatment.

Interesting to note, though, that Brando's next film to debut in NYC was presented on a roadshow basis, albeit one of a non-traditional sort. The initial exclusive run of "Last Tango in Paris" on the Upper East Side was on a "hard ticket" basis; I believe the theater was the Trans Lux East (later The Gotham).

Here is the ad for the record breaking showcase run of "The Godfather"
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/eb68fe72.jpg

I just read the description above. That is incorrect. The Loew's State was twinned in the late 60s. The first two features were Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Oliver.

I think I saw Doctor Doolittle with Rex Harrison, and Around the World in 80 Days with David Niven at this theater.

Here's a seating chart from the 1965 edition of Stubs. The first row of upstairs seating, AA in the mezzanine, overhung row E in the orchestra:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/132-3212_IMG.jpg

Here's an overview of the Loew's, Inc. office building at 1540 Broadway, which was quite meagre in comparison to Paramount's HQ at 1501 Broadway. The Loew's building was fairly wide but deep enough to contain only the lobby of the State, which had its auditorium in a separate edifice at the rear:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/133-3357_IMG.jpg

Thanks for that excellent pic Warren.

The Paramount Building at 1501 Broadway was mostly occupied by tenants other than Paramount Pictures but sat astride the exquisite Paramount Theatre like a mother hen. The State Building was, for most of it life, all Loews's Inc, and predominately the east coast offices for MGM.

Last movie before the Loew's State was twinned..."The Legend of Lylah Claire" with Kim Novak and Peter Finch. It came in after "Doctor Dolittle".

Panoramic mania:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/133-3358_IMG.jpg

Yes, Warren, that mania produced quite a high! It was the first wide-screen presentation in NYC.

Does anyone know how large the roadshow screen was at the State from Ben to Dolittle?

The 1961 re-release of "Gone With the Wind" for the Civil War Centennial
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/GWTW1961re-release.jpg

Took this in 1976


http://photobucket.com/albums/a9/John409/?action=view¤t=LOEWSSTATE1AND2-1.jpg

One of the best, if not THE best marquees I've ever seen, especially when Oliver and Chitty were playing.

Don Rosen,
I have a "instamatic" snapshot of the State 1 and 2 with the "Chitty" and "Oliver" films on the marquee. If you would like a copy of it, let me know your email address and I will send it to you. I also have pictures of the Rivoli, Capitol, Warner/Penthouse, DeMille, and Criterion all taken in 1967=1968. Just let me know!
Dennis Zimmerman
Lancaster, PA

Yes, I would love 'em. radiorosen@aol.com Thanks!!!

I would like 'em too. Orion409@verizon.net

Thanks much!

Dennis
Could you send them to me, I accidently erased the one you sent me of the Rivoli during GWTW.
Robert4770@aol.com

Thanks Dennis, I'd love to see 'em too. porterfaulner@tiscali.co.uk Many thanks.

sorry typo - porterfaulkner@tiscali.co.uk

Dennis Z,

Can I get your permission to use your photos of Rivoli, Capitol, Warner/Penthouse, DeMille, and Criterion? My collaborator, Mike Coate, and I are revamping our "70mm In New York" photo gallery section, and your pictures sound like they'd be great additions. Shots from the era you mentioned would be excellent. We can give you credit on the photo gallery page in which these picture would appear.

What resolution would these pictures be in?

Thanks!

Bill

fstdbill@yahoo.com

Dennis, I would love to see those photos as well. Send to elliotttim@hotmail.com

Thanks very much.

burt lancaster at loews theaters
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0011.jpg

saw 'RPM', 'Ash Wednesday' and 'The Owl & The Pussycat'.

In 1937, this film was a "move-over" from the Paramount Theatre, but the stage bill packed lots of drawing power:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/135-3528_IMG.jpg

here are some movie ads from 6the state
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0057.jpg

the mississippi gambler-1953
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0058.jpg

arena-1953-3-d
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0059.jpg

how to marry a millonaire-1953
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0060.jpg

phffft"-1954
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0062.jpg

magnificent obsession-1954
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0063.jpg

3 5ring circus-1954
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0064.jpg

the pheinx city story -1955
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0065.jpg

hollywood or bust-1956
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0066.jpg

alan freed,s live rock and rool show-1958
http://photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/?action=view¤t=scan0067.jpg

all the brothers wher vallant-1953
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b15/myrtleave/scan0068.jpg

MyrtleAve--

Thanks for those terrific posts from local newspapers-- the News? Journal Amer? Telegram & Sun? B'klyn Eagle? Great stuff. Not the least is the edges of the posts: "Silver Chalice" at the Paramount with "Phhft" at the State; "Baby Doll" at the Victoria with "H'wd or Bust" at the State; "Moon Is Blue" at the Elm and Farragut with "How to Marry" at the State; "Lady Wants Mink" as co-feature with "Shane" and "Column South" with "Young Bess" at the nabes. Ummmm good.

One of my earliest Manhattan theater experiences was going to see The Spy Who Loved Me at the Loew's State 1 in 1977. I remember how huge and clean the theater was, with nice curtains along the walls and comfortable seats. They played the soundtrack from the movie over the PA system before the movie, and the curtains in front of the screen opened to reveal a huge screen. Althoug it wasn't stereo (Spy was a mono film), the audio was clear and booming, and Nobody Does It Better never sounded better. My only complaint was that they started the movie before the curtain opened fully, which was a bummer as the wonderful gunbarrel logo was projected partly on the opening curtain. Regardless, it was a perfect theater for seeing such a spectacular movie.

I've been to the theater quite a few times since, saw Kramer vs Kramer there in the State 2, an equally huge balcony theater. In the 80's it was home to many summer blockbusters, including Star Trek The Motion Picture, Star Trek II (awesome picture and sound in 70mm and 6 track stereo), Time Bandits and Krull. I always liked that marquee with the front that had one half higher than the other. I always regretted missing For Your Eyes Only there, especially as it had a clever sound design. I did get to see it in the Walter Reade New Yorker, a small but decent twin theater near West 72 St.

I would like to see those phots as well don rosen I love that marquee of this theatre it was very unique my email is savsavage1970@aol.com

Savage: I just emailed you three instamatic camera pictures. The Loew's State 1 and 2, The Criterion, and the Rivoli. Hope you receive them!

Savage - I am in the process of emailing you three of the pictures - Loew's State 1 and 2, Criterion, and Rivoli. I have four other pictures of NYC theatres - Capitol, DeMille (Embassy 2-3-4) and the
Cinerama/Penthouse, and RCMH. In addition I have pictures of 7 Center City Philadelphia theatres, all taken in the 1967-1968 time period. Hope you receive the email and its attachments.

I'm looking for any information regarding Dancers or Dance Acts/Performers that may have been on stage in 1945. My mother, Doris Halen, at that time, performed at this theater with her partner Henry Kuhn on stage according to a September 6, 1945 NY Daily news article with photo's of them after they had won 1st & 2nd place in the Harvest Moon Ball. The article stated that she and her partner could be seen at the Loew's State Theater. If you may have any info, pictures or remembrances please contact me at pompar@optonline.net (Rocco)

The special edition DVD of "Ben-Hur" released this week includes a customized trailer for the Loew's State, announcing the upcoming reserved seat engagement. The DVD also features newsreel footage showing a line of people waiting to buy tickets at the State (used as a photo op for Charlton Heston), as well as footage from the world premiere at the State.

The newsreel coverage was shown last year on monitors at the Loew's Theatres historical exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. That plus lots of other stuff filmed at premieres at Loew's State and the Capitol, as well as Al Jolson's tour of the nabes for "Jolson Sings Again." Perhaps one day it will all be released on a DVD, but I won't hold my breath waiting for it.

Here's a rare 1940 image of the curved sofit of the State's second marquee. In the background of the lower right hand corner, the marquee of Loew's Criterion is also visible:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/139-3973_IMG.jpg

I should have noted in my post of 9/19 that Loew's Criterion was showing the NYC premiere engagement of Republic's advance-dated "Hit Parade of 1941." When that musical programmer reached the "nabes," it was on the RKO circuit as second feature to WB's "Santa Fe Trail."

Too bad the theater closed before the Broadway Musical version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang because it could've premiered both the film and stage versions.

Jan of 1943 "For Me & My Gal" starring the great Judy Garland played here with a stage show and at the Met in Brooklyn with a second feature.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/MeandmyGal.jpg

Wasn’t sure where to post this question. Does anyone know the name of the theater located approx. 2 blocks north of where Loew’s State was located? The theater still exists but is now closed. The façade faces west and currently has a small marquee (with 'for lease' sign) squeezed in with a number of other store front signs. I think it was last known as a UA and had multiple screens but not certain. When looking up behind all the billboards plastered over the façade, looks like an older structure. I've checked a number of listings here, but none seem to match.

Thats the Demille, you can read about it here

http://cinematreasures.org/theater/501/

This is a repeat of an earlier posting of mine, but with an added photo. Loew's State did not normally play foreign-language films, but they did run the Italian Tomorrow is Too Late in 1952 in a subtitled print to enormous business (Variety: 'Tomorrow' Smash 45G). It was a lovely but now forgotten movie featuring Pier Angeli and Vittorio De Sica and dealt with the sexual awakening of adolescents. The movie went on to play art houses around the country, and in a dubbed version was even shown at drive-ins. Click here for a photo of patrons in line for Tomorrow is Too Late.

A 1947 night view of the State's famous vertical sign. Unfortunately, I can't decipher the billing on the marquee. But the Astor was showing "The Bishop's Wife," and Loew's Criterion "T-Men."
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/statevert.jpg

New Year's Eve, 1959:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/state59.jpg

Thanks for that thrilling photo, Warren. You think that's "On the Beach" playing across the street from "Ben-Hur"?

