Victoria Theatre
1547 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1547 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
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Showing 26 - 50 of 94 comments
Laffmovie should be added to previous names (1942-1943).
The NYT is selling this 1948 image at their online store:
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Image taken in December 1948 during showing of “Joan of Arc”.
From a 1944 LIFE photo can be seen an unusual view of the Victoria -
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“Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” opened in 1957, so that might narrow it down a bit.
Here is an undated color photo from Life magazine:
http://tinyurl.com/nhyybx
Here is a December 1952 ad from the New York Times:
http://tinyurl.com/pynkk7
1979
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Renewing link.
It opened at the Victoria, according to the review a day later in the New York Times on January 12, 1946. The New York Times generally mentioned the theatre where a reviewed film was playing. You can easily find these on the NYT website by typing in the film’s name in the movie section review search page, as I just did.
I’m looking at a picture which I believe is from 1946. Lewis Milestone’s “A Walk in the Sun” is playing at the Victoria and “Spellbound” is at the Astor. AFI says “Spellbound” opened in New York on 31 October 1945 and it lists “A Walk in the Sun” as opening in New York on 11 January 1946. Can anyone tell me if “A Walk in the Sun” originally opened at the Victoria or premiered at a different theatre?
John Derek was an actor in the early fifties. He co-starred with Humphrey Bogart in “Knock on Any Door”, which was 1954, I think.
Those LIFE pictures sure are amazing.
Talk about “safety first”, how about that band riding on a fork lift.
Also could the John Derek in the last one later be the actress Bo’s husband? I knew he was quite older than she.
But 1951 to `81 when she was a houshold name, seems quite the age difference.
Here is another 1951 photo from Life:
http://tinyurl.com/5t85ow
OK, that makes more sense.
A stage show about Woodrow Wilson? Hard to picture.
Here is a 1944 Life photo:
http://tinyurl.com/68cz4n
Here is a 1951 photo from Life Magazine:
http://tinyurl.com/62yglp
As a visitor to New York, I saw a few movies at the Victoria. The last time I was in there, seeing a blaxploitation film whose name I cannot call to mind at the moment, I spotted a rodent — never a good sign for a theater that hopes to maintain an audience. Not long afterward, the Victoria was history. Other theaters where rodents were visible – the Criterion in its dilapidated final years and the Embassy 2-3-4, which was a nest of rodents by then. I spoke with the ticket taker who explained that it was the reason cats roamed freely in the theater. I also coped with cats, but never actually spotted a rodent, at the Elgin Theater (now the Joyce) when it was still playing double bills of revivals such as “Lady From Shanghai.”
Why all the tension?
Always nice to find out if your wife is a psycho before you tie the knot.
Quite a different approach from Fox’s classy “Gentleman’s Agreement” ad, but a lot more fun!
Here is a September 1957 ad from the NYT. “See it with someone you’d like to marry”. Good advice.
http://tinyurl.com/2vstab
When I was involved working at the Astor & Victoria Theaters, Artcraft Strauss was the name of the company that did all the billboards anfd signs for the two theaters.
Warren,
What a great shot of the Gaiety and Astor theaters. Just think this was before we came into WWII. The cars were great!
Roy
I was working as a ticket taker at the Victoria Theater for “The Big Knife” for the 10am opening performance. A woman wearing a trench coat with a kerchief wrapped around her head asked to see the manager. Our orders were to ask anyone who requests to see the manager to inquire for what purpose. So I said, “are you inquiring about a postion or is this personal?”. She smiled and said it is personal!. She then said…“ I would like to see the movie and I want to see if I can get in without paying!” Much to my chagrin the woman was Shelley Winters. I sure was embarassed. At the Astor Rod Steiger and Karl Malden would always be let in without paying when “On the Waterfront” was playing. The opening morning performance of ‘Waterfront" was inundated with Longshoremen with hooks and the rest of their regalia. For a 16 year old it was quite an experience.
The irony here with Shelley Winters is that she and I taught acting at the same studio. I told her the story and she remembered seeing “The Big Knife” at the Victoria and hazily remembered the incident.
My wife keeps telling me to write a book about my 30 years of experiences in theater. I do have some great stories just working at the Astor and Victoria theater. My professional experiences are quite unique. Maybe I will!
Roy