Palladium Times Square
1515 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1515 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
33 people
favorited this theater
Showing 451 - 475 of 577 comments
Thanks Bill K
Seeing a 70MM movie in a large single screen houses like the Plazas, Chinese, Rivoli, Cinerama Dome was an experience. If you stepped into the Astor Plaza auditorium, it design is much like the original Century Plaza auditorium. As Columbia rolled out the restoration of “Lawrence of Arabia” in 1989 at the Century Plaza Theatre in 70MM. About 2 miles east the original Premiere site in Beverly Hills,
The Warner Beverly Hills was being torn down. The empty lot sat for a few years at the corner of Wilshire Blvd and Canon Dr.. The Warner was one of the best houses to see a 70MM feature in town. It may have not been as big or wide as the Chinese or Pantages, but it was a class act.
Rhett: Thanks for your additional help on the North NJ 70mm engagements. From my research, NJ certainly has had a lot of 70mm engagements.
William: I can relate to the memories of the Century Plaza theaters in Century City. I know some might feel that modern theaters like the Astor Plaza and Century Plaza aren’t as nice as the palaces of the golden age of cinema, but for my era of growing up in the 1970s and early 1980s, theaters like the Plazas were very nice. Plain but the presentation was excellent and far better than most of the multiplex theaters that were built in the 1970s. I can remember the horrendous UA and AMC 6-screeners around my area in Southern California. Shoebox auditoriums, poor sound and dreadful presentation. Kind of reminds me of many of the current megaplexes. :)
The first time I went to the Century Plaza was for the restoration of “Lawrence Of Arabia” in 1989. Excellent presentation. My only gripe was that when the massive curtains opened, a rather small screen was revealed. The Showcase on Melrose was similar to this. Big front wall, small screen.
The Century Plaza was a fine theater, much like what the Astor must have been. I never would’ve known that the main auditorium at the Century Plaza was divided. It’s one of the rare times when a large auditorium has been split and the result wasn’t too horrendous. But then again, I never saw the original auditorium, which I heard was awesome.
The Astor Plaza is just another reminder of the madness of real estate development and megaplex madness. Why can’t MTV pick another spot on which to build on? Why must our great theaters be altered or demolished? Single screen theaters can be used as “loss leaders” if I’m using the correct term. Use these flagships for audiences to attend “event” films. Bring back select 70mm presentations. The cost of a 70mm print rental will be offset by large, full houses. It worked back then, it can work now.
Audiences used to remember seeing big films like the original “Star Wars” films at the Astor Plaza, or the Century Plaza, or the UA Rivoli because both the film and presentation was far and above what they would see at a neighborhood theater. I talk to people today who rave about seeing a film like “Star Wars” or “Lawrence Of Arabia” at the big theaters of my area. That’s pretty impressive, in my opinion. The theater made an impact on how they experienced the film. What a concept! Now how many people today boast about seeing films in these new 20-30 screen megaplexes? I hear more people rave about their high quality home theater system than how they experienced “Troy” on a small screen at their $10.00 a seat megaplex.
End of rant.
Yes, rhett that is the right theatre. Buried deep under the Virgin store. That was the site of the famed Loew’s State Theatre in Times Square.
As you all have fond memories of “Star Wars” at the Astor Plaza. Mine was on the West Coast with the Plitt Century Plaza with “Star Wars”. The Plitt Century Plaza’s main house was just like the Astor Plaza in design, there was also a second theatre that seated 800 people. The Plitt later became a Cineplex and then a Loew’s house.
Cineplex cut the rear half of the house to make two extra screens, too make a total of 4 screens at that site. Earlier this year Loew’s closed the theatre, so it could be razed for a new office complex.
I have similar fond memories of the opening night of “Star Wars” at the Astor Plaza. While waiting in the downstairs lobby for the earlier show to let out, someone yelled out to the people leaving the theater, “Is it a war, man?” They let us in before the earlier show had cleared out, and there were lots of people still in their seats watching the credits roll by, and giving individual rounds of applause to special effects people and the Dolby System logo. I knew right then I was in for a rare moviegoing experience, and indeed it was, just as the Astor Plaza has become a rare big-screen single screen theater. It’s going to be a sad day when it finally closes.
