I don’t feel Jack was trying to be negative in his post; he was merely being honest and realistic. Nobody loves old theaters as much as I do. I put a HUGE chunk of my life into saving and fixing the Loew’s Jersey to get it to the point where it is now. (Some pretty choice years too, from age 30 to 40. I was there nearly every Saturday, and many many more days and nights. I’ve got the physical scars to prove it!) But I finally had to walk away from that project because of the games and politics. I accomplished what I set out to do – they CAN run 35mm film again, but I grew tired of all the nonsense.
To make a difference in saving these great showplaces, you have to be willing to commit a great deal of time. You can’t just sit at your computer and be an armchair preservationist. You might feel better about it as if you’re making a difference in saving the place, but that’s about it.
Ken; please be careful when you go exploring. Many (if not all) of these grand surviving palaces are in rough areas. My brother and I were chased out of a Detroit neighborhood when we tried to look at the Grand Riviera, and I was cornered by a gang of thugs beside the RKO Kenmore in Brooklyn – and that happened in 1976!
The Lafayette always presents 3-D perfectly: in sync AND in phase. There will also be some rare 3-D shorts to round out the bill.
The archival print of LOVING YOU is the only known 35mm dye transfer Technicolor print. It is exclusive to the Lafayette and will not be shown in any other venue. The color is absolutely amazing – don’t miss this unique opportunity to see it on the big screen!
Irv: the archival print of LOVING YOU screening at the Lafayette IS amazing. It’s not only an original dye-transfer Technicolor print; it’s the only known surviving 35mm IB print!
To the best of my knowledge, it has not been shown theatrically since the early 60’s when it was pulled out of circulation by Hal Wallis. This one-of-a-kind print will not be shown at any other venue. Its access is exclusive to the Lafayette because of their professional staff and high standards of presentation.
West Houston. I went up to the booth most recently to correct their screening of MAN IN THE DARK. You can call it “in their face” if you want, but I was trying to help them improve the quality of their presentation.
If you’d like to see just how good perfectly projected 3-D CAN look, I suggest you visit the Lafayette for KISS ME KATE tomorrow night. Plus, they’ll be running some rare 3-D shorts that you certainly won’t see at the Film Forum.
I don’t need to PKoch. I was there and have told the staff and management on several occasions. They even brought me up to the booth when their operator didn’t know how to frame the 3-D image into alignment. (They had started the show and it was way out of registration, resulting in severe eyestrain.) I pointed out the big black knob labeled “frame” on the projector, and explained to him that it is used to adjust the framing of the image. The professional projectionist didn’t know that.
They seemed to feel that the mere fact they were presenting 3-D was good enough. To go the extra mile to do it right didn’t seem to matter to them.
Irv; of all the vintage theaters running classic film in the New York area, I feel the Lafayette has the best line-up, the most consistent high-quality prints and – by far – the best standard of presentation. Just check out this weekend’s line-up: dual strip 3-D, stereo sound, a dye-transfer archival print, etc. For fans of classic film and beautiful theaters, it doesn’t get much better than that!
PASSAIC — One of Passaic’s stately movie houses in the 1920s, the
Montauk — now a shuttered pornographic movie theater — could see at least one more reincarnation as a performing arts space for budding drama students and musicians.
City and state officials met Tuesday to start planning possible
educational uses for a downtown site that encompasses the Main Avenue
theater and the Hotel Passaic around the corner on Henry Street.
Andrew Schwab, a spokesman for Assemblyman Gary Schaer, D-Passaic, said officials developed a tentative plan to renovate the theater for Passaic art students, instead of demolishing it for a new school. However, state and local officials did not determine a plan for the Hotel Passaic, a flophouse that school officials associate with prostitution and drug use.
State School Construction Corp. officials said their agency would work with the schools and the city to develop a plan for new or renovated facilities in that area, but they would not commit additional funding above the $166 million already approved to build four schools in the district.
“It’s rethinking a lot of things that exist and talking about creating new [space],” schools Superintendent Robert H. Holster said. “It’s not just about the issue of the drama and theater program. It’s a lot bigger than that.”
Outside of the possible student drama space in the Montauk, there were very few details on what was envisioned for that area. The theater is owned by Gloria Terminello, who won a 2005 appeals case to reopen the theater.
The meeting participants will meet again in two weeks to review
feasibility and traffic studies on the Montauk site.
They will also discuss the Hotel Passaic, which sits across the street from the proposed Henry Street Elementary School, one of the four school projects already approved.
