The nacho cheese can be a problem unless you use portion control containers. The hot dogs are not an issue as their shape makes them easy to eat in the dark. Burgers and fries are more prone to spills and smell up the area.
You will want to keep the health department happy and control your inventory as well. Hots dogs are pre-cooked and portion control dairy products are pre-dated so they are easier to manage.
Also, remember that speed of service and inventory that survives slow weekdays will help. Every penny profit you can squeeze out of the concession stand is a penny you do not have to share with a film distributor and it goes down to the bottom line. Keep an out for local tastes and ethnic preferences. Grape and Orange drinks and drinks such as Mountain Dew have loyal followings in some circles.
If you discount your box office prices, food sales go down instead of up. Bargain hunters bring their own food or refuse to pay theatre prices.
My rule is never to see a Disney film unless it starts after 9pm. Kids are less likely to be there and some towns will not allow them in that late by law. Avoid weekend matinees at all costs.
Remember a kid’s attention span. Add sugar, other kids and a boring movie and you should not be surprised what happens.
I do remember a matinee of the live action 102 DALMATIANS where, during an action sequence, some three-to-four year old near-fetus screeched out:
“That scene was animated!”
Although I am sure most of those words were unknown to me at that age her useful information was probably correct.
Try non-carbonated soft drinks and frozen slurpys. Jumbo size Hot Dogs, pizza by the slice, nachos, ice cream, and premium coffees work well in most places. Bagged toffee popcorn and Pringles often sell well and do not canibalize your regular popcorn.
Avoid health foods, yogurts, juices and nuts. They are like art films in the suburbs, everyone asks for them but then never seem to buy them, so putting them on a questionnaire is also a waste of time.
As for the survey, you may want to know if they would welcome reserved seats on weekends. Reserved seat customers buy more at the stand.
I saw it in 35mm first run and fell in love with it immediately. I could not figure out why everyone was not equally stunned by its realistic premise and settings and preferred fairy tale sci-fi instead.
Favorite quote:
“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.”
As a regular visitor at both the Empire and the Regal E-Walk I can assure you they are no different than any other New York theatre and better than many.
The 42nd Street project did its best. Putting things in perpective I pay $10.00 to see Russian import DAYBREAK at the AMC with comfortable well spaced seats and bored staff at minimum wage going through the motions.
I pay $111.00 (including $2.50 “theatre restoration charge”) and sit on miniature seats with no leg room or air conditioning while handed a program by some nasty bitch who does it for free show but cannot be bothered to learn the theatre’s seating, to see the bored cast of TARZAN sing Phil Collins tunes. THAT is capitalism at its very worse and masquerading as art to boot!
I pay $10.00 at Lincoln Plaza to see German import THE LIVES OF OTHERS in a tiny screen with abstructing columns and tiny seats while senior citizens chat away during the film and NO usher is on duty at all.
Unpopular as it may seem, I’ll take the two remaining 42nd street movie theatres anyday. Unless the movie is at the Ziegfeld, of course.
Although the Olympia appears to have opened at a PUBLIX theatre, the precursor of ABC Florida State Theatres, I have recently purchased a January 1932 Newsletter from SPARKS' Theatres listing it as one of theirs on that date.
January 29, 30, 31 RUDY VALEE in Person!
Stanleigh Malotte at the mighty organ!
Saturday Midnight Show at 11:30pm Eddie cantor in THE KID FROM SPAIN
Other sites included are:
Coral Gables (not the Gables on Ponce de Leon)
Paramount (downtown house looking nothing like the one I remember) Roxy (24 East 1st Avenue)
Rex (205 East Flagler Street)
Rosetta (Little River, later a Wometco site)
Community (Miami Beach)
Does anyone have any info on SPARKS and their Miami history? I had never heard of them and I worked for ABC for over 7 years in the 70’s.
I originally submitted the Ambassador about a year before it was actually posted. I suspect someone at CT felt it did not qualify due to its more significant legit history and wanted to review it further.
Either that or I sent them on a tail-spin looking up THE WHITE LADY and YIDL MITN FIDL.