Wishfull thinking Acevedo, but I doubt Sam jackson could care less about The Astor. I guess whatever memories we all have of the Astor will have to stay in our memories cause there ain’t a dam thing we can do. It’s all about money.
About the Loews State theater closing. Again, which theater is that, is that the one buried in the Virgin Record store and is that the Old State Theater site??
I guess I’ll throw my two cents into the Great Astor Plaza Memorial Discussion. While there’s a special place in my heart for the golden age palaces, the more modern Astor Plaza and Ziegfeld are truly the theatres of my youth. The most vivid movie-going experiences of my life happened in the big cozy room of the Astor. Everyone seems to remember the opening sequence of “Star Wars”, with the intro crawl and the Star Destroyer roaring overhead. How about the STANDING OVATION the jump into hyperspace used to get? The nervous laughter as the growl of the Death Star trash compactor monster rippled 360 degrees around the audience in gut-rumbling Dolby? “ Is there something alive in here?” I did my first movie war-whooping during the asteroid chase in “the Empire Strikes Back,” was first dazzled by the credit-sequence of “Superman”, thrilled to the Old Testament lightning spearing the Nazis at the end of “Raiders of the Lost Ark”… all at the Astor.
Here’s a thought. Hollywood stars like to imagine that they can a big difference in the world… well here’s Samuel Jackson’s chance to do some good. I’ve heard him reminisce more than once on talk shows how blown away he was when he caught “Star Wars” at the Astor Plaza back in the day, and so felt honored to star in the prequels and become part of the heritage…. someone should tap him on the shoulder and let him know he can help save a piece of his own heritage as a young impressionable wannabe in NYC… maybe the Astor can become the flagship of the Jackson Cineplex Chain? Just a thought…
I guess, per John’s initial post, now there might be a reason to see ‘Shrek 2’ ;–) In addition to two sites in Times Square, the second tale revolving around the giant green ogre is scheduled to open at the Beekman and First and 62nd Street Cinemas in Midtown East.
PS (to John, or anyone else who might be in the know) – is there any word on a closing time for the Loews State? Loews Cineplex has been looking to shake that albatross loose for at least three years and the talk has been (at least according to William’s post in which he first brought forth to this site the bad news about the Astor Plaza) that that house would be shuttered sometime this calendar year.
You are correct.
I just looked on the site and that is the same place.
Fantastic inside.
Does he mean the Loew’s 175th Street Theatre??
I never heard of it
The theatre will be closing around the first week in August.
Afraid that I can not reveal my source, but it is very reliable.
Has anyone here been in the United Palace Theatre on 175th street and Broadway? I believe it is also an old Loew’s Theatre.
I was inside recently. It has been maintained very well and as nice as the Ziegfield.
Its up to went the lease on the theatres is up and when MTV starts to build on the site. Most of the time they will wait till the lease is up or if they want the property early they will pay the leasee a large amount to leave early for the site. Looks like MTV is just waiting for the lease to end right now. But they are doing work in the building right now.
Again.. ANy wor don WHEN the Astor Plaza will be closing and if it is definite or speculation or rumor?
Can someone tell me how to start a new topic? I can’t figure it out and would like to post something. You can e mail me at Just reference cinema treasures in the subject line so I don’t think it’s spam.
Mike
no one ever mentions the Paris Theatre. The terrific single screen wonder across from the Plaza Hotel. I saw “Hans Christian Andersen” there in 1953 when it was day dating with the Criterion. The Paris shows fine foreign and independent films sometimes sharing with the downtown Sunshine Cinemas… I am sure the Paris will live on forever!
Maybe we shoould all get together and contact Loews and see if we can at least get them to salvage the State. I don’t know at this point how much good it would do to try and save the Astor Plaza. I saw in an earlier post a comment about the Forum/Movieland. From what I saw in 2000 when I was in NYC, that theater is now a restaurant called the Roxy Deli. I don’t remember seeing a hotel there.
Mike
Bill…for your research…in 1990…2 70MM presentations played in North NJ…Far and Away…and Dick Tracy at the Loews 6 plex in Wayne….I saw them both….ALSO IN 1983 at the Loews in Wayne I saw a 70mm print of Staying Alive..I believe Ghandi(1982) played in 70MM also at the Loews but it needs confirmation.