Last week, school and city officials were shocked to learn that the SCC would not knock down the hotel and theater for a parking lot as part of the Henry Street school project. The SCC backed off after the local outrage reached Trenton officials.
The redevelopment of the Montauk Theater district for new school
facilities depends on approval from the state Department of Education, and the SCC reaching an agreement with the owners of the buildings.
If no agreement is reached, the state could take the property by
eminent domain.
Schwab added that when students were not using the theater space,
community and senior groups could hold events in the renovated Montauk.
In looking at the before and after photos, it struck me how much they altered the proscenium. Not only did they hang all those curtains, but they actually plastered over (or painted) some of the decorative architecture.
There was a huge stage and backstage area at this theater. They presented deluxe stage shows with a 71 piece orchestra in the pit. See the post dated Feb 1, 2006 for a breakdown.
I forgot to mention that the only reason the Star is Born footage is so common was because a private collector got hold of a kinescope print, and sold bootleg copies on VHS.
It was aired locally on KTLA in Los Angeles live from the Pantages Theater, and somebody at the station made the decision (and spent considerable money) to make a 16mm kinescope. Video tape was not used for recording television programs at that time, it was still in the experimental stage. The kinescope system was a camera filming off a high quality, low contrast monitor.
I’m sorry to say that the filming of this particular premiere broadcast was the exception and not the rule.
You may not have experienced eye strain, but just about every 3-D presentation I’ve seen at the Film Forum has been out of phase, which means the two shutters are slightly off register. This is different from being out of sync, which creates instant eye strain and headaches.
An out of phase 3-D image just doesn’t look right and, once you’ve seen it, it can be very annoying. I’ve had the opportunity to see many 3-D shows presented perfectly, and going to the Film Forum can be very frustrating.
It’s a sad commentary on showmanship when an incident like the one described above is called “A great Sunday night at the Ziegfeld.”
I don’t feel Jack was trying to be negative in his post; he was merely being honest and realistic. Nobody loves old theaters as much as I do. I put a HUGE chunk of my life into saving and fixing the Loew’s Jersey to get it to the point where it is now. (Some pretty choice years too, from age 30 to 40. I was there nearly every Saturday, and many many more days and nights. I’ve got the physical scars to prove it!) But I finally had to walk away from that project because of the games and politics. I accomplished what I set out to do – they CAN run 35mm film again, but I grew tired of all the nonsense.
To make a difference in saving these great showplaces, you have to be willing to commit a great deal of time. You can’t just sit at your computer and be an armchair preservationist. You might feel better about it as if you’re making a difference in saving the place, but that’s about it.
The Stanley in Jersey City (beautifully restored, but somewhat altered) has 4332 seats, and the Kings has 3676.
Trust me on this: I spent 10 years of my life (and thousands of hard-working hours) helping to save and re-open Loew’s Jersey.
It ain’t easy folks…
Save the Kings!
Ken; please be careful when you go exploring. Many (if not all) of these grand surviving palaces are in rough areas. My brother and I were chased out of a Detroit neighborhood when we tried to look at the Grand Riviera, and I was cornered by a gang of thugs beside the RKO Kenmore in Brooklyn – and that happened in 1976!
Do exercise extreme caution.
Thanks for those pictures Ken. What’s the neighborhood like these days?
Thanks for checking Ken. The only two theaters I’ve ever been aware of in downtown Montclair are the Clairidge and Wellmont.
Do you have a street address?
Congratulations Gary, that’s terrific! I look forward to hearing your introduction.
The Lafayette always presents 3-D perfectly: in sync AND in phase. There will also be some rare 3-D shorts to round out the bill.
The archival print of LOVING YOU is the only known 35mm dye transfer Technicolor print. It is exclusive to the Lafayette and will not be shown in any other venue. The color is absolutely amazing – don’t miss this unique opportunity to see it on the big screen!
Irv: the archival print of LOVING YOU screening at the Lafayette IS amazing. It’s not only an original dye-transfer Technicolor print; it’s the only known surviving 35mm IB print!
To the best of my knowledge, it has not been shown theatrically since the early 60’s when it was pulled out of circulation by Hal Wallis. This one-of-a-kind print will not be shown at any other venue. Its access is exclusive to the Lafayette because of their professional staff and high standards of presentation.
In other words – don’t miss it!!
West Houston. I went up to the booth most recently to correct their screening of MAN IN THE DARK. You can call it “in their face” if you want, but I was trying to help them improve the quality of their presentation.
If you’d like to see just how good perfectly projected 3-D CAN look, I suggest you visit the Lafayette for KISS ME KATE tomorrow night. Plus, they’ll be running some rare 3-D shorts that you certainly won’t see at the Film Forum.