The movie in question is Lilian Gish’s THE WHITE SISTER, not THE WHITE LADY and it played at the Ambassador for over six months. The introduction I am credited for has been somewhat altered with new information since I first submitted material for this theatre over a year ago.
Cine Roma was a moving cinema company that went from venue to venue booking their product and changing the venue’s name. The Colony/ Broadway (53rd) and the Ambassador were two of them.
It seems the last minute rush jobs on blockbusters are the worse, with wet prints, sloppy lab splices and flaking from day one. These labs are digital’s best friend.
The mylar prints are more durable from breaks but are also easy to scratch and the soundtrack start cracking after a week. I have never personally experienced anything other than mylar. The current mylar prints are sub-quality.
Here in Europe we often get poor quality Italian made prints that are unplayable after a few weeks. When we do get refurbushed US prints, they are in such terrible shape that we often lose the first shows on a Friday.
I am not talking about hand-me-down sloppy work as we used to see caused by subrun drive-ins, these print look ten years old and they have run in the states for about three weeks.
We ran TOP GUN for six months without a problem. We were replacing TITANIC after three weeks. Recent prints of HARRY POTTER after two.
Let’s not forget that print stock today is also of poorer quality than it used to be. Prints break easier(even on platters)and start scratching within days. Luckily most films don’t run very long so the industry can get away with it most of the time.
It is easy to blame the projectionist but prints are worse quality and much cheaper to make than they used to be.
The nacho cheese can be a problem unless you use portion control containers. The hot dogs are not an issue as their shape makes them easy to eat in the dark. Burgers and fries are more prone to spills and smell up the area.
You will want to keep the health department happy and control your inventory as well. Hots dogs are pre-cooked and portion control dairy products are pre-dated so they are easier to manage.
Also, remember that speed of service and inventory that survives slow weekdays will help. Every penny profit you can squeeze out of the concession stand is a penny you do not have to share with a film distributor and it goes down to the bottom line. Keep an out for local tastes and ethnic preferences. Grape and Orange drinks and drinks such as Mountain Dew have loyal followings in some circles.
If you discount your box office prices, food sales go down instead of up. Bargain hunters bring their own food or refuse to pay theatre prices.
Was it Level54 when it was owned by Prince? I remember it being a gay club called 1235 for a while and then raided for drugs with a later name.
My rule is never to see a Disney film unless it starts after 9pm. Kids are less likely to be there and some towns will not allow them in that late by law. Avoid weekend matinees at all costs.
Remember a kid’s attention span. Add sugar, other kids and a boring movie and you should not be surprised what happens.
I do remember a matinee of the live action 102 DALMATIANS where, during an action sequence, some three-to-four year old near-fetus screeched out:
“That scene was animated!”
Although I am sure most of those words were unknown to me at that age her useful information was probably correct.
Try non-carbonated soft drinks and frozen slurpys. Jumbo size Hot Dogs, pizza by the slice, nachos, ice cream, and premium coffees work well in most places. Bagged toffee popcorn and Pringles often sell well and do not canibalize your regular popcorn.
Avoid health foods, yogurts, juices and nuts. They are like art films in the suburbs, everyone asks for them but then never seem to buy them, so putting them on a questionnaire is also a waste of time.
As for the survey, you may want to know if they would welcome reserved seats on weekends. Reserved seat customers buy more at the stand.
#
When was it not about the money? I seem to have missed that era.
I saw it in 35mm first run and fell in love with it immediately. I could not figure out why everyone was not equally stunned by its realistic premise and settings and preferred fairy tale sci-fi instead.
Favorite quote:
“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.”
Correct. March 27, 1952.
As a regular visitor at both the Empire and the Regal E-Walk I can assure you they are no different than any other New York theatre and better than many.
The 42nd Street project did its best. Putting things in perpective I pay $10.00 to see Russian import DAYBREAK at the AMC with comfortable well spaced seats and bored staff at minimum wage going through the motions.
