Loew's State Theatre
1540 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1540 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
39 people
favorited this theater
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The 3/59 ad for ‘Some Like It Hot’ linked above is touting the remodeled Loew’s State. The small print at the bottom of the ad states, “New ‘Easy Chair’ Orchestra Lounger Seats Properly Spaced * New Multi-Channel HI-FI Stereo Sound * New Screen Magic * New Robot-Controlled All Weather Air Conditioning”. That last point brings to mind images of Rosie, the maid from ‘The Jetsons’, rolling down the aisle and adjusting the thermostat :–)
The Godfather at Loew’s State, 6/4/72
Here is a March 1959 ad from the NYT:
http://tinyurl.com/39gxul
Minor correction to the commentary that mentioned the Three Smoothies as “probably a tap group.” They were a singing trio consisting of brothers Little Ryan and Charlie Ryan, plus Arlene “Babs” Johnson. And they were very milquetoast.
-paghat the ratgirl
Warren… Howard and others here are merely interested in providing the sort of informative and comprehensive introductory description that this great and storied theatre deserves at the top of this page. Information about performances and movie premieres are some of the details they’d like to recap and include in an effort to update and improve that introduction.
Howard… the revision you submitted is a vast improvement over the inadequate blurb that had been in place previously. Many thanks for that and for your continued efforts to provide an even better introduction!
Thanks, Ed. Unless there’s any any objections (remember, I’m a lawyer), that issue is settled. Eventually, a correction will be made to the Introduction, but let’s wait a while and see if other nuggets turn up like major vaudeville stars who appeared at the Loew’s State, and WOLRD premieres of major 35mm films.
The original State closed as a twin. A NY Times “Going Out” feature (a precursor to the weekend guide currently featured in the Friday paper) dated February 19th, 1987, makes note of the theatre’s closing (on that very day) and confirms that it was a “twin” at the time. The final attractions were Richard Pryor’s “Critical Condition” in State 1 and Eddie Murphy’s “The Golden Child” in State 2. Admission price: $6 bucks.
Howard, Thanks, just read the Warren’s post again. It was twinned when it closed. They didn’t make it a tri-plex or a Quad?
Warren can you give us more information on this “more sub-dividing”.
William,
Warren’s post of Feb 3, 2004 said the theater was more sub-divided.
Warren, unlike the prior introduction which I posted above for the record, the current introduction does at least mention vaudeville. A short list of famous vaudeville acts appearing at the Loew’s State would be appreciated.
Also, I used an online list of 70mm WORLD premieres to post them in the introduction. If there’s a list of WORLD premieres of famous 35mm films at the Loew’s State, that would be appreciated, too.
And, I didn’t read how the theater was further divided up from being a twin. That, too, would be appreciated.
Howard you posted in the intro. “The theatre was later more sub-divided” and closing date. What was more sub-divided?
Wasnt the Midland in Kansas City Loews favorite theater? I thought I read that somewhere……..
Saps, done! For the record, here are the now out of dated opening remarks since replaced:
Originally a single screen theater, the State was twinned in the early 1960’s.
During the late 1990’s, as part of a massive redevelopment of Times Square, the theater was gutted to make way for one of the first US locations of the Virgin Megastore.
Today, movies are still shown at the State, but the theater survives in name only. Some sixty feet below street level, in the basement of the Virgin store, there is a four-screen multiplex, also known as the State.
Could someone please fix the opening remarks.
Thanks for the photo, Bryan. Times Square may not have been a very save place to visit back in those days, but it sure was an exciting place to see a major new movie. I miss the Loew’s State 1 & 2.
Someday Radio City will show movies to the public again, even if it’s only for one night. I just hope it’s in my lifetime :)
That reminds me… The same Great Aunt I had that took me to see “Beneath” at the Loew’s State 2 (She lived on Staten Island.)sometime later took me to see “A New Leaf” at Radio City Music Hall. Now, that had to be THE best theatre to see a movie at in Manhattan. Just spectacular. Imagine what it must have been like when “King Kong” was there!
Rory: I had a similar reaction after seeing “Beneath”. My cousin and I went to see “The Out-of-Towners” at Radio City Music Hall later that day. When we got within sight of the theater my cousin said, “There’s Radio City – before the apes got to it!”
Bill: Thanks for the response. I have all the “Apes” films on DVD but I really can’t stand watching any but the original, which remains THE favorite film of my childhood, though I only saw it originally at the Wantagh Theatre on the Island. I wish I’d seen it first at the Capitol. The strangest thing for me, as I remember, after seeing “Beneath” at the Loew’s State 2 was coming out into New York City and taking a bus back down to the Staten Island Ferry and looking at the streets of Manhattan and thinking, “This is all going to be a buried ruin in two thousand years!” Ah, the suspension of disbelief you had as a kid at the movies.
Rory: I too saw “Beneath” at the Loew’s State 2. What a comedown from the 1968 original, but it was good for a few laughs. More than a few, now that I look back on it. Even the closing credits were funny: Victor Buono was listed as “Fat Man” and black actor Don Pedro Colley was billed as “Negro”.
The opening description needs to be re-written as it seems to contain errors in every paragraph — the twinning was later than the early 60s, the theater wasn’t gutted, it was razed, and the woebegone replacement State is already history.
I remember being taken into Manhattan in June 1970 to see “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” at Loew’s State 2. I was a huge fan of the original “Apes” from 1968, but was too young then (8 years old) to have enough brains to get myself taken to the Capitol Theatre where the original opened. Anyway, my memory of the Loew’s State 2 was that you could definitely tell a much larger theatre had been cut in two. I do remember the ceiling being relately low, as someone mentioned above. Too bad they had to do that to what must have been a grand place. I also recall seeing, before “Beneath” started, the trailer for “Kelly’s Heroes.” I’m not a big fan of “Beneath” these days, though the original “Apes” is still my favorite film, but I am a big fan of “Kelly’s Heroes.” I wish I’d seen that one instead!
Premiering at Loew’s State, the Beacon and a theatre near you
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16 May 2007:
Ziegfeld Theatre enthustiasts,
You have the opportunity to capture theatre and film history at the Walter Reade Theatre [Lincoln Center] at the end of this month. Being presented is the Stanley Kubrick’s BARRY LYNDON which showcased at the Ziegfeld in December 1975. In note, I recollect Rex Reed, lighted pen to page and noting the showing with Intermission my questioning of his annoyance of the film which he gave an excellent review thereafter, in publication. Leon Vitali (Lord Bullington of the film) will be present at the theatre for the 35mm positive struck from the internegative. In addition, John Schselinger’s DAY OF THE LOCUST, which premiered at the Cinema I, will be presented at two performances with William Atherton (Todd Hackett of the film) in a question and answer session. Both films are American/UK cinema masterpieces. I advise your particaption at these events as a mark of excellence to yourselves and the brilliant recollections that serve as the base of all that you aspire toward. Your performance checks are:
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for DAY OF THE LOCUST (the Day Hollywood collapsed and fell into an $88,000 hole – Esquire, September 1974)
and the cinematic masterwork filmed without artificial lighting – BARRY LYNDON
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1975 was a critical year in American film.
When you screen the films at Walter Reade, obtain the DVDs of both films for better analysis.
If you don’t have access;
DAY OF THE LOCUST is Fri May 25: 3:30
Sat May 26: 6
Q&A with William Atherton
and BARRY LYNDON
May 27: 3 & 7
May 28: 3 & 7
May 29: 3 & 7
Respectfully,
Don Griffiths
Cinema Centre CEO
Pauls right that’s the Embassy 2/¾.