Yes, Bill, "On the Beach" was at the newly "modernized" Astor. It opened there on December 17, 1959.

In 1937, after "Lost Horizon" had a reserved-seat run at the Globe, and a later move-over to Radio City Music Hall (with stage show), it played here for a week with vaudeville. These billboards were probably in the vicinity of Astoria, Queens, home for Loew's Triboro:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/duo.jpg

I happened on a newspaper clipping that says that Loew's State closed for the last time on February 19, 1987, and that the final movies were "Critical Condition" and "The Golden Child." The admission price was $6 per ticket.

The description at top says that the Loews State was gutted in the 90's. I was under the impression that the theatre and adjoining office building were completely demolished and replaced by new development. Does some part of the old building still exist?

When I visited in summer 1988 there was only a big hole in the ground.

Life... It was the so called "bow tie" building on the next block down from the old Loew's State that was gutted rather than being completely demolished. This would be between 45th and 44th street and used to house the Criterion Theater as well as Bond's Clothing Store and Bond's International Casino. Toys 'R' Us now occupies. Some folks have posted on the Criterion Theater site that remnants of the old theater can be found on the 2nd level of the store.

The original Loew's State was totally demolished, along with the 1540 Broadway office building, to make way for the current tower that includes Virgin Music and the basement State quad. The introductory remark about "gutting" is untrue and needs to be changed.

I recently went to see the Broadway Show Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. That was when I remembered where I first saw it. I told my companion that it was in a movie house on Broadway. That was the newly twinned Loew's State Theater. Funny, the first time I saw both the stage and movie versions of that show were within a mile of each other. I remember the marquis as they were twinning it. It was Chitty and Oliver. I think I also saw Oliver for the first time there, and then I saw the play on Broadway about twenty years later. It's strange what can happen in New York.

Gustavelifting... the Loew's State and the Hilton Theater are within a few blocks of each other, never mind a mile. Haven't seen the "Chitty" show yet, though my ex did take the kiddies to see it. I saw the movie in theaters as well when I was a very young boy, but it was in a neighborhood theater in Queens, not Times Square. I loved the Loew's State all the same, even though I never knew it as a single screen theater. Both theaters were spacious, but I remember the upstairs theater being the better of the two because of the original high ceiling. This and the Rivoli were the nicest and most ornate of the theaters on the Square as I can recall, although, I must admit I never made it into either the Criterion or Movieland during the years I frequented the area in the '80's.

Loew's State was totally demolished, along with the 1540 Broadway building that was once HQ for Loew's, Incorporated, to make way for the monstrosity that currently occupies the NE corner of Broadway and 45th Street...Where is the Hilton Theare? I've never heard of it. Do you possibly mean the Ziegfeld, which is across the street from the New York Hilton?

Isn't Hilton Theater the new name of the former Ford Center for the Performing Arts, the "new" theater that was cobbled together in the combined shells of the Lyric and Apollo on 42nd Street? I believe that is where the show "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" is playing. And I did mean to write that the "site of the original Loew's State" and the Hilton are within a few blocks... my error made it seem as if the old State was still standing, which, as you correctly point out, is not so.

Anyway... it's hard to keep up with the name changes in the New York theatrical community. Several legitimate theaters have recently been re-christened - including a pair of Shubert theaters that were named after a couple of the Organization's Board members: the Royale is now the Bernard Jacobs and the Plymouth now the Gerald Schoenfeld.

Yes, it's the combination Apollo/Lyric on 42nd. It was recently called the Ford Theater.

History repeats itself........sort of. 29 years ago "King Kong" was a Christmas attraction like it is this year. Look at the theatres in the 5 boros every one is gone except the American in the Bronx.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/KingKong.jpg

Very sad, RobertR. I saw this version of Kong at the Astoria, which has been gutted to it's bare walls for retail/commercial use. But, on the bright side, at least the Paradise, Metropolitan, Elmwood and Valencia are still standing and being well preserved (or in the process) as houses of worship. Better still, they are all more or less open to the public. I dare say that for the most part these theaters are in better shape now than when they last saw a feature film presentation, with all traces of multiplexing having been elmininated. One might argue against the current garish color scheme of the former Valencia (which was never twinned or triplexed), but at least it retains it's original configuration, unlike the partitioned American.

Is the Lane in Staten Island still open as a nightclub? I thought I read on this site that the interior is landmarked.

Sadly the Lane is empty and slowly falling apart too. I have been to Europe and seen theatres hundreds of years old and in this country, mainly NY we cant keep something for more then 40 years. I am very bitter since the Beekman was destroyed, there was no reason it could not have been built around like the Palace. I went to the Keith's in Flushing many times before and after the tri-plexing. At this point I say tear every inch of it down. To keep some disjointed features of the lobby within a "glass wall" is disgusting. That area long ago gave up any remaining shards of culture and is dead in my book. I was just telling someone about being a kid in the 60's and seeing "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't" at the Ridgewood with Paul Tripp making a personal appearance at the theatre. Many other fond holiday shows, remember when banks would give free tickets to Saturday morning Christmas shows? That's how I got to see "Santa Clause Conquers the Martians", also at the Ridgewood. Actually when I was manager of the Haven, Columbia Savings kept the tradition going until the late 1980's. Sadly all the kids now don't have this.

EdSolero;
There is information about the Lane on another section of this site. I don't know the theater's number, but I thought I should tell you. I never went to the Lane, but we had a bagel store near there, and it was closed at the time we had it. At that time and presently I lived on Long Island. We are now looking for a home on Staten Island and I sometimes pass the Lane. It had a nice exterior and I hope it does reopen, but not as a nightclub. Anyone want to bring legitimate theater to it?

Great days we will never see again
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/BenHur2ndYear.jpg

Thank God! I found the second "Ben-Hur" one of the most boring and over-praised movies I've ever seen.

I rather like the '59 "Ben-Hur," though I'd have to agree that too much praise has been heaped upon it over the years. I've only ever seen it on the small screen (though, via a nice widescreen DVD on a 60 inch LCD projection monitor) and would salivate at the opportunity to see a proper big-screen presentation. Having said that, Heston is pretty wooden and the film occasionally suffers from the usual lumbering weight that all 1950's Hollywood biblical epics carried around with them - not to mention that it lacks a certain poetry that the original silent version was able to achieve. Still, I find it a stirring entertainment all-around.

I saw it recently for the first time(no tv viewings for me) at the Loews Jersey and found it terrific. Better than the silent even though the sea battle in that one is far superior and the chariot race is its equal.
And if you think Heston is wooden would you prefer Pacino eating up every square inch of scenery rolling his eyes and smacking his lips or Kevin Costner or Keenu Reeves practically comatose from self absorption?
Warren I'm pretty surprised that you would say thank god to never seeing roadshow presentation at the Loew's State again.
At this point I'd love to see Fiddler again at the Rivoli and boy is that one a real stinker.

How about "Paint Your Wagon" or "Song of Norway", Vincent? You have to draw the line somewhere, right? Seriously, I'm with you on that point... I'd take any of those turkey's (plus "Hello Dolly!") just to see an old fashioned road-show engagement at The Rivoli, Capitol or Strand as well.

As for your other point... not every actor is cut out for every role. I wouldn't want to see Pacino, Costner or Reeves in an old time biblical epic. That’s no reason to denigrate the fine work he has done in his own idiom. Pacino is a wonderful stage and screen actor. While he has certainly chosen to ham it up and become caricature in much of his recent work - "Scarface", "Heat", "Scent of a Woman" and "Devil's Advocate" leap immediately to mind - he is also capable of beautifully nuanced, even sublime performances such as those in the first two "Godfather" movies, "Scarecrow", "Panic in Needle Park" and, more recently, "Donnie Brasco" and "Insomnia." But I sure wouldn't want to have seen him as Judah Ben-Hur. Costner has his charms when confined to his limited range (playing washed up jocks seems to be work for him). Reeves... OK, you have me there.

My problem with Heston is that he always played Heston. I guess that can be said of most iconic movie stars from the golden age of the studios, but Heston's emotional range is rather limited and his personality as square as his jaw. Compare him to a current star like Russell Crowe who has great range and can command the screen for a costume epic like "Gladiator" or "Master and Commander" - he's probably one of the few contemporary actors who can pull off those sort of Heston-like roles and lend to them an emotional core that was missing with Heston. Anyway... I seem to recall from other comments on this site that your cinematic preferences don't particularly favor the sort of European-influenced filmmaking and acting styles that were ushered in during the '70's. To each his own. I respectfully bow to your opinion.

Why are they naming theaters after lawyers now? What happened to playrights, composers or actors? No Ethel Merman, Tennessee Williams, Harold Arlen, Cole Porter. We get Bernard Jacobs? Something is wrong here.

The Shuberts have recently renamed a couple of their legitimate theaters after board members... therefore the Royale is now named after deceased and former long time President of the Shubert Organization, Bernard Jacobs; and the Plymouth is named after the current (and therefore very much alive) chairman, Gerald Schoenfeld. At least the Jujamcyn group continue to honor the artistic history of Broadway by renaming thier Martin Beck and Virginia theaters after famed caricaturist Al Hirschfeld and playwrite August Wilson, respectively. Anyway... none of these theaters have ever had a history of exhibiting films, so this is probably a topic better explored elsewhere than on Cinema Treasures.

I still think it stinks.

Ed Solero
Actually the Royal now the Jacobs had the roadshow engagement of Gigi. I have a clipping of it in a book of NYTimes movie reviews that I bought in 1978. Interesting that the book At This Theater which is all about the broadway theaters history doesn't show Gigi as being at the Royal. If I can ever figure out how to scan a pic and put it in here I will.

