Well Liz might of played a queen at this theater but the real queen of the Rivoli was Shirley(!) with 3 roadshows. Andrews was the queen of roadshows with 4 in all(she might have had two more if distribution and Hollywood hadn’t changed.)
I guess the king was Omar Shariff with three roadshow home runs. Others though may have had more films play roadshow however like O'Toole(5) and Harrison(4.)I count 3 for Heston.
Mr Billions was booked as an Easter film.Talk about corporate incompetence.
It was so bad they pulled it after a week or two and threw in the Disney mining pony movie(I think I was one of 5 people in the audience.) Does anybody remember the name of this?
I don’t think they even turned on the house lights during the breaks the place was so empty.
Maybe at that time in the 40’s Universal was low rent but going into the 60’s Universal started having some big hit movies at the Hall.
One of the movies which I wish the Hall could have premiered was The Sting.
When I first saw the film I wasn’t too crazy about it. But when I saw it re-released at the Hall it worked like magic. And the score never sounded better!
I knew someone would have a problem with those two teams. I including them because the Music Hall showed They Got Me Covered with Hope and Lamour in ‘43.
And these two films were probably the best of what were among the biggest stars of their eras.
I would think they would have both been sensational at Radio City.
And I always think that the Hall premiered the ultimate and first Beach Party movie Where the Boys Are.
Some movies that could have, should have, but didn’t play at the Music Hall for whatever reasons.
Excluding roadshows and films that would have clashed with another perfect Music Hall choice(such as Summertime which would have conflicted with Love Me or Leave Me and Mr Roberts)
The Wizard of Oz
Pinnochio
Buck Privates
The Magnificent Ambersons
Double Indemnity
The Bishops Wife
Easter Parade
Annie Get Your Gun
Sabrina
Lady and the Tramp
Artists and Models
Sunday in New York
Walk Don’t Run
On a Clear Day
Murder on the Orient Express
Prisoner of Second Avenue
That’s Entertainment Parts 1 and 2
The Whoopee photo is great. You can only imagine what this looked like at night. Was it cont. perfs or roadshow?
Interesting for a major release like WWS the front of the marquee had no translucent panels and why did does Natalie get the same billing as everyone else?
This sold out for months. It’s hard to imagine today that large theater filling its seats for every performance, including those narrow sections at the very sides of the orchestra where the seats were two across.
Yes Vito with todays technology it is all the same. Why people leave their homes I’ll never know. Especially when they behave in an audience as if they were at home watching TV.
By the way the Daily New(always a stauch suporter of the Music Hall)
complained about the same old tired acts and the anti-climactic Nativity. I’m glad somebody in the press finally noticed.
The Rockettes union has a “no sympathy strikes” clause in their contract according to the papers which was smart of their union leaders because it gives them a get out of jail free card.
Was this payback for the unsympathetic way the musician’s union treated the dancer’s concerns in the past.
Union leaders do not forget(even if events happened before they were born.)
Vito a certain amount of irony was intended in my post however I am very serious when I claim that live music sounds canned. I’ve found that the sound you hear today in a broadway theater or the Music Hall is so processed by the engineers that you might as well be at home listening to recording on a great sound system.
Also we know that the way Cablevision treats this great treasure is an absolute scandal from which it is only seeking the maximum amount of profits from whatever dreck it throws on the stage.
The execs there have only one goal and they are profiting from the house that Roxy, Leonidoff and Markert built with all the sensitivity of great white sharks.
Again I say what is the difference? Live music today sounds as canned as a recording. It is why performers can get away with lipsyncing on a stage unless there is a glich.
And considering today that the Music Hall only exists today to make the top Cablevision executives very wealthy it works out nicely.
To BOB
Speaking of Conrad Ludlow another Balanchine dancer Melissa Hayden was featured in the previous stage show with Prince and the Showgirl. Did you see it?
Silk Stockings is certainly one of the films I would have liked most to see at the Hall. To this very day the dancing of Charisse and Astaire seems about as wonderful as anything captured on film.
Lucky BOBill.
Kendell had two more films to play at the Hall. Reluctant Debutante and Once More With Feeling.
Am I the only one still alive to have seen(at the Regency a couple of lifetimes ago) the wonderful British comedy Genevieve which seems today totally forgotten?
The Christmas show seems to have more corporate sponsors than a worlds fair with a potential gross from ticket sales alone of 21 million a week(not including premium priced ducats. In saner times these were simply the reserved seats on the first mezz.)
Each employee should get a SAAB for their Christmas bonus.
