Roxy Theatre

The photos of the demolition men working inside the darkened Roxy are the most heart rending photos I’ve seen on CT yet.

simon, frank and richk:

Its good to hear your recollections of working at the Roxy.
What do you remember about the projection booth? How many projectionists worked on a shift.Did they just operate the projection equipment or did they look after the curtains and lighting too? If there was a separate stage crew how did they co-ordinate the stage show, curtains etc with the projectionists?
Any information would be appreciated.

Hi Simon…just went back and read some of your other comments…and remembered having the job of selling tickets at the bottom of the Loge stairs…it seems also that the worst job (apart from picking up the seats after the last show, you know how many that is, and turning in all the lost items) was the Coat Check Room in the lower lounge…or maybe they had turned that into something else…Did they still have the really cool job of giving you a pass to all the other theaters to check their “house numbers”…I did tend to linger at the Paramount. Our favorite hangout after hours was the “Gaslight” on 6th ave and the Greek resturant opposite the stage doorr

I worked as an usher at the Roxy Theater in 1950/1951. I have many memories I thought I would share some. The staff entrance was on 50th street and we shared the elevator with the people from 20th century fox that had an office on the 5th floor, then inspection outside the balcony elevator by Captains (Banovich or Carpenter). The best job…running the backstage elevator and the Rainbow Ice Stage skaters, Jack Allen, Phil Romane, Caty Steele…but watch out for the Balls after the “Walking Ball” number…Mindy Carso singing in the fake snow at the Christmas show…my friend Stan Dymick and I getting suspended for that wild party we had in the Taft Hotel. But most of all the Theater itself…

Thank you Warren, I live in Southern California but I’ll keep the information in case we make a trip out there. I really appreciate your response and time.

Great patch of detailed data, Warren. Thanks very much.

As Stepal2 wrote above:

Three years later, after Pennsylvania Station was demolished, The New York Times printed an editorial which might also be applied the destruction of the Roxy,.
“…..we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build, but by those we have destroyed.”

Simon, I WAS referring to the grand staircase, seen above, not the lower staircase that you’re referring to. That one led to the manager Mr. Katz and his assistant manager’s offices and loge. Maybe not in your time there, but looking at the picture, the concession stand was to the right of that. And there was even another smaller one in the balcony at the top of that grand staircase by the small window, seen in the Gloria Swanson picture of her standing in the rubble in 1961. Mr. Levy was the concessions manager. I worked there for nearly 3 years in the early 1950s so I ought to know. It must be that you worked there a bit later. Regarding the usher doing cartwheels, as I said, he was not
your regular usher but an extremely flamboyant fellow and discipline might have been a bit relaxed during a peak time when hundreds of patrons were standing on the grand staircase. It was only once I saw him do that. It’s nice to share our memories.

Memories of the Rotunda – from someone who was there. About these photos – they are wonderful to have, especially the first one. I may have posted it before here on this site, or perhaps somewhere else, but this first picture shows the location of the yet to be concession stand just to the right of that staircase leading to the loges and manager’s office. I don’t know when the concession stand was put in that location as it was many, many years later – not too many years before the theater was demolished, when I worked there selling candy as a 16 year old. From my viewpoint there I could look up at the two ton chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The giant Rotunda (we were not
allowed to call it a lobby) had a circular carpet that we employees
were not even allowed to walk on so I had to walk around it to and from my post at the candy stand. The circular staircase that you see
often was filled with masses of people waiting for seats in the
upper balconies. One rather flamboyant usher would often entertain
those hundreds of waiting patrons by doing his acrobatic tricks,
cartwheeling up and down that grand stair case and finishing with a
full split, to the patron’s amazement and applause! I have so many youthful memories of this theater, some good, some bad.

The photos are wonderful (double sigh). The photo of the lobby, however, includes only the entrance to the loge (about halfway into the rotunda)on the second level. Before the stairway to the loge is the grand stairway to the balcony, also on the left and seen as soon as you enter the theater from the outer lobby. Towards the center orchestra doors (to the extreme right…not seen in photo)is an alcove where patrons could take a huge elevator to the balcony.

If anyone saw “Middle of the Night” (1959), written by Paddy Chayefsky, on TCM the other day: Lee Philips' character talks about a musician he knows “who used to work in the pit in the Roxy, before they put in CinemaScope”.

Someone a while back was asking about where entrances to Roxy Theater were located. Apart from the Box offices on the corner of 7th Ave. and 50th Street, there were three other entrances. 153 West 50th was a door just a bit further East on 50th that had a service desk inside and an elevator to upper floors including Executive Offices at the top floor. It was the entrance for all front of house employees. Around the corner on 51st Street was the stage door for all performers as well as the scene dock used for loading stage scenery, animals, etc. leading directly to the stage.

Seems like “Windjammer” is being screened in England
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