There is a nice artist rendering of the original triplex at www.fromscripttodvd.com Then click on the list of NY theaters with 70mm. That site also claims this was the most expensive theater ever built in Connecticut back then.
The Cinema 1,2, 3 letters look identical to those used by General Cinema back then.
Appears to have been a superior quality triplex in it’s day…
Did the Menlo Park lobby have a waterfall of some type in it?
( GCC Central Plaza in Yonkers did )
Saw the theater’s opening day newspaper ad on www.fromscriptotdvd.com and it mentions “Beautiful gardens” with an illustration resembling a waterfall. The ad appears in the list of 70mm equipped theaters section on that site.
Not to nit pick, but supposedly the Ridgeway Theater in Stamford, CT opened in the summer of 1951 as also one of the very first shopping center theaters.
Sorry I never got to visit it or Cinema Shoppers. Both appear to have been wonderful places.
Digital Cinema seems over hyped by a mainstream media with little technical expertise. This is the same mainstream media that predicted a paperless work environment with the advent of the computer and forever predicts the end of the moviegoing experience as we know it. They also predicted the end of retail bookstores with the advent of those silly e-books.
I have seen several digital feature films and they look okay, but nothing dramatically better then 35mm film stock.
True test will be if theaters maintain and operate the digital
equipment or will they cut costs and let the bulbs get dim? Depending on the overall natural and artifical lighting, a digital movie may not offer any better picture quaity either.
But I do predict many opportunities for more pay per events very similiar to the old 1960’s-early 1970’s closed circuit theater presentations. BUT will the public pay for theater or home pay per view events ???
One of the most memorable and effective trailers ever was the teaser done for “The Godfather” and it consisted of a revolving bust of Marlon Brando’s head. Does it appear on any of the DVD’s ???
That same Brando bust appears on the front cover of the film’s souvenir program.
I don’t mind trailers nowadays, but absolutely object to consumer product commercials and refuse to believe the industry lies about most moviegoers not objecting to them. Bull !!!
Not sure when they will demolish it, so don’t wait, take pictures now and ask now about stuff being possibly auctioned off. Hope you get some good momentos. A shame to see these great old places go down…any idea how many seats it had ???
Heard from the management of Garden State Plaza that this theater will be demolished soon. So get out your cameras…in it’s day, this sounds like it was nice big theater. How many seats ???
The new multiplex will be located near Border’s Books and Ruby Tuesday.
Don’t know if they started to build it yet…
It opened as 10 plex and was successful enough that 2 more screens were added soon after.
It is written up in Sumner Redstone’s biography in regard to him being the only corporate member favoring construction of this theater due to silly fears about the entire borough’s leftover 1970’s urban blight reputation. This theater did very, very well to the surprise of many in National Amusements.
Several years later General Cinema also woke up about the money to
made in the Bronx and opened it’s Bay Plaza complex at Co-Op City just up the road.
P.S.—Will send a few bucks to anybody that can fax, scan-email, or US Mail me individual seat counts for Westchester, Bergen and Hudson Counties prior to 1975.
Maybe you can post this message on one of the Michael Jackson websites for a response. Some celebrities actually look at their own sites, Tom Cruise posted the War of the Worlds poster on his own website way, way in advance of it being released to the general public.
P.S.—35mm movie cameras all currently have a videoplayback system attached. Does any of that currently get downloaded elsewhere to film producers, executives, etc???
I wish they would think twice about running these ultr-sadistc films like “Saw” and “Hostel” to name a few. The appeal of this extreme violence to many young movie goers has me quite disturbed. In fact, I would have hoped by now that some psychology related organization would have issued warnings about the glorification of extreme violence in entertainment.
Yes, the theater chains can pick and choose whatever content they want.
The Daily News started a new Tuesday pullout section devoted to the Bronx, yet nothing about this wonderful theater has been featured. The owners are doing a poor job in promoting it. Few people outside of this site and that neighborhood are aware it’s even reopened.
Months back I had suggested to the publisher of “Back in the Bronx” magazine to start a bus tour of the Paradise from lower Westchester due to a lack of nearby parking and public fears of street crime which is very, very high in that 46th Precinct area. I usually park on Arthur Avenue and walk up, no problem, but most others fear the
area for good reason. Hopefully the midtown tour companies that presently operate Bronx tours will include the Paradise.
Am surprised the owner has not experimented with showing spanish language films as was done at National Amusements Concouse Plaza multiplex. Did they discontinue it??
Great posting and I too am fed up with commercials in theaters and am irritated with some theater chains lies about customers not objecting to them. BULL !!!!!
Email a letter to the editor at Boxoffice magazine which I subscribe to. Boxoffice.com. Hopefully, non subscribers can submit letters and why not? We are the ones buying the tickets.
There is a nice artist rendering of the original triplex at www.fromscripttodvd.com Then click on the list of NY theaters with 70mm. That site also claims this was the most expensive theater ever built in Connecticut back then.
The Cinema 1,2, 3 letters look identical to those used by General Cinema back then.
Appears to have been a superior quality triplex in it’s day…
Did the Menlo Park lobby have a waterfall of some type in it?
( GCC Central Plaza in Yonkers did )
Saw the theater’s opening day newspaper ad on www.fromscriptotdvd.com and it mentions “Beautiful gardens” with an illustration resembling a waterfall. The ad appears in the list of 70mm equipped theaters section on that site.
Thanks.
Was Menlo Park running 70MM long before it did with “Star Wars” ???
Seems like it was such a wonderful theater in it’s day based on all of the passionate comments posted.
