Roxy Theatre
153 W. 50th Street,
New York,
NY
10020
153 W. 50th Street,
New York,
NY
10020
83 people
favorited this theater
Showing 476 - 500 of 1,225 comments
I was looking at the films distributed by the major studios in the early 1960’s and production was almost half of what it once was and there didn’t seem like there was enough quality first run films to sustain both the Roxy and the Music Hall. The Studios big pictures in the 1960’s were the roadshow format which required a long run which the Roxy and Music Hall weren’t able sustain. The Studios wanted the Roadshow to provide income over a period of time for there balance sheets. The Roxy did have some major hits in the late 1950’s like Peyton Place and Imitation of Life but it seems the theatre never recovered from the major flop “Windjammer”. Simon I would like you to talk a little more about the films that played the Roxy when you worked there. It seems 1956 and 1957 were good years for the Roxy and in a few short years the theatre was torn down.The Roxy was the second biggest grossing theatre in the world when it was open and was second only to the Music Hall.brucec
As long as people are sharing memories, what did the areas the I never see photos of look like? I specifically mean the lobby that led from the box offices to the rotunda, the balcony staircase, the lounges and such?
It’s wonderful hearing first-hand accounts from people who were actually there.
Thank you very much!
Simon and Warren, thank you for your answers. I enjoyed hearing about the amount of work required to keep this place running smoothly. I especially like the comment “Because the loge seated only 1,000 patrons….” The loge at the Roxy seated twice the number of an entire average theatre today, but because of the Roxy’s size it could be said with a straight face that its loge seated ONLY 1,000 people! Whew!!
Communication from the ushers to the various house managers was constant from all sections of the theater. This was relayed to the lobby from the doormen to the managers to the cashiers by phone. Every usher kept track of the flow and knew exactly how many (or few) seats there were in his charge. Ushers reported to managers by telephone every five minutes during busy times and we also used hand signals to give both numbers and locations. As far as the loge was concerned, patrons would often change their minds once they had purchased a regular admissions ticket, if the wait for orchestra seats appeared to be too long. Because the loge only seated 1,000 patrons, it would fill up quickly during pressure business.
Hello Simon L. You’re also welcome for the photos. I had heard that patrons could exchange tickets for seats in the loges, but I had never before known why. I wondered why people couldn’t make up their minds at the box office instead of exchanging tickets in the theatre. How did people keep track of what seats were available in the loges? Was there some kind of communication between the box office and the desk where tickets where exchanged?
I also reall expecting more of a third dimension effect as implied by the advertising. I think all of course in all I was more impressed with Cinerama and 3-D.
One would have to consider the fact that the Roxy was the first to show CinemaScope, therefore never having seen a movie screen of that size in other than special venues, I believe the effect was more impressive. By the time RCMH installed Scope we had already gotten used to the idea having experienced it in many other theatres. I saw “The Robe” there but honestly do no recall if the curve made that much of an impression on me. Funny thing is I was more impressed with the stereophonic sound, in particular the rich music in a movie theatre and the wonderful thunder and lightning crashes in the surround track.
While I didn’t get a chance to see CinemaScope at the Roxy, I have seen pictures of the screen, which was indeed within the proscenium, so no seats would have been cut off as with the Capitol’s Cinerama. That may not have been the case with Cinemiracle at the Roxy. In that case, since the screen was deeply curved for three projector projection, my bet would be that it was extended beyond the proscenium for effect.
According to Warren’s comment above the screen was 68' x 24' which would have made it almost exactly the width of the Music Hall screen (70' x 35'). The Roxy’s screen was slightly curved however, which may have made for a more impressive picture, and which would have met the Fox CinemaScope standards. Because a curved screen at the Hall would have involved taking up too many fly lines, the Hall stayed with a flat screen, and thus couldn’t show any of the first Fox CinemaScope product. It was a year later when MGM ran “Knights of the Roundtable” at the Hall that the first CinemaScope picture was shown there. MGM said they didn’t care if the screen was curved or not.
