Coincidentally just yesterday I was talking with friends and we were musing if we could go back for a day, what era would we pick, and I said post-WW2 Times Square so I could visit all the Broadway movie theaters that I missed.
And this morning, here’s a thread on that very topic.
Thanks Mike. We have no idea about the cinema. The HVAC system broke down this summer and it cost us thousands to just put a bandaid on it to keep it going but now it’s basically shot. Had several companies come in to look it over and give advice and estimates which we shared with the landlord who declined to pick up the cost. Weeks and weeks later after a lot of back and fourth he didn’t budge.
That’s basically it. We just couldn’t go into October without heat. Anyone coming in will have to do that first thing.
We wish him luck but our hearts are heavy and would have preferred to hand the baton to the next runner so to speak rather than just ending it this way.
In the meantime, we think of our employees and our patrons. We will miss every single one of them!
Hugs to you,
Anne
By Annie Aguiar Published July 26, 2024 Updated July 27, 2024
After almost two decades of failed attempts to reopen, a landmark Upper West Side movie theater may be resurrected with a plan from a potential new buyer and celebrity support.
The independent film producer Ira Deutchman is spearheading the project, along with Adeline Monzier, the U.S. representative of the French film promoter Unifrance and a guest programmer at the Metrograph, a Lower East Side theater.
They have formed the Upper West Side Cinema Center, a nonprofit corporation, whose website lists Martin Scorsese, Ethan Hawke and John Turturro as advisers, along with Bob Balaban, Griffin Dunne and the “American Psycho” director Mary Harron. (They would call it the Metro Cinema Center.)
Representatives for Scorsese and Dunne confirmed their involvement.
The plan was reported earlier by IndieWire.
The proposal includes a five-screen theater dedicated to art house releases, classic film and special events; it would also have an education center and a café
Mark Levine, the Manhattan borough president, said he has spoken with two other parties that are talking with the owners about a potential sale, but Deutchman’s proposal is the most fully developed. The estate of the former owner also has yet to engage a broker for the sale, Levine said.
The Upper West Side, once a hot spot for art house theaters, is now served by selections at Film at Lincoln Center and large multiplexes. “This is a really underserved audience that is in a community that clearly has an interest in the kinds of movies we’re talking about,” Deutchman said in an interview.
The Metro Theater, with its landmark pink terra-cotta Art Deco facade at 99th Street and Broadway, opened in 1933 and closed in 2005. At the time, Albert Bialek, its owner, pointed to the rise of multiscreen theaters as making smaller movie houses like the Metro “obsolete.”
Subsequent attempts to reimagine the space as a Planet Fitness and an Alamo Drafthouse location were unsuccessful. Development options are limited because of the landmark status and because Bialek, who died in 2023, previously sold the air rights above the theater.
Deutchman said he thinks his proposal has a higher chance of being successful than previous attempts to revitalize the theater because Bialek’s estate is looking to sell the building, while Bialek had pursued leasing agreements.
The Upper West Side Cinema Center proposal hinges on convincing Bialek’s estate to accept the plan and finding funding through individual donors, private investors and, possibly, government grants.
Deutchman said that he was not at liberty to disclose a financial estimate for the purchase.
But he indicated that estimates from a community group, which were included in the IndieWire article and placed the sale at $5 million to $10 million and restoration at $15 million to $25 million, were generally accurate.
“We’re hoping that there’s one person of means who would really like to see their name” on one of the five movie theaters that would make up the Metro Cinema Center, he said.
Levine, the borough president, who has been involved in efforts to reopen the theater since he was a city councilman representing the district, said that he likes the plan and is optimistic, but that it’s still early.
“I have been through at least half a dozen cycles of hope and heartbreak,” he said. “It’s been quite a roller coaster.”
I know the CT webpage for this obscure little theater in downtown Scranton is an odd place for my rant; I should probably copy and paste it on every theater that I go to. I know I should probably speak to the staff while I’m at the theater, but speaking to anyone less than that top guy is useless and even if you can find him or her they just shrug their shoulders. They change the bulbs when the projector tells them to. End of story.