Warren it looks as though a Brando film(between WSS and Cleo?) was playing when the 7th Av photo was shot. Did the Rivoli eventually paint Harrison over Liz’s shoulder or did he stay in the snapshot in the right.
Remember meeting Harrison once to get his autograph on my MFL souvenir program. He seemed astonished and delighted to see it(didn’t he have copies lying everywhere in his home?)
Amazing to meet this man who I had seen in 70mm glory at the Criterion and who had starred in Todd AO splendor at the Rivoli and the State.
From what I read today the virtual orchestra is a recording of a 55 piece orchestra. Is this possible that other musicians would do this to their own union collegues?
Would be nice if the Moma would use it for wide screen films in conjunction with the American Cinemateque. Nobody but us seems to realize that it’s the last movie theater left in Times Square and other than the Paris maybe the last one left in Manhattan.
Anybody else remember the Christmas show from ‘71 with a circus theme where there was a trapeze act over the orchestra pit? They had cut holes in the first arch so that they could hang the equipment which was the only time I remember the auditorium being modified in any way. What goes on today would be considered unthinkable.
The orchestra was on stage so that the sunken pit had a net in it.
Having the act in effect in the house itself made it seem all the more dangerous.
Rent and The Producers will also play at one of the multiplexes on 42nd street so the theater crowds will most likely go there. Will be interesting to see how big a crowd is drawn to the Ziegfeld because of the theater.
Also for the 40’s in Times Square there is very little light above the Palace and none above the Embassy. Very dark for the era. Also if this was 6:40 in the evening in September it would still be light out wouldn’t it?
Clark Gable starred at the Music Hall in Adventure(one of only two at the Hall?)This film for some reason began Greer Garson’s(the Music Hall greatest star)descent in popularity while not affecting Gable at all according to Warren in his book on Gable.
I only saw one Garson film there “The Happiest Millionaire."
It would be interesting if somebody would compile a list of movies stars films which had their New York premieres at the Hall and the length of the engagements.
Fascinating that two of Hepburns greatest Holiday and Bringing up Baby only played a week each. They both seemed perfect choices.
Well astrocks I saw a Disney movie with children and mining ponies there that replaced Mr Billions so what was the name of it?
Well Liz might of played a queen at this theater but the real queen of the Rivoli was Shirley(!) with 3 roadshows. Andrews was the queen of roadshows with 4 in all(she might have had two more if distribution and Hollywood hadn’t changed.)
I guess the king was Omar Shariff with three roadshow home runs. Others though may have had more films play roadshow however like O'Toole(5) and Harrison(4.)I count 3 for Heston.
Well I’d sure give a lot to see Buck Privates at the Music Hall today with the Rockettes and the organ(no recording thank you.)
Yes I guess that was it. Probably it was ‘77.
Mr Billions was booked as an Easter film.Talk about corporate incompetence.
It was so bad they pulled it after a week or two and threw in the Disney mining pony movie(I think I was one of 5 people in the audience.) Does anybody remember the name of this?
I don’t think they even turned on the house lights during the breaks the place was so empty.
Also speaking of Universal Airport was the only genuine 70mm film to ever play at the Music Hall during its premiere engagement.
Maybe at that time in the 40’s Universal was low rent but going into the 60’s Universal started having some big hit movies at the Hall.
One of the movies which I wish the Hall could have premiered was The Sting.
When I first saw the film I wasn’t too crazy about it. But when I saw it re-released at the Hall it worked like magic. And the score never sounded better!
I knew someone would have a problem with those two teams. I including them because the Music Hall showed They Got Me Covered with Hope and Lamour in ‘43.
And these two films were probably the best of what were among the biggest stars of their eras.
I would think they would have both been sensational at Radio City.
And I always think that the Hall premiered the ultimate and first Beach Party movie Where the Boys Are.
Some movies that could have, should have, but didn’t play at the Music Hall for whatever reasons.
Excluding roadshows and films that would have clashed with another perfect Music Hall choice(such as Summertime which would have conflicted with Love Me or Leave Me and Mr Roberts)
The Wizard of Oz
Pinnochio
Buck Privates
The Magnificent Ambersons
Double Indemnity
The Bishops Wife
Easter Parade
Annie Get Your Gun
Sabrina
Lady and the Tramp
Artists and Models
Sunday in New York
Walk Don’t Run
On a Clear Day
Murder on the Orient Express
Prisoner of Second Avenue
That’s Entertainment Parts 1 and 2
The Whoopee photo is great. You can only imagine what this looked like at night. Was it cont. perfs or roadshow?
Interesting for a major release like WWS the front of the marquee had no translucent panels and why did does Natalie get the same billing as everyone else?
