Festival Theatre
6 W. 57th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
6 W. 57th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
6 people
favorited this theater
This theater opened on June 23, 1963, as as an art house theater on West 57th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It was a conversion of a former Milgram store by Embassy Theatres. Seating was provided for 600 in orchestra and balcony levels.
It closed during the late-1980’s and is now used for retail space.
Contributed by
Jamal p. Savage
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Recent comments (view all 60 comments)
The Festival Theater is where our crowd gathered on Saturday night for the midnight showings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show around 1978 through 1980 thereabouts, where a lot of us acted out the movie as it played. It may have been a poor theater for normal movie goers, but for our purposes it was just fine. The theater personnel put up with a lot from us, and occasionally joined in the fun.
This theatre played Army Of Shadows in one of their French film festivals back in 1984. The official US release would not come until 2007, when Rialto had a successful run of the 1969 film.
Renewing link.
This closed as Loew’s Festival in August 1994 with “Four Weddings and a Funeral”.
Thanks AlAvarez.
Lance sees “Desperate Characters” here in an episode (around 11) of AN AMERICAN FAMILY which is currently being rerun this weekend in various PBS outlets. He is filmed walking along the street to it (you can see the Solow office building being constructed across the street)and going into the lobby, and the film crew actually filmed a minute or so of the film on screen!
Run for many years under The Walter Reade Theaters. I wish we could see a photo of the theater, as this does not do it justice.
Marcy, if you look at previous posts you will find photo links.
Like Suthnuh24, I was also part of the Fr-Sat RHPS crowd between ‘78 & 80. Used to do the floor show as Dr. Scott. Good times & great parties afterwards! “..TO THE KITCHEN..!” (INSIDE JOKE)
P.S. also worked at The Plaza theatre on 58th St. during this time so I got to see RH for free on courtesy pass.
I workd at this theater in 81 and 82.