Many posters are annoyed about us getting off track about the Astor. I believe that this site seems to be our main office or gathering hall. Anyone agree?
I’m always impressed by the breadth of your knowledge, William. One minor correction about the Warner Twin/Strand, though – it was actually replaced by 1585 Broadway, the office tower which houses part of JP Morgan Chase’s Manhattan operations, among other white-collar tenants. The Central Theatre (a.k.a., Forum, Forum 47th Street, and Movieland, among other names during its years of operation), which stood on the southwest corner of Broadway and 47th Street, was demolished in 1998 and replaced by the midtown branch of Ian Schrager’s W Hotels.
With property values at a premium in Times Square/Midtown area in Manhattan. It would have been a very hard time to make money with some of those larger single screen theatres. With theatre companies replacing older theatres with more modern ones. This is before the real plex type theatres opened, you only had twins or triplexes. Even if someone had saved them for a few extra years. They would have had to change features every week to make some money. Where in studios wanted films to play first run for a selected number of weeks in high traffic markets. Thats what Metropolitan did in downtown Los Angeles with those palaces. But with that the theatres were not generally maintained well. Look at the sizes of those theatres we lost in Times Square area.
Roxy 5886 seats, replaced with a office building.
Capitol 5486 seats, replaced with a office building.
Paramount 3664 seats, gutted for office space.
Warner (Strand) 2720 seats, tri-plexed, replaced by hotel.
State 3339 seats, twinned, replaced by office building.
Rivoli 2092 seats, twinned, replaced by office building.
Criterion 1657 seats, plexed, gutted for retail.
Astor 1135 seats, replaced by a hotel.
Victoria 811 seats, replaced by a hotel.
Looking at the list the three largest houses, were replaced by offices. The Roxy and the Capitol theatres were just too large for their chains to hold on to. Their chains (Fox & Loew’s)would have had to cut them up to make extra screen space. Because a few years ago Magic Johnson Theatres (Sony/Loew’s) was going to make a like a 16-20 screen plex out of the Loew’s Kings in Brooklyn. They would have had to cut that theatre all up to get that kind of screen count. The only thing left would have been the lobby. Look how they cut the Loew’s Jersey, Paradise and the Metropolitan theatres. You lost or covered up the many of the theatres features in these conversions. Many times the theatre chains think of these older theatres as white elephants. In Hollywood, United Artists was all set in making the Egyptian Theatre their new flagship theatre by doing what Pacific Theatres did to the Cinerama Dome. But they could not get important zoning changes done by the Los Angeles City Council. They were going to add an 8-10 screen plex to play along side the main theatre and add food and other Hollywood type attactions for that block. They couldn’t get the passing votes, so they dropped and let the Egyptian rundown.
Rhett: Thanks for the info on the Cinema 46, even though this thread is about the Astor. :)
RE: It was 1975 and yes, they didn’t really advertise the audio so you can imagine the surprise to a 14 year old when these films blasted off the screen. (Tommy and Hindenburg).
I bet it was incredible! I remember jumping out of my seat during the 70mm presentation of “Star Wars,” from the blast of the Star Wars theme, to Luke getting attacked on the bluff by a Tuskin Raider. Quite extraordinary.
RE: research for 70MM in NJ….Cinema 46 did play 1941, in 70MM 6 track. other 70MM at the Cinema 46…in the early 80’s…Superman II, Outland, Poltergeist…I saw them all there…
Thanks for the info on these. I’m only up to 1978 on my research.
RE: If you ever get to Montclair State University, they have a good microfilm set.
I have a friend who lives in Cedar Grove, so maybe after I visit her, I can visit the Monclair State University library. Last year, I went to the movies with her and she took me to the old Cinema 23. Cool theater, except for it being chopped into more auditoriums.
I’m bummed that I didn’t go to the Astor Plaza to see “Gangs of New York” last year during my visit to Manhattan. Another fine movie theater soon to be destroyed.
