One of the ‘Blue Laws’ in the state of Massachusetts (where I grew up) prohibited up until around 1983 or so most types of businesses except for a handful (i.e., gas stations, convenience stores, etc.) from opening for business on Sundays. Blue laws, I’d have to think, probably varied from state to state, so those in effect in New York State (or in the city) back in 1923 were probably different from the ones on the books in the Bay State. (I can’t imagine they affected movie theatres being open for business on Sundays; I know of no such law and the very notion sounds absurd, to say the least.)
It is, Warren; according to its display ad in today’s NY Post, the remake of ‘The Amityville Horror’ is currently playing there (at the Plaza ‘Twin’, natch).
Thanks for posting those photos, j (and to you and Ian for taking them in the first place). For having been vacant 22 years at the time, the elements you captured appear to be in decent condition for the most part, all considering.
When Loews operated the New York Twin, the bookings consisted of more reliable product and always seemed better coordinated to the neighborhood. (Recently spotted by yours truly in the upstairs street-level entranceway: a banner for the upcoming film ‘Unleashed’; nothing against Jet Li, but the area’s residents hardly strike me as representing a strong percentage of his – or this film’s – core audience.) Who’s to blame for this drop-off in films best suited to the immediate customer or guest base, I’m not sure: Crown, for not being more proactive or competitive in negotiating for bookings or the distributors themselves for not making more (or, in some cases, any) of their releases available to Crown.
To perhaps answer your question, hardbop, about why the UES was bypassed in the recent multi/megaplex building boom, I’ve cut-and-pasted one of dave-bronx' posts on the ImaginAsian Theatre (that subterranean cinema on 59th near 2nd) page on this site:
This block of 59th St was a regular porn alley at one time – this theatre, the Cine Malibu, plus the theatre that would later become the Manhattan Twin, and the Lido East which was on the north side of the street closer to 3rd Ave. were all porno joints. They were the reason that the local community board had the area re-zoned to prohibit any more theatres from being built, and the existing theatres could not add any more square-footage. And I think it also prohibited an existing theatre heavily damaged by some catastrophe from being re-built. They were trying to prevent the area from becoming another 42nd St/8th Ave. I’m not positive but I think that zoning restriction is still in effect.
posted by dave-bronx on Sep 11, 2004 at 2:08am
Here’s a news story confirming the Grand Luncheonette’s location underneath the marquee of and to the right side of the entranceway to the Selwyn: View link
(The Nedick’s made reference to earlier today was located on the southwest corner of 7th and 42nd, on the spot presently occupied by Champs Sports.)
What was the exact street address of this theatre? I presume its former space – at least on the exterior – bears little or no resemblance to its former film or live theatre tenants, given how much that stretch of 2nd Avenue continues to change and redevelop itself.
The Plaza went under pretty quietly. That was Cineplex Odeon’s modus operandi when it came to closing its theatres – suddenly and without any advance press or notice. What that policy failed to take into account was the special attachment New Yorkers tend to have towards their favorite moviegoing haunts.
I wish the management would better publicize the films shown at the New Victory, no matter how seldom the screenings are. I’ve never been inclined to attend any of the family-geared productions presented there (to my loss, I suppose, based on what I’ve heard and read about them) but would feel differently about catching a flick, knowing what I do about the theatre.
I was surprised, too, this theatre wasn’t listed; I always presumed it was.
Speaking of the multiplex nearby, since it opened the fare at the Pavilion Brooklyn Heights has leaned more towards the art house – out of necessity, I’m sure, and a good counterbalance to its newer mate and/or competition nearby.
Coincidentally enough, hardbop, it was this theatre which had that snack bar – the Grand Luncheonette (one of the symbols of the ‘old’ Times Square which wrongfully went away) – under its marquee.
‘Spanking the Monkey’ was actually David O. Russell’s first film, hardbop. The Plaza, meanwhile, closed in January of ‘96 with 'Grumpier Old Men’, while ‘Flirting with Disaster’ opened in March of that year; it was also the final film booked into the 68th Street Playhouse – perhaps that’s where you saw it?
