Beekman Theatre
1254 Second Avenue,
New York,
NY
10021
1254 Second Avenue,
New York,
NY
10021
33 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 403 comments found
I remember the Beekman very well. What a wonderful theatre. I went there to see most of the Ingmar Bergman movies. The first was Wild Strawberries. I, and a few others, had arrived late to attend a concert at Lewisohn Stadium, and it had started raining. So we went to the Beekman instead. On other occasions, I saw Through a Glass Darkly and Winter Light – two of the Bergman classics.
We are definitely declining when it comes to taste and education about the arts and the past. While the video-game junk decor serves a purpose, it woud still be wonderful to see a multplex constructed to resemble the great movie palaces that are mostly lost…even if this construction were limited to the lobby and foyer areas. Imagine a new multiplex with a foyer like the landmarked foyer of the RKO Flushing, or a trim, sleek art deco/art moderne lobby like the Beekman’s original interior. Cost, cost, cost will be the objection to creating such a showplace. I am sure there would be ways around high costs…for example, a contest for the creation of a showplace lobby or foyer for a multiplex, the competitors being architecture and art students from local colleges and universities who would create a permanent grand space in return for college credit, or a smaller fee than an established firm would charge. However, the results might be lost on current generations who do not have appreciation for arts or history. Also, builders of multiplexes would not want a grand permanent interior because of the expense of maintaining it, demolishing it, or future battles over landmarking. It is easier and cheaper to build for obsolescence. SIGH
Compare the Beekman interior photos to the lobbies and waiting areas of today’s multiplexes, all junked up with video-game decor. Does someone want to make the case we’re more sophisticated today, other than electronically?
Here is a three page article about the Beekman, with several photos, in Boxoffice, June 7, 1952.
Woody Allen loved this theatre as most people know. He had most of his Premiers there!
Great image of the Beekman!
A 1986 image.
View link
Renewing link.
Google search exactly
Boxoffice November 22, 1952
and insert 162 and 170 for photos of Beekman foyer, including 1st from inside the auditorium!
Many other theaters have photos in this section, which I’m not posting but other people may wish to.
New York City has to be the only place in the world where residential tenants have more rights to a property than the property owner. Anywhere else a tenants right to occupy a particular property ends with expiration of the lease for the demised premises. Upon the expiration of said lease, the property owner may offer a renewal but is not obligated to do so.
The legal problems of challenging multiple tenants' apartment leases was probably daunting, so they opted to end a couple of commercial leases instead of many residential ones.
Banks, hospitals, and Rite-Aids abound in NYC while the commercial diversity I remember from decades ago is long gone. If you aren’t a chain store with million-dollar backing, good luck finding retail space. But we just keep on worshiping the wealthy developers and giving them whatever they want! A bland, mall-like city will be the ultimate result.
More hospital space in an area long ago over-saturated with hospitals. They had to take the Beekman block because apparently there aren’t enough ancient rat-infested tenement buildings worthy of demolition over on 1st Ave.
Passed by here today. Here is the building that replaced the Beekman:
View link
For some reason the direct links to the LOC don’t last very long. Sometimes you have to post the main link and have people search for the photos. This is one of those times.
Lost Memory thanks for reposting that link, I remember it from years back on this immense thread. The pics can be seen by going to:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
Once at this main page, key in Beekman Theatre under Search All Collections at the upper right, and the list of images comes up. They are beautiful B&W images.
Those builders and contractors listed in the advertisement paid for the privilege, and the film paid for their ad placement. Rugoff & Becker, who owned the theatre, paid nothing. McNamara, the theatre architect, apparently opted out. That is the way it was done back in the day. Today, they just buy a little 3" ad in the Voice, put a title on the marquee, turn on the lights and unlock the door, and call that a ‘Grand Opening’.
This pre-opening ad from April 27, 1952, credits the builders and sub-contractors, but not the architect. Perhaps the Beekman designed itself?
View link
Here is an updated link for the Library of Congress photos. Enjoy it while it lasts.
I don’t know if these photos have been posted before.
Here are 13 photos dated April 1952 from the Library of Congress.
Click “Next” at the top of the page to view the other photos.
Good point, KingBiscuits. I never realized that. It must have changed names mid-run.
And Al: on your list, I believe that The Mystery Of Kaspar Hauser and Every Man For Himself and God Against All is the same film but a different title. Both were used for Werner Herzog’s fantastic film now known in the US as The Enigma Of Kaspar Hauser.
I remember that the theatre also appeared in Woody’s Crimes and Misdemeanors. Buster (the Phil Collins film where he’s a train robber) was on the marquee.
Beautiful theater. One of the real losses among the art houses.
Although a sumptuous showplace, few among the roster of films listed during the theater’s last five years were especially edgy or cutting edge, and paled in comparison to the distinguished bookings of the 60’s & 70’s. Shrek 2 could be seen in dozens of multiplexes, but movies like In the Mood were fewer and far between.
To the wonderful BEEKMAN, thank you for 53 magnificent years
R.I.P. BEEKMAN 1952-2005