Criterion Theatre
1514 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1514 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
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Showing 451 - 475 of 611 comments
PEPE-1960
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YOUR NEVER TO YOUNG-1956
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LIVING IT UP-1954
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THE COUNTRY GIRL-1954
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THE 5000 FINGERS OF DR T-1953
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CEASE FIRE IN 3-D-1953
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i the jury in 3-d 1953
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robin hood-1952
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one minute to zero-1952
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the white twor-1950
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Here is a 1934 image of the original Criterion Theatre, showing the Premier screening the Gaumont British release “Man of Aran” (a documentary directed by Rober Flaherty):
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I believe this is the theater that became a Paramount house for its more prestigious product(Wings, Applause, Design For Living)rather than for the hoi poloi movie palace crowds across the street at the Paramount.
Does anyone have an interior photo of this one? Also what was the capacity?
Here is the Criterion during the roadshow of “My Fair Lady"
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The 1971 re-issue of “My Fair Lady” was a national re-release. Select cities got 70MM prints of the film, the Southern California location was the Fox Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills.
What a great color photo of Times Square in all its 50’s glory! I’d like to see more like this.
The Criterion during “Robin Hood"
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It did. I believe that Warners was about to lose the rights which were to revert to CBS and this was their last hurrah with MFL(how did Jack Warner get this film so right and 1776 so wrong?)
I saw it as well in the burbs and while not packed it was much better attended.
It played at the smallest of our local theaters which has since been turned into a quad.
Vincent says: “The mass audience tastes had completely changed and it was painful to see.”
Yes, unfortunately, that’s what I figured. I think it depended upon the film and the venue. I saw “The Sound of Music” at our local theater on LI (Century’s Baldwin) and the place was packed. It played there for a week and there was almost always a line. The timing was crucial as well. The re-releases “Music” during the summer of 1973, kids are off, parents are desperate for something to amuse them, etc. Perfect combo.
Did “My Fair Lady” go into a wide re-release nationally or just in Times Square?
Bob, I had not realised that, it has been a long time since seeing the film in 3-D. I thought the recent showings on TCM was he same as the 3-D version. We are just going to have to get TCM to dig up the 3-D version to show. Interesting fact you shared, thanks.
RE: what Vincent said. My cousin and I had to struggle to find two seats together for “Love Story” at Loew’s State 1. That was also our first $3.00 movie ticket. We thought it was an outrageously high price.
I saw a late Saturday matinee and it was pretty empty(though in 70mm it had continuous perfs without an intermission. The mezz was priced higher-$3.50 than the orch or balc-$3.00.) I believe it ran for 3 weeks with Variety saying its weekly gross was 30K which seems improbable to me. It seems at that point the family movie going audience had completely turned its back on Times Square. My Fair Lady and the Criterion were the perfect movie-theater fit. The mass audience tastes had completely changed and it was painful to see.
By the way at the same time the unwatchable Love Story had long lines a block north at Loews State.
Just curious, how did the 1971 re-release of “My Fair Lady” do at the boxoffice? My guess is not well because by that time (1971) film was just entering it’s 70s golden age (arguable) and a film like Fair Lady just would'nt “jive” with audiences.
I could be wrong but I’m curious…
Vito, the “Looking for Trouble” number was not filmed all in long shots. They had two cameras filming a medium and a close-up, and those are the angles which were used in the 3-D release of the film.
The long shot was only used in the re-cut which RKO did to get censor approval for the flat release of the film.
I remember “The French Line” in 3-D, it did very very well.
Towards the end of the run at the Criterion, when the 3-D craze was nearing it’s end, the Criterion finished the run in 2-D. Jane wore a very skimpy outfit in the big dance number at the end of the movie and it had to be filmed with one camera at a long shot as not to show too much of Ms Russell. Today,“French Line” would be rated G
Howard Hughes had to go to court to get this film released because it was considered indecent. All this fuss over Ms Russels assets in 3D. It was sometimes advertised at the time as “JR in 3D, need we say more?”. Did anyone ever see it in the 3D process? The only time I ever saw it was on the old Million Dollor Movie.
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