Pardon my bluntless, but whatever the hell Loews was thinking when they built this theatre is beyond me. The neighborhood it’s in is hardly one of the more traditional residential ones in Manhattan (perhaps it’ll be more of one if the West Side Stadium plan falls through and Cablevision’s alternate plan to convert the area above the rail yards into a mostly residential stretch of property becomes a reality); the MSG and shopping crowds, for the most part, don’t come into the area to see a movie as well; and, of course, there’s 38 screens eight blocks to the north showing the same exact films. What a wasted idea on Loews' behalf…
Regal Cinemas thought (if one wants to attach the notion of ‘thinking’ to Regal’s development of the Battery Park Stadium) this part of town, as part of the dot-com boom in the ‘90s, was going to become a 24-hour (or, at the very worst 16- or 20-hour) hot spot, which maybe (and that’s a highly charitable 'maybe’) it would have gained some semblance of if 9/11 never happened. Things ‘might’ improve once (and here’s a bit more of that magic fairy dust) the WTC site is fully developed by 2010, but I can’t, in any form of logic, anticipate Regal holding on until then.
Loews is altering, effective today, its showtime policy throughout its Manhattan theatres (and maybe with its sites across the country – that I cannot attest to). In Manhattan, the Loews State will offer matinees only on weekends (can’t imagine those 12:15 Tuesday afternoon showings of ‘Guess Who’ were attracting all that many stragglers), while at most of its other theatres, pre-12 noon and/or pre-1 pm shows are being dropped Monday through Friday, along with post-11 pm shows Sundays through Thursdays – most likely a bean counter-driven move in sum, and one which might be temporary or long-term; time will tell, I suppose…
Interesting – a movie theatre not only in the middle of a neighborhood, but apparently in the middle of a residential neighborhood; don’t see that all too often…
The main scene in ‘Thirteen’ featuring the Hollywood Galaxy is set at its box office. Among the attractions listed – this being a low-budget indie, the expense of coming up with fake titles wasn’t an issue – is the film ‘Like Mike’, dating the production to the summer of 2002.
I noticed in small print, on Gerald’s second program scan this past April 6th, that the films at the Art (at least in the program Gerald scanned) had ‘continuous’ showtimes, from, for example, 6 pm on. Why did theatres list their showtimes as such, as opposed to the more traditional (at least by current standards) 6 pm, 8:30, etc.? Did ‘continuous showtimes’ ever cause confusion as to the start time of later shows? About when did the ‘continuous showtimes’ standard come to an end, and what are the origins of that policy, at least in general? Was it a decades-long carryover from the vaudeville era?
Does anyone know of the availability online of any relatively current (‘relatively current’ being within the last 10 years or so) photos of the interior of the Paramount? I’ve read a few random descriptions, but nothing concise enough to provide a true image.
Good point from both you, Bob, and William and Warren, too, but, presuming Clearview either owns the building which houses the Ziegfeld or could, at least in theory, negotiate with the landlord to build an ArcLight-like complex around the Ziegfeld, what are the odds they’d actually do so? From what I can tell (at least based on their properties in Manhattan), Clearview has shown little motivation to build any new properties or add onto the ones they already own (or hold leases on) and with the ongoing financial troubles of Cablevision, such a venture would seem unlikely.
This theatre was never called the Worldwide Plaza Cinemas; it was simply known as the Worldwide Cinemas, or, at least on an informal basis after it became a discount house, the Encore Worldwide (or Encore Worldwide Cinemas).
RobertR mentioned in his post dated this past October 19th, hardbop, that the Bijou essentially became a gay cruising spot in its later years. (On the marquee front, I don’t remember it ever having one, either.)