Yes the Warner Hollywood (Mark Hellinger) (Times Square Church) was built as a Movie Palace but most of its life it was a top rank Broadway Musical Stage Theatre. That is the only reason it survived or it would have met the fate like the other Times Square Movie Palaces. It also has landmark status which the big Times Square Movie Palaces did not.Disney was interested in purchasing or leasing this theatre but the church has been reluctant to give it up.The Warner Hollywood is very ornate like the Large Movie Palaces.Broadway may return here one day but I doubt movies ever will.Times Sqaure top rank movie palaces The Roxy,Capitol,Paramount,
Warner(Strand),State,Rivoli,Criterion,Astor,Victoria are all gone. A few legit theatres that showed movies for a period Lunt-Fontanne,Palace,Broadway,Mark Hellinger(Church)are still with us.All the 42nd St theatres that have been restored New Amsterdam,American
Airlines(Selywn),Victory and creative re-use such as The Empire,Ford Center(elements of both Lyric and Apollo but really a new theatre).The Liberty and Times Square are awaiting some sort of renovation.All the 42nd Theatres were built for stage but a good deal of there life they were movie theatres showing 1st and 2nd run and porn but wouldn’t be in the same league as the Times Square Movie Palaces.
The Mayfair(Columbia,De Mille,Embassy 2,3,4)is still there but wasn’t in the same class as the other Times Square Movie Palaces.The only reason this building is still there is the income from the Billboards.The landlord wants 1 Million a year for the Mayfair Theatre which means movies are out. Does this theatre still have a stage? Many theatres of this size around 1500 tore out there stage to put in the larger screens for the roadshow pictures of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Again Loews Jersey is a movie palace which should be supported. The only big Movie Palaces left in NYC with the Exception of Radio City,Beacon,and Loews 175th St are found in the Bronx,Queens,and Brooklyn.brucec
Nice that a church can lay out $14 million.
The Warner Hollywood Theatre would be the best theatre to return to movies, but as Warren said its currently a church. The Times Square Church bought the building awhile back for around 14 million. The theatre is well maintained and treated well. I live next door to it, so I see it every day. As the Biltmore Theatre got restored last year. The only two theatres just sitting in the area are the Mayfair and the rotting Times Square Theatre on 42nd. They recently put up a construction barrier, so you can’t see the inside rotting away.
In response to leases in Times Square. The Rivoli was owned by United Artists and sold the property for about 17 Million which they used to build a multiplex in NY/New Jersey area which probably has itself closed due to competition from the megaplex. Times Square leases were always expensive or they were owned by the the theatre companies. The land value in midtown is a little different than the land value on Broadway in Downtown LA. The movie palaces downtown are around due to lack in investment and development along broadway, It wasn’t by grand design. In fact LA focused on investing on the new downtown around Bunker Hill which saved all the buildings around Broadway. I think the time is coming where the city will start focusing on Broadway and the Spring St area which is the heart of the old downtown. I think this area should become a special investment zone and major credits given to restoring the major buildings in this area. I think LA should not build any new theatres and use the historic ones they have left. I realize that Times Square had economic realities but why didn’t they give air rights above the historic movie palaces that were left like they did with the historic broadway theatres in the area. Its amazing to me not one of the major movie palaces are left in Times Square. I guess because Radio City was saved the city thought that was enough. The Astor Plaza is getting all this print because its the last large single screen left in Times Sqaure. It wasn’t the best of the theatres Times Square once had but its the only one that is left.brucec
Bill…..Quinaphonic-Quadraphonic…It was 1975 and yes, they didn’t really advertise the audio so you can imagine the surprise to a 14 year old when these films blasted off the screen. (Tommy and Hindenburg)
Re: research for 70MM in NJ….Cinema 46 did play 1941, in December 1979 in 70MM 6 track. It says in the ads which is why I’m one of the few who still likes the flick. It was a good experience watching it. Cinema 46 did advertise 4 track stereo in the later 70’s ….Macarthur….The Car…. other 70MM at the Cinema 46…in the early 80’s…Superman II, Outland, Poltergeist…I saw them all there…
If you ever get to Montclair State University, they have a good microfilm set.
Van Helsing is at the Astor….while at a bunch of other theaters….they probably didn’t have too big a house….it’s going under soon?? anyone have a date yet?? will it last through the end of the Summer or year??