International Theatre

In 1909 this theater, then being operated as the Majestic by the Shubert organization, was converted for a while into a combination movie and vaudeville house. The article about the Majestic in the June 12, 1909, issue of The Moving Picture World is worth quoting in its entirety for the glimpse it offers of the early days of movie exhibition in large theaters:

“The conversion of the Majestic Theater into a moving picture house is an event of first rate importance, for the Majestic, which is situated on Columbus Circle, is pretty well in the heart of New York City and it is a high-class theater, ranking with the best. Presumably the Shuberts, not wishing the house to remain dark in the Summer, are trying an experiment at the Majestic in giving exhibitions of moving pictures sandwiched between chunks of vaudeville. The result of the experiment will, of course, be watched with interest. If it succeeds, then we may expect other Broadway and uptown theaters to follow suit.

“The Majestic is a very large theater and it takes a great number of people to fill it. It is also a beautiful theater. Its situation is unrivaled for tapping a vast section of New York’s population. A little while ago, when writing about a neighboring moving picture house, I suggested that the district of Columbus Circle is one in which a first-class moving picture theater could be profitably placed. I wonder if the Shuberts have adopted my suggestion? If they have and they read this column, they will probably be glad of a few hints as to how to run their theater on a profit-paying basis.

“When I visited the house the other day there was a fair-sized audience. The programme consisted of vaudeville, songs, moving and talking pictures. The vaudeville was just tolerated. It is true that I was present in the afternoon, when things are generally flat and dull, but the audience was sufficiently large to enable me to form an opinion as to how they regarded this innovation at the Majestic. Their interest is chiefly centered in the pictures. These, however, I was sorry to observe, were a month or two old. Nevertheless, the Biograph and Pathe subjects attracted great attention, and, more remarkable still, a phenomenon in the moving picture theater, occasionally elicited considerable applause.

“It is a moot point whether the Majestic is not too large a house for moving pictures—the people at the back of it are a long way from them. Still, the enterprise of the Shuberts should not find any difficulty in filling the place. What is wanted, of course, is less vaudeville, or none at all, and more pictures. Not old subjects, but the very latest releases. Then the manager might try the effect of a little orchestral music, instead of the simple unaccompanied piano.

“Experience shows that the Keith & Proctor houses are successful with moving pictures alone, and there is no reason why the Majestic should not be as successful. Between Columbus Circle and 125th street, on the West Side, there are a large number of people who would, no doubt, be constant visitors to the house if a suitable program of pictures were provided. Then, of course, there is always a floating population of New York City in search of cheap entertainment.

“Evidently, then, the theater magnates of New York City are seriously considering the moving picture as a moneymaking proposition. Let them go about the business on the lines I have indicated and they will be successful. Half-and-half measures are worse than useless. A half-million of people in New York City daily want good pictures. This is probably a larger number than all the visitors to the vaudeville and theater houses combined and it is worth while catering for, in a liberal, intelligent and generous way.”

Many of Warren’s photo links are no longer working anymore.

As the UFA Cosmopolitan, this location was German films until at least 1931.

According to a publicity booklet put out by the Cinema Verdi for the 1944-45 season, this theatre, for a few months starting on January 14, 1944, was renamed the Cinema Verdi, with a policy of Italian films. With the selling of the theatre, “Cinema Verdi” moved to a new home on 8th Avenue at 41st Street in the Arena Theatre.

Here are new links to previously posted images:
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This is another photo that shows the Park Theater. Click on the photo to expand it.

Here’s a photo of the Park when its policy was “Motion Pictures Chosen With Discrimination For The Adult Intelligence.” Among the other double features were “The Grapes of Wrath” & the French “Carnival in Flanders”; “So Ends Our Night” and the French “Un Carnet de Bal”; Mamoulian’s “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and the French “Heart of Paris."
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/parkccinternational.jpg
And here’s a longshot of Columbus Circle at the time: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/parkcolumbus.jpg

It was razed for the building of the New York Coliseum and adjoining office tower. I think that the NY Convention Center was a much later name for the Coliseum, which had space for parking cars above the exhibition hall…The new Time-Warner Center has finally opened and includes offices, a shopping mall, restaurants, and a hotel. But not, as far as I know, any theatres.