Comments about Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre in New York, NY

Al Alvarez on August 9, 2011 at 11:29 am

Robert, since the Embassy 1 closed before this did, its last name was Embassy 1, 2, 3.

RobertEndres on August 9, 2011 at 10:29 am

The name “Mark” did exist on the marquee after it was triplexed. (It could have been the name of a relative of one of the owners who triplexed the theatres.) I spent time there while it was being triplexed to become a porn theatre as detailed above, and the name was on the marquee in between the time it was triplexed and Peter Elson took it over. Since they had intended to run porn,they even had a professional 16mm theatre projector in the booth, which may have run at least one re-run feature after the city told them they couldn’t run porn. Peter had a habit of changing the name of all of his theatres to “Embassy”. I think the only exception was the Guild behind the Music Hall.

By the way, I always have trouble finding this theatre on C.T. because it’s listed as “Embassy 1,2,3” when it should be “Embassy 2,3,4” as shown in the photo above.

Mike (saps) on August 9, 2011 at 10:07 am

Joe, since asking for the photos in a haiku or free-form peom didn’t work, how about using a limerick?

There once was a theater called Mark

Played movies until it went dark

So where are the pics

To prove that this flicks

Existed, and not just a lark?

techman707 on August 9, 2011 at 9:49 am

Big joe59, I haven’t been able to find it. I have so many different computers and hard drives that I don’t think I’ll ever find it. Maybe someone else who has a picture will post it. But you can rest assured that it WAS called the Mark at one point.

I can’t answer your last question because I don’t remember what the “last” picture was. I know that right up until the fire, the sign was in VERY poor shape and had NOT been used in a number of years. I think it’s first use after the fire was for “Panasonic”.

bigjoe59 on August 8, 2011 at 5:15 pm

to techman707- just wanted to say Hello and hope that

           some day real soon you will find a 
                           photo of the triplexed "DeMille" with
                           Mark 1/2/3 actually on the marquee. as
                           i said i often went there after the
                           tri-plexing and never remember seeing
                           it on the marquee. 
              
                           one new question. for the past several
                           years the huge sign that wraps around
                           the building has advertised Broadway
                           shows. now what was the last film to 
                           play the "DeMille" that used the
                           wrap around sign?

techman707 on June 29, 2011 at 8:41 pm

If the door was open or you can pick locks you can probably go into the office building and go up to the fifth floor. There’s a door there that goes into the electrical room for the theatre marquee & sign electrics and if you walk through to the door on the other side you will come out at the TOP of the balcony (the booth is another flight up, but if they didn’t put doors there you can’t get to the booth staicase.

If I wasn’t so sick I would think of opening it as a GREAT IMAX Theatre. The balcony is PERFECT for one.

Ed Solero on June 28, 2011 at 3:06 pm

Scorpionfury… a recent comment here posted a link to a photo of the ceiling in the gift shop, which is a remnant of the old Demille Theatre (not sure if it dates back to the Columbia). I’ve also read that, while much of the theater’s interior was gutted, some of the auditorium decor remains in the dining area of the Famous Dave’s BBQ, around the corner on West 47th Street.

Scorpionfury on June 28, 2011 at 11:15 am

Found this tidbit: “One of the most "upscale” burlesque houses, the Columbia Theatre in New York City, reserved its front row for politicians and other well-connected patrons, who paid $1.50 a seat—a higher ticket price than at most big-time vaudeville theaters."

Obviously before it was remodeled into a movie house for RKO

Scorpionfury on June 28, 2011 at 10:59 am

I moved to NYC in 2006 and this place had not yet become the “Phantom of Broadway” giftshop, but was still boarded up with a ‘theatre space for lease’ sign hung on the old marquee. In 2008 when the gift shop opened I was there opening day because the “theatre space” that had been boarded up intrigued me. Sadly, the only thing I saw from the original (and this may even be from when it was an actual vaudeville theatre) arched foyer ceiling…painted a beautiful Cerulean Blue with silver stars. The chandelier I’m sure hung there was long gone. I took a picture but can’t find it to post it. ANyone else seen this? Know anything about it? From what the shop owner knew, the main theatre was still intact and the gift shop was just using what had been the lobby. It’d sure be neat to see the inside.

techman707 on June 26, 2011 at 6:19 pm

bigjoe59,

Sorry, I haven’t found the picture, but you can take my word and everyone elses here that’s aware of it that it certainly existed. It could just be a case of bad timing and you might have just missed seeing it.

