Roxy Theatre
153 W. 50th Street,
New York,
NY
10020
153 W. 50th Street,
New York,
NY
10020
69 people
favorited this theater
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then one look at photos of this palatial movie palace is worth about a million. Often cited as the most impressive movie palace ever built, the Roxy Theatre was called “The Cathedral of the Motion Picture” by its creator and namesake, Samuel ‘Roxy’ Rothafel. Roxy was arguably the greatest showmen of his time and he built a theater that has seemingly outlasted his own legend.
With its nearly 6,000 seats and multi-tiered balconies, the Roxy Theatre was the showplace of New York City and of the nation. Erected in 1927 and designed by architect W.W. Ahlschlager of Chicago (who also designed New York’s Beacon Theatre), its rather modest entrance at the Taft Hotel disguised one of the most cavernous lobbies ever built and a magnificent auditorium that has lived on in its patrons' imagination. Whatever adjectives can be used for the Roxy Theatre, they all fail to signify the theatre’s achievement.
Sadly, the decline in attendance that had begun in the 1950’s spilled over into the early-1960’s and the Roxy Theatre, despite numerous protests, was razed in 1961. In its place sits a non-descript and unremarkable office building. The neighboring Taft Hotel survives to this day (now the Michangelo Hotel) and is the only evidence that this epic structure was ever here. A TGI Friday’s restaurant occupies the theatres' original entrance.
The legacy of the Roxy Theatre is almost as impressive as the theater itself once was. The name ‘Roxy’ has since adorned movie theaters, nightclubs, restaurants and a host of other establishments around the world all attempting to give to their patrons what Roxy always brought to his own: entertainment.
The end of the Roxy Theatre signified the beginning of the end for thousands of movie palaces across the country. With its destruction, New York City began to destroy its past for urban renewal and the city, and movie palaces, have never been the same.
Contributed by
Cinema Treasures
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Recent comments (view all 1,341 comments)
You might have mentioned that the book is written by Ross Melnick, one of the powers behind the throne at Cinema Treasures: amazon
moviebear1 Just figured out how to post a photo of my model! I have more, but this website tells me they’re too big to post! I’ll keep trying (I’m computer-challenged … wish me luck) Thanks for your request! Bill
Like so many other listings at CT, the STATUS needs to be changed from “Closed” to “Demolished.” Isn’t there someone at the website responsible for making such important corrections?
Every theater’s status is either “Open” or “Closed” (green for open, red for closed). Then next to that is a description: “1 screen”, etc. So the Roxy’s status is correct. It says “Closed, Demolished”.
I agree that having three status categories: Closed, Open, or Demolished would be more helpful and accurate. But that’s not how the database is set up.
I must disagree. “Closed” is outlined in red. For the Roxy, “Demolished” should be red, and “Closed” colorless. It’s the red that immediately grabs the viewer’s attention. The red “Closed” creates an impression that the theatre is still standing. A red “Demolished” would leave no doubt.
Sorry I missed the Roxy Theatre, being born in 1961. Guess there is absolutely no chance it could ever be rebuilt? Let’s see: $150 million for the building alone (given inflation since 1927), plus the cost of demolition of the crappy office building that replaced it, plus the cost of the land and existing crappy building. I suppose not. “You don’t appreciate what you’ve got till its gone…” Great Roxy Theatre, you are dearly missed. Can we at least have a plaque on TGI Fridays? Perhaps on 50th Street in an inconspicuous place? Just a thought.
My grandfather Frank White played the lead organ in the early years.
It’s sad how urban renewal and the city can destroy the past.
Here’s a January 1938 photo of a waiting line for the Sonja Henie musical, “Happy Landing,” and stage show. The Roxy was reported to be attracting some of the turnaway crowds from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” at Radio City Music Hall: lunaimaging
Fifty-nine years ago today, 20th-Fox’s B&W epic, “Titanic,” opened its NYC premiere engament at the Roxy Theatre, giving Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck larger-sized billing than co-stars Robert Wagner, Audrey Dalton and Thelma Ritter. Although it might have seemed in dubious taste to support “Titanic” with an ice-skating revue on stage, the Roxy did with “Gay Paree,” which featured four scenes entitled “April in Paris,” “L'Apache,” “Parlez-Moi D'Amour,” and “Oui, Oui, Marie.” To attract Memorial Day hoiiday crowds, children’s tickets were 50 cents at all times.