Thanks
CinemaSightlines,
Thank for both postings and your first one says it all so very, very well.
Not to nit pick, but supposedly the Ridgeway Theater in Stamford, CT opened in the summer of 1951 as also one of the very first shopping center theaters.
Sorry I never got to visit it or Cinema Shoppers. Both appear to have been wonderful places.
Digital Cinema seems over hyped by a mainstream media with little technical expertise. This is the same mainstream media that predicted a paperless work environment with the advent of the computer and forever predicts the end of the moviegoing experience as we know it. They also predicted the end of retail bookstores with the advent of those silly e-books.
I have seen several digital feature films and they look okay, but nothing dramatically better then 35mm film stock.
True test will be if theaters maintain and operate the digital
equipment or will they cut costs and let the bulbs get dim? Depending on the overall natural and artifical lighting, a digital movie may not offer any better picture quaity either.
But I do predict many opportunities for more pay per events very similiar to the old 1960’s-early 1970’s closed circuit theater presentations. BUT will the public pay for theater or home pay per view events ???
Is this theater patronized mostly by Universal tourists or area residents, or a liitle of both ???
One of the most memorable and effective trailers ever was the teaser done for “The Godfather” and it consisted of a revolving bust of Marlon Brando’s head. Does it appear on any of the DVD’s ???
That same Brando bust appears on the front cover of the film’s souvenir program.
I don’t mind trailers nowadays, but absolutely object to consumer product commercials and refuse to believe the industry lies about most moviegoers not objecting to them. Bull !!!
Mr. Shepard,
How many people worked in GCC’s Boston HQ ?
Why did they only have a scant few theaters in Connecticut?
Like Long island, was it already saturated by the competition?
During the mid 1960’s, GCC was aggressive about opening in several key areas of Westchester County, NY and all over New Jersey.
Not sure when they will demolish it, so don’t wait, take pictures now and ask now about stuff being possibly auctioned off. Hope you get some good momentos. A shame to see these great old places go down…any idea how many seats it had ???
Heard from the management of Garden State Plaza that this theater will be demolished soon. So get out your cameras…in it’s day, this sounds like it was nice big theater. How many seats ???
The new multiplex will be located near Border’s Books and Ruby Tuesday.
Don’t know if they started to build it yet…
Hey dave-bronx,
Was their Totowa cinema identical to Central Plaza?
And did it and any other area GCC theaters have the same waterfall like Central Plaza ?
Thank You.
Drop me a line soon at , I had ushered at Hartsdale 2.
I believe they constructed additional auditoriums.
It opened as 10 plex and was successful enough that 2 more screens were added soon after.
It is written up in Sumner Redstone’s biography in regard to him being the only corporate member favoring construction of this theater due to silly fears about the entire borough’s leftover 1970’s urban blight reputation. This theater did very, very well to the surprise of many in National Amusements.
Several years later General Cinema also woke up about the money to
made in the Bronx and opened it’s Bay Plaza complex at Co-Op City just up the road.
Here is my emal:
Thanks
P.S.—Will send a few bucks to anybody that can fax, scan-email, or US Mail me individual seat counts for Westchester, Bergen and Hudson Counties prior to 1975.
Thank You Much.
Maybe you can post this message on one of the Michael Jackson websites for a response. Some celebrities actually look at their own sites, Tom Cruise posted the War of the Worlds poster on his own website way, way in advance of it being released to the general public.
P.S.—35mm movie cameras all currently have a videoplayback system attached. Does any of that currently get downloaded elsewhere to film producers, executives, etc???
How common is it now for filmmakers to rent movie theaters for screenings of dailies when filming on location outside of larger populated areas?
I had read about them doing this recently during a film shoot in Stamford, Connecticut and wondered how common a practice it is.
Thank You.
Warm regards to both of you and thank you so much for creating and running this fabulous website that is now quoted in newspaper stories.
I wish they would think twice about running these ultr-sadistc films like “Saw” and “Hostel” to name a few. The appeal of this extreme violence to many young movie goers has me quite disturbed. In fact, I would have hoped by now that some psychology related organization would have issued warnings about the glorification of extreme violence in entertainment.
Yes, the theater chains can pick and choose whatever content they want.
Why doesn’t the name REGAL appear anywhere on the exterior of this theater??? They have had plenty of time to erect a new sign.
Very, very strange. Why leave up the name of the previous owner, Loew’s ?????? Yes, I read the postings above on this issue.
Thanks
Google Bronx Historical Society and contact them, also Backinthebronx.com and try a free wanted ad in craigslist.org.
Good Luck Lizabeth.
The Daily News started a new Tuesday pullout section devoted to the Bronx, yet nothing about this wonderful theater has been featured. The owners are doing a poor job in promoting it. Few people outside of this site and that neighborhood are aware it’s even reopened.
Months back I had suggested to the publisher of “Back in the Bronx” magazine to start a bus tour of the Paradise from lower Westchester due to a lack of nearby parking and public fears of street crime which is very, very high in that 46th Precinct area. I usually park on Arthur Avenue and walk up, no problem, but most others fear the
area for good reason. Hopefully the midtown tour companies that presently operate Bronx tours will include the Paradise.
Am surprised the owner has not experimented with showing spanish language films as was done at National Amusements Concouse Plaza multiplex. Did they discontinue it??
Great posting and I too am fed up with commercials in theaters and am irritated with some theater chains lies about customers not objecting to them. BULL !!!!!
Email a letter to the editor at Boxoffice magazine which I subscribe to. Boxoffice.com. Hopefully, non subscribers can submit letters and why not? We are the ones buying the tickets.