One of the nicest theater experiences in Charlottesville, or anywhere. No herky-jerky starts to the films; the projector operator actually appears to understand how to operate the machine and delivers a smooth, professional performance.
Jerry Kovar, above, asked about a listing of all the concerts at the Fillmore East. If you go back to the www.fillmore-east.com Website and look down the left side, click on the tab labled Show Listings for a complete list of the shows from the begining, March 8, 1968 until the end, June 27, 1971. Also of interest to readers on the subject of this theater as the Fillmore East and in it’s previous decades as a movie palace, go down the left side and click on Artifacts, then click on Artifacts 4 to see a layout of the seating for the theater.
Indeed, as tawdry as it may be, the decade of porn years is probably an important element in why many old theaters like the Roosevelt have survived to this day. There is a beautiful 1912 example in the city where I now live that limped along on porn and then $3 second-runs for years to survive and is now being fully restored as a concert venue. The decline of the neighborhood also contributed to the Roosevelt’s mothballing for the past 20 years to still stand today intact for possible renovation. If the real estate had been more valuable it probably would have succumbed to developers' greed long ago. That may also make the economics of its transition to live-performance theater workable as well (if the neighborhood is safe, even though run-down?). Presumably the sale price and annual property taxes will be resonable, which could help a newly opened theater get off the ground and thrive in its first years, if it can attract people to venture down there for a show.
Al, I don’t think that there’s much of a market today for Cinerama Roadshows. So, for what purpose will these lovely old theaters be preserved—if any? Look at how many are listed as closed and demolished. Single-screen theaters simply can’t survive in today’s multiplex film business, unless their auditoriums are broken up into smaller screening rooms (which doesn’t preserve these gorgeous interiors) or they are converted to live-performance theaters for music or plays. It’s the only way to save a theater’s architectural integrity.
In 1974 I traveled up from Perrine to this theater to see “Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones,” as Al Alvarez mentioned above. I think that it was the only theater in the Miami area showing the film. I, being a very big Stones fan, returned several times to see the film during it’s run at the Roosevelt. I’d love to see the theater reborn as an intimate venue for live music performances with a cafe in the lobby, but I think it might better attract such a business if it were located down on Lincoln Road or among the many Art Deco hotels by the beach, where people stroll looking for entertainment.
Sorry to disappoint you, ghamilton, but there are no more distributors for classic pictures—video stores and cable stations have that niche all locked up. And art house operators have lost much of their business to the multiplexes, who now dedicate at least one screen to that market, and at cheaper prices than the foreign movie theaters can afford to offer. Live performance: that’s the only hope for these lovely old movie houses.
I remember going to the movies at the Lincoln as a boy visiting my grandparents on the Beach in the 1960s and ‘70s. Miami Beach was a fading resort back then, whose glory days were well in the past—and the Lincoln was no different. You fellow lovers of old cinema houses will, no doubt, have known a similar elderly lady: somewhat seedy, worn out, with a slight musty smell about the old girl.
The last time that I was in the Lincoln was in 1972, when I went there with my sister and a cousin visiting from New York to see “Harold & Maude,” as either a first or second run feature—I can’t remember. But how appropriate: a film about love for the elderly. On a return visit a few years ago I was strolling down Lincoln Road with my wife to view all the changes that have taken place in this restored gem of an Art Deco city and was delighted to see that the New World Symphony had given the old girl new life by making her their home. Although the interior has, apparently, been extensively modernized, at least she survives as a thrater, restored nearly to her former appearance. The Colony, just down the street, has also been restored as a performance space as well.
Patsy:
The theater was twined by enclosing the mezzanine in 1983. I took a peek in while the demo of the enclosures over the two balconies was taking place a year ago. It’s a spectacular view up to the top. Although work appears to have stalled for now, the theater will be a splendid intimate music venue when restoration is completed.
Here is another link that many of you will enjoy: http://www.davidgallery.net
When you arrive at the site, click on Photographers, then Amalie R. Rothchild. She was one of the theater’s official photographers for two years, and among the five pages devouted to her here are shots of many of the artists who performed at the Fillmore East in action on stage, but there is also a nice shot of the stage taken from the right, or east, during a performance of the Grateful Dead, with the box above stage right that was used by the sound crew; a shot from the back of the upper balconey down at the stage as jimmi Hendrix and The Band of Gypsies rehearse; and a nice shot of the main entrance shot from across Second Avenue.
The link to the clip, Part I, is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cswbMis-bR4
Also in the clip is a view south down Second Avenue, as well as north toward the church, an explaination of one of the components of the Joshua Light Show, and a view across the orchestra seats from left to right, or toward the east. Above I said a box seat on the south side, but, of course, that would have actually been the west side as the auditorium stood parallel to Second Avenue with only the lobby portion and it’s upper floors (which still stands) abutting Second Avenue.
Leave off the qoutes and the word East and just type: Welcome to the Filmore. That will also bring up a better print of the clip. There are two posted but one is of a poorer quality. I’ll go back and get you a link. There appears to be three clips from the documentary posted. This Part I shows bands being listed on the marquee and a shot of the large church up the street, crews working inside with a view of one of the box seats on the South side, Bill Graham on the phone and talking about his criteria for booking bands, a shot of the audience in the balconies and up through the orchestra section from the stage, Graham encouraging the audience to register to vote and introducing the Byrds with them decending a spiral staircase from the dressing rooms, the band playing “Jesus Is Just Alright,” and a brief snippet of Albert King on stage.
For those who would like to see some film footage of the exterior and interior of the theater as the Fillmore East, go to YouTube and type into the search window: “Welcome to the Fillmore East” to see some clips from the 1970 documentary made for New York Public Television. The late Bill Graham gives a brief introduction for a rebroadcast done in the 1980s.