I’m sure that either I’ll find the picture or someone else will eventually post one.

bigjoe59 on June 26, 2011 at 4:00 pm

Hello to Techman707-

i was wondering if you’ve located a photo of the front of the theater when Mark1/2/3 was actually on the marquee yet. as said i went to the theater often enough after it was tri-plexed so i should have come across Mark ½/3 on the marquee on at least one or two occasions. but i simply don’t recollect it. hopefully you have found a photo.

AGRoura on June 25, 2011 at 3:41 pm

When Diabolique opened in Washington DC at The Playhouse in 54 or 55, no one was admitted after the film had started and customers had to sign an “agreement” that they would not reveal the ending.

Al Alvarez on June 25, 2011 at 2:30 pm

<Tinseltoes on June 16, 2011 at 7:08 am

Fifty-one years ago today, Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” opened its NYC premiere engagement at the DeMille and the Baronet on the East Side, both then under Walter Reade management. The booking is still remembered for its innovative “No one admitted after the start of a performance” policy.>

Actually “All About Eve” had used the same gimmmick ten years before “Psycho” and had to abandon it after one week when audiences refused to show up on time.

Ed Solero on June 16, 2011 at 5:37 pm

Coate and Techman707… I miss the “preview” option as well, but I have read comments elsewhere from Ross or Patrick that they are working on restoring the “preview” feature in the near future. So this is merely a temporary inconvenience.

Mike (saps) on June 16, 2011 at 5:01 pm

I think there is a “remove” icon available as soon as the post is published, but I don’t know how long it stays there.

techman707 on June 16, 2011 at 4:18 pm

“Being able to preview one’s comment is crucial, in my opinion.”

I agree completely. A way to edit or delete your own post would be nice also.

Coate on June 16, 2011 at 3:44 pm

Fine. Anyone can learn how to create links using the new system. But, in my opinion, the CT staff foolishly removed the ability to preview one’s comment before submitting. Being able to preview one’s comment is crucial, in my opinion. One shouldn’t learn their link wasn’t correct only once the comment is posted, nor should any reader be subjected to an inactive link. (The lack of a preview option, by the way, is why I did not provide courtesy links to the theaters present in the CT database in my recently-posted “Raiders” tribute article.)

Ed Solero on June 16, 2011 at 2:21 pm

Saps. CT management posted some instructions on how to post a link here, precisely as Tinseltoes did earlier today. Go to the “Blog” section by clicking on the word “Blog” at the top of this page. Once that page opens, look under the Categories listed on the right side and click on “Cinema Treasures.” When that page opens, scroll down a few articles and you’ll find one from June 2nd titled “How to make links with our new comment system.” It’s all spelled out there and it is much easier than it was back under the old site.

If I can make an off-topic suggestion to Patrick and Ross, might be nice to have a “Help” link at the top where members old and new can find instructions and helpful hints such as how to add a link, what comment policy is, how to add a photo, how to adjust street view, etc. Just a thought.

Bill Huelbig on June 16, 2011 at 2:12 pm

I posted a page from the NY Daily News from August 1960 which shows the “Psycho” wraparound sign. It’s on this theater’s Photos page. It’s not the greatest picture of the sign, but at least you can see what it looked like. Hopefully someone will find a better shot of it.

Mike (saps) on June 16, 2011 at 1:55 pm

How do you “activate” a hyperlink? I think in the old format it just did it automatically but I’m not so sure now. And how do you condense a long link into a short phrase like “hitchcockpapers”?

techman707 on June 16, 2011 at 1:43 pm

I thought I had one of the corner sign with the crack running through the word Psycho and on the bottom it had the line about not being admitted after the start. I have so many different drives, I can;t find anything anymore.

techman707 on June 16, 2011 at 11:01 am

Saps-I posted the Psycho picture before I saw your link. Thanks, it actually has the picture I wanted.

techman707 on June 16, 2011 at 10:44 am

I’d like to see a photo of the corner sign when they ran “Those Magnificent Men In There Flying Machines”. It was a mototized sign with a pair of legs spinning around.

Some day all the posts will be HD video.-LOL

techman707 on June 16, 2011 at 10:40 am

Check the Photos. Too bad there aren’t any really good color photos.

Mike (saps) on June 16, 2011 at 10:10 am

This website link should bring up the Psycho marquee and other shots of the Demille but not the Psycho signage. (Nice website, btw.) http://thehitchcockpapers.wordpress.com/2009/03/15/psycho-at-the-demille-theater/

Embassy 1,2,3 Theatre

707 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10036

707 7th Avenue,
New York, NY 10036