I don’t need to PKoch. I was there and have told the staff and management on several occasions. They even brought me up to the booth when their operator didn’t know how to frame the 3-D image into alignment. (They had started the show and it was way out of registration, resulting in severe eyestrain.) I pointed out the big black knob labeled “frame” on the projector, and explained to him that it is used to adjust the framing of the image. The professional projectionist didn’t know that.
They seemed to feel that the mere fact they were presenting 3-D was good enough. To go the extra mile to do it right didn’t seem to matter to them.
Irv; of all the vintage theaters running classic film in the New York area, I feel the Lafayette has the best line-up, the most consistent high-quality prints and – by far – the best standard of presentation. Just check out this weekend’s line-up: dual strip 3-D, stereo sound, a dye-transfer archival print, etc. For fans of classic film and beautiful theaters, it doesn’t get much better than that!
View link
From yesterday’s Bergen Record:
PASSAIC — One of Passaic’s stately movie houses in the 1920s, the
Montauk — now a shuttered pornographic movie theater — could see at least one more reincarnation as a performing arts space for budding drama students and musicians.
City and state officials met Tuesday to start planning possible
educational uses for a downtown site that encompasses the Main Avenue
theater and the Hotel Passaic around the corner on Henry Street.
Andrew Schwab, a spokesman for Assemblyman Gary Schaer, D-Passaic, said officials developed a tentative plan to renovate the theater for Passaic art students, instead of demolishing it for a new school. However, state and local officials did not determine a plan for the Hotel Passaic, a flophouse that school officials associate with prostitution and drug use.
State School Construction Corp. officials said their agency would work with the schools and the city to develop a plan for new or renovated facilities in that area, but they would not commit additional funding above the $166 million already approved to build four schools in the district.
“It’s rethinking a lot of things that exist and talking about creating new [space],” schools Superintendent Robert H. Holster said. “It’s not just about the issue of the drama and theater program. It’s a lot bigger than that.”
Outside of the possible student drama space in the Montauk, there were very few details on what was envisioned for that area. The theater is owned by Gloria Terminello, who won a 2005 appeals case to reopen the theater.
The meeting participants will meet again in two weeks to review
feasibility and traffic studies on the Montauk site.
They will also discuss the Hotel Passaic, which sits across the street from the proposed Henry Street Elementary School, one of the four school projects already approved.
Last week, school and city officials were shocked to learn that the SCC would not knock down the hotel and theater for a parking lot as part of the Henry Street school project. The SCC backed off after the local outrage reached Trenton officials.
The redevelopment of the Montauk Theater district for new school
facilities depends on approval from the state Department of Education, and the SCC reaching an agreement with the owners of the buildings.
If no agreement is reached, the state could take the property by
eminent domain.
Schwab added that when students were not using the theater space,
community and senior groups could hold events in the renovated Montauk.
Patsy; the link to those photos are in Warren’s post from 7:37 this morning.
In looking at the before and after photos, it struck me how much they altered the proscenium. Not only did they hang all those curtains, but they actually plastered over (or painted) some of the decorative architecture.
There was a huge stage and backstage area at this theater. They presented deluxe stage shows with a 71 piece orchestra in the pit. See the post dated Feb 1, 2006 for a breakdown.
If there is footage in the MFL doc then something exists, most likely black and white silent newsreel shots.
I forgot to mention that the only reason the Star is Born footage is so common was because a private collector got hold of a kinescope print, and sold bootleg copies on VHS.
It was aired locally on KTLA in Los Angeles live from the Pantages Theater, and somebody at the station made the decision (and spent considerable money) to make a 16mm kinescope. Video tape was not used for recording television programs at that time, it was still in the experimental stage. The kinescope system was a camera filming off a high quality, low contrast monitor.
I’m sorry to say that the filming of this particular premiere broadcast was the exception and not the rule.
Newsreel footage probably still exists because it was shot on 35mm or 16mm film. The live TV broadcasts are most likely gone.
You may not have experienced eye strain, but just about every 3-D presentation I’ve seen at the Film Forum has been out of phase, which means the two shutters are slightly off register. This is different from being out of sync, which creates instant eye strain and headaches.
An out of phase 3-D image just doesn’t look right and, once you’ve seen it, it can be very annoying. I’ve had the opportunity to see many 3-D shows presented perfectly, and going to the Film Forum can be very frustrating.
They were all aired live and unless they were kinescoped or videotaped (which is unlikely,) they are gone forever.
We have to Save the Montauk!