Funny coincidence, I just went to this place on their discount Tuesday, and while everything is lovely and sophisticated, it suffers from the same problem that almost every other theater has, both independent and chain theaters, which is that the projection is too dim. Nothing seems to be projected at 100%. I was in screen seven for The Fall Guy and it was decent projection but not perfect; many outdoor scenes were hazy. I took a look at screen six where Challengers was playing, which I have seen twice now in other theaters, and it was much, much darker than it should have been. I don’t care how luxe the theater is, or how shabby, but if the image on the screen is not as bright and clear as the TV at home in my bedroom, then what is the point of going to the movies? At least for the first 80 years of cinema projection, the carbon arcs kept the image bright; now Management tries to get as much life out of these bulbs as possible to the detriment of the movie goer. I don’t think the filmmakers realize how carelessly their pictures are being presented, they see the rushes and work prints and final product in their screening rooms, which no doubt operate at peak efficiency. They should get out to the neighborhoods and see what kind of presentation is actually on offer.
I’ve probably said this before, but those five basement theaters were the most dreadful houses in all of New York, much worse than the faded beauties and utilitarian newcomers on 42nd Street. Water leaks, puddles, mold and mildew, rats, uncomfortable seats and small screens. Egads!
Question: Did Ann-Margret ever appear on stage in a car during the run of Bye Bye Birdie? A friend says he distinctly remembers her live appearance, maybe it was at the premiere? Anyone know?
Reopening November 22, 2024
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/ojai-playhouse-relaunches-new-owner-1236060250/
Coincidentally just yesterday I was talking with friends and we were musing if we could go back for a day, what era would we pick, and I said post-WW2 Times Square so I could visit all the Broadway movie theaters that I missed.
And this morning, here’s a thread on that very topic.
(Sad face.)
This evening I received the following email:
Thanks Mike. We have no idea about the cinema. The HVAC system broke down this summer and it cost us thousands to just put a bandaid on it to keep it going but now it’s basically shot. Had several companies come in to look it over and give advice and estimates which we shared with the landlord who declined to pick up the cost. Weeks and weeks later after a lot of back and fourth he didn’t budge. That’s basically it. We just couldn’t go into October without heat. Anyone coming in will have to do that first thing. We wish him luck but our hearts are heavy and would have preferred to hand the baton to the next runner so to speak rather than just ending it this way. In the meantime, we think of our employees and our patrons. We will miss every single one of them! Hugs to you, Anne
Will you schedule a tour to commemorate its 100th anniversary?
This drive-in moved and has reopened.
By Annie Aguiar Published July 26, 2024 Updated July 27, 2024
After almost two decades of failed attempts to reopen, a landmark Upper West Side movie theater may be resurrected with a plan from a potential new buyer and celebrity support.
The independent film producer Ira Deutchman is spearheading the project, along with Adeline Monzier, the U.S. representative of the French film promoter Unifrance and a guest programmer at the Metrograph, a Lower East Side theater.
They have formed the Upper West Side Cinema Center, a nonprofit corporation, whose website lists Martin Scorsese, Ethan Hawke and John Turturro as advisers, along with Bob Balaban, Griffin Dunne and the “American Psycho” director Mary Harron. (They would call it the Metro Cinema Center.)
Representatives for Scorsese and Dunne confirmed their involvement.
The plan was reported earlier by IndieWire.
The proposal includes a five-screen theater dedicated to art house releases, classic film and special events; it would also have an education center and a café
Mark Levine, the Manhattan borough president, said he has spoken with two other parties that are talking with the owners about a potential sale, but Deutchman’s proposal is the most fully developed. The estate of the former owner also has yet to engage a broker for the sale, Levine said.
The Upper West Side, once a hot spot for art house theaters, is now served by selections at Film at Lincoln Center and large multiplexes. “This is a really underserved audience that is in a community that clearly has an interest in the kinds of movies we’re talking about,” Deutchman said in an interview.
The Metro Theater, with its landmark pink terra-cotta Art Deco facade at 99th Street and Broadway, opened in 1933 and closed in 2005. At the time, Albert Bialek, its owner, pointed to the rise of multiscreen theaters as making smaller movie houses like the Metro “obsolete.”
Subsequent attempts to reimagine the space as a Planet Fitness and an Alamo Drafthouse location were unsuccessful. Development options are limited because of the landmark status and because Bialek, who died in 2023, previously sold the air rights above the theater.