Yes, you're right about that. A few have shown movies (Lunt-Fontanne/Globe; Warner/Mark Hellinger etc.)

Thanks for pointing that out, Mike... I meant to say that those theaters had no lengthy history showing films (as opposed to the Lunt-Fontanne, Mark Hellinger, Broadway, Palace, 42nd Street grinders, etc). The "Gigi" engagement was more like a one shot deal, wasn't it? Or were there other runs like this at the Royale and/or other erstwhile legitimate houses?

Anyway... I agree with TJ in principal. At least corporations have paid their way onto the marquees of theaters by contributing money towards restoration, renovations and maintenance. The Shubert situation smacks a bit of vanity.

To Ed Solero,
Thank you for that thoughtful response to my sometimes heated words. But you are right about me vastly prefering the old studio performers to those of the Hollywood begun in the 70's. I just think that many of the older stars were more nuanced actors than they are given credit for. I think that Gable in Mutiny for instance more than holds his own against a giant like Laughton. And as good as some contemporary and recent actors can be like De Niro and Streep I miss the passion and energy of a Cagney, the astonishing charm of a Grant and even the cool beauty of a Kim Novak and I think Heston is great in those big fat roadshow epics(don't throw bricks!)
By the way I liked Crowe very much Gladiator. How nice that would have been at the State.

On that we can heartily agree, Vincent. "Gladiator" certainly deserved a proper palace for its premier presentation, rather than the unceremonious standard-issue wide release it was given. Even that granddaddy of the modern Hollywood blockbuster imperative, "Jaws" had the magnificent Rivoli for its gala premier back in '75.

Ed
From what I can tell, Gigi was the only film to play the Royal. The Palace theater shows going back to a legit theater in 1966 (including What it says in At This Theater),but I remember in 68 and 69 they were showing movies again. It wasn't until 1970 that they permanantly reopened as a legit theater with Lauren Bacall in Applause.

Not quite.
Frenzy played there after Applause.

Here's "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" from April 1956:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y164/ChrisBrame/godzilla1956nycloewsstate.jpg

I am now wondering what the last films were to play the original Loew's State. I was there when it first went twin, so I have no doubt it would be at least two.

This is totally from memory, but I know one of them was "The Golden Child" .... can't remember the other. Someone with NYT microfiche could look it up... there was even a little blurb about the closing in the NYT.

Any of the New York projectionists on this site know if the old State had Todd-AO 70s in the booth?

Yes, the State was equipped with Norelco DP70 type projectors.

A story persists that I find hard to believe, but it appears to be true. When preparations were being made for the State's grand opening in 1921, it was discovered that the architectural plans had failed to include dressing rooms for the stage performers! Marcus Loew solved the problem by purchasing a building around the corner at 160 West 46th Street and converting part of it into dressing rooms, with a bridge connecting it to the State's backstage. The rest of the building was used for offices for Loew's vaudeville bookers. For the first months after the State's opening, the performers had to use dressing rooms on the opposite side of West 45th Street that belonged to Loew's New York Theatre, an ex-legit house that now showed movies only and no longer needed them.

So the actors would prepare for the show at the former New York theater facilities and then cross W. 45th in full makeup to make their way into the State? That is pretty remarkable. It must have been hell on any performers who appeared in more than one scene and had to change costumes and makeup!

The State presented conventional vaudeville, not "stage shows" ala the Roxy or RCMH. There were no "scenes" in vaudeville. Each "act" on the bill did a turn and was then finished until the next complete performance.

Understood, Warren. I thought as much. Otherwise, that might have made for some hectic scrambling out on W. 45th Street! Fortunately, vehicular traffic was probably not what it is today in that area.

EdSolero--Actually, at times the traffic back then was more dangerous. Every street and avenue was two-way.

That's a great story about the architectural fiasco of the State's dressing rooms! But why didn't Loew simply use the several floors of office space above the lobby for a temporary site until the building on E 46 became available? The office workers could have used other space in the neighborhood. In any case, I'm glad to hear that some architects goofed in the grand manner then as others continue to do today.

In response to dave-bronx question on Jan, 21, 2006.
When the State was twinned in 1968, the 3 Norelco 70mm
machines went to the downstairs house. Upstairs #2 house
got the 3 Century 70mm machines from the closing Capitol
Cinerama up the street.

I posted a question a year ago on 2-14-05 on this theatre
about the reason why the upstairs booth faced a little toward
the left wall. It was very weird in the booth with the 3 projectors
having to be mounted about 15 degrees to the right to compensate.

Does anybody have an explaination?

It's kind of hard to believe that Lamb, the #1 theatre architect of the day, would "forget" to include dressing rooms in the flagship house of his major client. With vaudeville being a major part of the show in those days it would seem that dressing rooms would be considered part of the stage. That would be like today "forgetting" to put in the candy stand - it doesn't happen. I could understand the architect forgeting to include a niche in the lobby for a vending machine, but not such a major part of the operation as dressing rooms. If they were indeed not there, there had to be some extenuating circumstances, such as space constraints due to an odd shaped lot, or something like that. In Richard Dziadzio's post above, he mentions that the projectors in the original booth were mounted at a 15 degree angle to the right leading me to believe that the building was not exactly rectangular. In that case the stage would have been 15 degrees off center, which may have left inadequate space for dressing rooms on one side of the stage.

As I remember it, the situation of Loew's State was about as regular as one can get, with the rear balcony wall on W 45 Street and the rear stage wall on W 46 Street. During intermissions in the roadshow era, the W 45 Street exit doors were opened to allow patrons a smoking area on the street.

To add to the list of Broadway's legit houses where movies had their premieres there was also the Booth where MGM's Jullius Caesar opened in 1953.

Richard Dziadzio:

I asked another operator that worked the theatre the same question. He had no answer as to why the ports were at that angle.

Not only were the projectors in the upstairs booth at an angle, a projectionist pointed out to me the first time I visited that because the screen was parallel to the back wall after the renovation, the furthest projector back had a lens 1/4" focal length longer than the other two. The angle of that booth always intrigued me too. I also had the feeling sitting in the downstairs house that while the screen was parallel to the new projection booth, the proscenium itself was actually at an angle on the stage that matched the angle of the balcony booth. I worked in the downstairs booth, but never upstairs. The upstairs booth was also dropped several feet from its original position after the twinning. I remember seeing windows that would have originally faced out on the street about 10' or so above the booth floor, and a radiator that would have been at floor level hanging from the wall above. When I saw "The Agony and the Ecstasy" 70mm roadshow there the booth was dug into the front of the balcony to give a zero degree projection angle to the curved screen which was mounted in front of the proscenium. The angle of the proscenium to the back wall was concealed, but I remember sitting in the balcony and looking up at the original booth and noting the odd angle. Perhaps the auditorium was laid out like the Roxy to some extent with the stage more slightly angled into a corner. Another house like that in Manhattan is the Beacon, with the projection booth and the spotlight booth above it appearing slightly off center as you look at them from the stage.

New Year's Eve, 1954. When the Paramount release moved on to the Loew's neighborhood circuit, it had MGM's "Crest of the Wave" (B&W drama with Gene Kelly) as the supporting feature:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/nye54.jpg

Is this the theater where the movie "Tron" played in the summer of '82-'83? That was the Disney movie that made history for being the first to use cgi or computer generated images. It starred Jeff Bridges. I saw the movie then and thought the theater was called Loew's Twin. The theater on the right was a roccoco movie palace with beautiful scenes painted all over the ceiling and wall. Amphitheater style seating, an organ, and a huge curved screen. Seeing "Tron" there was amazing in terms of both image and sound.

The other side of the twin was more modern and totally boring, with a much smaller screen. I saw Star Trek 2 there...

Am I right? It's a shame that magnificent theater was demolished. What happened in the so called renovation of Times Square was a terrible crime. We lost many movie Cathedrals. Now we only have the Jersey Loews and hopefully the Bronx Loews will be rescued. As far as Manhattan is concerned, unless somebody takes over the "United Palace" in Upper Manhattan, we'll have nothing left. What a shame...

jmen2465--I agree, Manhattan has lost a large number of theaters over the last thirty years. However, we aren't running on empty yet. We do still have a little place called Radio City Music Hall.

To the best of my memory, the State was never called Loew's Twin. After sub-division, it was Loew's State I and II. One auditorium was the former orchestra floor, and the other was the former loge and balcony combined. I doubt that there was an organ in either.

Loew's State Theater had a Moller theater organ Opus 2981 installed in 1921 at a cost of $7600.00. In 1925 the organ was replaced with a Moller Opus 4111 at a cost of $15000.00. Price includes trade-in of the previous Moller organ.

I believe that the organ had been long removed by the time of the twinning.

That's probably true. All I wrote was this theater had a Moller organ installed in 1921 and a replacement in 1925. Status of second organ is listed as unknown.

Radio City Music Hall (first called the International Music Hall) was not originally built for motion pictures. The only movie palace left in the theatre district area is The Hollywood(Mark Hellinger)
which became a legitimate stage theatre, and now is a church.

The Mayfair Theatre, an art-deco cinema of nearly 2,000 seats, also still exists, and is currently for rent. Also, the intimate Embassy Theatre, now used as a tourist information center.