One of the ‘Blue Laws’ in the state of Massachusetts (where I grew up) prohibited up until around 1983 or so most types of businesses except for a handful (i.e., gas stations, convenience stores, etc.) from opening for business on Sundays. Blue laws, I’d have to think, probably varied from state to state, so those in effect in New York State (or in the city) back in 1923 were probably different from the ones on the books in the Bay State. (I can’t imagine they affected movie theatres being open for business on Sundays; I know of no such law and the very notion sounds absurd, to say the least.)
It is, Warren; according to its display ad in today’s NY Post, the remake of ‘The Amityville Horror’ is currently playing there (at the Plaza ‘Twin’, natch).
Thanks for posting those photos, j (and to you and Ian for taking them in the first place). For having been vacant 22 years at the time, the elements you captured appear to be in decent condition for the most part, all considering.
When Loews operated the New York Twin, the bookings consisted of more reliable product and always seemed better coordinated to the neighborhood. (Recently spotted by yours truly in the upstairs street-level entranceway: a banner for the upcoming film ‘Unleashed’; nothing against Jet Li, but the area’s residents hardly strike me as representing a strong percentage of his – or this film’s – core audience.) Who’s to blame for this drop-off in films best suited to the immediate customer or guest base, I’m not sure: Crown, for not being more proactive or competitive in negotiating for bookings or the distributors themselves for not making more (or, in some cases, any) of their releases available to Crown.
To perhaps answer your question, hardbop, about why the UES was bypassed in the recent multi/megaplex building boom, I’ve cut-and-pasted one of dave-bronx' posts on the ImaginAsian Theatre (that subterranean cinema on 59th near 2nd) page on this site:
This block of 59th St was a regular porn alley at one time – this theatre, the Cine Malibu, plus the theatre that would later become the Manhattan Twin, and the Lido East which was on the north side of the street closer to 3rd Ave. were all porno joints. They were the reason that the local community board had the area re-zoned to prohibit any more theatres from being built, and the existing theatres could not add any more square-footage. And I think it also prohibited an existing theatre heavily damaged by some catastrophe from being re-built. They were trying to prevent the area from becoming another 42nd St/8th Ave. I’m not positive but I think that zoning restriction is still in effect.
posted by dave-bronx on Sep 11, 2004 at 2:08am
Hope this helped resolve your query…
Here’s a news story confirming the Grand Luncheonette’s location underneath the marquee of and to the right side of the entranceway to the Selwyn: View link
(The Nedick’s made reference to earlier today was located on the southwest corner of 7th and 42nd, on the spot presently occupied by Champs Sports.)
I recently heard that he had been working with Dan Talbot @ New Yorker Films; not sure if that’s still the case or not…
What was the exact street address of this theatre? I presume its former space – at least on the exterior – bears little or no resemblance to its former film or live theatre tenants, given how much that stretch of 2nd Avenue continues to change and redevelop itself.
The Plaza went under pretty quietly. That was Cineplex Odeon’s modus operandi when it came to closing its theatres – suddenly and without any advance press or notice. What that policy failed to take into account was the special attachment New Yorkers tend to have towards their favorite moviegoing haunts.
I wish the management would better publicize the films shown at the New Victory, no matter how seldom the screenings are. I’ve never been inclined to attend any of the family-geared productions presented there (to my loss, I suppose, based on what I’ve heard and read about them) but would feel differently about catching a flick, knowing what I do about the theatre.
Interestingly enough, the exterior of this theatre resembles that of the Waverly on 6th Avenue in NYC’s Greenwich Village.
I was surprised, too, this theatre wasn’t listed; I always presumed it was.
Speaking of the multiplex nearby, since it opened the fare at the Pavilion Brooklyn Heights has leaned more towards the art house – out of necessity, I’m sure, and a good counterbalance to its newer mate and/or competition nearby.
Coincidentally enough, hardbop, it was this theatre which had that snack bar – the Grand Luncheonette (one of the symbols of the ‘old’ Times Square which wrongfully went away) – under its marquee.
‘Spanking the Monkey’ was actually David O. Russell’s first film, hardbop. The Plaza, meanwhile, closed in January of ‘96 with 'Grumpier Old Men’, while ‘Flirting with Disaster’ opened in March of that year; it was also the final film booked into the 68th Street Playhouse – perhaps that’s where you saw it?