This sold out for months. It’s hard to imagine today that large theater filling its seats for every performance, including those narrow sections at the very sides of the orchestra where the seats were two across.
Yes Vito with todays technology it is all the same. Why people leave their homes I’ll never know. Especially when they behave in an audience as if they were at home watching TV.
By the way the Daily New(always a stauch suporter of the Music Hall)
complained about the same old tired acts and the anti-climactic Nativity. I’m glad somebody in the press finally noticed.
The Rockettes union has a “no sympathy strikes” clause in their contract according to the papers which was smart of their union leaders because it gives them a get out of jail free card.
Was this payback for the unsympathetic way the musician’s union treated the dancer’s concerns in the past.
Union leaders do not forget(even if events happened before they were born.)
Vito a certain amount of irony was intended in my post however I am very serious when I claim that live music sounds canned. I’ve found that the sound you hear today in a broadway theater or the Music Hall is so processed by the engineers that you might as well be at home listening to recording on a great sound system.
Also we know that the way Cablevision treats this great treasure is an absolute scandal from which it is only seeking the maximum amount of profits from whatever dreck it throws on the stage.
The execs there have only one goal and they are profiting from the house that Roxy, Leonidoff and Markert built with all the sensitivity of great white sharks.
Again I say what is the difference? Live music today sounds as canned as a recording. It is why performers can get away with lipsyncing on a stage unless there is a glich.
And considering today that the Music Hall only exists today to make the top Cablevision executives very wealthy it works out nicely.
To BOB
Speaking of Conrad Ludlow another Balanchine dancer Melissa Hayden was featured in the previous stage show with Prince and the Showgirl. Did you see it?
Silk Stockings is certainly one of the films I would have liked most to see at the Hall. To this very day the dancing of Charisse and Astaire seems about as wonderful as anything captured on film.
Lucky BOBill.
Kendell had two more films to play at the Hall. Reluctant Debutante and Once More With Feeling.
Am I the only one still alive to have seen(at the Regency a couple of lifetimes ago) the wonderful British comedy Genevieve which seems today totally forgotten?
The Christmas show seems to have more corporate sponsors than a worlds fair with a potential gross from ticket sales alone of 21 million a week(not including premium priced ducats. In saner times these were simply the reserved seats on the first mezz.)
Each employee should get a SAAB for their Christmas bonus.
Another great Harrison peformance I believe opened at the Rivoli. Unfaithfully Yours(or was it the Roxy?)
Warren it looks as though a Brando film(between WSS and Cleo?) was playing when the 7th Av photo was shot. Did the Rivoli eventually paint Harrison over Liz’s shoulder or did he stay in the snapshot in the right.
Remember meeting Harrison once to get his autograph on my MFL souvenir program. He seemed astonished and delighted to see it(didn’t he have copies lying everywhere in his home?)
Amazing to meet this man who I had seen in 70mm glory at the Criterion and who had starred in Todd AO splendor at the Rivoli and the State.
From what I read today the virtual orchestra is a recording of a 55 piece orchestra. Is this possible that other musicians would do this to their own union collegues?
Would be nice if the Moma would use it for wide screen films in conjunction with the American Cinemateque. Nobody but us seems to realize that it’s the last movie theater left in Times Square and other than the Paris maybe the last one left in Manhattan.
Anybody else remember the Christmas show from ‘71 with a circus theme where there was a trapeze act over the orchestra pit? They had cut holes in the first arch so that they could hang the equipment which was the only time I remember the auditorium being modified in any way. What goes on today would be considered unthinkable.
The orchestra was on stage so that the sunken pit had a net in it.
Having the act in effect in the house itself made it seem all the more dangerous.
Rent and The Producers will also play at one of the multiplexes on 42nd street so the theater crowds will most likely go there. Will be interesting to see how big a crowd is drawn to the Ziegfeld because of the theater.
Also for the 40’s in Times Square there is very little light above the Palace and none above the Embassy. Very dark for the era. Also if this was 6:40 in the evening in September it would still be light out wouldn’t it?
Clark Gable starred at the Music Hall in Adventure(one of only two at the Hall?)This film for some reason began Greer Garson’s(the Music Hall greatest star)descent in popularity while not affecting Gable at all according to Warren in his book on Gable.
I only saw one Garson film there “The Happiest Millionaire."
It would be interesting if somebody would compile a list of movies stars films which had their New York premieres at the Hall and the length of the engagements.
Fascinating that two of Hepburns greatest Holiday and Bringing up Baby only played a week each. They both seemed perfect choices.