This is definitely the theater jmen2465 remembers. "Star Trek II" opened here in June of '82 and "Tron" opened here the following month. I know "Tron" played the State 2 upstairs in the former loge/balcony (hence the "ampitheater" style seating) which was open to the original ornate ceiling and upper side walls and proscenium arch. The former orchestra downstairs suffered a drop ceiling and curtains that obscured the entire perimeter of the theater, giving it the modern unadorned look jmen recalls. Time may have slightly altered jmen's memories of the two auditoriums being side by side rather than up and down. However, I recall that the lobby was split left and right, with the stairs and escalators to the State 2 against the far right wall. I can't explain why jmen recalls an organ still being in place at that time.

enormous billboard advertising "The Bible.. In the Beginning, which opened at Loew's State in Sept. 1966. At that same site, a few pictures earlier the billboard advertises what looks to be a Barnum and Bailey circus event - the sight claims this view is from 1963. The billboard stretches the entire block between 45th and 46th Streets over the Astor and Victoria theaters.
I'm looking for information about what content appeared on that billboard (specifically, I'm interested in what appeared on it in the Spring - Summer of 1964). I assume it wasn't always movies that appeared at Loew's because of the Barnum Ad that I saw. Does anyone have any insight into this?

enormous billboard advertising "The Bible.. In the Beginning, which opened at Loew's State in Sept. 1966. At that same site, a few pictures earlier the billboard advertises what looks to be a Barnum and Bailey circus event - the sight claims this view is from 1963. The billboard stretches the entire block between 45th and 46th Streets over the Astor and Victoria theaters.
I'm looking for information about what content appeared on that billboard (specifically, I'm interested in what appeared on it in the Spring - Summer of 1964). I assume it wasn't always movies that appeared at Loew's because of the Barnum Ad that I saw. Does anyone have any insight into this?

Sorry, Here the first part of my message:

There is a photo at the following site: www.lileks.com/NYC/timessquare/33.html

that shows an /...... enormous billboard..

"Star Trek II" opened June 4th. and "Tron" opened on July 9th. at the Loews State Theatre in Times Square, both were presented in 70MM 6-Track Dolby Stereo.

And much of "Tron" was actually filmed in wide guage (as opposed to "Trek" and most other 70mm blow up engagements)! I remember coming into Times Square to see "Tron" here that summer and being blown away by the effects. I had already seen "Trek II" in Valley Stream so we didn't make it a two-fer that day!

For the tops in 3-D COLOR Shows-- go LOEW'S!:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/3dcolor.jpg

There's a nice shot of this theatre in some archival footage used at the beginning of "The Notorious Bettie Page" currently in theatres.

By June, 1947, Loew's State was nearing the end of its vaudeville policy, which had been continuous since opening in 1921. "The Egg & I" was a move-over from RCMH. Note how the State's famous vertical sign was used as a logo in the ad. The theatre's price scale changed gradually throughout the day and night. The last complete show was cheaper than the one before it;
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/state47.jpg

Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz played their first and only stage booking at Loew's State less than a month after the USA entered WWII. With the second-run "Smilin' Through" on screen, the one-week engagement opened on January 1, 1942, and grossed a total of $27,129, which Variety described as "good but not great" business for a holiday period:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/state10142.jpg

As I sit in front of my computer nursing a broken leg, going into Cinema Treasures, American Widesreen Museum and other film related webs is how I spend most of my time. Went into the State page hours ago enjoying all the comments and specially the photos. But a comment about Thunder Bay being the first wide screen movie is not correct. If I remember correctly from what I have read, Shane at the Radio City Music Hall, cropped at top and bottom, was the first non-scope and other processes "wide screen" film shown. It's mentioned in the Times review of the film.

"Thunder Bay" was the first wide-screen movie shown at Loew's State Theatre at 1540 Broadway, NYC. I don't know of any claims that it was the first wide-screen movie period.

Thanks, Warren. i stand corrected.

I should re-phrase my 5/08/06 comment about "Thunder Bay." It was the first feature movie to be presented on a wide screen at Loew's State. However, it was filmed in conventional 35mm standard ratio, and not in any wide-screen process. The State merely used an enlarging lens to project it, which resulted in some cropping of the image.

1965 the State was part of Showcase
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/LoewsShowcases.jpg

If my memory serves me correctly, "Dear Brigette" would have been a move over engagement. I think it was intially shown at R.C.M.H. as an exclusuive engagement for a number of weeks before going "showcase."

Earlier today, I posted on the State 4 site about viewing "The Godfather" in '72 and seeing some scenes filmed the previous year. I was unaware that the original site had been demolished in the late '80s and that a quad had been erected in its place. (EdSolero was kind enough to point that out, and I'm sure this new one does not have that ornate crystal chandelier overhanging the lobby foyer!)

Two comments on the movie. When Kay and Michael exited Radio City Music Hall, they spotted the newspaper headlining his father's attempted rubout. When he went to phone Sonny from a booth, a small but somewhat significant detail caught my eye. The phone cord was coiled metal, '70s-style. Someone must have mentioned that to Coppola the Perfectionist, and he got it fixed, probably via computer graphics. By the time the video was available years later, the cord was now a solid cloth type, '40s style. The magic of movies!

Another magic of the movies involves a fascinating piece of basic human nature. Virtually every character in the movie was a dirtbag, devoid of any redeeming social values (but they did love their families!). So what happens? We end up rooting for the Corleone family as they destroy all the enemies to their family business. The least of many evils, eh?

A unique stage presentation in April, 1942. I wonder how they managed it?: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/stateh2o.jpg

One of the first attempts to launch a major movie area-wide came in November, 1944, with MGM's Technicolor "An American Romance," a plodding melodrama that had originaly been intended for Spencer Tracy, who disliked the script and was replaced by Brian Donlevy. The number of theatres used, however, was far less than the fifty in 1947 for "Duel in the Sun":
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/americanro.jpg

The State & it's neighbors in the 50's
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Theatres/2590f1e7.jpg

Love to see more photos of Times Square picture palace marquee's from the 1950's. Thanks Robert for the great photo.brucec

That picture would date around the second week of March 1955. Criterion was booked with "The Country Girl" and the State with "Timberjack" and across the street the Astor had "East of Eden".

Another great picture from Robert R! Thanks very much. Gee, about the only thing that looks the same today as it did then is the iron fence running down the middle of the Square.

On the left side of the picture, above the State, is an ad for a movie ending in "LE" or "DE" that's being sold as The Most Startling Film in Years. I wonder what it was - maybe Warren or William could tell us?

The film was "Blackboard Jungle" which opened next on March 19, 1955.
One of the taglines for the film was "The Most Startling Film in Years!"

Thanks, William. That tagline was quite accurate - the scene where Richard Kiley brings his record collection to school still disturbs me!

Re the "Water Follies of 1942," the following is quoted from a report in the NY Herald-Tribune: "The State has a large tank on stage with two diving boards and a tropical backdrop. Though the formation swimming is sometimes tedious, and Buster Crabbe does not have room to demonstrate adequately his speed and skill in the water, the comic and serious diving is excellent, and the Hopkins Twins turn in a good performance of precision swimming. An added attraction is Gil Maison's dog act, an amusing little sequence performed on a stage which by that time was slippery from the overflow of the tank." Variety, however, was more critical, claiming that "the tank was much too small and allows too little visibility of the swimmers inside it. Two or three strokes enabled the swimmers to negotiate the distance from wall to wall. A group of ten swimming belles performed various formations that proved boring except for their forms divine." With Universal's first-run "Butch Minds the Baby" on screen, the engagement grossed $18,000 in its first and only week, which Variety described as both "disappointing" and one of the State's "worst in a long time." The previous week, the State grossed $42,000 with the second-run "To Be Or Not To Be" on screen and vaudeville topped by James Barton and the Ciro Rimac Orchestra.

I am still baffled that I have no memory of this theatre, though i moved to NYC in '82 and began working a block from Times Square in '87, probably right before this theatre closed (if it closed in late February '87).

I can't even remember what the theatre looked like and have no memory if I was ever in here. I wrote before that I remember seeing "Blue Thunder" in the early-to-mid 1980s in Times Square and research shows it played at the State so maybe. I also caught AGAINST ALL ODDS on original release back in the 80's and know I saw it in Times Square. I always assumed that it was at the Embassy II, III, IV in one of the upstairs theatres, but I remember how steep the steps were, but the Times ad has AAO playing at the State, so...

The Embassy II, III, IV had the balcony carved in two, while the State's balcony theater featured the entire original balcony area and used the original upper proscenium arch to house the screen. Most of the upper side wall and ceiling ornamentation was intact and visible from the State's upstairs theater (which would have been the State 2). The downstairs theater had a relatively low ceiling (due to the extension of the balcony overhang to accommodate the theater upstairs) and had sidewalls that were completely obscured by drapery that blended in with the screen curtains. The building that housed the State was very similar in design to that which houses the Embassy II, III, IV so that might be where your confusion is setting in. Both were also on the same side of Times Square and occupied northeast corner lots.

I'm trying to remember if the State featured those TV monitors under the canopy that would run coming attractions loops to advertise the movies playing inside. I remember the National (one block south of the State) definitely had them. I don't think any of the Embassy Theaters (including the short-lived Embassy V in the fomer Victoria) had them.

That is odd that I don't have any memory at all of the State. Not only can't I remember it from the 1980s, I can't even remember what was on that block after the theatre closed in '87. There was a long gap between the closing of the State in '87 and opening of the Virgin/four theatres in '96 and I am drawing a blank on what was there. And I worked on Sixth Avenue a block away so I was in Times Square often.

I must have seen AGAINST ALL ODDS in the upstairs theatre at the State if if looked like those steep upstairs theatres at the Embassy.

When you research these things -- about where you saw what films -- it is amazing what tricks your memory plays. I could swear I saw a film in a certain theatre and find that it wasn't even playing at the theatre where I thought I saw it.

As best as I can recall, it was just a hole in the ground during the years between the Loew's buidling's demolition and the construction of Virgin complex and Bertlesmann Building that rises above it. You would have seen nothing by blue construction shedding (plastered with posters and such) at the time. I remember the same for the Rivoli site - although I don't believe that lot stood vacant for quite as long as did the State's.