I pay $111.00 (including $2.50 “theatre restoration charge”) and sit on miniature seats with no leg room or air conditioning while handed a program by some nasty bitch who does it for free show but cannot be bothered to learn the theatre’s seating, to see the bored cast of TARZAN sing Phil Collins tunes. THAT is capitalism at its very worse and masquerading as art to boot!
I pay $10.00 at Lincoln Plaza to see German import THE LIVES OF OTHERS in a tiny screen with abstructing columns and tiny seats while senior citizens chat away during the film and NO usher is on duty at all.
Unpopular as it may seem, I’ll take the two remaining 42nd street movie theatres anyday. Unless the movie is at the Ziegfeld, of course.
Do not try to beat your neighbor to the street.
View link
Although the Olympia appears to have opened at a PUBLIX theatre, the precursor of ABC Florida State Theatres, I have recently purchased a January 1932 Newsletter from SPARKS' Theatres listing it as one of theirs on that date.
January 29, 30, 31 RUDY VALEE in Person!
Stanleigh Malotte at the mighty organ!
Saturday Midnight Show at 11:30pm Eddie cantor in THE KID FROM SPAIN
Other sites included are:
Coral Gables (not the Gables on Ponce de Leon)
Paramount (downtown house looking nothing like the one I remember) Roxy (24 East 1st Avenue)
Rex (205 East Flagler Street)
Rosetta (Little River, later a Wometco site)
Community (Miami Beach)
Does anyone have any info on SPARKS and their Miami history? I had never heard of them and I worked for ABC for over 7 years in the 70’s.
A VISIT EVERY EVENING?
Sounds like you may have been showing some dangerous pornographic films such as THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT, THE BOYS IN THE BAND or FRITZ THE CAT.
I originally submitted the Ambassador about a year before it was actually posted. I suspect someone at CT felt it did not qualify due to its more significant legit history and wanted to review it further.
Either that or I sent them on a tail-spin looking up THE WHITE LADY and YIDL MITN FIDL.
The movie in question is Lilian Gish’s THE WHITE SISTER, not THE WHITE LADY and it played at the Ambassador for over six months. The introduction I am credited for has been somewhat altered with new information since I first submitted material for this theatre over a year ago.
Cine Roma was a moving cinema company that went from venue to venue booking their product and changing the venue’s name. The Colony/ Broadway (53rd) and the Ambassador were two of them.
SOUTH PACIFIC at the CRITERION.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS at the RIVOLI
THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI at the Palace.
You should be getting more favorable terms on a third week or else, on a single screen, pull it. There is too much product out there.
You should be getting more favorable terms on a third week or else, on a single screen, pull it. There is too much product out there.
I am having more trouble than ever navigating the site and my email notices have stopped altogther.
There was a wide release starting September 6, 1968 on a double feature with THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN.
Alive and well and playing CHICAGO live.
http://www.ibdb.com/VenueImages.asp?Id=1036
According to this link posted by Dave-bronx in 2005, it just said “42nd St.”, so it does look like name change if the piece was removed intentionally.
View link
The shed under the “REGAL” sign is partially gone and it looks like something (truck or bus) hit the marquee and damaged the front.
Prime advertising space that gets seen world wide.
It seems the last minute rush jobs on blockbusters are the worse, with wet prints, sloppy lab splices and flaking from day one. These labs are digital’s best friend.
The mylar prints are more durable from breaks but are also easy to scratch and the soundtrack start cracking after a week. I have never personally experienced anything other than mylar. The current mylar prints are sub-quality.
Here in Europe we often get poor quality Italian made prints that are unplayable after a few weeks. When we do get refurbushed US prints, they are in such terrible shape that we often lose the first shows on a Friday.
I am not talking about hand-me-down sloppy work as we used to see caused by subrun drive-ins, these print look ten years old and they have run in the states for about three weeks.
We ran TOP GUN for six months without a problem. We were replacing TITANIC after three weeks. Recent prints of HARRY POTTER after two.
Let’s not forget that print stock today is also of poorer quality than it used to be. Prints break easier(even on platters)and start scratching within days. Luckily most films don’t run very long so the industry can get away with it most of the time.
It is easy to blame the projectionist but prints are worse quality and much cheaper to make than they used to be.