United Artists 64th & 2nd Avenue
1210 2nd Avenue,
New York,
NY
10021
1210 2nd Avenue,
New York,
NY
10021
11 people
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The 1981 Boxoffice article Tinseltoes linked to says that the Columbia I and II was designed by Drew Eberson.
I was looking at the ads in the Sunday times and couldn’t find it listed and thought it might have closed. That’s 2 UA theaters in the area Regal closed. A few months back the closed the US east 85. UGH :(
I walked by today. So sad to see it go.
This closing was a shock…Remember seeing Last Picture Show the opening attraction here in a crowded Saturday afternoon show…also over the years Images & The Three Musketeers (back to back in both screens), The Last Detail, then as the Gemini Buddy Holly Story, Midnight Express, Air America, Total Recall
The marquees when it was the Columbia and Gemini were quite primitive and they were always trying to wedge on coming attractions…the poster cases were often filled with homestyle posters rather than the studios 4 sheets but this was a reliable house with mostly Columbia, then later Universal, Fox and Warner product with the odd indy as filler
Was never a fan of United Artists as opposed to the local chains Rugoff and Walter Reade…they never felt as sophisticated but am genuinely sad to see another Upper East Side haunt of my youth going
It is not listed on the Regal website. The theater is an underperfomer not getting the top hits. I doubt it another chain will pick it up . It will probaly be made retail.
Walked by the 64th and 2nd last night and it is now closed, with the United Artists signage removed from the top of the marquee. No ‘For Lease’ signs visible, so I imagine it’s possible, at least at this point in time, for a smaller theatre chain (I’m thinking City Cinemas) to take over the space. Otherwise, it’s another Upper East Side theatre biting the dust.
Regal’s website has “Stadium” in the theater’s title. How did stadium seating change the auditoriums' looks, screen sizes, etc?
Does the sign still say United Artists, or have they changed it to Regal?
I telephoned today and the staffer replied that each of the 3 auditoriums has about 400 seats. Anybody been recently in one of the 2 original auditoriums? How’s the digital projection? surround sound? screen size?
Thanks Al.
Another Columbia 1 and 2 Theatres.Great.
Yes it is.
Is this theatre still open?
<<< SethLewis mentioned above, in 2004, that the Columbia I & II hosted a retrospective of Columbia classics to celebrate the studio’s 50th anniversary in 1974. We had that all-night show in Pittsburgh, too, at Squirrel Hill Theater. It consisted of 10 outstanding Columbia films… I wonder how many cities had that festival and if we all had it the same night. >>>
<<< *The NY one started at 12:01am Saturday night/Sunday morning, October 12/13. * >>>
In Los Angeles this fest was shown at the Avco on Oct. 17/18, 1974. They ran the same ten films shown in New York. (See my posts of March 8 & 11, 2008 on the Avco page for more info.)
Opened as the Columbia 1 & 2 in October 1971.
Became the Gemini 1 & 2 in July 1978.
Became the Gemini 1, 2 & 3 in June 1996.
Became the 64th & 2nd 1, 2 & 3 in October 1996.
As the Gemini.
View link
Renewing link.
Columbia I & II was the opening name of this theatre.
Here is a list of movies that were shown at the 64TH & 2ND this year so far.
1/18/08- 27 Dresses
1/18/08- Mad Money
2/1/08- The Eye
2/22/08- Charlie Bartlett
2/29/08- The Other Boleyn Girl
2/29/08- Penelope
3/7/08- 10,000 B.C.
3/14/08- Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who
3/28/08- 21
4/4/08- Nim’s Island
4/11/08- Street Kings
5/2/08- Made of Honor
5/9/08- What Happens in Vegas
5/16/08- Son of Rambow
6/6/08- You Don’t Mess with the Zohan
6/13/08- The Happening
6/20/08- Get Smart
7/2/08- Hancock (Opening)
Just checked my records. We had the 10 classics on the night of Wednesday, Oct. 9, 1974 (starting late Tuesday night). Admission $1. I erred on this point: Exactly 600 people bought a ticket at some time during the 20-hour marathon. Then, because the previous regular attraction (“A Very Natural Thing”) wasn’t strong enough to continue, and “The Odessa File” could not open until a week later, the Squirrel Hill filled in with an eight-day reissue combo of “The Parallax View” and “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz.” – Ed Blank
The Pittsburgh one definitely started late on a Wednesday or a Thursday evening. And ours was midnight, too, now that I think it through because I remember adding up all the screening times in advance because I doubted that they could all be finished by 8 p.m. Fortunately the breaks between them were very brief if not nonexistent. The theater was a 793-seater back then (later to be chopped up). I was pleasantly surprised that maybe 100-140 people were there at the start and most stayed for the 20 hours. “The Odessa File” screening that followed around 9 p.m. drew several hundred.
By the way, Al, I’m enjoying finding your contributions to many of the NYC theater blogs. You and Warren and Dave-Bronx have made many invaluable contributions in terms of information and observations. – Ed Blank
The NY one started at 12:01am Saturday night/Sunday morning, October 12/13.
Thank you very much, Al. It’s unlikely I would have thought of “The Professionals.” I wonder how many cities had that festival and if we all had it the same night. I’ve gotta think there were only one or two usable prints of most of those films and that they moved around daily for a couple of weeks. I do remember they were shown in precise chronological sequence in Pittsburgh and that I helplessly dozed during the second and third ones, “Mr. Deeds” and “Mr. Smith.” Never imagined that a few years later I’d be able to buy all of them, and so many more, on VHS. – Ed Blank
The New York 20 hour Columbia film marathon consisted of:
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
ON THE WATERFRONT
DR. STRANGELOVE
HIS GIRL FRIDAY
FUNNY GIRL
THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
THE PROFESSIONALS
Prizes included movie posters, stills, poster books, soundtrack albums and a free showing of THE ODESSA FILE.
SethLewis mentioned above, in 2004, that the Columbia I & II hosted a retrospective of Columbia classics to celebrate the studio’s 50th anniversary in 1974. We had that all-night show in Pittsburgh, too, at Squirrel Hill Theater. It consisted of 10 outstanding Columbia films, shown from oldest to newest. Do you New Yorkers have the same 10? Can you identify them, using my partial list as a starting point: From memory, they were “It Happened One Night,” “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “His Girl Friday” (not positive about that one), “From Here to Eternity,” “On the Waterfront,” “Bridge on the River Kwai” and “Funny Girl” (I think). And I’m missing at least one. (I don’t think “Oliver” or “Gilda” were part of it, but I’m tempted to say “Born Yesterday” or “A Man for All Seasons” were in there.) The program started at either 8 p.m. or midnight, and the 10th film ended at about 7 p.m. the next evening. The theater emptied for a two-hour (or less) dinner break. We all headed for nearby eateries and then returned for the 11th feature, which was a premiere of Columbia’s latest, “The Odessa File.” Does this marathon sound familiar to Seth and others who might have caught it in Manhattan? – Ed Blank