And I've definitely experienced the same disorientation when trying to confirm suspicions as to the theaters where I saw certain films. I used to keep a log back around 1979 through 1984 or so which tracked each movie I saw, the theater I attended and the admission price paid. I sure wish I could find that damn book today! I'm still looking around, believe me!

Here's a pre-opening ad for "The Blackboard Jungle." Please note that the "world premiere" took place on a Saturday morning, apparently to attract every juvenile delinquent within the Greater New York area:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/bboard.jpg

Thanks, Warren. I wonder if that 8:30 AM showing was the one Richard Brooks attended, when he stormed into the projection booth and made them crank up the volume for "Rock Around the Clock".

I don't know how many of you have seen the Biography two hour program on the early rock and roll songwriters of the Brill buiding but it is a must.
Great footage of Times Square during the era and great color film of the camera sweeping from the Astor to Loew's State. Though this might have been before the era they were talking about with Stalag 17 and The Moon is Blue playing. I think 7 Year Itch was playing at the State but the entire marquee was not shown.
Anyway the Square sure looked magnificent.
Better than Florence during the Renaissance!

A b&w pic of the state, but I can't make out the marquee
http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Theatres/?action=view¤t=LoewsState-1.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch16

Nice one Robert.

Vincent's comments above re Biography ("Long live early R'n'R!") and the archival footage of the Times Square area reminded me of just how fast the Manhattan scene can change.

In an earlier post, I'd remarked about observing some of the filming of "The Godfather" back in '71. The building formerly occupied by Best & Co. (5th & 51st) had already been closed for a year when Coppola & Puzo made the realtors an offer they couldn't refuse. Fifth Avenue between 51st and 52nd was sealed off by the NYPD, snow blowers and 1945-era taxis were in place, and the front windows of the store were stocked with colorful Christmas gift items and apparel. As soon as the Francis the Director was satisfied with the rushes of Michael and Kay's holiday shopping jaunt, demolition began.

One year later, just prior to the movie's premiere at the State, a new building, a towering building of glass, chrome and steel - the Aristotle J. Onassis Building - was in place and open for business on the corner where Best & Co. had been. That's PDQ in my book, folks!

During the Easter holidays in April, 1954, Loew's State resumed stage shows for a two-week engagement:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/ella54.jpg
This was apparently due to a lack of "live" competition. Radio City Music Hall was the only other midtown theatre with a stage show, its annual Easter pageant with "Rose Marie" on screen. The Roxy was still presenting only CinemaScope movies ("Prince Valiant" by this time). Curiously, the Roxy seemed to think that CinemaScope was a big enough draw on its own. But patrons at RCMH got CinemaScope with "Rose Marie" PLUS a stage show, so the Roxy seemed at a disadvantage.

Has anybody seen Rose Marie in cinemascope? Is it any good or is it one of those low budget muddy ansco color studio bound remakes MGM seemed to be grinding out at the time.

In 1954, with the first NYC showing of "GWTW" on wide screen with stereophonic sound:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/gwtwstate.jpg

Nice photo, Warren. The "Kill the movie tax" sign hanging under the canopy reminds me of the "Stop Pay TV" notices that I've seen spelled out on 42n Street grind houses in photos from the early 1970's. I've never heard of a the movie tax. I suspect it was a movement in Congress that was defeated...? Any illumination on that topic?

Great film clips of the premiere of Jimmy Stewart's THUNDER BAY. Hopefully this hasn't been posted earlier. Film is dated 1953.

http://creative.gettyimages.com/source/Film/filmresultsmain.aspx?source=quickSearchFilm&txtSearch=42nd+street&brand=14

Here's a Loew's block ad from 1986:
NY Times 10/27/86

The State is listed way down the ad as just another screen showing the tepid (and somewhat tasteless) comedy "Soul Man" - no more important to the circuit than, say, the Loew's 84th Street Six. The 2nd State screen was evidently booked like an extension of the grind houses on nearby 42nd Street that day, playing a double bill of "Friday the 13th, Part VI" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street, Part II" and not listed in this block.

Some twenty three years earlier:
Yum Yum - Daily News 11/25/63

The Jack Lemmon comedy was a month into its run, day-and-dating with the Trans-Lux on E. 52nd, the Brooklyn Fox and other unlisted nabes. The clipping is from the day of JFK's funeral, which explains why these theaters (and the entire Rugoff chain) weren't opening until 6pm.

In Spring of 2006, the theaters located below ground in the Virgin Mega Store and still named "Loew's State" were closed. The theaters remain, but nothing is being shown (August 2006). Apparently, despite the addition of foreign films (mostly Hindi language) to the regularly scheduled attractions, there was not enough business to merit keeping them open. A visitor to the site is met with a cloth-ribbon barrier and a darkened boxoffice.

Thanks for the update, E. Summer. The newer Loew's State quad that replaced the old above-ground Loew's State discussed on this page has its listing on Cinema Treasures, which may be found here as the Loews State Theater 4. Folks have been confusing the two pages forever on this site.

E. Summer, You should have posted that post here.

http://cinematreasures.org/theater/4099/

There is a thread for the new Loews State 4. There wanted to let the lease run out and that also came at a time when the AMC merger.

1972 Lady Sing's the Blues
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/11-1-72-1.jpg

Intertesting to note in the above ad, I believe "Trouble Man" was the final film to play at the DeMille Theatre. There was a fire in the balcony during the film's run.

"X Y & Z" day and dating with the Orpheum
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/2-20-72.jpg

In the above ad, I noticed the reissue of "A Man for All Seasons" (1966) at the Fine Arts. I miss those reissues. Home video killed 'em.

1953 Cinemascope and Marilyn Monroe needed 2 Broadway houses
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/How2MarryaMillionaire.jpg

If you look closely at the reflections in this cafeteria window on Broadway between 45th and 46th Streets, you'll see the titles of the films playing at the Loew's State Twin across the street. The image dates from October, 1970, and it seems that when Lee Marvin in "Monte Walsh" moved into the State 2, "Lovers and Other Strangers" (which had been playing in #2 since 8/12/70 according to Ron3853's July 21st, 2004, post) moved downstairs to accommodate it.

Dean & Jerry in Vista Vision
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/3ringcircus.jpg

This photo was posted above somewhere, but seems fitting to accompany RobertR's posting of the advertisement for the film on the marquee.

Thanks Robert and Ed (and whoever originally posted the picture) for the ad and the picture. The ad makes "3 Ring Circus" sound like the second VistaVision film after "White Christmas", but I always thought that was "Strategic Air Command". Anyway, it must've been one of the very first VistaVision releases.

I originally posted the photo last February. I'm now removing it from my scrapbook since there's no need to display it twice.

Seventy-three years later, these stage headliners are still celebrated, but the movies quickly faded into obscurity:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/loparade.jpg

47th Anniversary "World Premiere" invitational 'test' screening.
William Wyler's BEN-HUR.MGM Camera 65 [Ultra Panavision 70-6 channel stereophonic sound]. Cinema Centre-Motion Picture Research Library- screening facility. Saturday, November 18th 7:30 p.m. Pre-screening reception and dining.

Archives... What exactly does "test" screening mean? A test of the Library's 70mm equipment? A test of the print's quality? Is it a vintage print that has been cleaned up or a newly struck print from restored elements? My curiosity is piqued.

Thanks for the question. It is a test of the restored 70mm Norelco projectors that have been in storage (origin St. James Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ installed at the theatre in July 1958 and removed to Cinema Centre storage in May 1972 - first 70mm film at that location being SOUTH PACIFIC and last 70mm film being CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH). The print is a special archival item privately screened at the St. James facility in July 1969. As you may be aware (or not) the 1969 release of BEN-HUR at the Palace in New York was a trimmed down version and fashioned for standard 70mm exhibition at said theatre and several others. It contained no Overture, Intermission or Entr'acte. Several 35mm scope prints of this edition were made also. As the demand for this film was high, MGM supplied theatres with remaining 35mm mag/optical prints previously struck in 1960 and 1961. For the local release, Monmouth County, NJ area, in 1970, after "raodshow", the Lyric Theatre, Asbury Park exhibited the full 1960 mag/optical print using their stereo penthouse and channeling the 4 tracks to the one and only center behind the screen speaker. Why you may ask, part of Walter Reade, Jr. compliance with 20th Century-Fox directives of using the magnetic tracks (legal situation presented and resolved). The new 35mm trimmed print of BEN-HUR made it's debut at the Algonquin Theatre, Manasquan, NJ. The 1969 trim was very interesting and even the chariot race was a few turn arounds shorter. For the 16mm standard and scope release for non-theatrical exhibition, Films Incorporated offered both versions. As you may have note, before a film was offered to one of the major contracted networks, it would be released again in the theatre. As for BEN-HUR, it hit CBS on February 1971 complete version, minus the Overture, etc. The same was done by 20th-Fox for CLEOPATRA in 1971. A trimmed 70mm-stereo version was exhibited at the Ziegfeld, New York following a subsequent ABC-TV presentation (complete with marble slab semi-nude Taylor scene) in 1972. Films Incorporated again offred both versions and the first video release of CLEOPATRA, contracted to Magnetic Video, which became CBS/Fox video, was the trimmed version. This trimmed version was also used for WOR-TV "Million Dollar Movie" presentation and also found itself into HBO and Cinemax presentations. On CLEOPATRA, I saw the first cut of the film as two separate entities CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA and ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. Although they were magnificent, I do prefer the cut that finally premiered at the Rivoli, New York. The first part had Cleopatra seen before the "rug presentation to Caesar" and that scene was not as powerful as in the "premiere" cut. For historical curiosity, if available, they should be released. However, the current available print, and video release, should remain standard, even when the end of the DVD special release misplaced the Entr'acte at the end of the First Acte. There are so many interesting items on theatres, exhibition, prints that I have experienced. I find that Cinema Treasures offers a vast venue for those discovering these wonderful theatres and individual involved in the mainstream of their operations (the personal recollections). I and yourself have seen a revival of extreme interest in theatres being reborn for the exhibition of cinematic masterpieces in their original form, and not just revival houses. The public and cinema enthusiasts are hungry for a theatre and film that will compliment their inward dreams, hopes, aspirations, etc. broadly presented in original form and under ideal situations. For there is a case in point on my part - The Paramount Theatre in Long Branch, NJ - Spanish/Moorish - used it for several screenings after it's closing in September 1959. I pursued the issue of having this theatre, enthusiatically in 1975, after the demise of the Mayfair and St.James Theatres, Asbury Park, both of which, I was the exclusive archival photographer of their unfortunate destruction, to become a film theatre completely restored to its 1931 splendour, exhibiting 70mm, 35mm flat/scope, mag/op and curve-screen three-panel and 70mm curve-screen films. Now the dreams starts to become a reality from the proposal to the City of Long Branch in 1997 and the final reality in 2008. I am currently overlooking a delicate restoration and preservation of Samuel Bronston's CINERAMA CIRCUS WORLD and have moved forward to examining an extraordinary original print of George Stevens' THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD with total Alfred Newman score and no Verdi or Handel replacements (including the so-called ROBE crucfixion sequences for "The Resurrection of Lazarus" that leads to Intermission. GREATEST STORY was not intented as entertainment or a "preach to you" film. As envisioned, and is evident in the scroll up "parchment" titles, it is a flowing series of meditations - Jesus of Nazareth" - a "Triumph of the Spirit of Humanity" production. There never was a 260 minute version. I screened the assembled fine cut December 1964 and attended the World Premiere in February 1965. Was I expecting a Samuel Bronston KING OF KINGS? No! The film is only workable and has it's impact in 70mm Cinerama, just as at the Warner Cinerama - as an incredible experience. Fact! The contemplative nature of George Stevens' GREATEST STORY drove the vision of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: a space Odyssey. Again thanks, for the comment Mr. Solero for people like yourself will bring about great expereinces who those to relive and those to discover. My gratitude again.