One of the nicest theater experiences in Charlottesville, or anywhere. No herky-jerky starts to the films; the projector operator actually appears to understand how to operate the machine and delivers a smooth, professional performance.
Jerry Kovar, above, asked about a listing of all the concerts at the Fillmore East. If you go back to the www.fillmore-east.com Website and look down the left side, click on the tab labled Show Listings for a complete list of the shows from the begining, March 8, 1968 until the end, June 27, 1971. Also of interest to readers on the subject of this theater as the Fillmore East and in it’s previous decades as a movie palace, go down the left side and click on Artifacts, then click on Artifacts 4 to see a layout of the seating for the theater.
Indeed, as tawdry as it may be, the decade of porn years is probably an important element in why many old theaters like the Roosevelt have survived to this day. There is a beautiful 1912 example in the city where I now live that limped along on porn and then $3 second-runs for years to survive and is now being fully restored as a concert venue. The decline of the neighborhood also contributed to the Roosevelt’s mothballing for the past 20 years to still stand today intact for possible renovation. If the real estate had been more valuable it probably would have succumbed to developers' greed long ago. That may also make the economics of its transition to live-performance theater workable as well (if the neighborhood is safe, even though run-down?). Presumably the sale price and annual property taxes will be resonable, which could help a newly opened theater get off the ground and thrive in its first years, if it can attract people to venture down there for a show.
Al, I don’t think that there’s much of a market today for Cinerama Roadshows. So, for what purpose will these lovely old theaters be preserved—if any? Look at how many are listed as closed and demolished. Single-screen theaters simply can’t survive in today’s multiplex film business, unless their auditoriums are broken up into smaller screening rooms (which doesn’t preserve these gorgeous interiors) or they are converted to live-performance theaters for music or plays. It’s the only way to save a theater’s architectural integrity.
In 1974 I traveled up from Perrine to this theater to see “Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones,” as Al Alvarez mentioned above. I think that it was the only theater in the Miami area showing the film. I, being a very big Stones fan, returned several times to see the film during it’s run at the Roosevelt. I’d love to see the theater reborn as an intimate venue for live music performances with a cafe in the lobby, but I think it might better attract such a business if it were located down on Lincoln Road or among the many Art Deco hotels by the beach, where people stroll looking for entertainment.
Sorry to disappoint you, ghamilton, but there are no more distributors for classic pictures—video stores and cable stations have that niche all locked up. And art house operators have lost much of their business to the multiplexes, who now dedicate at least one screen to that market, and at cheaper prices than the foreign movie theaters can afford to offer. Live performance: that’s the only hope for these lovely old movie houses.
I remember going to the movies at the Lincoln as a boy visiting my grandparents on the Beach in the 1960s and ‘70s. Miami Beach was a fading resort back then, whose glory days were well in the past—and the Lincoln was no different. You fellow lovers of old cinema houses will, no doubt, have known a similar elderly lady: somewhat seedy, worn out, with a slight musty smell about the old girl.
The last time that I was in the Lincoln was in 1972, when I went there with my sister and a cousin visiting from New York to see “Harold & Maude,” as either a first or second run feature—I can’t remember. But how appropriate: a film about love for the elderly. On a return visit a few years ago I was strolling down Lincoln Road with my wife to view all the changes that have taken place in this restored gem of an Art Deco city and was delighted to see that the New World Symphony had given the old girl new life by making her their home. Although the interior has, apparently, been extensively modernized, at least she survives as a thrater, restored nearly to her former appearance. The Colony, just down the street, has also been restored as a performance space as well.
Patsy:
The theater was twined by enclosing the mezzanine in 1983. I took a peek in while the demo of the enclosures over the two balconies was taking place a year ago. It’s a spectacular view up to the top. Although work appears to have stalled for now, the theater will be a splendid intimate music venue when restoration is completed.
Here is another link that many of you will enjoy: http://www.davidgallery.net
When you arrive at the site, click on Photographers, then Amalie R. Rothchild. She was one of the theater’s official photographers for two years, and among the five pages devouted to her here are shots of many of the artists who performed at the Fillmore East in action on stage, but there is also a nice shot of the stage taken from the right, or east, during a performance of the Grateful Dead, with the box above stage right that was used by the sound crew; a shot from the back of the upper balconey down at the stage as jimmi Hendrix and The Band of Gypsies rehearse; and a nice shot of the main entrance shot from across Second Avenue.
The link to the clip, Part I, is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cswbMis-bR4
Also in the clip is a view south down Second Avenue, as well as north toward the church, an explaination of one of the components of the Joshua Light Show, and a view across the orchestra seats from left to right, or toward the east. Above I said a box seat on the south side, but, of course, that would have actually been the west side as the auditorium stood parallel to Second Avenue with only the lobby portion and it’s upper floors (which still stands) abutting Second Avenue.
Leave off the qoutes and the word East and just type: Welcome to the Filmore. That will also bring up a better print of the clip. There are two posted but one is of a poorer quality. I’ll go back and get you a link. There appears to be three clips from the documentary posted. This Part I shows bands being listed on the marquee and a shot of the large church up the street, crews working inside with a view of one of the box seats on the South side, Bill Graham on the phone and talking about his criteria for booking bands, a shot of the audience in the balconies and up through the orchestra section from the stage, Graham encouraging the audience to register to vote and introducing the Byrds with them decending a spiral staircase from the dressing rooms, the band playing “Jesus Is Just Alright,” and a brief snippet of Albert King on stage.
For those who would like to see some film footage of the exterior and interior of the theater as the Fillmore East, go to YouTube and type into the search window: “Welcome to the Fillmore East” to see some clips from the 1970 documentary made for New York Public Television. The late Bill Graham gives a brief introduction for a rebroadcast done in the 1980s.