Palace Theatre
1564 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1564 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
14 people
favorited this theater
The Palace Theatre of New York City, the one that virtually inspired them all, started out as a vaudeville theatre on March 24, 1913. It continued in that use until November of 1932 when it began showing movies under the direction of RKO. This continued until 1966, when it became a legitimate theatre. For most of the memory of those alive today, it was a non-movie theatre, and is, indeed, perhaps best remembered as the “Valhalla of Vaudeville” as it was dubbed in the day and age when to ‘play the Palace’ referred to the acme of aspirations of vaudevillians and to this day a way of saying that one has ‘made it big!’
When the Palace Theatre debuted its 1,733 seats at 1564 Broadway, it was within a ten story office building that was squeezed between previous buildings on some of the most expensive real estate frontage in the world. Architects Charles Kirchoff and Thomas Rose of Milwaukee were therefore limited to showing their artistry in the three-level auditorium with its sixteen boxes cascading down the walls toward the stage, while being under a graceful arch forming a stylized sunburst above them on either side. In 1920, a grille in this arch was used to front the new organ chambers for the recently installed two manual, four rank Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ to accompany occasional film novelties that would become not so novel in the next decades. The organ was remarkably small in size for so prestigious a house, but perhaps the management of the time did not foresee the future dominance of film and the need that silent movies had for a good sized organ. Projectors had been installed in March, 1915 under a slight remolding by architect James S. Gavigan. The theatre was wired for sound movies in 1929, a pivotal year in many respects.
Just why an architectural firm in far away Milwaukee was selected for the prime Palace Theatre, is not known, since it would be years to come before this team was well known for the movie palaces with which they would grace that and other cities, ten in Milwaukee alone. Perhaps it was Martin Beck himself, impresario of the Palace Theatre, who was touring his Orpheum Vaudeville theatres across the land and happened to admire the gracefulness of the 2,500-seat Alhambra Theatre there, and resolved to have its architect design his new showplace in a somewhat similar style.
Here in the Palace Theatre, it was also to be a combination of Neo-Classical and Adam periods. A relatively simple styling that did nothing to suggest the movie palaces to come, it was characterized by moldings of such as fruit festoons and bead-and-reel to outline the panels into which the walls and ceiling were divided. Perhaps there were very elaborate draperies on the proscenium, but the only found photos are from 1951 and reflect replacements to accommodate the large movie screen of the era, so that as of then, only simple panels of velour in 50% fullness constitute the grand drapery and the house curtain, any draperies in the boxes having by then been removed. Both sides of the main floor seating also boasted a cascading line of elevated (parquet style) boxes from the balcony line forward to the annunciator frames of the drop-card style. In 1939 the lobby and marquee had been altered, and were later completely redone again. The entire facade was largely demolished in the 1980’s, but the interior is virtually intact.
Why did this one theatre rise to such prominence? It is a long and complicated story, as one might expect of a theatre created at the joining of eras in exhibition, but perhaps it is as claimed in the noteworthy book: “Show Biz: From Vaude to Video” by Abel Green and Joe Laurie, Jr., that it was the coup in obtaining the appearance of the great French tragedian Mme. Sarah Bernhardt, that capped the very long list of notables of both the Vaudevillian and legitimate stages, as so ably brought out in this book, and in the book: “The Palace” by Marian Spitzer in 1969. This was for years the ‘Flagship’ theatre of the RKO circuit and even once housed the offices of this dominant national theatres/vaudeville circuit.
Today, it is often the host to long-running Disney stage epics and other hit musicals, and in that vein may it long continue!
Contributed by
James H. (Jim) Rankin
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Recent comments (view all 211 comments)
ok Judy Garland played the Palace, 1951, 1956? and 1967. She sold the joint out. I have been in here only to see shows,a revival of OKLAHOMA! in the 70s,a couple of benefits,and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
I do know that in 1969 MGM premiered the musical version of GOODBYE MR. CHIPS starring Peter O'Toole and Petula Clark.And I believe somtime around 1968 a re-release of BEN-HUR played an engagement
The current legit tenent at the Palace is PRISCILLA,QUEEN OF THE DESERT,a musical play based on the film of the same title
ok? ok!
The entire “legit” history of the Palace Theatre can be found here: ibdb
Rivoli157 – The 70mm re-release of Ben-Hur opened at the Palace on June 18, 1969. And, was followed by “Goodbye Mr. Chips”, on November 15th, 1969. Tomorrow will be the 43rd anniversary of “Mr. Chips” premiere. Had Mr. Chips not been booked to open in 70mm, Ben-Hur would have never been shown at the Palace in 70mm, since, Mr. Chips was the reason the Cinemechanica 70mm Victoria VIII’s were installed, not Ben Hur. I remember when I was at the MGM studio in Culver City in January 1969, the big water tower was painted with the wording “THIS IS THE YEAR OF MR. CHIPS”. While the film was a big disappointment to MGM, I happened to like it, but, then again, I like musicals.
The problem with Mr. Chips is not that it was a musical but that, according to Vincent Canby’s NY Times review, “Everything [except the restrained, affectingly comic performance of Peter O'Toole in the title role] in this British public-school romance is either out of symmetry or out of date…so much of the film [is]so bland…all of which brings me — unfortunately — to the score by Leslie Bricusse.
“The 12 songs haven’t been so much integrated into the book as folded into it. Like unbeaten egg whites in a soufflé, they do nothing for the cause of levitation. The lyrics mostly depend on the numbing repetition of words like "together,” “someday,” and “flowers,” and the tunes are, at best, reminiscent.
“Let me put it another way: When I returned to my seat after intermission, I found myself trailing a gentleman who was humming a song from ‘Camelot.’”
Me too Techman707, one of my favourite musicals!
saps-I never had must respect for critics of films and that goes double for Vincent Canby. While it’s not the BEST musical ever made, and is no My Fair Lady or Camelot, for what it is, it was a sad but enjoyable musical. Like I said, I happen to like musicals, like the ones they DON’T make anymore. I also loved Phantom of the Opera, and believe it didn’t get the respect it deserved.
What didn’t get any respect is the other Phantom musical. I’ve only seen it in local productions but found some really good stuff in it. The Carlotta part is a hoot.
The film version of “Phantom” was a great musical. Minnie Driver as Carlotta was great. That was the best role she ever played.
They only come out with a “decent” picture every few years. I think the last one before that was “Forest Gump”. I really liked that.
techman, I too enjoyed “Mr. Chips. Hey, I was 13. And although not the best film, I did rather think it interesting the way the songs(not all of them ) were used, as if we were in their minds, thoughts if you will. I do have the say that the London is London number is one of my favorites. Thank you for clarifying the "Ben -Hur” dates, I took and still have) a photo of the marquee then ,but there was no date.
Btw, I hate how the hotel has been built around the theatre , yes, it saved and retained the theatre, but we lost the facade and great marquee! Just waht they did to the Broadway as well.