Catching up on a pair of August posts...

1) EdSolero, based on your 8/6 post, I viewed a newly-acquired DVD of Universal-International Newsreels last evening. One dated 7-17-53 gave us an answer to your "Kill the movie tax" query. Following headline coverage of the Korean War Truce, this particular segment had to do with the repeal of the movie tax by Congress. The repeal bill was introduced by Rep. Noah Mason, and the whopping 20% tax (!) was dropped as harmful to the financial well-being of small- to medium-size theater operations throughout the nation. In the filmed interview, Mason went on to state that the loss of the tax was in no way harmful to the U.S. Treasury.

2) 42nd Street Memories * Jerry Kovar mentioned James Stewart's "Thunder Bay" in his 8/15 post. This movie showed up on an end-of-1952 U/I newsreel clip which credited it as being the first movie produced in CinemaScope. Here on the pages of CT and also written elsewhere, that distinction always seemed to go to "The Robe." Is there somehow a very fine line between production and release? Which debuted first?

BrooklynJim,

This is from IMDB.....

Although filmed in the standard 1.37-1 aspect ratio, Thunder Bay was chosen by Universal-International as its first wide screen feature, accomplishing this by cropping the top and bottom and projecting it at 1.85-1 at Loew's State Theatre in New York City, as well as other sites. Its initial presentation also marked UI's first use of directional stereophonic sound. jerry

Also remember that Fox had the the patients on the process. The other studios had to rent the lenses for their productions from Fox at the time. And MGM did the same type of cropping for the 1954 re-release of "Gone With the Wind" at the State for a Widescreen presentation.

Thx, Jerry & William. I had forgotten to mention that the late 1952 U/I Newsreel clip of "Thunder Bay" featured the marquee of Loew's State in the background, clear as day. Stereophonic sound, as noted elsewhere for the "GWTW" re-release, was new for the '53-'54 era.

Will check further on "The Robe."

The re-framed "wide screen" presentations of films such as "Thunder Bay" started in the period between the introductions of Cinerama and CinemaScope, which were the first authentic wide screen processes since Grandeur and others circa 1929-30.

This is a 1940's photo of Times Square. The Loew's State is on the left.

MGM was never revered for its westerns but produced many, including this 1950 release that was advertised as a Technicolor "spectacle" to raise it above the countless B&W oaters on home TV. This image also gives a good view of the 1540 Broadway entrance to the Loew Building, whose offices were entirely occupied by Loew's, Inc. and its many subsidiaries. Even after the divorcement, Loew's Theatres remained there for a number of years until being acquired by the Tisch brothers, who moved the circuit's HQ to 666 Fifth Avenue:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/loew1540.jpg

Another western, this time from Columbia Pictures in 3D and Technicolor and projected on a wide screen (August, 1953): www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/goloews.jpg

Lost Memory, your last photo (post Jan 7) dates from after March 18, 1944. Across the street from the State at the Astor Theatre the film playing is "See Here, Private Hargrove" (MGM), which opened in NYC on March 18th, 1944 at the Astor.

Thanks William. To be honest, I didn't pay any attention to the movie title on the Astor marquee. :)

The following is excerpted from an article headlined "Loew's State Gets Complete Overhaul" in the March 22, 1959 issue The New York Times: "An $800,000 modernization program is transforming the interior and exterior of Loew's State Theatre at Broadway and Forty-sixth Street. The seating capacity is being reduced to provide additional store space along the Forty-fifth Street side of the building...The theatre is in an eighteen-story building, which also contains the headquarters of the Loew theatre chain. It is costing as much to remodel the theatre as it did to erect both the theatre and the office building thirty-eight years ago, according to Loew executives. Two hundred laborers and technicians have been working since January to complete the job for an Easter Sunday premiere of 'Some Like It Hot,' starring Marilyn Monroe...The house is being practically rebuilt. The plans were drawn by John McNamara, architect. Holby & Hewes, Inc., is the contractor. The baroque interior, typical of movie houses built in the Twenties, has been stripped away. The remodeling, inside and out, is along contemporary lines...The new State will have 1,807 lounge chairs in the orchestra. There will be forty inches of leg room between the rows of seats. Placement of the seats will be staggered to give the audience unobstructed sightlines to the screen...The balcony is being reduced almost to half its original size. The projection booth has been shifted from high on the rear wall down to the rim of the balcony, decreasing distortion of the new wide-screen image...The lobby, cashiers' booths and entrance are being redone. The lobby ceiling has been lowered six feet...The theatre will have a cantilevered marquee equipped with vents to blow warm air on the sidewalk in the winter and cool air in the summer. The exterior of the office building is being cleaned of thirty-eight years' accumulation of grime...Two buildings-- now almost concealed by billboards-- adjoining the Loew's building and owned by Loew's will be divested of their advertising displays and remodeled into store and office buildings. The buildings, one of which housed a Howard Johnson Restaurant, was badly damaged by fire at the beginning of February. The old buildings originally were homes built almost 100 years ago."

This vintage image from 1907 shows the blockfront later occupied by Loew's State and the Loew's Inc. office building. I believe that the two buildings at the left (corner of 46th Street) are those mentioned in the NYT article. Everything south of those two buildings was demolished to make way for the theatre and office building. The mammoth building in the background is the Olympia complex and its glass-enclosed roof gardens, which covered the entire blockfront of Broadway between 45th and 44th Streets:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/stateblock.jpg

Songwriter and music producer Artie Wayne worked here at age 17 as an usher and sidewalk "barker." A photo in his snazzy uniform and cap can be seen at www.artiewayne.com/photos.html

Does anyone remember a Mr. Pearl that was a manager at the Loew's State sometime in the 1930's or 1940's?

The upper right background of this 1957 photo gives a rare view of the Loew's State vertical sign in its fully-lighted cycle. After that, the sign went briefly dark, then gradully re-lighted, one letter at a time until the whole name blazed and then the entire process started over again. I can't make out the booking at the State, but "The Story of Esther Costello" opened at the Palace on 11/6/57, at which time the State was presenting "The Tin Star" (followed on 11/13 by "Zero Hour"):
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/palstate57.jpg

OK: So I am guessing one of you guys must know the answer to this mystery:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/423213241/

I remember seeing this building while it was still running. But I will never remember the name.

This is the Embassy 2/3/4, better known by its previously known names DeMille and Mayfair.

Pauls right that's the Embassy 2/3/4.

Kitty Carlisle Hart, who died recently at age 96, played three vaudeville engagements here before she married Moss Hart and temporarily retired from showbiz to raise a family. The first was for the week of March 10, 1939, when (as Kitty Carlisle) she topped a vaudeville bill that also included Walter Powell & His Orchestra, Benny Ross & Maxine Stone, Rolf Holbein, and Al Gordon's Racketeers. The movie was the second-run "Topper Takes a Trip," which had previously played Radio City Music Hall. A year later, during the week of March 22, 1940, Carlisle appeared in the State's Easter holiday show, though she took second billing to George Jessel, with The Hartmans, Gil & Bernice Maison, and the Chester Hale Dancers also on the program. The film was the first-run "House Across the Bay," with Victor Mature and Joan Bennett. Carlisle's final booking at the State was for the week of January 30, 1941, second-billed this time to James Barton, with Dixie Dunbar, Lew Parker, the Knight Sisters, and the Frank Paris Marionettes also taking part. The movie was the second-run "Comrade X" (Clark Gable-Hedy Lamarr), a move-over from the Capitol.