Unquestionably the Roxy. The screen, unlike RCMH, was curved and the sound much better as well. The only time the Roxy removed seats (the entire loge was closed)was for Windjammer in Cinemiracle.
Fo those who saw Cinemascope in the mid 50s at both the Roxy and Music Hall which was the more impressive presentation?
Also when the Roxy was showing this format was it entirely in the proscenium and were any seat sections cut off like they did at the Capitol when it became a road show house?
To Ziggy, what a treat it is for this Roxy usher (1956 – 57) to see these rare photos. For your amusement, may I share this: There was a small desk placed on the first landing to the (rocking chair)loge where a cashier would sit and exchange tickets for those who wanted to sit in the loge after already purchasing a regular priced ticket. This happened frequently when the patrons saw too many people waiting for orchestra seats. One more thing: It’s hard to believe that the huge crowd waiting in line were there for a Ritz Brothers film in 1937. Perhaps a stage headliner was the draw. I’d love to see a photo of the rotunda from the lobby to the orchestra entrance. Not even in “The Best Remaining Seats.” Thanks again
Hi Richard, You’re welcome for the photos. I was happy to find them myself. Since I never had the good fortune to see the Roxy, photographs are the only way I can experience it (until someone discovers how to time travel). I’m jealous of you because you actually got to see this place live and in person.
Ziggy – thanx – at last a picture of the Roxy rotunda that includes the concession stand where I worked as a teenager, age 16. It was 1950-1952. Of course the concession stand is not there yet, as you say the photo was taken just after the theater was built – in 1928? But many years later, when I came along, it was just to the right of that staircase, which led to the manager’s office. Further to the right can be seen the entrance to the restrooms below.
Have wanted for a long time to see a picture of that area of the rotunda. Brings back many youthful memories.
Thanx.
Richard
View link
Here’s a view of the rotunda ceiling.
View link
This link takes you to a photo of the staircase to the loges, where it opened into the rotunda
Of all the Manhattan moviehouses I never got to visit, this is the one I most mind having missed. When I accompanied my folks to New York starting in 1955, we always went to whatever was playing at Radio City Music Hall, starting with “Mr. Roberts.” But despite the awareness that the Roxy was nearby, we somehow never got there. Damn!
Warren: Thanks for the photo!
In a book entitled Lucille Ball: A to Z by Michael Karol (page 296) it reads in part: “The chauffeur, who was one of the witnesses, drove them back to New York in time for Desi to appear for the second show at the Roxy Theater. It was the first marriage for both.”
Fascinating. Thanks for all the great research Warren, it is very much appreciated!
Ken and Warren:..thanks for the references but I have had the Center bookmarked for a long time. What I have been looking for specifically is more photos of the interior. I have seen the one that ken mc posted here but that is the only photo I have come across in the last few years.
Here’s another:
http://www.nyc-architecture.com/MID/MID061.htm
Does anyone know if the NEW ROXY was the theater formally known as the CENTER THEATER located within the Radio City comlex at about 6th Ave and 49th St. I saw an ice show there once as a kid about 1949 and it also was the theater where American Ballet Theatre made its debut in 1940 I believe. Around during the early 50s, Kate Smith, a popular singer of that period famous for “God Bless America” – did her weekly TV show from there. I’m curious why a NEW Roxy when the REAL Roxy was still present.
Richard
The New RKO Roxy/RKO Center Theatre/Center Theatre has its own page here:
/theaters/564/
I wish there was more stuff around on the New Roxy/Center. Looks like a wonderful theatre. Makes you wonder what they were thinking when they built Radio City Music Hall and the New Roxy so close to each other…during the Depression.
When I first saw the original ads for “King Kong” in the early ‘70’s, that always confused me. I just assumed that the movie played in both Radio City and the Roxy at the same time. I didn’t know anything about the “New Roxy”. I wonder if that confused New York moviegoers back then, too.