Astor Theatre

1531 Broadway,
New York, NY 10036

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Fredhadley
Fredhadley on January 15, 2023 at 4:02 pm

Stan Malone: Loew’s Astor Plaza was built in the basement of the Minskoff Theatre and replaced Loew’s State as the company’s Manhattan flagship

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on March 19, 2022 at 8:21 am

Alamy link with an April 1941 photo.

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-new-york-times-square-in-1941-27464846.html?irclickid=zyzV67R9LxyITpwwqaxcW0ATUkGTcxWKE1xOzI0&irgwc=1&utm_source=77643&utm_campaign=Shop%20Royalty%20Free%20at%20Alamy&utm_medium=impact

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on April 17, 2021 at 4:16 am

1964 photo that will enlarge within Flickr link.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/33216291@N08/5517282238/in/photolist-9pxvMQ-8rGu1e-eDxdAn-b7wVxF-bJav9g-7DYT5c-7DMoFb-8guC8K-dMPHgK-ecjmcA-7DHxyc-9pxvLA-8rKz7b-7E3h2y-7DYyya-9pxvJN-8mTiYX-8rKztC-8mWsCf-fwJp79-eiD1gv-dRShLi-dXzgZB-8mWt2o-8mWt17-8mWsMG-8mWsZ7-8mTj6Z-8mWsK5-8mTj3P-dWpEsa-aFT5rz-edjBhE-dtaG5Z-eenh3v-8b2we7-8t875q-dW9d3r-cd3EkC-e9c1ct-eiJJzw-eiJQww-fdLXLS-fd1ivu-frCW7R-fcPKyi-fdbgDd-ehRCdt-cd3EX5-92u4VD-ehXmqh

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on June 7, 2020 at 7:19 pm

Astor marquee on the left. Circa June 1960 photo credit Angelo Cozzi\Mondadori via Getty Images.

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/couple-walking-hand-in-hand-in-front-of-a-cinema-in-news-photo/472125388?irgwc=1&esource=AFF_GI_IR_TinEye_77643&asid=TinEye&cid=GI&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=TinEye&utm_content=77643

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on March 27, 2020 at 12:57 pm

Astor marquee at 26:24 in video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpXnEvW0XD0&fbclid=IwAR2GTsgBZEZuZ87EDtbKV6j1ULsIXc8zGMuKNKgRCSl387N6hynE9UQ2axQ

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 on December 8, 2019 at 3:15 pm

Hello-

what was the last film to be advertised on the huge
horizontal sign over the Astor and Victoria theaters?

StanMalone
StanMalone on December 8, 2019 at 2:58 am

David and Mike, thank you. That is the one. I didn’t know that you could type in an aka name and get the current name. I know that is not always the case. Maybe it is because it is still open under the newer name. I was working for Loews in Atlanta in the spring of 1975 when they twinned the theater I was managing. The previous project for the man in charge was the Astor Plaza. During the three weeks he spent in Atlanta he told me a good bit about the construction of the Astor Plaza.

Previous to this I had worked for Walter Reade at The Atlanta until they sold out to a local company and left town. I heard plenty about The Ziegfeld whenever anyone came down from New Jersey. In 1984 I finally made my first trip to NY and looked up these theaters I had heard so much about. Since I didn’t have time for two movies and since the Ziegfeld was playing Razors Edge, I opted for the Astor Plaza. I finally made it to The Ziegfeld in 2007 during that brief period when they brought back some of the classics.

Thanks again for the prompt replies. I forgot to subscribe to this page when I posted that question so I am just now getting them.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 on November 21, 2019 at 12:17 pm

Hello-

in reference to da-Bunnyman’s 4/5/18 post. when Ben-Hur opened Dec. 1925 at the nearby George M. Cohan Theater during the sea battle and the chariot race they used a widescreen process called I believe Panascope.

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on November 21, 2019 at 11:14 am

For what it’s worth, when you write Astor Plaza in the search bar, the PlayStation theater does pop up…

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on November 21, 2019 at 8:58 am

Likely this one.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/309

StanMalone
StanMalone on November 21, 2019 at 8:48 am

I am trying to ID the theater where I saw Beverly Hills Cop during the Christmas season of 1984. The theater name was Astor but it was not this Astor. It might have been named Astor Plaza and was located just off of Times Square. Since it is not listed here I assume it is listed under a different name. Can anyone here help me out? I believe it was operated by Loews.

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 on April 6, 2018 at 3:15 pm

Hello-

while the book “Movie Roadshows” is a fascinating book its only 99% perfect. a few roadshows in Manhattan aren’t even mentioned. plus Holston lists films as having had roadshow runs but offers no proof.

da_Bunnyman
da_Bunnyman on April 5, 2018 at 7:19 pm

The book “Movie Roadshows” by Kim Holston mentions an odd attraction the Astor ran. The film “The Trail of 98” released by MGM in 1928 was shown at the Astor in ‘Fantomscreen’ (or Fantom Screen) which some claim was just an early widescreen process. But several sources describe it as the screen set up on wheels so it moved back and forth towards the audience during the film.

vindanpar
vindanpar on August 8, 2017 at 5:13 am

I now see the picture I was referring to was posted March 3rd.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on June 23, 2017 at 2:25 pm

You may already know, or find it interesting that the late Oliver Reed was within a sliver of becoming Bond when George Lazenby got the role. But the Broccoli family didn’t feel they had the time or resources to combat Reed’s already growing public drinking image.

paul baar
paul baar on June 23, 2017 at 9:25 am

DavidZornig,thanks a lot;once I saw the first James Bond movie I was Bonded for life.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on June 23, 2017 at 9:12 am

This YouTube link has “Goldfinger” premiere footage from both the Odeon in the UK and the DeMille.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fTzbrC5YzI

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on June 23, 2017 at 9:08 am

The Demille became the Embassy 1,2,3.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/501

paul baar
paul baar on June 23, 2017 at 8:49 am

coate, can you tell me under what listing The De mille theater is under,that,s were Goldfinger(1964)opened.

Coate
Coate on June 13, 2017 at 3:32 pm

Fifty years ago today the James Bond movie “You Only Live Twice” opened here (and at Baronet, Orpheum and Victoria). And here’s the link to a new 50th anniversary retrospective article on the movie.

vindanpar
vindanpar on June 12, 2017 at 5:01 pm

I only wish I knew how to post photos.

Just came across a nice one by Joel Meyerowitz of a couple kissing underneath the marquee of Kiss Me Stupid. A terrific movie by the way which I caught up with at FF.

Love the way the couples in Times Square are so nicely dressed. Boy that had changed in 5 years.

Mikeoaklandpark
Mikeoaklandpark on June 10, 2017 at 2:48 pm

I didn’t know it was run by Walter Reade theaters. I assumed it was run by Guild theaters

bigjoe59
bigjoe59 on June 9, 2017 at 1:37 pm

Hello-

I am trying to find out exactly what the “maintainence problems” were that apparently lead to the closing of the theater.

Mikeoaklandpark
Mikeoaklandpark on June 9, 2017 at 9:45 am

The very first time I went to NYC which was 1974 the Astor was a flea market. I thin the last film to play there was The French Connection. The screen was still intact at that time

vindanpar
vindanpar on June 9, 2017 at 6:13 am

Sorry, now I see NYer’s response.