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

Respectfully,

Don Griffiths
Cinema Centre CEO

On the day after Christmas in 1947, the Greater New York area had one of the worst blizzards in its history, with upwards of four feet of snow in some areas. Here's a view of midtown, looking south from Duffy Square. The movie advertised on the side wall of the Loew Building had already had a record-breaking run at Loew's Criterion and was then playing the Loew's neighborhood circuit:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/blizz47.jpg

At the listing for Radio City Music Hall, I once posted about "Lost Horizon" playing a move-over engagement there (with stage revue) in 1937 after the Frank Capra epic had its roadshow run at the Globe Theatre. But I've just discovered that after two weeks at RCMH, "Lost Horizon" had yet another move-over in midtown, this time to Loew's State, where it ran for a week with the accompaniment of vaudeville that included Dave Apollon's nine-piece Filipino band, singing comedian Cass Daley, Anavan & Her Adagio Boys, the Hollywood Co-Eds, Max & His Dogs, and what a Variety reviewer described as "twelve pink-cheeked chorus girls in a gaudy cafe set. The entire performance runs about an hour due to the length of the film. Biz, good."

Premiering at Loew's State, the Beacon and a theatre near you
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a13/ChmnofBrd/Movie%20Ads/ChangeofMind1975.jpg

When the State reached its 21st birthday in August, 1942, Loew's released some interesting statistics. Since opening on 8/29/21, the State had sold about 100,000,000 tickets, with $51,326 the largest week's gross (in 1939, with Eddie Cantor topping the vaudeville bill). Over those twenty-one years, Loew's had spent $6.3 million for the State's stage entertainers. The State's 21st birthday booking had the winners of the NY Daily News' annual "Harvest Moon Ball" heading the vaudeville, with "Mrs. Miniver" on screen. The MGM movie previously had a record-breaking run at Radio City Music Hall, along with the customary stage revue.

I remember being taken into Manhattan in June 1970 to see "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" at Loew's State 2. I was a huge fan of the original "Apes" from 1968, but was too young then (8 years old) to have enough brains to get myself taken to the Capitol Theatre where the original opened. Anyway, my memory of the Loew's State 2 was that you could definitely tell a much larger theatre had been cut in two. I do remember the ceiling being relately low, as someone mentioned above. Too bad they had to do that to what must have been a grand place. I also recall seeing, before "Beneath" started, the trailer for "Kelly's Heroes." I'm not a big fan of "Beneath" these days, though the original "Apes" is still my favorite film, but I am a big fan of "Kelly's Heroes." I wish I'd seen that one instead!

The opening description needs to be re-written as it seems to contain errors in every paragraph -- the twinning was later than the early 60s, the theater wasn't gutted, it was razed, and the woebegone replacement State is already history.

Rory: I too saw "Beneath" at the Loew's State 2. What a comedown from the 1968 original, but it was good for a few laughs. More than a few, now that I look back on it. Even the closing credits were funny: Victor Buono was listed as "Fat Man" and black actor Don Pedro Colley was billed as "Negro".

Bill: Thanks for the response. I have all the "Apes" films on DVD but I really can't stand watching any but the original, which remains THE favorite film of my childhood, though I only saw it originally at the Wantagh Theatre on the Island. I wish I'd seen it first at the Capitol. The strangest thing for me, as I remember, after seeing "Beneath" at the Loew's State 2 was coming out into New York City and taking a bus back down to the Staten Island Ferry and looking at the streets of Manhattan and thinking, "This is all going to be a buried ruin in two thousand years!" Ah, the suspension of disbelief you had as a kid at the movies.

Rory: I had a similar reaction after seeing "Beneath". My cousin and I went to see "The Out-of-Towners" at Radio City Music Hall later that day. When we got within sight of the theater my cousin said, "There's Radio City - before the apes got to it!"

That reminds me... The same Great Aunt I had that took me to see "Beneath" at the Loew's State 2 (She lived on Staten Island.)sometime later took me to see "A New Leaf" at Radio City Music Hall. Now, that had to be THE best theatre to see a movie at in Manhattan. Just spectacular. Imagine what it must have been like when "King Kong" was there!

Someday Radio City will show movies to the public again, even if it's only for one night. I just hope it's in my lifetime :)

Thanks for the photo, Bryan. Times Square may not have been a very save place to visit back in those days, but it sure was an exciting place to see a major new movie. I miss the Loew's State 1 & 2.

Could someone please fix the opening remarks.

Saps, done! For the record, here are the now out of dated opening remarks since replaced:
Originally a single screen theater, the State was twinned in the early 1960's.

During the late 1990's, as part of a massive redevelopment of Times Square, the theater was gutted to make way for one of the first US locations of the Virgin Megastore.

Today, movies are still shown at the State, but the theater survives in name only. Some sixty feet below street level, in the basement of the Virgin store, there is a four-screen multiplex, also known as the State.

The introduction virtually ignores the most important facet of the history of Loew's State-- vaudeville. In its first decades, the stage shows were the main attraction, and the movies mostly second-run. After the Palace dropped vaudeville in the wake of the Depression, Loew's State was considered the #1 vaudeville house in the USA. During his lifetime, it was Marcus Loew's favorite theatre, and also the first that he actually built in the Broadway/Times Square district.

Wasnt the Midland in Kansas City Loews favorite theater? I thought I read that somewhere........

Howard you posted in the intro. "The theatre was later more sub-divided" and closing date. What was more sub-divided?

Warren, unlike the prior introduction which I posted above for the record, the current introduction does at least mention vaudeville. A short list of famous vaudeville acts appearing at the Loew's State would be appreciated.

Also, I used an online list of 70mm WORLD premieres to post them in the introduction. If there's a list of WORLD premieres of famous 35mm films at the Loew's State, that would be appreciated, too.

And, I didn't read how the theater was further divided up from being a twin. That, too, would be appreciated.

William,
Warren's post of Feb 3, 2004 said the theater was more sub-divided.

Howard, Thanks, just read the Warren's post again. It was twinned when it closed. They didn't make it a tri-plex or a Quad?

Warren can you give us more information on this "more sub-dividing".

The original State closed as a twin. A NY Times "Going Out" feature (a precursor to the weekend guide currently featured in the Friday paper) dated February 19th, 1987, makes note of the theatre's closing (on that very day) and confirms that it was a "twin" at the time. The final attractions were Richard Pryor's "Critical Condition" in State 1 and Eddie Murphy's "The Golden Child" in State 2. Admission price: $6 bucks.

Thanks, Ed. Unless there's any any objections (remember, I'm a lawyer), that issue is settled. Eventually, a correction will be made to the Introduction, but let's wait a while and see if other nuggets turn up like major vaudeville stars who appeared at the Loew's State, and WOLRD premieres of major 35mm films.

I don't understand the obsession with who performed here and what movies were shown. If they didn't get to the State, it would have been to one of the State's rivals. In the case of vaudeville, many of the same performers appeared at the Paramount, Capitol, Roxy, Strand, Palace, and Radio City Music Hall at one time or another.

Warren... Howard and others here are merely interested in providing the sort of informative and comprehensive introductory description that this great and storied theatre deserves at the top of this page. Information about performances and movie premieres are some of the details they'd like to recap and include in an effort to update and improve that introduction.

Howard... the revision you submitted is a vast improvement over the inadequate blurb that had been in place previously. Many thanks for that and for your continued efforts to provide an even better introduction!

Minor correction to the commentary that mentioned the Three Smoothies as "probably a tap group." They were a singing trio consisting of brothers Little Ryan and Charlie Ryan, plus Arlene "Babs" Johnson. And they were very milquetoast.

-paghat the ratgirl

This ad for the Labor Day weekend of 1942 lists every Loew's theatre in the Greater New York market at that time, including three in New Jersey. The Loew's State booking of "Mrs. Miniver" was a move-over from Radio City Music Hall, where the film had a record-breaking run:
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/loews9342.jpg

Here is a March 1959 ad from the NYT:
http://tinyurl.com/39gxul

Some Like It Hot was released in the U.S. on March 29, 1959.

Not to be confused with another "Some Like It Hot," a Bob Hope comedy released by Paramount Pictures in 1939. Billy Wilder purchased the right to use the title, after which Hope's "Some Like It Hot" became known for reissue purposes as "Rhythm Romance."

The Godfather at Loew's State, 6/4/72

Here are new links to images of the original auditorium and the first "modernization" in 1959:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/124-2453_IMG.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/124-2456_IMG.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/124-2458_IMG.jpg

The 3/59 ad for 'Some Like It Hot' linked above is touting the remodeled Loew's State. The small print at the bottom of the ad states, "New 'Easy Chair' Orchestra Lounger Seats Properly Spaced * New Multi-Channel HI-FI Stereo Sound * New Screen Magic * New Robot-Controlled All Weather Air Conditioning". That last point brings to mind images of Rosie, the maid from 'The Jetsons', rolling down the aisle and adjusting the thermostat :-)

I'm sure that "robot-controlled" means the same as "remote-controlled." There were never any actual robots roaming Loew's State or any other theatre that I know of.

The concept of robot-controlled air conditioning just sounds so cool, '50's style. I hope the new Indiana Jones movie, which takes place in 1957, has some of that same kind of '50's feel.

I know what it means, Warren, but when somebody says 'robot' most of us over a certain age think of Rosie from The Jetsons, or that thing on Lost in Space (DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!) or R2D2.

Or ROBBY, from "Forbidden Planet". As far as I'm concerned, he's tied with Gort ("The Day the Earth Stood Still") for Best Movie Robot.

The first robots to make an impression in the TV era were probably those in the 1935 Gene Autry serial, "Phantom Empire," which was widely syndicated in the days when the TV industry was just starting to produce programming of its own and relied greatly on old movies.