Pardon my bluntless, but whatever the hell Loews was thinking when they built this theatre is beyond me. The neighborhood it’s in is hardly one of the more traditional residential ones in Manhattan (perhaps it’ll be more of one if the West Side Stadium plan falls through and Cablevision’s alternate plan to convert the area above the rail yards into a mostly residential stretch of property becomes a reality); the MSG and shopping crowds, for the most part, don’t come into the area to see a movie as well; and, of course, there’s 38 screens eight blocks to the north showing the same exact films. What a wasted idea on Loews' behalf…
Regal Cinemas thought (if one wants to attach the notion of ‘thinking’ to Regal’s development of the Battery Park Stadium) this part of town, as part of the dot-com boom in the ‘90s, was going to become a 24-hour (or, at the very worst 16- or 20-hour) hot spot, which maybe (and that’s a highly charitable 'maybe’) it would have gained some semblance of if 9/11 never happened. Things ‘might’ improve once (and here’s a bit more of that magic fairy dust) the WTC site is fully developed by 2010, but I can’t, in any form of logic, anticipate Regal holding on until then.
Loews is altering, effective today, its showtime policy throughout its Manhattan theatres (and maybe with its sites across the country – that I cannot attest to). In Manhattan, the Loews State will offer matinees only on weekends (can’t imagine those 12:15 Tuesday afternoon showings of ‘Guess Who’ were attracting all that many stragglers), while at most of its other theatres, pre-12 noon and/or pre-1 pm shows are being dropped Monday through Friday, along with post-11 pm shows Sundays through Thursdays – most likely a bean counter-driven move in sum, and one which might be temporary or long-term; time will tell, I suppose…
The Cremazie had an (or maybe still has, depending on what its function is today) exterior similar to that of the Coronet in San Francisco.
Interesting – a movie theatre not only in the middle of a neighborhood, but apparently in the middle of a residential neighborhood; don’t see that all too often…
The main scene in ‘Thirteen’ featuring the Hollywood Galaxy is set at its box office. Among the attractions listed – this being a low-budget indie, the expense of coming up with fake titles wasn’t an issue – is the film ‘Like Mike’, dating the production to the summer of 2002.
I noticed in small print, on Gerald’s second program scan this past April 6th, that the films at the Art (at least in the program Gerald scanned) had ‘continuous’ showtimes, from, for example, 6 pm on. Why did theatres list their showtimes as such, as opposed to the more traditional (at least by current standards) 6 pm, 8:30, etc.? Did ‘continuous showtimes’ ever cause confusion as to the start time of later shows? About when did the ‘continuous showtimes’ standard come to an end, and what are the origins of that policy, at least in general? Was it a decades-long carryover from the vaudeville era?
Does anyone know of the availability online of any relatively current (‘relatively current’ being within the last 10 years or so) photos of the interior of the Paramount? I’ve read a few random descriptions, but nothing concise enough to provide a true image.
Good point from both you, Bob, and William and Warren, too, but, presuming Clearview either owns the building which houses the Ziegfeld or could, at least in theory, negotiate with the landlord to build an ArcLight-like complex around the Ziegfeld, what are the odds they’d actually do so? From what I can tell (at least based on their properties in Manhattan), Clearview has shown little motivation to build any new properties or add onto the ones they already own (or hold leases on) and with the ongoing financial troubles of Cablevision, such a venture would seem unlikely.
This theatre was never called the Worldwide Plaza Cinemas; it was simply known as the Worldwide Cinemas, or, at least on an informal basis after it became a discount house, the Encore Worldwide (or Encore Worldwide Cinemas).
Thanks for the info, Dave; I suspected something of the sort…
RobertR mentioned in his post dated this past October 19th, hardbop, that the Bijou essentially became a gay cruising spot in its later years. (On the marquee front, I don’t remember it ever having one, either.)