Deutchman said he thinks his proposal has a higher chance of being successful than previous attempts to revitalize the theater because Bialek’s estate is looking to sell the building, while Bialek had pursued leasing agreements.
The Upper West Side Cinema Center proposal hinges on convincing Bialek’s estate to accept the plan and finding funding through individual donors, private investors and, possibly, government grants.
Deutchman said that he was not at liberty to disclose a financial estimate for the purchase.
But he indicated that estimates from a community group, which were included in the IndieWire article and placed the sale at $5 million to $10 million and restoration at $15 million to $25 million, were generally accurate.
“We’re hoping that there’s one person of means who would really like to see their name” on one of the five movie theaters that would make up the Metro Cinema Center, he said.
Levine, the borough president, who has been involved in efforts to reopen the theater since he was a city councilman representing the district, said that he likes the plan and is optimistic, but that it’s still early.
“I have been through at least half a dozen cycles of hope and heartbreak,” he said. “It’s been quite a roller coaster.”
Celebrities Support Plan to Reopen Upper West Side Movie Theater
Martin Scorsese, Ethan Hawke and John Turturro are all listed as advisers to a new proposal to buy the former Metro Theater, which closed in 2005.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/26/movies/celebrities-plan-metro-theater-movie-upper-west-side.html?searchResultPosition=1
I know the CT webpage for this obscure little theater in downtown Scranton is an odd place for my rant; I should probably copy and paste it on every theater that I go to. I know I should probably speak to the staff while I’m at the theater, but speaking to anyone less than that top guy is useless and even if you can find him or her they just shrug their shoulders. They change the bulbs when the projector tells them to. End of story.
Funny coincidence, I just went to this place on their discount Tuesday, and while everything is lovely and sophisticated, it suffers from the same problem that almost every other theater has, both independent and chain theaters, which is that the projection is too dim. Nothing seems to be projected at 100%. I was in screen seven for The Fall Guy and it was decent projection but not perfect; many outdoor scenes were hazy. I took a look at screen six where Challengers was playing, which I have seen twice now in other theaters, and it was much, much darker than it should have been. I don’t care how luxe the theater is, or how shabby, but if the image on the screen is not as bright and clear as the TV at home in my bedroom, then what is the point of going to the movies? At least for the first 80 years of cinema projection, the carbon arcs kept the image bright; now Management tries to get as much life out of these bulbs as possible to the detriment of the movie goer. I don’t think the filmmakers realize how carelessly their pictures are being presented, they see the rushes and work prints and final product in their screening rooms, which no doubt operate at peak efficiency. They should get out to the neighborhoods and see what kind of presentation is actually on offer.
Is it still partially a children’s science museum?
I’ve probably said this before, but those five basement theaters were the most dreadful houses in all of New York, much worse than the faded beauties and utilitarian newcomers on 42nd Street. Water leaks, puddles, mold and mildew, rats, uncomfortable seats and small screens. Egads!
Saw this story on NBC News tonight
Re: article posted ¼/24: The last sentence recommends alternative independent cinemas, including the Fair in East Elmhurst.
Yes, I highly recommend the Fair for an “alternative” moviegoing experience.
There are more pictures on their website, but you have to dig to find them.
You are correct, sir.
That was an amazing set a photographs.
The PBS show Treasures of New York about this theater is being re-run on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at 5 PM, channel 21 in the NY area.
571 seats does not a palace make.
That being said, it is for sure a cinema treasure.
(I was pleased to see a half page ad for this theater in last Friday’s New York Times. Maybe somebody can post that ad here…?)
Question: Did Ann-Margret ever appear on stage in a car during the run of Bye Bye Birdie? A friend says he distinctly remembers her live appearance, maybe it was at the premiere? Anyone know?
New article about this theater in the LA Times 12/5/23. Link is via MSN:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/inside-the-last-porn-theater-in-los-angeles/ar-AA1l1Dby
Does anyone know what year this theater was renovated with recliners?
This theater’s exterior is featured in a new TV commercial for the deodorant Secret.
Have I stayed too long at the Fair…?
Al to the rescue, as usual…!
Here the buildup really begins…