First visited here for "Somebody Up There Likes Me." When I saw "Love Story" for the first time here, I think I went in with a bit of an "OK, show me" attitude. Gotta admit: It got to me.

In its heydey
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/310/2032/1600/easter2.jpg

The "heyday" of Loew's State ended in December, 1947, when it dropped vaudeville and became just another of many first-run cinemas in the area. Please see my posting above of 2/14/05 for more details.

Yes but it was reborn as one of the citys great roadshow houses.

I don't recall any "great roadshow houses" in New York City. In my opinion, they were just architectural desecrations of classic theatres-- Capitol, State, Strand, Rivoli, Palace, Criterion, Mayfair, and (briefly) Roxy.

Who ever thought that knocking this treasure down and replacing it with a four screen complex and retail space hopefully is gainfully unemployed. Not only has the four-plex closed years ago, now it's announced the giant Virgin Megastore is closing early 2009. It was ridiculous having the theaters threes stories down inside the Megastore with virtually no marquee, just a thin zipper type LED sign, hidden among the glitz of the Megastore signage to alert movies goers to what was playing. Who knows what is going to take the space, it is huge but there are no movie theaters in Times Square proper and that really should be unacceptable. What a waste.

Whats an even bigger waste is the fact that they tore down a grand old palace (even after twinning) for something that barely lasted 20 years total. And after the 4-plex opened, all it accomplished was insulting the great name "Loews State".

It barely lasted 14 years, but at the time a state-of the-art quad in Times Square sounded pretty good. I remember Richard Branson trying to get it away from Loews in order to launch his Virgin Cinemas in the states.

You are right Al, a new quad did sound great. Only problem was it was done all wrong.

Here's a photo of the Loew's Stat 1 & @ taken in 1976

http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/category/classic-movie-theaters/

Here's a longitudinal blueprint of the original sub-division into Loew's State 1 and 2. With its low ceiling and plain walls, the main floor auditorium was like a shoe box, and to be avoided if possible. The upstairs retained much of the stage proscenium and ceiling dome, though they were re-painted in plain, modernistic colorings: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/state1-2.jpg

Blue? Yes. Blueprint? No. It's a sketch.

Fascinating illustration, Warren.

And a footnote on earlier postings: It's interesting that when Loew's State was twinned and reopened with two roadshow family musicals, "Oliver" went into State 1 and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" into 2.

"Oliver" was a conspicuously better movie in every respect and yet it went into the auditorium that was slightly smaller in capacity and significantly less impressive in ambiance and decor.

Maybe Loew's anticipated the quicker fade of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and decided that the smaller auditorium would be a better fit for a long run of "Oliver." Newer releases then would have the benefit of the extra seating upstairs.

I remember going to see "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" at the Loew's in June 1970 when I was ten years old. I also recall it was the upstairs auditorium -- I remember the climb -- and that "Beneath" was at Loew's State 2, so that means State 1 was the lower, I guess. I would have thought it was the other way around.

"Lost Memory," it seems that you saw red, not blue. Give it a rest, sweetie pie!

Blue, red, whatever. I always find both Warren G's and Lost Memories posts fascinating. The point here is, and always will be, that it was a SIN that this place was ever demolished in the first place. And that goes double for the Capitol.

It was a sin it got split!

I have no idea what your talking about "Warren". Maybe I should hire a translator.

I think Warrens blue drawing is what architects call a 'section-through'.

No quotation marks are needed around my name. I haven't learned to walk on water...yet!

One of my clearest memories of Loew's State 2, aside from the movies I saw there, were the enormous tassels they had on the show curtain. Those tassels were bigger than today's average multiplex theater :)

I agree with Rory, this place should have NEVER been split. My greatest memory of this place was just before it was twinned. I was on a school trip to see "Doctor Doolittle" with Rex Harrison, and our school was seated in the balcony. What a grand place that was. And to dave-bronx, I think they may refer to it as a 'cross-section', but I'm not sure.

Here's a look at an old postcard from 1963 with the Loew's (still) playing MUTINY AT THE BOUNTY: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pulp-o-rama/3070222421/in/set-72057594129975085/

Here's a new link to a 1937 view of Loew's State with a second-run movie and vaudeville topped by Jimmy Dorsey & Orchestra. Directly behind in the background are the marquees of the Embassy Newsreel, boasting the latest on the war in China, and the RKO Palace, with a second-run double bill of "Confession" & "Love Under Fire." In the center background is the Seventh Avenue vertical sign of the Rivoli Theatre: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/state1937.jpg

On March 26, Swann Auction Galleries will be selling the original design for the neon sign built to advertise the Ben Hur premiere at the Loew's State in 1959. I thought you might be interested in this image on the Swann site:
http://swanngalleries.rfcsystems.com/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=2174+++++224+&refno=++613042

This is random, but does anyone know if Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome played at this theater in the summer of 1985? I was going to summer school in Manhattan (up from Florida) and we used to go to the movies after we got out school for the day. The only two movies I saw in TS were Mad Max and Fright Night. Cannot remember where Fright Night was but it was surrounded by a bunch of porn theaters around 47-49th streets, but I have a feeling Mad Max may have been at the State. If anyone knows if it played there, I'd appreciate it.

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome opened on July 10th, 1985.
RKO Century's Warner Twin In Times Square in 70MM
Loew's 84th Street Six in 70MM
Cinema 5's Beekman in 70MM
Cinema 5's Murray Hill in 70MM

It was the Warner Twin, then. Thanks!!

It was the Warner Twin, then. Thanks!!

William (or someone)- can you tell me what the RKO Warner Twin is listed under on this website? I tried RKO, I tried Warner... can't seem to find it. Thanks.

It's listed under its original name, the Strand:

http://cinematreasures.org/theater/2975/

Thanks, Bill. Appreciate it.

You're welcome, Kieran. I'm proud to say I saw 70mm Cinerama there, once: "Krakatoa East of Java" in 1969. Sure wish it was "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World", though.

Renewing link.

Not the best look.

http://americanclassicimages.com/Default.aspx?tabid=141&txtSearch=new+york&catpageindex=27&catpagesize=25&ProductID=31064

But I'd take that look in a heartbeat if it meant having a movie theater in Times Square once more. It's still hard to believe there isn't one left in the entire Square.

Here is a 1949 photo from Life magazine:
http://tinyurl.com/kqjg8p

Wow, I wish the streets were that empty all the time! Must have been taken on a Sunday morning.

There was a taxi strike, apparently.

Cool!

Here is a January 1936 photo from the NY Daily News:
http://tinyurl.com/nmhrm3

Nice shot from the Daily News.

Here's an inside view around the 1960's:
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/I?gottscho:1:./temp/~pp_g0YQ::displayType=1:m856sd=gsc:m856sf=5a26526:@@@gottsch

Not sure if it's just me, but I haven't been able to open that file last night or throughout this morning, Yorkville. Would really like to see the photo.

I don't think it's you Ed. The link doesn't work for me either. "Temporary file open error. Display failed."

I saw it last night and it's a beauty. Full auditorium view taken from the front/stage area.

Here are a few pages of photos from the LOC. Let me know if that photo is one of them.

Yes, photo posted on 7/26/09 is the one entitled "House from Stage."

Thanks saps. Now I'll be able to sleep tonight. LOL

I don't know how long these links will last so here is a link to just that one photo.

I cut school and saw a British import titled Venom with Klaus Kinski and Oliver Reed in 1982 in the upper theater. I was the only one there in what still remained a very large, opulent, and cavernous space!

Lost, I hope you had a good night's sleep, because guess what -- link stinks. Again.

Third time Is the charm saps. This is a direct link to the "House from Stage" photo. With a little luck, this link might last 36 hours.

Here is a December 1954 photo from Life magazine:
http://tinyurl.com/kjgrfk

Nice shot of the old man.

Strange how Jack Lemmon did not get his name up in lights for the movie "Phffft". I thought he and Judy Holliday were the stars of that film.

He was still relatively unknown, as I recall. I think his first film was in 1952, so perhaps he didn't merit star billing.

What 1952 film was Jack Lemmon in?

"It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy", I think. That's from memory, so I might be a little off.

As far as I can tell, "It Should Happen to You" was released in 1954.

That's probably right. I saw the movie but it was years ago at some repertory place in Philly.

It's still a great shot, though. Thanks, Ken.

It was only Jack's second film. For his fourth film, "Mister Roberts", he won an Oscar.

From LIFE (1944), an unusaul view of Loew's State can be seen here -
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l?imgurl=9367a933ed49da29&q=new%20york%20broadway%20source:life&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnew%2Byork%2Bbroadway%2Bsource:life%26hl%3Den

What's unusual is that I can hardly see the State -- but the Victoria http://cinematreasures.org/theater/2945/ across the street (playing "Wilson") is pretty clear.

The is some form of a sign above the marquee for a movie. But Darryl F. Zanuck would be proud that "Wilson" signs was plastered everywhere. "Kismet" was playing over at the Astor Theatre. The picture would be late Aug. or Sept 1944.

There is the first word in the above post.

I do not know the year perhaps some else does, Warren?
On stage Vaudevile and Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra
On screen Jack Benny "Artists and Models"

http://froggypic.com/image/08/e2390b2c5bdf1e0f7059de2c55fda8b3.jpg

Hi Vito! Good to see you're back on the site.

"Artists and Models" was a 1937 release:

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0028587/

Thanks Bill, I have been spending a lot of time in Hawaii, where I spent so many years. It was sad to see all of the theatres I worked at and loved in Hawaii are all gone.

1937 huh, well I was a bit too young to have gone to the State back then.Pictures like that show what we missed.

If you blow-up the picture, you can see the marquee of the Embassy Theatre when it was known as the Newsreel.

Good site New York New York.